Experiencing Simulated Aging Improves Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Aging.
Summary of "Experiencing Simulated Aging Improves Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Aging."
Nursing assistants provide 90% of the functional and psychosocial care of older adults in nursing homes. Without knowledge of the normal physical changes of aging, it would be difficult to provide them with appropriate quality care. This quasi-experimental study aimed to test the effects of the Elderly Simulation Program on nursing assistants' knowledge about aging, attitudes toward older adults, and the motivation to care for older adults in nursing homes. The program has two parts: a 1-hour lecture about aging changes and a 1-hour simulation of the roles of an older adult, a caregiver, and a "rusher" (20 minutes for each role). A convenience sample of 83 full-time nursing assistants was recruited from nursing homes in Taiwan. The participants were assigned to an experimental (n = 43) or a control group (n = 40). The experimental group received the Elderly Simulation Program intervention, whereas the control group did not participate in any educational programs. Data were collected before the intervention and 4 wk after the program was completed. Results indicated that 4 wk after the intervention, the experimental group participants' knowledge about aging and attitudes toward older adults had significantly improved (all P < .001). The experimental group participants also had greater knowledge of aging than the control group at posttest (P < .001). It is recommended that the program be incorporated into the regular on-the-job continuing education of nursing assistants in long-term care facilities to enhance their knowledge about aging and their attitudes towards older adults.
Affiliation
St. Joseph Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
ISSN: 1532-5415
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22568571
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03950.x
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Skin Aging
The process of aging due to changes in the structure and elasticity of the skin over time. It may be a part of physiological aging or it may be due to the effects of ultraviolet radiation, usually through exposure to sunlight.
National Institute On Aging (u.s.)
Component of the NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. Through basic and clinical biomedical research and training, it conducts and supports research into the nature of the aging process and diseases associated with the later stages of life. The Institute was established in 1974.
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL).
Loose Anagen Hair Syndrome
Benign childhood alopecia that improves spontaneously with aging. It is characterized by anagen hairs (misshapen hair bulbs and absent inner and outer root sheaths), thin, and sparse hairs that pulls out easily.
Aging, Premature
Changes in the organism associated with senescence, occurring at an accelerated rate.
PubMed Articles
Attitudes about older people and being old develop in the early and middle phases of life and influence the subsequent aging process. Because aging processes vary across different domains of life and...
Canada's Aging Population (1986) Redux.
ABSTRACTCanada's Aging Population by Susan McDaniel was the inaugural book in the Butterworths series on aging in the 1980s. It opened a "growth industry" in research on aging. Much more is known now...
Attitudes, knowledge, and interest: preparing university students to work in an aging world.
ABSTRACTBackground: The underlying goals of the present study were (i) to assess knowledge of and attitudes towards aging in a sample of Portuguese undergraduate students undertaking various degrees i...
The Effects of Perceived Stress and Attitudes Toward Menopause and Aging on Symptoms of Menopause.
INTRODUCTION: As part of a longitudinal study of midlife women, the aim of this investigation was to describe the intensity of menopausal symptoms in relation to the level of perceived stress in a wom...
Self-reported quality of life ratings of people with dementia: the role of attitudes to aging.
ABSTRACTBackground: Attitudes to aging have not previously been assessed in people with dementia. The possession of positive life attitudes into older age has the potential to induce resilience to hea...
Clinical Trials
Effect of Aging on Haemostasis Parameters
Aging is an independent risk factor, without any clear explanation. The primary aim of the study is to depict the effect of aging on the coagulation fibrinolysis parameters and micropartic...
Genetics of Aging-Associated Conditions in Sardinia
The purpose of this study is to examine the genetic risk factors for aging associated conditions.
We are seeking healthy female volunteers to determine if multinutrient supplementation affects visible signs of skin aging as well as blood measurements of aging. We are seeking smokers a...
ACE-Seniors (Activities for Cognitive Enhancement of Seniors)
Cognitive aging and cognitive decline are important public health concerns in an aging US population. The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trail among healthy older adult...
This is a survey study to assess the vaccination knowledge and attitudes of women in an inner city Gynecology clinic. Results of this study will help determine which factors influence vacc...
