Date of Graduation

Summer 8-2021

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Department/Program

Public Health

First Advisor

Professor Lisa Catanzaro

Abstract

Abstract

In 2021 Worldwide, communities face a singular yet common challenge; and this is the significant aging of their senior adult populations. Current evidence from the literature suggests that older adults prefer to stay in their homes as they age. However, the facilitators and challenges older people encounter in realizing their aging goals have been inadequately addressed by the current body of literature given the projected increase in the number of older people in the United States preferring to age from their homes. Aging adults are vulnerable to daily frustration, which could negatively impact their aging process. However, knowledge of traditional medical services, socio-ecological factors, and support services needed to facilitate their aging process in the home remain limited. The United States is projected to have their senior population outpace that of its children’s population, thus creating the need for increased and well-defined programs and services that support seniors to age-in-place. California’s over-60 population is growing faster than any other age group, and is projected by the year 2030, to include a quarter of its residents (10.8 million) as older adults. California’s rapidly changing and aging adult population increases the need for honoring the preference of older adults, who surveyed worldwide, 80% consistently wish to age-in-place, but face potential risk factors such as lack of health care access, chronic illness, clinical risk factors, socio-ecological risk factors, and socio-demographic risk factors. Through the literature, I learned that existing models of senior support programs and services, including the newly released January 2021 California’s Master Plan for Aging, which can positively aid California seniors with aging-in-place, implicating possible areas for further improvement.

Comments

Introduction

A fundamental component of successful aging is maintaining an individual’s independence. One known approach to achieving this independence is for elderly adults, individuals aged 65 or older, to age-in-place (Foley & Luz, 2021). Scholars have broadly defined ageing-in-place within the current body of literature as the ability of an individual to stay in one’s own home as the person ages (Blumenberg et al., 2019). Aged individuals consider as a primary goal to age-in-place (Blumenberg et al., 2019). Recent data released by the United States housing revealed that older adults are certainly achieving their old age goals, with at least 80% of older adults living independently in their own homes as they age (Blumenberg et al., 2019).

Several studies have previously examined the concept of age-in-place among seniors. For instance, Ornstein et al. (2017) conducted a study to explore the facilitators and barriers to ageing-in-place. Given their findings, Pettersson et al. (2020) found that emotional support was one of the key facilitators of age-in-place among elderly individuals in the home. However, Pettersson et al. (2020) recommended additional research focused on exploring the concept of age-in-place to understand the factors contributing to the success of age-in-place among seniors aging in their homes. Foley and Luz (2021) also conducted a qualitative study on the experiences of seniors in age-in-place and suggested the need for further research on facilitators of successful age-in-place for seniors aging in their homes given their unique environment that is different from clinical settings. Other studies on the topic include factors influencing the choice between staying at home or moving out for a different age-in-place (Golant, 2020), experiences of age in the United States, challenges to age in-home (Pettersson et al., 2020), the meaning of aging in place for older people (Gettel et al., 2021), and enablers and barriers in the physical environment of care for older people in ordinary housing (Golant, 2020).

The problem to be addressed in this capstone / integrated learning experience (ILEX) project is that based on what is known in the observational research literature, it is still not known how the existing and effective healthcare programs and services are able to support seniors to have the ability to age-in-place in their homes and in their familiar communities in California. To address this gap and problem in current research, the purpose of this capstone project is to assess the existing and effective healthcare programs and services that are able to support seniors to have the ability to age-in-place in their homes and in their familiar communities in California, US. Factors influencing and contributing to age-in-place for older people in their homes are not new in California, United States (Pettersson et al., 2020).

However, because of the overwhelming number of older people preferring their homes as age-in-place, there are questions and concerns about the existing and effective healthcare programs and services that are able to support seniors to have the ability to age-in-place in their homes and in their familiar communities in California (Blumenberg et al., 2019). It is important to assess the existing and effective healthcare programs and services that can support seniors to have the ability to age-in-place in their homes and in their familiar communities in California to suggest possible strategies for addressing the age-in-place issues for senior individuals who choose their homes as age-in-place.

Supplemental Files
REMONIA A. BOWIE - USF MPH ILEX PAPER SUMMER SEMESTER 2021 (1).pptx (53699 kB)
Power Point Slides and Presentation
Download

Share

COinS