While family and friendship relationship qualities are associated with life satisfaction, evidence on how these types of relationships interact to contribute to older adults’ life satisfaction is sparse. This study examined how family and friendship relationship qualities may be supportive of (compensatory) or conflict with (competing) older adults’ life satisfaction. We adopted a cross-sectional design to analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 1178, females = 54.8%, mean age = 67.9 years, SD = 9.3 years) to examine compensatory (as in social support) and competing (as in social strain) qualities of family and friendship social relationships and their association with life satisfaction in older adults. For greater explanatory power, we also controlled for life satisfaction by sociodemographic variables of age, gender, education, self-reported general health, physical health and activity, depression, and personality traits. Our findings indicate that the spouse/partner support relationship contributes to older adults’ life satisfaction overall and is associated with greater social support and less social strain. Friendship support is associated with improved life satisfaction for older adults reporting spouse/partner strain. Relationship support for the life satisfaction of older adults should consider their need for social support from their social network while minimizing the risk of social strain from adversarial relationships in life situations.

Objectives: Fall preventive programs aim to reduce risks for mortality from fall-related injuries among older adults. However, the covariation between personal perceptions of falls and factors and confidence of self-management in falls (CSMoF) is still under-studied despite its importance to fall prevention. We aimed to investigate the relative contribution of CSMoF in relation to fall risk self-perceptions while controlling for demographics and self-reported health and functioning. Method: Participants were 691 older adults recruited from Area Agency on Aging at Arlington, Texas (females = 76.1%, mean age = 76.23, SD = 6.44, with chronic condition = 79.5%). They completed measures of physical functioning, CSMoF, fall risk perceptions and fear of falls. Results: Regression analyses indicated that fear of fall was the most predictive factor of CSMoF among older persons, accounting for about 25% of the variance. Physical function measures of age, chronic illnesses of metabolism, sensory impairment, and health status were also significant predictors of the CSMoF, but to a lesser extent than fear of falls and fall perceptions. The interaction of perception of falls and fall experience attenuated CSMoF, with physical functioning limitations. Conclusion: The joint effects of perception of falls and fear of falls likely explain CSMoF among older adults more than physical functional indicators. Fall prevention programs for older adults should prioritize to address modifiable subjective factors of fall perceptions, fear of falls, and CSMoF across health and functioning statuses.

Background: This mixed methods systemic review synthesizes the evidence about nursing home risks for COVID-19 infections. Methods: Four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Sage Journals Online) were searched between January 2020 and October 2022. Inclusion criteria were studies reported on nursing home COVID-19 infection risks by geography, demography, type of nursing home, staffing and resident’s health, and COVID-19 vaccination status. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the levels of evidence for quality, and a narrative synthesis for reporting the findings by theme. Results: Of 579 initial articles, 48 were included in the review. Findings suggest that highly populated counties and urban locations had a higher likelihood of COVID-19 infections. Larger nursing homes with a low percentage of fully vaccinated residents also had increased risks for COVID-19 infections than smaller nursing homes. Residents with advanced age, of racial minority, and those with chronic illnesses were at higher risk for COVID-19 infections. Discussion and implications: Findings suggest that along with known risk factors for COVID-19 infections, geographic and resident demographics are also important preventive care considerations. Access to COVID-19 vaccinations for vulnerable residents should be a priority.

Background and Aims: Resident satisfaction is a critical indicator of the quality of care in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Yet, the relative importance quality of care factors in predicting resident satisfaction remains unclear for guiding resident support initiatives. This study aims to identify the relative contribution of personal and facility care service factors as predictors of satisfaction LTCF residents. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled a convenience sample of 399 older adult residents from LTCFs in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Changsha, China, from June to December 2023. The inclusion criteria were age 65 or older, fluency in speaking and reading simplified Chinese Mandarin, having resided in long-term care facilities for at least one month, and cognitive competence to comprehend the questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regressions were utilized to examine self-report survey data on ten resident personal variables, and seven care facility service domains were examined for their relative contribution to resident care satisfaction. Moreover, the analysis included the interaction between personal factors and care service attributes. Results: The combined personal and care service factors explained 26.1% of the variance in overall resident satisfaction. Personal factors that predicted resident satisfaction included age, level of independence, and length of stay (ΔR² = 0.11). Of the care facility factors, the significant predictors of higher resident satisfaction were spending time (β = 0.60, p < 0.01, ΔR² = 0.09) and environment domains (β = 0.62, p < 0.01, ΔR² = 0.03). Age moderated the relationship between the spending time domain and overall satisfaction, with a positive effect for residents aged 70–79 compared to those aged 60–69 (β = −1.26, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study provides evidence to suggest the importance of personal and care facility characteristics to LTFC resident satisfaction. Based on these findings, improved resident satisfaction is likely with LTCF care services that provide tailored care plans using resident characteristics.

Purpose: Sacral ulcers are a serious mortality risk for older adults; thus, we aimed to determine sacral ulcer risk factors among older adults who were recently admitted to rehabilitation hospitals. Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Texas Inpatient Discharge database (2021). The study included 1,290 rehabilitation hospital patients aged >= 60 years diagnosed with sacral ulcers. The control group comprised 37,626 rehabilitation hospital patients aged >= 60 years without sacral ulcers. Binary logistic regression was used to identify risks for sacral ulcer development adjusting for patient demographics, insurance type, and lifestyle. Results: Comorbidities of dementia, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, and cardiac dysrhythmias were significantly associated with increased risk of sacral ulcers. Longer length of stay, Medicare, and Medicare HMO were also associated with sacral ulcers. Demographically, older age, male sex, identifying as African American, and having malnutrition all had a 50% increased prevalence of sacral ulcers. Conclusion: Findings indicate a need to proactively treat chronic comorbidities in vulnerable populations to reduce their possible risk for hospital-acquired infections and excess mortality from sacral ulcers. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(2), 32-41.].