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The purpose of this study was to determine perspectives related to nutrition education needs and interests of elderly people who currently participate in a congregate meal program in East Central Indiana in order to improve the current nutrition education materials that are being presented to those who dine at LifeStream Inc., senior cafes. Subjects in this study included sixty participants from 11 LifeStream Services Inc. congregate meal sites across East Central Indiana. Focus groups were conducted by the primary researcher at each site to determine nutrition needs and interests of elderly Americans participating in a congregate meal program concerning nutrition education and other health related topics. The elderly at LifeStream sites were most interested in having more information about specific disease states, most specifically diabetes. Currently nutrition information is received by many different venues with handouts being the most popular and accepted with this population. Ideas that were suggested to improve LifeStream nutrition education included more one-on-one interaction to teach new nutrition information. Keeping lessons simple and interactive is also important when teaching elderly Americans about nutrition topics. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

As increasing numbers of baby boomers enter retirement age, Georgia senior centers will be inundated with more computer-savvy seniors than ever before. Web-based nutrition education is a pragmatic option to complement the traditional classroom nutrition education sometimes hindered by the centers’ limited monetary and personnel resources. This exploratory observational study sought to pilot test a companion to classroom nutrition education, a prototype Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diet website, for future implementation in Georgia senior centers. Classroom DASH diet lessons were designed and pilot tested on a convenience sample of community dwelling older adults in 6 metropolitan area centers (n=109). Next, the same lessons were incorporated into a senior-friendly DASH diet website specially designed to meet the needs of older adults and pilot tested on a second convenience sample in one center (n=5). Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to compare baseline and post-website blood pressures, body weights, and DASH-related nutrition knowledge. There was a significant difference in the scores for systolic blood pressure at baseline (M=145.60, SD=8.385) and post-website (M=136.40, SD=9.607) conditions; t(4)=3.74, p =.020. Diastolic blood pressure and weight showed no significant change. A survey of DASH-related knowledge, behaviors, and beliefs showed movement towards desired responses on 44% of survey questions after the intervention. An opinion survey collected seniors’ perspectives on their website experience. 100% of participants reported satisfaction with the website and willingness to continue using it. Refinements to the alpha-prototype website are recommended before further testing with a larger pilot study group. Although expanded research is necessary, results from this limited pilot test suggest that web-based nutrition education is a promising method to reinforce classroom lessons teaching dietary and lifestyle management of hypertension in Georgia senior centers. Multi-component nutrition education holds potential to address diversity in cultures, learning preferences, and functional limitations of Georgia seniors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2009. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

See Wing Yan, Natalie. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2008-2009, design report." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-35). / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Thesis statement --- p.p.4 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Introduction of Environment and behavior Relationship --- p.p.5 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Life of the Elderly in Shum Shui Po --- p.p.6-p.7 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Their Needs --- p.p.8-p.9 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Possible Programs --- p.p.10-p.11 / Learning class and Educational program --- p.p.10 / Improve the local environment --- p.p.11 / Develop Local Economy --- p.p.12 / Provide Spaces for Exhibition and Carnivals --- p.p.13 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Possible Sites --- p.p.14 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Relationship between Environment and Human Behavior --- p.p.15-p.19 / Encourage the participation of acivity --- p.p.15 / Relationship between Environment and Hu-man Behavior in SSP / "Sectional Study-Sit, Scan, Read" --- p.p.16 / Sectional Study-Wandering or Shopping --- p.p.17 / "Sectional Study-Sit, Scan, Talk" --- p.p.18 / Sectional Study-Special Event --- p.p.19 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Precedent Study --- p.p.20-22 / Aria Matsubara --- p.p.20 / Nursing Home for the Elderly Wienberg Campus Total Aging in Place Project --- p.p.21 / Ten Kerselaere --- p.p.22 / Chapter Chapter 9 --- Design Operation --- p.P.23 / Chapter Chapter 10 --- Massing Exploration --- p.p.24-p.26 / Regeneration of Street Life --- p.P.24 / Regeneration of Street Life / Creating Anchor Point --- p.p.25 / 1:500 Site Model --- p.p 26 / Chapter Chapter 11 --- Plans --- p.p.27 / Chapter Chapter 12 --- Sectional Perspectives --- p.p.28 / Chapter Chapter 13 --- Perspectives --- p.p.29-p.30 / View1-Roof Garden --- p.p 29 / View2-Frorn 2nd Floor Sport Centre --- p.p.30 / View3-From Food Court --- p.p.31 / View4-From 1F library atrium --- p.p.32 / Chapter Chapter 14 --- 1:200 Final Model --- p.p 33 / Chapter Chapter 15 --- Bibliography --- p.p 34.p 35

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of attendance at a senior center on the well being and quality of life of grandparents that were rearing grandchildren. Using convenience sampling, grandparents (N=130) who were rearing grandchildren were given a self administered demographic data survey along with an attendance at a senior center questionnaire, the Quality of Life Scale, the Well Being Scale by Liang, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Caregiver Burden Scale, and the Role Satisfaction Scale. An initial MANOVA (F 7, 69 = 2.72, p < .01) suggesting that senior center attendance affect the measures as a set was conducted and then a series of one way ANOVAs were carried out to test the hypothesis that attending a senior center has an effect on the dependent variables: well being, quality of life, role satisfaction, caregiver burden, loneliness, current health, and heath one year ago. Subsequently, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to find out whether frequency and quality of attendance of a senior center predicted quality of life, caregiver burden, well being, loneliness, and role satisfaction, controlling for the demographic data. The results of the MANOVA showed that the dependent variables: quality of life, caregiver burden, well being and role satisfaction were impacted positively by the attendance of a senior center. The results of the regression analyses showed that for each of the major dependent variables, after controlling for the demographic data, the quality and frequency of involvement at the senior center did not have a uniquely significant role in predicting the dependent variables. The results of this study shows that further research need to be conducted to answer other questions regarding grandparents who are rearing minor grandchildren and the affects that senior centers may have in assisting in the management of this new task that grandparents have found themselves dealing with.

A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, policymakers, and community residents have been increasingly interested in shaping urban environments as places that foster active aging and independence among older adults. Senior centers have served a critical role in their communities as focal points for older adults, as individuals or in groups, to participate in services and activities that support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community (NCOA, 1979). The aging of the population and influx of baby boomers into the older demographic, along with declines in participation rates and funding, are challenging senior center staff to be innovative and adaptive in order to demonstrate senior centers’ relevance to future older adults while maintaining the programming and services for their current participants. This research is a multiple-case study of five unique senior centers located throughout the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon. Different types and models of senior centers are represented by the selected cases, as they operate under different governance structures and vary in aspects such as administration, funding, participant characteristics, community partnerships, transportation options, physical environments, and range of services and programs offered. This study aims to better understand challenges, strengths, and future directions for different types of senior centers serving a metropolitan area. Data collection at each site included interviews with staff as well as focus groups with senior center participants. Interviews with key informants enriched the findings and provided outside perspectives of senior center experiences. Data analysis revealed challenges and strengths that were common across and unique to the different senior centers in this study. This research contributes to the literature in urban studies, community development, and gerontology by exploring potential opportunities for urban senior centers to adapt and continue to serve older adults. Recommendations were developed for how senior centers might capitalize on these opportunities and for how their communities might provide mechanisms of support to facilitate the continuation and contributions of senior centers in metropolitan areas.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 213 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-148). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

This study was a comparison of the perceptions of directors of and participants in senior centers with regard to needs of the elderly and delivery of services to them. The sample consisted of a random selection of 200 of the 741 centers in the state of Texas. Responses were received from 111 center directors and 609 elderly participants. An instrument that used a Likert-type scale to measure the importance of needs and frequency of delivery of services was devised to survey needs in the areas of health, nutrition, recreation, education, and transportation. No statistically significant differences were found between perceptions of directors and participants with regard to needs, delivery of services, or the differences between needs and actual delivery of services at the centers. When participants were grouped on the basis of gender, age, and ethnicity, males and minority groups rated both needs and delivery higher than did females and the majority ethnic group. The sixty to seventy age group rated education needs significantly higher than did the older age groups.

Legislation mandates that older adults, who receive Title III-C assistance should be provided with nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and other nutrition services, as appropriate, based on the needs of individuals. The amount and content of nutrition education, however, is subject to variation of state guidelines. The purpose of this study is to measure the type and amount of nutrition education being provided to congregate meal site and home delivered meal participants and to identify if special accommodations are being made for those participants with visual and hearing impairments in the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (Region V). The nutrition representatives for congregate meal site and home delivered meal programs within the six states were sent an e-mail questionnaire. Results showed that while majority of the states are meeting their own state guidelines, having uniformity amongst the states could strengthen the nutrition education program for older adults receiving congregate or home delivered nutrition services within Region V. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences