Promoting Healthy Aging through "Elder-Healer" Training

描述(由申请人提供)： 对健康老龄化的研究已经确定，人际联系、意义和生活目标是老年人幸福感的重要预测因素。这个第一阶段的SBIR应用是为了测试一种新方法的可行性，以加强社区居住的老年人的这些素质。受试者将接受标准化的触摸治疗技术培训，这些技术通常用于整体护理和临终关怀，并将通过志愿者服务或为自然社交网络中的其他人提供支持来练习这些技能。目的1：以社区老年人为个体，确定干预对老年人有意义生活、归属感、情绪幸福感和生活功能质量的纵向影响。目标2：将样本分成不同的小组，以确定预测谁最有可能从干预中受益，谁最不可能从干预中受益的标记。目标3：确定使用干预中教授的技术的障碍和促进者。上述目标的实现将支持对以下假设的检验：假设1：与控制阶段相比，干预阶段的受试者在有意义的生活感觉、归属感、情绪幸福感和功能生活质量方面将有显著改善。假设2：与他人一起使用干预技术的频率将预测受试者的有意义的生活水平、归属感、情绪幸福感和生活功能质量。样本：居住在波士顿地区的60名老年人(60岁以上)。方法：我们将使用纵向、受试者内部、对照和干预阶段的设计，采用统计方法，提供传统方法所不能提供的对数据的洞察(N-of-1“前处理”；在将单个受试者组合成复合组之前对数据进行筛选；以及分级最优分类树分析)。前、后重点小组将提供关于利用培训的障碍和促进者的定性数据，干预的现象学，以及对未来改进的批评。长期目标：第二阶段研究将开发一种多媒体方法来培训老年人的普遍消费。我们的目标是一个以证据为基础、鼓舞人心的教育计划，并能接触到日益增长的通过服务寻求意义和联系的老年人大众市场。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research in healthy aging has determined that interpersonal connectedness and sense of meaning and life purpose are important predictors of well-being in the elderly. This Phase I SBIR application is to test the feasibility of a novel approach to strengthening these qualities in a sample of community-dwelling elders. Subjects will be trained in a standardized regime of touch therapy techniques commonly used in holistic nursing and hospice care, and will practice the skills through volunteer service or providing support to others in their natural social networks. Aim 1: Determine the longitudinal within-subject effects of the intervention on sense of meaningful life, sense of belonging, emotional well-being, and functional quality of life in a sample of elders living in the community, assessed as individuals. Aim 2: Stratify the sample into subgroups to identify markers that predict who is most likely and who is least likely to benefit from the intervention. Aim 3: Identify barriers and facilitators of utilization of the techniques taught in the intervention. Achieving the above aims will support testing of the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: There will be significant improvements in sense of meaningful life, sense of belonging, emotional well-being, and functional quality of life for subjects in the intervention phase compared to the control phase. Hypothesis 2: Frequency of use of the intervention techniques with others will predict subjects' levels of meaningful life, sense of belonging, emotional well-being, and functional quality of life. Sample: 60 elders (age 60+) living in the Boston area. Method: We will use a longitudinal, within-subjects, control and intervention phases design employing statistical methodologies that provide insights into the data that are not afforded by traditional methods (N-of- 1 "pre-processing"; screening the data prior to combining individual subjects into composite groups; and hierarchically optimal classification tree analysis). Pre- and post focus groups will provide qualitative data on barriers and facilitators of utilization of the training, phenomenology of the intervention, and critique for future refinement. Long-term goal: A Phase II study would develop a multimedia approach to the training for popular consumption by elders. The goal is an educational program that is evidence-based, inspirational, and accessible to the growing mass market of elders seeking meaning and connection through service.