SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES FOR BILINGUAL CAREGIVERS OF STROKE SURVIVORS

Abstract Background: Stroke survivors experience long-term disability also affecting informal caregivers (ICG). With current technology, social media might be the only way for ICG to gain training/access support. What resources are available for ICG of older adults who survived stroke (OASS)? Objective: To identify/analyze types of bilingual social media resources available to ICG of OASS Methods: Facebook data was bilingually collected (Spanish), including most popular groups and pages based on search engines containing terms such as stroke, CVA, caregiver. Similar numbers of groups (35 English vs. 52 Spanish) and pages (32 English vs. 34 Spanish) were analyzed. Data included pages and groups’ information, numbers-of-likes, type-of-organization and resources provided. Results: English-Facebook resources were more popular for pages and groups (3820/2010 vs. 190/7; p<0.001), Spanish resources were present, but with little activity among ICG. Majority of Spanish posts came from experts and English posts related to offering services or raising community awareness. Among both languages, pages provided resources related to social support (81%), improving caregiver skills (35%), advocacy (100%-English vs.56%-Spanish, p<0.001) and research news (84%-English vs.41%-Spanish, p<0.001). For English-ICG, more opportunities for live chats, messaging and inspirational messages were found (22-44% vs.3-9%, p<0.001). Conclusions: ICG of OASS could access Facebook resources to support multiple areas of caregiving including retrieving social support, gaining skills, learning new stroke-science findings and encountering live chats while getting inspired. Some resources are more available to English-ICG. Stroke-supporting organizations must consider using social media as crucial platforms to access bilingual resources and improve quality-of-life for ICG and OASS.

in LUTD is further exacerbated due to normal aging-related epigenetic modifications that need to be considered for better treatment efficacy.

COMBATTING LONELINESS: SERVICE USE AMONG RURAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA
Emily K. Hoyt, 1 Karen A. Roberto, 2 and Jyoti Savla 2 , 1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,Blacksburg,Virginia,United States,2. Virginia Tech,Blacksburg,Virginia,United States According to a 2018 AARP study, 42% of unpaid caregivers experience loneliness.While findings across multiple studies suggest that caregivers experience loneliness either because they lack intimacy in close relationships (i.e., emotional loneliness) or they feel disconnected from their social network (i.e., social loneliness), little is known about how aspects of dementia caregiving influence loneliness, particularly among rural caregivers.The purpose of this study was to examine the association between in-home service use and caregivers experience with both types of loneliness.Eightyeight co-residing dementia caregivers in rural Appalachia (Mean Age = 68 years; 91% White; 58% Spouses) completed telephone interviews that included questions about their use of formal services and perceptions of emotional and social loneliness.More than half (58%) of the caregivers accessed 1 to 4 formal services.Regression models revealed that caregivers who experienced greater social loneliness were more likely to access personal care services (p=0.013) and respite services (p=0.004)compared to caregivers who experienced less social loneliness.Further, caregivers who experienced greater emotional loneliness were also more likely to access personal care (p=0.028) and respite (p=0.039)services compared to caregivers who experienced lower emotional loneliness.These associations remained robust even after controlling for relationship to the PwD (spouse vs. nonspouse).Findings suggest that beyond assisting with the care of the PwD, the use of formal services may help family caregivers manage loneliness and relieve social isolation.Discussion will focus on the importance of service accessibility and use for the health and psychological well-being of rural family caregivers.

ART TO LIFE: THE IMPACT OF AN EXPERIENTIAL ARTS PROGRAM ON ENGAGEMENT IN PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIAS
Candice Reel 1 , 1.The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States The Art to Life (ATL) program aims to improve the quality of life for persons living with dementia (PWD) through art therapy, intergenerational contact with college students, and life story preservation within an adult day service.This poster will present the results of an ongoing program evaluation to determine the effects of the intervention on PWDs' engagement in (1) communication with others and (2) art/creative activity.A two-member analysis team independently coded ethnographic field notes utilizing operational definitions of PWDs' observed behavior during momentary time sampling, and recording events of communication and art engagement using the modified ENGAGE measure (Hartmann et. al, 2017).Results across sessions (N=97) reveal communication engagement (M=28.30,SD=13.36)significantly exceeded art engagement (M=9.86,SD=5.56), t (96)=20.85,p=0.001).These results suggest that engagement in reminiscence via intergenerational contact is a fundamental feature in comparison to art and creative activity within the ATL program.Exploratory qualitative content analysis of ethnographic field notes by a three-member coding team identified two key themes within the communication engagements.These emergent themes included validation of personhood and reminiscence of family ties.More studies are needed to determine if the scope and reach of intergenerational interventions may be increased through the nationwide translation of the ATL program.Ageist sexual stereotypes are culturally embedded and may prohibit midlife and older adults from achieving sexual wellness when internalized over the life course (i.e., stereotype embodiment), which was examined in the current study.A cross sectional, convenience sample of 972 adults aged 50 and older was recruited online via a crowdsourcing platform.Participants completed an online survey assessing aging sexual stigma and their participation in a spectrum of sexual and intimate behaviors.Two hierarchical linear regressions examined study hypotheses predicting a) sexual and b) intimate behaviors among middle age and older adults, while accounting for several known covariates (e.g., education, relationship status, health).Results suggest that older age (β = -.24,p < .001),being a woman (β = -.29,p < .001),and higher levels of aging sexual stigma (β = -.30,p < 0.001) were associated with less sexual activity (F(19, 945) = 32.51,p < .001,R2 = 0.40).For intimate behaviors, older age (β = -0.14, p < .05)and higher levels of aging sexual stigma (β = -0.24,p < .001)were significantly associated with lower levels of intimate activity (F(19, 945) = 39.80,p < .001,R2 = 0.45).Contrary to expectations, neither gender nor age cohort moderated the effect of aging sexual stigma.Ageist sexual stereotypes appear to affect individual sexual health and wellness via internalized beliefs.Future studies should focus on the potential malleability of aging sexual stigma beliefs, and at what point(s) in the life course they are modifiable.To identify/analyze types of bilingual social media resources available to ICG of OASS Methods: Facebook data was bilingually collected (Spanish), including most popular groups and pages based on search engines containing terms such as stroke, CVA, caregiver.Similar numbers of groups (35 English vs. 52 Spanish) and pages (32 English vs. 34 Spanish) were analyzed.Data included pages and groups' information, numbers-oflikes, type-of-organization and resources provided.Results: English-Facebook resources were more popular for pages and groups (3820/2010 vs. 190/7; p<0.001),Spanish resources were present, but with little activity among ICG.Majority of Spanish posts came from experts and English posts related to offering services or raising community awareness.Among both languages, pages provided resources related to social support (81%), improving caregiver skills (35%), advocacy (100%-English vs.56%-Spanish, p<0.001) and research news (84%-English vs.41%-Spanish, p<0.001).For English-ICG, more opportunities for live chats, messaging and inspirational messages were found (22-44% vs.3-9%, p<0.001).Conclusions: ICG of OASS could access Facebook resources to support multiple areas of caregiving including retrieving social support, gaining skills, learning new stroke-science findings and encountering live chats while getting inspired.Some resources are more available to English-ICG.Strokesupporting organizations must consider using social media as crucial platforms to access bilingual resources and improve quality-of-life for ICG and OASS.

THE ASSOCIATION OF FRAILTY WITH MCI AND DEMENTIA IN A MEMORY DISORDERS CLINIC FOR OLDER VETERANS
Aakashi Shah, 1 Amar Morani, 1 Mercedes Rodriguez-Suarez, 2 Raquel Apracio-Ugarriza, 1 and Jorge G. Ruiz 3 , 1.Department of Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,Miami,Florida,United States,2. Miami VAHS Mental Health Service,Miami,Florida,United States,3. Miami VAHS Geriatric Research,Education and Clinical Center,Miami,Florida,United States Frailty, a state of increased vulnerability to stressors due to multiple physiological dysfunction is associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as dementia and may moderate its progression.Frailty and cognitive decline are highly prevalent in the Veteran population.The aim of our study was to determine whether frailty is associated with MCI and dementia in older Veterans at a Memory Disorders Clinic.We performed a cross-sectional study of 308 Veterans enrolled in VA Memory Disorders Clinic during 2016-2019.MCI and dementia were diagnosed based on complete clinical assessment including cognitive testing, brain imaging and neuropsychological testing.A 44-item frailty index (FI) was constructed using potential variables (demographics, comorbidities, number of medications, laboratory tests, and activities of daily living).Binomial logistic regression was run using MCI and dementia as outcome variable and frailty status (frail and non-frail) as independent variable.Age, race, marital status, ethnicity, median household income, education, comorbidities, BMI, history of substance abuse, smoking, alcohol, hospitalizations, anticholinergic use, and utilization were considered as covariates.The mean age was 74.43± 8.31 years.43.2% population was frail (FI>0.21)and 56.8% was non-frail (FI≤0.21).The number of Veterans with MCI and dementia was 114 and 113 respectively.Frailty was significantly and positively associated with dementia (OR: 2.29 95%CI:1.25-4.21,p=0.007) but there was no association with MCI (OR: 1.06 95%CI: 0.605-1.886,p=0.820).Our study results suggest that frailty might not be associated with MCI but has significant association with dementia in a group of Veterans at a Memory Disorder Clinic.
Stroke survivors experience long-term disability also affecting informal caregivers (ICG).With current technology, social media might be the only way for ICG to gain training/access support.What resources are available for ICG of older adults who survived stroke (OASS)?Objective: