HOW TO ENGAGE SENIORS AS VOLUNTEERS IN SOCIAL CARE SECTORS: A CASE STUDY OF A TIMEBANK IN HONG KONG

Abstract Objective Exploring the roles of older adults as volunteers in social care settings has attracted wide attention to facilitate healthy aging. However, knowledge of engaging older adults as volunteers in social care sectors remains scant. This study explores theoretical mechanisms for promoting volunteer engagement among older adults in the social care sector. Method This study used a time bank program called Good Hands in Hong Kong as a case study. Good Hands was established in 2018 and engaged almost 200 older adult volunteers to provide buddying and accompany (e.g., home visits and medical escort services) to over 390 frail peers in the community. This study adopted a qualitative method. Three semi-structured focus group interviews with 18 participants, including senior volunteers and the timebank staff, were conducted in January – August 2021. The thematic analysis. Stakeholder checks were conducted in July 2022 to enhance the credibility of the findings. Results Three emergent themes were identified as critical components to facilitate engagement among senior volunteers: (1) strong cross-sector collaboration, (2) meaningfulness in voluntary work comprising four subthemes, including capacity optimization, care capacity enhancement, belonging cultivation, and value recognition, and (3) a co-producing environment. In addition, this study also identified the challenges related to the sustainability of the timebank program. Conclusion This study is the first to explore mechanisms for promoting volunteer engagement among older adults in the social care sector. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for the roles of older adults in social welfare production for our society.


USING STORYTELLING TO ASSESS NURSE'S KNOWLEDGE IN CARING FOR OLDER ADULTS
Michele Murphy-Boucher, 1 and Diana Lynn Woods 2 , 1. Providence Holy Cross Medical Center/Azusa Pacfic University,Mission Hills,California,United States,2. Azusa Pacific University,Azusa,California,United States Continuing education, knowledge acquisition, and competence is required of all professional Registered Nurses. Remaining current in care delivery trends based on evidence practice is the responsibility of nurses supported by professional development specialists and educators. This project was conducted as a quality improvement project, using the evidence-based teaching modality of storytelling to educate practitioners in caring for older adults. This project addresses the question: For leaders of professional development and education focused on acute care and ambulatory practice, who have not had specialty geriatric training, how does using case-based/story-telling education for the care of patients 65 years and older affect confidence levels of the 4 M's (mentation, mobility, what matters and medication) of elder care? A convenience sample of 12 Directors of Professional Development participated, and a validated comparison of responses to the Gerontological Nursing Competence Questionnaire (GNCQ) and the Facts on Aging (2015 version) (FAQ) were used for collecting data of pre intervention and post intervention. An eight-minute video was the educational intervention. GNCQ responses for confidence in knowledge and confidence in teaching were statistically significant. Although an increase in the mean score for interest in additional training, it was not statistically significant. The FAQ showed no statistical significance for the pre and post results. Findings indicate that storytelling is a viable teaching modality for increasing nurse's knowledge of caring for older adults based on the concepts of the 4 Ms of age-friendly care. Keywords: storytelling, case studies, nurse education, professional development, narratives, and adult learning. Ageing world populations and increases in life expectancy have facilitated an interest in developing ageing models that promote inclusivity and positive perceptions of ageing. This scoping review examines how and to what extent research that utilizes successful, active, productive, and healthy ageing framework(s) include death or dying. The study followed Joanna Briggs Institute's methodological standard for scoping reviews and PRISMA guidelines and conformed to Arskey and O'Malley's five-stage framework. A thematic analysis was used to identify how research utilizes the concepts of death and dying in the context of positive ageing models. The analysis identified five core themes: (a) the critique that death and dying dimensions in positive ageing models are absent; (b) older adults' outlooks on death and dying while ageing well; (c) religious and spiritual dimensions of ageing well; (d) negative consequences of positive ageing models without death and dying dimensions; and (e) the future of death and dying in positive ageing models. The results bolster support for a paradigm shift that redefines what it means to age successfully without denying death. Incorporating the topics of death and dying into ageing conversations encourages individuals to ponder their end-of-life preferences and proactively participate in their advanced care plans. Death and dying conversations help care providers support people to live and die in a manner that is meaningful to them and inspire those receiving care to live fully and deeply and to think about the legacy that they want to leave.

HOW TO ENGAGE SENIORS AS VOLUNTEERS IN SOCIAL CARE SECTORS: A CASE STUDY OF A TIMEBANK IN HONG KONG Shiyu Lu, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Objective: Exploring the roles of older adults as volunteers in social care settings has attracted wide attention to facilitate healthy aging. However, knowledge of engaging older adults as volunteers in social care sectors remains scant. This study explores theoretical mechanisms for promoting volunteer engagement among older adults in the social care sector. Method: This study used a time bank program called Good Hands in Hong Kong as a case study. Good Hands was established in 2018 and engaged almost 200 older adult volunteers to provide buddying and accompany (e.g., home visits and medical escort services) to over 390 frail peers in the community. This study adopted a qualitative method. Three semi-structured focus group interviews with 18 participants, including senior volunteers and the timebank staff, were conducted in January -August 2021. The thematic analysis. Stakeholder checks were conducted in July 2022 to enhance the credibility of the findings. Results: Three emergent themes were identified as critical components to facilitate engagement among senior volunteers: (1) strong cross-sector collaboration, (2) meaningfulness in voluntary work comprising four subthemes, including capacity optimization, care capacity enhancement, belonging cultivation, and value recognition, and (3) a co-producing environment. In addition, this study also identified the challenges related to the sustainability of the timebank program. Conclusion. This study is the first to explore mechanisms for promoting volunteer engagement among older adults in the social care sector. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for the roles of older adults in social welfare production for our society.

COPING AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF OLDER PEOPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Dongjuan Xu, Nasreen Lalani, and Gregory Arling, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Covid-19 put older individuals at high risk for increased morbidity and mortality, isolation, reduced coping and life satisfaction. Optimism, sense of mastery and closeness with family and friends can enhance coping and life satisfaction among older adults. No such studies were found during the pandemic. Our study examined the associations between optimism, sense of mastery, closeness with spouse, family, and friends, physical and psychological functioning and its effects on coping and life satisfaction. A national representative sample of 1,890 community dwelling older adults was obtained from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 data during March 2020-June 2021. A structural equation modeling approach used to test the associations and their direct and indirect effects on life satisfaction. Coping was seen as a mediator affecting these relationships and their effects on life satisfaction. Optimism (β = .318, p < .001), mastery (β = .195, p < .001) closeness with spouse/partner (β = .199, p < .001), closeness with children ((β = .075, p < .010), friends (β = .086, p < .001), had significant positive direct and indirect effects on life satisfaction. Frailty (β = -.137, p < .001), comorbidities (β = -.057, p < .050), and IADL limitations (β = -.118, p < .001) had negative direct effects on life satisfaction. Optimism, sense of mastery and closeness with family/friends promotes coping and life satisfaction whereas frailty and comorbidities negatively influence coping and life satisfaction of the older adults. Community interventions should target coping strategies that enhances optimism, mastery, and interpersonal closeness among older adults during pandemic.

A PILOT ASSESSMENT OF A TABLET-BASED INTERVENTION FOR HOMEBOUND OR SOCIALLY ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS WITH DEPRESSION
Caroline Galo, 1 Natalie Benda, 1 Isabel Olivia Rollandi, 2 Sara Czaja, 3 Marco Ceruso, 1 and Jo Anne Sirey 2 , 1. Weill Cornell Medicine,New York,New York,United States,2. Weill Cornell Medicine,White Plains,New York,United States,3. Weill Cornell Medicine,Ithaca,New York,United States Older adults who are homebound or socially isolated have high rates of loneliness and depression with fewer opportunities for treatment. Our team extended an existing psychotherapy intervention (Engage & Connect) to improve access to mental health care for older adults who are homebound. We iteratively created a tablet-based application (Engage PRISM) leveraging a user-centered design approach to provide older adults, particularly those with limited technology experience, an easy-to-use application to support social reward. Engage PRISM connects clients with the psychotherapy intervention and additional features to increase social reward exposure virtually. All eligible participants received a K92 ZTE tablet, equipped with the Engage PRISM application, internet service, Zoom, and access to Selfhelp's Virtual Senior Center. Participants were then enrolled in the 9-week Engage & Connect intervention delivered by a licensed mental health counselor via Zoom on the tablet each week. We evaluated feasibility of the intervention and preliminary effect on depressive symptoms through a weekly PHQ-9. Feasibility was assessed through participants' ability to use the tablet to access mental health treatment. We provided tablets to eight participants ages 67 to 84; participants demonstrated 100% feasibility of use of the tablet intervention. We dropped two participants from the study due to a greater level of care needed. All participants were provided with referrals prior to ending the study. Preliminary evidence indicates that four of the six remaining participants had experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms (i.e., had lower PHQ-9 scores) three weeks into the study reporting over a 30% reduction on average.

IS THERE A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONLINE HEALTH INFORMATION SEEKING AND ANXIETY AMONG OLDER ADULTS?
Shelia Cotten, 1 Reza Ghaiumy Anarsky, 1 and Amy Schuster 2 , 1. Clemson University, Clemson,South Carolina,United States,2. Clemson University,Seneca,South Carolina,United States The growth of the Internet has provided users unlimited access to an abundance of information, including health information. The Internet is typically the first source searched by U.S. adults (18 years and older) when seeking health information. Factors such as age and anxiety are associated with online health information seeking (OHIS). Older adults (65 years and older) are increasing their Internet use and OHIS, although OHIS decreases with age. Importantly, OHIS can lead to improved health outcomes for older adults. The relationship between OHIS and anxiety is less clear, with some studies finding individuals with higher anxiety are more likely to search for online health information while others find the reverse pattern. Anxiety affects up to 20% of older adults