Andie Moore

© 2014 Taylor & Francis. Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study was to describe patterns of alcohol consumption among continuing care retirement community residents and to explore the role of drinking motives and affective states on drinking context and consumption.Method: We utilized a phone-based daily diary approach to survey older adults about their daily alcohol consumption, context of drinking, positive and negative affect, and their motives for drinking. Data were analyzed descriptively, and regression models were developed to examine associations between sociodemographic factors, affect, drinking context and motives, and alcohol consumption.Results: CCRC residents drank most frequently at home and were alone almost half of drinking days on average, although the context of drinking varied considerably by participant. Problem alcohol use was rare, but hazardous use due to specific comorbidities, symptoms and medications, and the amount of alcohol consumption was common. Respondents endorsed higher social motives for drinking and lower coping motives. Social motives were associated with decreased likelihood of drinking alone, but negative affect was associated with decreased likelihood of drinking outside one's home. Coping and social motives were associated with greater consumption, and higher positive affect was associated with lower consumption.Conclusion: Among CCRC residents, alcohol use may be socially motivated rather than motivated by coping with negative affect. Future research should examine other motives for drinking in older adulthood. Evaluation of older adults living in CCRCs should include attention to health factors beyond problem use as other forms of hazardous use may be common in CCRCs.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of using remote monitoring systems in monitoring health status in older adults with chronic heart failure. Method: Twenty-one patients were trained to measure and transmit health data with an RMS. Data transmissions were tracked for 12 weeks. Results: All participants initiated use of RMS within 1 week; 71%, 14%, and 14% of patients transmitted daily health data 100%, ≥75%, and <75% of the time, respectively, for 12 weeks. Overall usability and acceptability of the RMS were 4.08 ± 0.634 and 4.10 ± 0.563, respectively. Discussion: Findings show that an RMS-based intervention can be successfully implemented in a group of older patients with chronic HF.