SE Valley Times

Arizona State University is taking steps to improve the lives of older adults experiencing cognitive decline through two projects at its Roybal Center. The center was established last summer with a $5.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

ASU's Roybal Center, part of only about 15 U.S. universities and institutes awarded such a center, aims to develop and adapt technology-enabled lifestyle and behavioral interventions for older adults. "This is a huge honor," said Fang Yu, the Edson College Chair in Dementia Translational Nursing Science and principal investigator and director of ASU Roybal.

The need for services like those provided by Roybal is growing as the fastest growing age group in the United States is people aged 80 and over, noted David Coon, associate dean and director of ASU’s Center for Innovation in Healthy and Resilient Aging. By 2030, there will be more people over the age of 65 than under 18.

Despite a decrease in the percentage of Americans living with dementia from 13% in 2011 to 10.9% today, Yu pointed out that an aging population means an increasing number of individuals with dementia. "And many of them want to continue to live alone," she added.

Two projects underway at the Roybal Center are led by Molly Maxfield and Abigail Gomez-Morales from Edson College. Maxfield's project, I-PASS (Increasing Physical Activity Through Social Support and Stress Resilience), targets individuals aged 60 and above who live alone and experience cognitive changes or impairments while being physically less active.

"We know one of the most powerful things in terms of reducing our dementia risk and maintaining independence is staying physically active," Maxfield stated. Her team plans to recruit participants through social media and clinic flyers, offering them Garmin trackers, study manuals, weekly text messages with physical activity goals, access to an app for social engagement, stress management, physical activity guidance, and individualized coaching sessions via Zoom.

Gomez-Morales' project, Epic LA+ (Early Partners in Care Living Alone), focuses on helping older adults experiencing cognitive decline plan for their future needs while they can still make decisions independently. Participants will engage in a seven-week program involving group sessions focused on skill building and care planning.

"If participants don’t have a care partner identified," Gomez-Morales explained, "we’ll try to help them identify one." Her project aims to help participants manage daily life tasks like cooking or managing finances before they require a care partner.

Gomez-Morales hopes her project will give participants "the confidence that they need to live their best every day."