Trait Hope and Preparation for Future Care Needs among Older Adult Primary Care Patients

Creator(s)

Jodi L. Southerland, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow
Deborah L. Slawson, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow
Robert Pack, East Tennessee State University
Silvia Sörensen, University of Rochester
Jeffrey M. Lyness, University of Rochester
Jameson K. Hirsch, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2016

Description

We examined associations between trait hope and preparation for future care needs (PFCN) among 66 older adult primary care patients in western New York. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing PFCN (awareness, information gathering, decision-making, concrete planning, and avoidance), and the Adult Trait Hope Scale. In multivariate regressions, lower hope, particularly less agency, was associated with more awareness of needing care, whereas higher hopefulness, particularly pathways thinking, was associated with increased decision-making and concrete planning. Greater hopefulness appears to be linked to goal-directed planning behaviors, although those with lower hope may actually be more aware of the need for planning. Evidence-based programming that encourages learned hopefulness may contribute to enhanced health planning and decision-making among older adult primary care patients.

Posted Versions

Post-Print

Copyright Statement

This document is an author manuscript from PMC. The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at Clinical Gerontologist.

Citation Information

Southerland, Jodi L.; Slawson, Deborah L.; Pack, Robert; Sörensen, Silvia; Lyness, Jeffrey M.; and Hirsch, Jameson K.. 2016. Trait Hope and Preparation for Future Care Needs among Older Adult Primary Care Patients. Clinical Gerontologist. Vol.39(2). 117-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2015.1120254 ISSN: 0731-7115