Here - American Geriatrics Society

P OSTER
A BSTRACTS
other forms of technology. Interviews were recorded and transcribed.
Responses were analyzed qualitatively using grounded theory.
Results: 10 participants comprised the analytic sample. Mean
age of participants was 71 years. 80 percent were female. All identified
as Asian, Black, or Latino. Three main themes emerging from the
interviews included: (1) enhanced social engagement, (2) intellectual
stimulation, and (3) empowerment derived from social and cultural
integration. A majority of participants expressed interest in using the
Internet for communication purposes. Many of the respondents felt
there was educational value to be gained from using the Internet to
find information; respondents expressed a desire to continue learning
through use of the computer at home or taking additional courses.
Most reported self-perceived improvement in confidence and competency
in using a new tool. Participants reported feeling they belonged
to a community from which they were once excluded after completing
the course. Perceived sense of enhancement to their cognitive and
functional abilities also emerged as a major theme.
Conclusion: The use of computers and the Internet can produce
functional, psychological, and social effects unique to elders entering
a world of new languages, structures, and social interactions. Further
exploration into quality of life impacts for isolated elders using the
computer and Internet is needed.
D97 Encore Presentation
What are Hospice Providers Doing to Reach African Americans . . .
and what works?
K. S. Johnson, 1,2 M. N. Kuchibhatla, 2 J. A. Tulsky. 2 1.
Medicine/Geriatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC; 2. Center for
Aging, Duke University, Durham, NC.
Supported By: Beeson Career Development Award in Aging
Research (5K08AG028975)
National leaders recommend that hospices develop practices
and policies which increase access to care for minorities.The extent to
which hospices employ strategies to reach African Americans, a group
historically underrepresented in hospice, has not been well-described.
Objective: To describe hospice providers’ strategies to increase
service to African Americans.
Methods: Survey of North and South Carolina hospices. We
used Spearman correlations to examine the association between
provider practices and: (1) commitment to increasing service to
African Americans; (2) % of African Americans served by the hospice
based on 2008 Medicare Data.
Results: Of 80 hospices (65% response rate) surveyed, 78% reported
strategies to increase service to African Americans, but only
20% reported that strategies were reviewed to determine effectiveness.
Most participated in education/outreach: 73% with nursing
homes; 68% with churches; 56% with physicians; 55% with hospitals;
20% with civic groups. Hospices endorsing greater commitment to increasing
service to African Americans more often participated in outreach
to churches and civic groups (r=0.28 – 0.36, p