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Background: In the United States and elsewhere, assisted living (AL) has become a primary provider of residential long‐term care for persons living with dementia. Residents typically are supported by care convoys, or networks, comprised of their family and friends, AL staff, as well as external care providers, all of whom exert influence on residents' daily lives. As with other persons living with dementia, AL residents sometimes experience confusion over time, place, and scenario. Care partner responses to these differing realities are consequential to residents' care experiences, quality of life, and ability to engage with others and in activities they find meaningful. Here, we examine, in‐depth, care partner responses to residents' confusion, the complex factors influencing their reactions, and the resulting outcomes. Method: We present analysis of qualitative data gathered from the study, "Meaningful Engagement and Quality of Life among Assisted Living Residents with Dementia," involving six diverse AL communities, each studied for a one‐year period. Researchers conducted 2,109 hours of participant observation captured in detailed fieldnotes. We also followed 59 residents with dementia and 167 of their care partners, conducting interviews to learn how best to promote meaningful engagement. Specifically, we analyzed all data relevant to residents' "differing realities" and "care partner responses." Result: Care partners varied in their responses to residents' differing realities. Some, including many AL staff, routinely attempted to redirect residents by changing the subject and/or physically redirecting (e.g., if a widowed resident was searching for her husband). Certain care partners joined residents by attempting to understand their realities and "going along with them." A small minority of care partners, mostly family members, ignored or attempted to correct or truth tell. Factors affecting care partner responses included: the nature of resident confusion and associated expressions and a care partner's role, dementia knowledge and care resources, beliefs, and experiences. Truth‐telling or correcting frequently, though not always, led to frustration, anxiety, and socially withdrawing whereas responses that acknowledged the person's reality frequently had better resident outcomes. Conclusion: Findings have implications for training, practices, and policies aimed at enhancing care interactions and quality of life among persons living with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV (PWH) are living longer and the prevalence of older PWH continues to increase. Accordingly, PWH are experiencing an increased burden of age-related comorbidities. With this shifting demographics, clinicians and researchers face additional challenges in how to identify, address, and manage the complex intersections of HIV- and aging-related conditions. Established in 2009, the International Workshop on HIV and Aging brings together clinicians and researchers in cross-disciplinary fields along with community advocates and PWH to address the multidisciplinary nature of HIV and aging. This article summarizes plenary talks from the 10th Annual International Workshop on HIV and Aging, which took place in New York City on October 10 and 11, 2019. Presentation topics included the following: the burdens of HIV-associated comorbidities, aging phenotypes, community engagement, and loneliness; these issues are especially important for older PWH, considering the current COVID-19 pandemic. We also discuss broad questions and potential directions for future research necessary to better understand the interaction between HIV and aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the prevalence of dementia rises, modifying built and social environments of persons living with dementia (PLWD) becomes increasingly essential. Although there is a call to rigorously evaluate dementia‐friendly community initiatives, no known comprehensive evaluation tools exist to assess small communities such as churches and community centers. Therefore, we developed a person‐centered Dementia‐Friendly Community Assessment tool. Methods: This tool consists of new and validated scales to assess the level of dementia‐friendliness among churches enrolled in a dementia‐friendly congregation program based in African American communities. An initial draft of the theory‐informed survey instrument was given to stakeholder groups (church leaders, care partners, PLWD, and the Alter advisory board) with the goal of gathering feedback on domains included in the tool, as well as general wording and appropriateness. After focus group recordings were transcribed, the team made revisions and administered the survey to 10 stakeholders (church leaders, care partners, PLWD, and lay congregants) to gather feedback on the digital version of the survey, proposed changes to the tool, and thoughts on implementation aids and barriers. Results: Overall, the tool was well received by participants, with most participants indicating the tool's resulting scores would be useful for their community. Additionally, the tool's content prompted many to share personal experiences of living with dementia or caregiving for PLWD, indicating that future use of this tool may provide a starting point to address stigma. Conclusion: Next steps include piloting the survey with broad church membership, and our aim is to enable programs to quantify their dementia‐friendly community initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]