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ObjectivesTo develop, implement, and evaluate a training program in aging-related health for police officers.DesignCross-sectional.SettingCrisis intervention training program for police officers in San Francisco.ParticipantsPolice officers attending one of five 2-hour trainings (N = 143).InterventionA lecture on aging-related health conditions pertinent to police work followed by three experiential trainings on how it feels to be "old."MeasurementsParticipants evaluated the quality of the training and the likelihood that they would apply new knowledge to their work and rated their knowledge using a retrospective pre-post evaluation. In open-ended responses, participants reported work-related changes they anticipated making in response to the training.ResultsAll 143 participants completed the evaluation. Eighty-four percent reported interacting with older adults at least monthly; 45% reported daily interactions. Participants rated the training quality at 4.6/5 and the likelihood they would apply new knowledge to their work at 4.4/5. Retrospective pre-post knowledge scores increased for all domains, including how to identify aging-related health conditions that can affect safety during police interactions (2.9/5 to 4.2/5; P < .001). In open-ended responses, participants anticipated having more empathy for and awareness of aging-related conditions and greater ability to provide older adults with appropriate community referrals.ConclusionA brief training in aging-related health significantly increased police officers' self-reported knowledge and skills. Clinicians have an important opportunity to help enhance safe and effective community policing for older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To identify clinical measures that aid detection of impending severe mobility difficulty in older women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Urban community in Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand two community-dwelling, moderate to severely disabled women aged 65 and older in the Women's Health and Aging Study I. MEASUREMENTS: Self-report and performance measures representing six domains necessary for mobility: central and peripheral nervous systems, muscles, bones and joints, perception, and energy. Severe mobility difficulty was defined as usual gait of 0.5 m/s or less, any reported difficulty walking across a small room, or dependence on a walking aid during a 4-m walking test. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-seven out of 984 (47%) had severe mobility difficulty at baseline, and 104/474 (22%) developed it within 12 months. Baseline mobility difficulty was correlated with poor vision, knee pain, feelings of helplessness, inability to stand with feet side by side for 10 seconds, difficulty keeping balance while dressing or walking, inability to rise from a chair five times, and cognitive impairment. Of these, knee pain (odds ratio (OR)=1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.05–2.89), helplessness (OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.10–3.24), poor vision (OR=2.03, 95% CI=1.06–3.89), inability to rise from a chair five times (OR=2.50, 95% CI=1.15–5.41), and cognitive impairment (OR=4.75, 95% CI=1.67–13.48) predicted incident severe mobility difficulty within 12 months, independent of age. CONCLUSION: Five simple measures may aid identification of disabled older women at high risk of severe mobility difficulty. Further studies should determine generalizability to men and higher-functioning individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]