The Copper Ridge Institute

Biography

Dr. de Medeiros’ work has focused on understanding the social context of aging, for people with dementia as well as healthy older adults.

With regards to dementia, de Medeiros has investigated behaviors labeled as “sexually inappropriate” in a long-term care setting, and the overall social milieu in residential care environments. In healthy older adults, de Medeiros has explored narratives of aging, including attributions of depression, the meaning of suffering, and conflicts in expressions of selfhood and identity and is currently engaged in work to test an intervention for improving memory and wellbeing.

Education

• PhD, Gerontology, socio-cultural track, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
• Dissertation: “Depression in Old Age: Attributions in Life Narratives.” Advisor: Robert L. Rubinstein, PhD
• MS, Gerontology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) Galveston, Texas.
• Thesis: “Writing and Changes in Memory Performance in Older Adults: A Pilot Study.” Thesis Advisors: Barbara Yee, PhD and Thomas Cole, PhD
• BA, English and American Literature, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Selected Publications

BOOK CHAPTERS

1. de Medeiros, K. (in press). Expanding narrative approaches to life stories of the elderly. In. C. Streubel (Ed.) Ageing Stories. Berlin: Peter Lang Publishing Group.
2. Rubinstein, R.L. & de Medeiros, K. (2006). Housing. In: R. Schulz (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Aging (4th Ed.) New York: Springer.
3. Rubinstein, R. L. & de Medeiros, K. (2005). Home, self and identity. In G. Rowles & H. Chaudhury (Eds.) Home and Identify in Late Life: International Perspectives. New York: Springer Publishing.
4. Rubinstein, R.L. & de Medeiros, K. (2003). Ecology and the aging self. In H. Wahl & P. Windley (Eds.) Annual Review of Gerontology & Geriatrics 2003. New York: Springer.

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

1. de Medeiros. (in press.) Self stories in Older Age: Crafting identities using small moments from the past. (American Studies)
2. Saunders, P., Tractenberg, R., de Medeiros, K. (in review). “Oh, he was forgettable”: Construction of self identity through use of communicative coping behaviors in the discourse of persons with cognitive impairment.
3. de Medeiros, K. (2009.) Suffering and Generativity: Repairing threats to the self. Journal of Aging Studies 23(2).
4. de Medeiros, K., Beall, E., Vozella, S., Brandt, J. (in press). Television viewing and people with dementia living in long-term care: A pilot study. Journal of Applied Gerontology.
5. de Medeiros, K., Rosenberg, P.B., Baker, A.S., Onyike, C.U. (2008). Improper sexual behaviors in elders with dementia living in residential care. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. 26, 370-377.
6. de Medeiros, K(2007). Beyond the memoir: Telling life stories using multiple literary forms. Journal of Aging, Humanities and the Arts. 1: 159-167.
7. de Medeiros, K., Kennedy, Q., Cole, T., Lindley R., O’Hara, R. (2007). Autobiographical writing and memory performance in a group of highly functioning older adults: A preliminary investigation. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 15(3): 257-261.
8. de Medeiros, K., Harris-Trovato, D, Bradley, E., Gaines, J., & Parrish, J. (2007). Group dynamics in a discussion group for older adults: Does gender play a role? Educational Gerontology: 33: 111-125.
9. de Medeiros, K. (2005). The complementary self in old age. Journal of Aging Studies: 19(1): 1-13.