Table 1.

Exemplar Feedback Loops

Reinforcing Feedback Loops
Title	R1. Building organizational capacity through productive activity
Loop	Capacity of Organizations → Productive Activity → Change in Organization Capacity → Capacity of Organizations
Explanation	An organization with higher capacity for engaging older adults can bring more older workers and volunteers into paid and unpaid work. This, in turn, leads to increased capacity for organizations to fulfill their missions.
Title	R2. Reducing age bias through productive activity
Loop	Capacity of Organizations → Productive Activity → Changes in Attitudes and Expectations → Attitudes and Expectations → Age Bias → Change in Organizational Capacity → Capacity of Organizations,
Explanation	An organization with higher capacity can engage more older adults. More older adults contributing to the organization could lead to changes in attitudes and expectations about older adults, thereby reducing aging bias. Reductions in age discrimination could further expand the capacity of organizations.
Title	R3. Building human capital through productive activity
Loop	Human Capital → Productive Activity → Building Human Capital → Human Capital
Explanation	When human capital of older adults is actively engaged in productive activity, the capital (finances, health, knowledge, etc.) can be further built or at least maintained, as opposed to depleted due to disengagement.
Title	R4. Building family resources through productive activity
Loop	Productive Activity → Building Family Resources → Family Resources → Family Caregiving to Older Adults → Depreciation of Human Capital → Human Capital → Productive Activity
Explanation	Productive activity, including working and caregiving by the older adults, can build family resources. Increased family resources can be utilized to provide assistance to the older adults when needed. This instrumental, financial, or emotional assistance by the family to the older adults can maintain or prevent depletion of the older adults’ human capital, enabling them to continue to be productively engaged.
Balancing Feedback Loops
Title	B1. Depleting family resources through family caregiving
Loop	Family Resources → Family Caregiving to Older Adults → Depreciation in Family Resources → Family Resources
Explanation	Family resources, like time, health, and money, are depleted when family members provide assistance to older adults. With fewer resources, members provide less caregiving to older adults, reducing the amount of family resource depreciation.
Title	B2. Protecting human capital through family caregiving
Loop	Human Capital → Demand for Care from Family → Family Caregiving to Older Adults → Depreciation of Human Capital → Human Capital
Explanation	As the human capital of older adults depreciates (health or financial), there is an increased demand for caregiving and family members provide assistance. This assistance prevents the depletion of older adults’ capital, in that functioning is maintained (e.g., transportation is provided or finances are stabilized).