scholarly journals Exploring the Perceptions of the Ageing Experience in Singaporean Older Adults: a Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-408
Author(s):  
F. Shiraz ◽  
Z. L. J. Hildon ◽  
H. J. M. Vrijhoef
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Health Perceptions ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Understanding older adults perceptions of health and adaptation processes to ageing can allow for more culturally aligned services and better targeted care. The aim of this exploratory qualitative study was to examine older adults perceptions of physical, psychological and social health and further understand the processes of adaptation and self-management of these health perceptions. Semi-structured in depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with ethnically diverse older adults in Singapore, aged 60 and above. Participants were asked open ended questions about their physical health, psychological health and their current social health and relationships. They were also asked methods of adaptation to these age related changes. In total, forty participants were interviewed. A thematic analysis identified five main themes when exploring perceptions of physical, psychological and social health. These included; 1) Slowing down 2) Relationship harmony 3) Financial harmony 4) Social connectedness and 5) Eating together. Adaptation and self-management of these health perceptions included six additional themes; 1) Keep moving 2) Keep learning; where continued self-determination and resilience was a key method in adapting to negative thoughts about declining physical health 3) Adopting avoidant coping behaviours 4) ‘It feels good to do good’; where finding meaning in life was to help others 5) ‘Power of Prayer’; which highlighted how older adults relegated responsibilities to a higher spiritual power 6) Social participation; which included engaging in community and religious social activities that all contributed to self-management of older adults psychological health and social health. In conclusion, our study highlighted specific cultural nuances in older adults perceptions of health, particularly psychological and social health. These findings can help develop more targeted intervention programmes and better methods of measuring older adults health, which can assist with the global ageing phenomena.

scholarly journals Older Adult Peer Support Specialists’ Age-Related Contributions to Self-Management Through Text Message Exchanges: A Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbita Mbao ◽  
Karen Fortuna
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Peer Specialists

BACKGROUND Older adults with mental health conditions experience co-morbid physical health conditions, premature nursing home admissions, and an earlier mortality compared to the general population of older adults. Older adult peer support specialists are increasingly using technology to deliver peer support services related to addressing both mental health and physical health needs of older adults. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study examined older adult peer support specialists’ age-related contributions to peer-supported integrated medical and psychiatric self-management through text message exchanges METHODS Older adult peer specialists exchanged text messages with service users as part of a 12-week peer-supported smartphone intervention. Text message exchanges between older adult peer specialists (N=3) and people with serious mental illness were examined (N=8) with a mean age of 68.8 years (SD=4.9). A total of 356 text messages were sent between the older adult peer specialist and people with serious mental illness. Older adult peer specialists sent text messages to older participants' smartphones between from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and weekends RESULTS Five themes emerged including (1) using technology to simultaneously manage mental health and physical health issues; (2) realizing new capabilities in late life; (3) sharing their roles as parents and grandparents; (4) wisdom; and (5) sharing lived experience of normal age-related changes (emerging). CONCLUSIONS The collaborative non-directive approach by the older adult peer specialists offered key experiential contributions that are important to successfully aging with a mental health condition. Promising evidence suggests older adult peer support specialists may be helpful in addressing age-related mental health and physical health needs of older adults in the community.

scholarly journals Health Among Sexual Minority Older Adults: Individual Differences and Implications for Improving Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 860-860
Author(s):  
Britney Wardecker ◽  
Cara Exten
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Age Related

Abstract The number of sexual minority (SM) older adults is increasing rapidly, yet this population continues to be underrepresented in research (Fredriksen-Goldsen & Kim, 2017) and experiences significant disparities in health and health care access (Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2016; Wallace et al., 2011). In the current symposium, we analyze data from U.S. national probability samples of middle-aged and older adults (MIDUS, HRS, NESARC-III) to consider how age-related concerns and challenges may be experienced differently by SM individuals compared to their heterosexual counterparts. This symposium includes novel methods and statistical tools, such as daily diary assessments, multilevel modeling, and time-varying effects models. Individual presentations evaluate how: (1) SM women, compared to heterosexual women, may respond differently to menopause through norms and values surrounding womanhood; (2) midlife and older SM individuals use alcohol and cigarettes more frequently across a typical week than their heterosexual counterparts, though their substance use may not be tied to common triggers (e.g., negative mood, stress); (3) despite bisexual older adults reporting more health problems compared to lesbian and gay counterparts, they are less prepared for health concerns and crises (e.g., reporting a lower number of valid wills); and (4) the prevalence of depression and anxiety varies across age, such that older SM adults—especially women—are particularly vulnerable to psychological health problems. These presentations collectively examine complex issues facing older SM adults while emphasizing individual differences (i.e., women’s concerns, bisexual people’s issues). We discuss challenges in researching this growing at-risk population, and we highlight areas of future research and intervention.

scholarly journals A qualitative study examining health literacy and chronic illness self-management in Hispanic and non-Hispanic older adults

2017 ◽  
Vol Volume 10 ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Jacobs ◽  
Raymond L Ownby ◽  
Amarilis Acevedo ◽  
Drenna Waldrop-Valverde
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Self Management

Community nurses' self‐management support in older adults: A qualitative study on views, dilemmas and strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-203
Author(s):  
Marian J. T. Bolscher‐Niehuis ◽  
Madeleen J. Uitdehaag ◽  
Anneke L. Francke
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Management Support

Dialogical and Integrated Self in Late Adulthood: Examining Two Adaptive Ways of Growing Old

2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Filip ◽  
Kateřina Lukavská ◽  
Iva Poláčková Šolcová
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Psychological Adaptation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ego Integrity ◽  
Process View ◽  
Better Than

We examined two contradictory views of Erikson’s concept of ego integrity: as an outcome of the tension between integrity and despair, or as a dialogical process of balancing positive and negative life experiences. One hundred sixty-seven Czech older adults participated in the study. Dialogically integrated, outcome-integrated, and outcome-despairing participants were selected based on the Ego Integrity Scale and based on methods mapping life-reviewing dialogue. The three subsamples were compared in their psychological adaptation. The results showed that the dialogically integrated participants scored similarly in well-being and meaningfulness of life as outcome-integrated participants and better than outcome-despairing participants. However, the dialogically integrated participants were also prone to experiencing negative emotions. As they were older than the other two subsamples and reported worse physical health, we concluded that the life-reviewing dialogue helps them maintain a sense of meaning in life and a certain level of well-being. Hence, the results support relevance of the dialogical-process view.

scholarly journals Personalizing Sensor-Controlled Digital Gaming to Self-Management Needs of Older Adults with Heart Failure: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-310
Author(s):  
Kavita Radhakrishnan ◽  
Thomas Baranowski ◽  
Matthew O'Hair ◽  
Catherine A. Fournier ◽  
Cathy B. Spranger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Digital Gaming

Eczema and the older person

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 451-459
Author(s):  
Linda Nazarko
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Skin Condition ◽  
Common Condition ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Poor Physical Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Age Related Changes

Age-related changes lead to an increase in skin problems, and around 70% of older people have a treatable skin condition. However, ageing and poor physical health can make it difficult for older people to care for their skin. Eczema, a chronic inflammatory skin condition, where the skin becomes red, inflamed, itchy and scaly, can develop easily in older adults. This can, in turn, become infected and cause discomfort and health problems. This article explains how ageing affects the skin, how eczema can develop and how it can be treated, also touching upon the different types of eczema. It aims to equip community nurses with knowledge about this common condition and how to recognise and manage it.

Challenges faced by older adults with vision loss: a qualitative study with implications for rehabilitation

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 748-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verena R Cimarolli ◽  
Kathrin Boerner ◽  
Mark Brennan-Ing ◽  
Joann P Reinhardt ◽  
Amy Horowitz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Functional Domain ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Vision Rehabilitation ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Over Time

Objective: To provide an in-depth assessment of challenges faced by older adults with recent vision loss and to determine changes in the nature of these challenges over time for the purpose of informing the design of vision rehabilitation services. Design: Longitudinal, qualitative study with three time points. Setting: Vision rehabilitation agency. Subjects: Three hundred and sixty-four older adults aged 65 with significant vision impairment due to age-related macular degeneration. Interventions: In-person interviews conducted at baseline, one year and two years and coded using a qualitative analytical approach. Main measures: Open-ended questions assessing challenges faced due to vision loss in functional, social and psychological life domains. Results: Almost all participants reported a wide variety of challenges across all three domains with the most variety in the functional domain. Over a two-year period, functional challenges (e.g. using transportation) increased, social challenges (e.g. recognizing people) remained stable, and psychological challenges (e.g. negative affect) decreased overall. Conclusions: Although functional challenges are predominant, social and psychological challenges are quite common and need to be addressed in vision rehabilitation. Rehabilitation planning should also consider that vision-related challenges can change over time.

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