Functional disability and the role of children in U.S. older adults’ core discussion networks

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Markus H. Schafer ◽  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Older Parents ◽  
Core Networks ◽  
Egocentric Network ◽  
Advanced Stages

Abstract This study considered the role of adult children in the core networks of U.S. older adults with varying levels of functional health. Taking a multidimensional perspective of the ego network system, we considered (a) presence of child(ren) in the network, (b) contact with children network members, and (c) embeddedness of children within the network. We observed older parents from three waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). The common ‘important matters’ name generator was used to construct egocentric network variables, while self-reported difficulty with activities of daily life was used to measure disablement transitions. Parameters were estimated with Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). Though child turnover was common in parents’ core networks, there was no evidence linking disablement transitions to systematic forms of child reshuffling. Children that remained in parents’ networks, however, showed increased contact with parents and with other members of the network when the parent underwent disability progression. Disability onset was not significantly linked to either outcome. There was limited evidence of gender variation in these patterns. Overall, results strengthen the view that children are distinctive members of older adults’ core networks. Further, the role of adult children shifts most noticeably at advanced stages of the disablement process.

scholarly journals HOW DO MENTAL HEALTH TRANSITIONS SHAPE THE ROLE OF ADULT CHILDREN IN OLDER ADULTS’ SOCIAL NETWORKS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S58-S58
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Generalized Estimating Equations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Network System ◽  
Core Networks ◽  
The Core ◽  
Health Transitions

Abstract This study considers the role of adult children in the core networks of older adults undergoing mental health change. Taking a multidimensional perspective of the network system, I consider (a) presence of child(ren), (b) contact with children network members, and (c) embeddedness of children within the network using longitudinal data from the United States. Parameters were estimated with generalized estimating equations from the pooled panel data. There was no evidence that mental health transitions lead to systematic forms of child reshuffling or increased contact with child ties. Children that remained in networks, however, showed increased contact with other members of the network when the parent underwent depression onset, but became less embedded when their parents had chronically high levels of depression. These patterns may have far-reaching consequences for older people and their children, which could include increased feelings of loneliness and social isolation for parent and child alike.

scholarly journals Relocation and Network Turnover in Later Life: How Distance Moved and Functional Health Are Linked to a Changing Social Convoy

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Badawy ◽  
Markus H. Schafer ◽  
Haosen Sun
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Core Network ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Core Networks ◽  
The Social

Life-course transitions among older adults often produce a reshuffling of social network members. Moving is a common experience for U.S. seniors, but relatively little is known about how core networks change amid the relocation process. Drawing on longitudinal data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, the present study examines how late-life moving is associated with changes to network size and the loss and gain of particular network members. We find that when older adults undertake a long-distance move, they tend to add more family to their core network—yet this is moderated by their initial level of functional health. Long-distance moves are also associated with losing nonkin members from the core network. These empirical patterns are interpreted in light of developmental perspectives on late-life relocation, continuity theory, and the social convoy model.

scholarly journals CORESIDENCE OF OLDER PARENTS AND ADULT CHILDREN BENEFITS OLDER ADULTS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: PATH ANALYSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S324-S324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soohyoung r Lee
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Measurement ◽  
Living Situation ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Older Parents

Abstract Even though the coresidence of older parents and their adult children is no longer a rare phenomenon in current society, a little is known about the benefit of living with adult children from older adults’ perspectives compared to the risk of this living situation. Previous research suggests that older adults’ psychological well-being is low when they live with their adult children, and this become more salient among single parents, such as widowed or divorced. The current paper utilizes the National Health Measurement Study with a sample of age 55 and over, and their SF-36 Mental Health Component score, and psychological well-being self-acceptance score was measured. Path analysis reveals while mental health and psychological well-being scores are lower among single older adults at the time of the survey (e.g., divorced, widowed) than non-single, coresidence of older adults and adult children completely mediates the negative relationship between being single and both mental health psychological well-being. A complete mediation effect of living with an adult child on older adults’ mental health and psychological well-being is consistent with both white and non-white minority older adults. This suggests that living with adult child benefits older adults’ mental health and psychological well-being. The current study seeks to stimulate ideas that might generate the next answer to community-based care in our current aging society.

scholarly journals Bathing and toileting difficulties of older adults in rural China: the role of environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changxi Liu ◽  
Joelle H. Fong ◽  
Jasmon W. T. Hoh ◽  
Hailin Wu ◽  
Yunsheng Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Public Facilities ◽  
Functional Capabilities ◽  
The Disabled

Abstract Background For older adults, difficulties in bathing and toileting are often the most prevalent in the index of Activities of daily living (ADL). This study aims to examine how environmental factors are associated with difficulty of bathing and toileting among older adults in rural China. Method The data are from the 2014 Thousand-Village Survey (TVS), a national survey of Chinese rural residents of old age. The sample consists of 10,689 subjects, 55 years or older, from 536 villages across all provinces of China. Logistic regressions were applied to examine how difficulty of bathing and toileting was related to environmental factors such as geographic location, neighbourhood amenity, and related facilities of bathing and toileting. Results Older adults living in the Southern regions of China had lesser difficulty in bathing and toileting than those living in Northern China, controlling for other confounders. Better neighbourhood conditions also reduced the likelihood of having such disabilities. Persons who bathed indoors without showering facilities, in public facilities, and outdoors were significantly more likely to have bathing disability than those who showered indoors with facility. Rural older adults who used pedestal pans and indoor buckets for toileting were more likely to have toileting disability than those who used indoor squatting facilities. Conclusion Environmental barriers were associated with functional disability among older adults in rural China, but the disabled individuals may change their environments to adapt to their functional capabilities. Our findings suggest that it is imperative to promote the use of showering facilities and pedestal pans for toileting in rural China.

scholarly journals DO OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR CHILDREN AGREE ABOUT THE USE OF LOCATION TRACKING, IN-HOME SENSORS, AND WEB-CAMERAS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S371-S371
Author(s):  
Clara Berridge
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Remote Monitoring ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Location Tracking ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Meals On Wheels ◽  
Monitoring Technologies

Abstract On the dyad and aggregate level, we compare preferences of older adult women and their adult children for three remote monitoring technologies: location tracking, in-home sensors, and Web-cameras. Their assessments of each technology’s impact on privacy, safety, independence, freedom, relationship with family member, social life, and identity are also compared. Twenty-eight individual, in-depth structured interviews were conducted with 18 women who are Meals on Wheels clients and 10 of their adult children. Adult children preferred each technology more than their mothers did and underestimated both their mothers’ ability to comprehend the functions of the technologies and the importance of engaging them fully in decision making. For both groups, privacy was the most-cited concern, and participants perceived significant overlap between values of privacy, independence, identity, and freedom. Shared decision-making tools are needed to promote remote monitoring use consistent with older adults’ values and to prevent conflict and caregiver overreach.

scholarly journals Links Between Personality and Sleep Midpoint in Older Adults in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 35-35
Author(s):  
Krishna Patel ◽  
Darlynn Rojo-Wissar ◽  
Katherine Duggan ◽  
Garrett Hisler ◽  
Brant Hasler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Personality Scale ◽  
Sleep Timing ◽  
Wrist Actigraphy

Abstract Chronotype has been linked to poor cognitive outcomes and mortality among older adults. Although previous studies indicate an association between personality and sleep, little is known about associations between personality and chronotype in older adults. We examined the association between personality and objective sleep midpoint (a measure of chronotype) in 463 older adults aged 73.5 ±7.7 from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project who completed the Midlife Developmental Inventory Personality scale and three nights of wrist actigraphy, from which we derived participants’ average sleep midpoints. After adjusting for demographics, higher conscientiousness was associated with earlier sleep midpoint (B=-0.53, SE=0.02, p<0.01). Associations for other traits were not significant. Findings link conscientiousness to chronotype and raise the possibility that earlier sleep timing may partially account for associations of conscientiousness with health outcomes. Further studies are needed investigating the role of personality in links of sleep and circadian factors with health.

scholarly journals Effects of Late-Life Health Transitions on Spouses’ Psychological Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 297-298
Author(s):  
Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽  
Christina Marini ◽  
Lynn Martire
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Actor Partner Interdependence Model ◽  
Spousal Health ◽  
Health Transitions

Abstract Declining physical health likely affects not only older adults’ own well-being, but also that of their spouse. Using two waves of data from 610 couples in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, we examined effects of health declines over five years on change in self and spousal psychological well-being. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model findings showed that declines in spouses’ physical health (i.e., increased pain and decreased physical and cognitive function) predicted increases in older adults’ anxiety. Given the increasing importance of later-life social ties outside of marriage, we further considered the role of non-spousal health confidants. Preliminary findings suggest that effects of health declines on both partners’ well-being depend on the availability of these confidants. When older adults have people in addition to their spouse with whom they can talk about their health, detrimental effects of spouses’ declining health on older adults’ well-being are weakened for some health outcomes

scholarly journals How Does Adult Children Migration Effects Older Adults Aging in Place? Community and Individual Level Interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 873-874
Author(s):  
Shantha Balaswamy ◽  
Rufus Singh
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Male Adult ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Tamil Nadu State

Abstract In India, the increasing emigration by adult children for job opportunity and socio-economic betterment has left vulnerable older adults (OA) to age in place. Almost ‘one of out of ten households in Tamil Nadu state has one or more (e) migrants’ (TN Migration Survey 2015), leaving behind OA who traditionally depend on family as a major source of support. There are few studies on impact of immigration of male adult on wife and children who are left behind, but hardly any research on OA who stay behind. This study aims to understand the social, emotional, economic, and health experiences of OA in one of the districts that has the highest rates of out migration. Data was collected using in-person interviews with 304 randomly selected OA whose adult child had migrated to another country. Nearly half of OA live alone (49.7%), have one or more chronic diseases (60%), require support for meeting their ADLs (90%), and half receive no financial support from adult child (50%) contrary to expectations of providing care for OA in this culture. Findings also reveal that persons over the age of 70 exhibit greater coping skills despite lower functional health, smaller social network, and less financial resources. A significant relationship exists between frequency of visits by adult child and reported levels of anxiety and depression. Implication discussions explore solutions at individual, community and policy levels to address vulnerabilities of the older population who are left behind in villages and towns of India due the globalization related mobility.

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