Rethinking social relationships in old age: Digitalization and the social lives of older adults.

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizem Hülür ◽  
Birthe Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The Social

The ‘loneliness pandemic’: implications for gerontological nursing

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 652-655
Author(s):  
Carlos Laranjeira
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Gerontological Nursing

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled states to limit free movement, in order to protect at-risk and more vulnerable groups, particularly older adults. Due to old age or debilitating chronic diseases, this group is also more vulnerable to loneliness (perceived discrepancy between actual and desired social relationships) and social isolation (feeling that one does not belong to society). This forced isolation has negative consequences for the health of older people, particularly their mental health. This is an especially challenging time for gerontological nursing, but it is also an opportunity for professionals to combat age stereotypes reinforced with COVID-19, to urge the measurement of loneliness and social isolation, and to rethink how to further adjust interventions in times of crisis, such as considering technology-mediated interventions in these uncertain times.

The Social Context and Resources of the Unmarried in Old Age

1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pat M. Keith
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Social Resources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Role Transitions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Life Course

A model of singleness in later life was developed to show how the social context may influence the personal and social resources of older, unmarried persons. The unmarried (especially the divorced) will be an increasing proportion of the aged population in the future, and they will require more services than will the married. Role transitions of the unmarried over the life course, finances, health, and social relationships of older singles are discussed with implications for practice and future research.

On the origins of ageism among older and younger adults

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1003-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehud Bodner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Defensive Strategy ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Suitable Framework ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

ABSTRACTBackground: Ageism is apparent in many social structures and contexts and in diverse forms over the life cycle. This review discusses the development and consequences of ageism toward elderly people by others of any age, according to the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the Social Identity Theory (SIT).Method: A systematic search of the literature was carried out on the social and psychological origins of ageism in younger and older adults.Results: Studies on the reasons for ageism among older adults point to attitudes that older adults have toward their own age group, while studies on ageism in young adults explain it as an unconscious defensive strategy which younger adults use against death anxiety. In other words, TMT can serve as a suitable framework for ageism in younger adults, and SIT appears to explain ageism in older adults.Conclusions: A dissociation of the linkage between death and old age in younger adults can be achieved by changing the concepts of death and old age. For older adults, it is recommended to improve self-worth by encouraging social contacts in which older adults contribute to younger adults, weaken the effects of age stereotypes in TV programs, and prepare middle-aged adults for living healthy lives as older adults. However, these conclusions should be regarded with caution, because several key areas (age related cues, activated cognitive processes, impact of death awareness on ageism) need to be investigated in order to validate this understanding of the origins of ageism among younger and older adults.

scholarly journals Quality of life among older adults resident in long-stay care facilities

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1186-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Magalhães Vitorino ◽  
Lisiane Manganelli Girardi Paskulin ◽  
Lucila Amaral Carneiro Vianna
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Epidemiological Study ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Social ◽  
Care Facilities

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the older adults' perceptions of their quality of life (QoL) in two long-stay care facilities in Pouso Alegre and Santa Rita in Sapucaí, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil , and to identify the sociodemographic and health variables which interfere in this perception. METHOD: a cross-sectional epidemiological study of 77 older adults resident in institutions. The instruments used were: personal characterization; WHOQOL-bref and WHOQOL OLD. RESULT: the highest average obtained in the instruments was: the "Social Relationships" domain in the WHOQOL-bref (68%) and the "Sensory abilities" aspect in the WHOQOL-OLD (73.7%). The variables age, sex, physical activity and level of schooling have a significant correlation with the WHOQOL-bref and the variables sex and leisure have the same with the WHOQOL OLD. CONCLUSION: older adults who are younger, with higher levels of schooling and who undertake physical and leisure activity have, on average, better perceptions of their QoL. The older adults' QoL in this study had higher rates than that reported in the literature and was similar to that in the community. The results suggest the need to train those involved with older adults in institutions so that they may develop strategies which promote the adaptation, adjustment and maintenance of QoL.

Who Lives Alone During Old Age? Trends in the Social and Functional Disadvantages of Sweden’s Solitary Living Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 815-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin A. Shaw ◽  
Stefan Fors ◽  
Johan Fritzell ◽  
Carin Lennartsoon ◽  
Neda Agahi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Mobility Impairment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Never Married ◽  
Solitary Living ◽  
The Social ◽  
Age Trends

This study identifies specific social and functional disadvantages associated with living alone during old age in Sweden and assesses whether these associations have changed during recent decades. Data came from repeated cross-sectional surveys of Swedish adults aged 77+ during 1992–2014. Findings indicate that several types of disadvantage are consistently associated with the probability of living alone including financial insecurity and having never married for women and having never married and mobility impairment for men. Also for older men, low education has become an increasing strong determinant of living alone. These findings suggest that older adults who live alone are a subgroup that is particularly, and in some cases increasingly, vulnerable with respect to social and functional status. This has important policy implications related to addressing the needs of this growing subgroup as well as methodological implications for studies on the health effects of living alone.

scholarly journals Friendships Forged in Fitness: An Ethnographic Exploration of Older Women’s Social Experiences in Water Aerobics

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 470-470
Author(s):  
Britteny Howell ◽  
Samantha Wanner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Supports ◽  
Thick Description ◽  
Fitness Centers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Water Based

Abstract Research shows that participants, especially older women, are more likely to adhere to a fitness program when they have social supports. Gerontology research also demonstrates that the social relationships forged by older women at community and fitness centers can be long-lasting and provide a variety of supportive functions. Older adults respond well to pool- or water-based aerobic exercises that are safe on the joints and provide a comfortable environment away from the intimidating nature of the gym. Therefore, water-based classes provided at community fitness centers are well positioned to provide ample social opportunities to further reinforce continued physical activity for older women, resulting in health and quality-of-life improvements. This project is a 5-month ethnographic exploration of the social relationships created and maintained in the context of water-based fitness classes (water aerobics) at a local community center (YMCA) that is attended by a culturally diverse group of older adults. The friendships forged by women in the pool at the YMCA provide a variety of social supports that help to maintain healthy aging outcomes among participants. Drawing on components of Activity Theory and Social Support Theory, this presentation utilizes participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires (N=35) to provide an anthropological “thick description” of the important role that fitness center friendships can form in the social lives of older women in the U.S.

scholarly journals “Not as Bad as I Thought”: Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives on Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 5-5
Author(s):  
Nasreen Sadeq
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Course Completion ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Positive Aging ◽  
The Social ◽  
Upper Level

Abstract Ageism remains prevalent in our society and negatively affects older adults. Undergraduate education could be a potential avenue for combating ageism among individuals moving into the workforce. The current investigation is a pilot study in which students enrolled in an upper-level undergraduate course were asked to reflect on how their perspectives on aging had changed following the completion of the course. The course, Psychology of Aging, provides students with an overview of the psychological aspects of aging, including cognitive, physical, and social changes. Consensual qualitative methods were used to explore student responses (N=150) and analyzed using Atlas.ti 7. The results indicated that majority of students had a more positive view of aging following course completion. The three most common themes that emerged were 1) positive aging, 2) living arrangements, and 3) social relationships. For the positive aging theme, students recognized the positive aspects of aging, with many commenting that aging was not as bad as they originally thought. Nearly all the responses in the living arrangements theme reflected students’ previous assumptions that most older adults live in nursing homes. In the social relationships theme, students realized that aging does not make people value social connection any less. The findings suggest that providing students with accurate information about aging has the potential to correct their negative views of aging, and highlight the importance of gerontology coursework in higher education, particularly for those pursuing careers in which they will regularly interact with older adults.

The Death of Confidants and Changes in Older Adults’ Social Lives

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 236-246
Author(s):  
James Iveniuk ◽  
Peter Donnelly ◽  
Louise Hawkley
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Testing Hypotheses ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The Social ◽  
Doubly Robust Estimation ◽  
Logistic Regressions ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Doubly Robust

This study examines the consequences of confidant death for the social lives of older adults, testing hypotheses from socio-emotional selectivity theory and the hierarchical compensatory model. We draw upon longitudinal data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project—a nationally representative survey of older adults ( N = 2,261). We employ ordinary least squares (OLS) and ordinal logistic regressions in the context of multiple imputation with chained equations, checking our findings with doubly robust estimation. We find that the death of a spouse, but not the death of a family member or friend, was associated with increased support from friends and family, spending more time with family, and more frequent participation in religious services, but not volunteering. Death of other confidants also had little impact on older adults’ social lives, suggesting the robustness of their networks to nonspousal loss.

scholarly journals Olfactory function and the social lives of older adults: a matter of sex

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne Boesveldt ◽  
Jason R. Yee ◽  
Martha K. McClintock ◽  
Johan N. Lundström
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Olfactory Function ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
The Social
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