scholarly journals Understanding the Complexities of Community-Dwelling Older Adults’ Lived Experiences During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 14-14
Author(s):  
Bo Xie ◽  
Kristina Shiroma ◽  
Atami Sagna de Main ◽  
Nathan Davis ◽  
Karen Fingerman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Thematic Map ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Abstract Since December 2019, COVID-19 has spurred rapid and extensive research, but this research has focused on some perspectives with others understudied. In particular, studies have not yet explored the complexities of community-dwelling older adults’ lived experiences during the pandemic. This study aimed to address this gap. Community-dwelling older adults living in Central Texas (N = 200; age, 65–92 years, M = 73.6± 6.33) responded to open- and closed-ended questions over the telephone during June–August 2020. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. We identified three key themes. (1) Positive experiences, with 4 subthemes: perception that the pandemic has not changed one’s lifestyle; adjusting well—particularly with the aid of technology; being positive in perspective; and a “loner advantage” (being a “loner” pre-pandemic was advantageous during the pandemic). (2) Mixed experiences, with 4 subthemes: doing okay but unhappy about changing lifestyle routines; doing okay but unhappy about loss of in-person interactions with family and friends; doing okay but frustrated by witnessing absence of social distancing or facemask use by others; and maintaining physical health with fluctuating symptoms of depression or anxiety. (3) Negative experiences, with 3 subthemes: bitter about others/society/government not caring for older adults; feeling isolated, bored, and powerless; and worsening as time goes by. A thematic map was subsequently developed. These findings reveal the complexities of community-dwelling older adults’ lived experiences, illustrating effective coping and resilience during the pandemic and dissatisfaction owing to the pandemic’s effects on their lives and to their observations of others’ behaviors.

scholarly journals Understanding of Resilience of Older Adults in Hong Kong: A Qualitative Investigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 233372142096690
Author(s):  
Chun Hu ◽  
Pak-Kwong Chung ◽  
Chun-Qing Zhang ◽  
Yiqun Gan ◽  
Rui Hu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Environmental Support ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Purpose: Resilience is an important trait for older adults facing adversity. This qualitative study aimed to identify the characteristics that contribute to resilience in a group of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Methods: Twenty-five Chinese older adults were invited. Interviews were conducted to collect information about the adverse events in their lives, their attitudes towards adversity and the beliefs underlying their approaches to overcoming adversity. The transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Seven themes emerged from the interviews: equanimity, positive attitudes towards life; meaningfulness, self-reliance, social support, environmental support, and spirituality and faith. Conclusion: Our qualitative analysis found that resilience among older adults in Hong Kong is characterized by internal, external and existential factors. The results may be useful for the development of proactive interventions aimed at assisting older adults to enhance the positive experiences in their lives.

Gender differences in health service use for mental health reasons in community dwelling older adults with suicidal ideation

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 374-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen-Maria Vasiliadis ◽  
Sarah Gagné ◽  
Natalia Jozwiak ◽  
Michel Préville
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Antidepressant Use ◽  
One Year ◽  
Promotion Campaigns ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

ABSTRACTBackground: To ascertain gender-specific determinants of antidepressant and mental health (MH) service use associated with suicidal ideation.Methods: Data used in this study came from the ESA (Enquête sur la Santé des Aînés) survey carried out in 2005–2008 on a large sample of community-dwelling older adults (n = 2,004). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out.Results: The two-year prevalence of suicidal ideation was 8.4% and 20.3% had persistent suicidal thoughts at one-year follow-up. In males, the prevalence of antidepressant and MH service use in respondents with suicidal ideation reached 32.2% and 48.9%, respectively. In females, the corresponding rates were 42.6% and 65.6%. Males were less likely to consult MH services than females when their MH was judged poorly. Male respondents with higher income and education were less likely to use antidepressant and MH services. However, males using benzodiazepines were more likely than females to be dispensed an antidepressant. Among respondents with suicidal ideation, gender was not associated with service use. Younger age, however, was associated with antidepressant use.Conclusions: Increased promotion campaigns sensitizing men to the prodromal symptoms of depression and the need to foster access to MH care when the disorder is manageable may be needed.

scholarly journals Older Adults' Online and Offline Social Interactions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 301-301
Author(s):  
Kristina Shiroma ◽  
Atami de Main ◽  
Nathan Davis ◽  
Bo Xie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Video Chat ◽  
Communication Modes ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, much of our social interaction has transitioned from in-person to online. This study examined older adults’ social interaction during COVID-19, online and offline. Participants were recruited from community-dwelling older adults in Central Texas. Data collection took place via the telephone during June-August 2020 (N = 200; age range: 65-92 years; Mean: 73.6; SD: 6.33). Participants used a variety of communication modes, including phone or texting (used by 99% of the participants); email (44%); in person (35%); video chat (31%); social media (24%); and postal mail (4%). Most participants (77%) used more than one communication mode. Participants discussed their preferences for and challenges of technology (i.e., smart phones) and its applications (i.e., video chat, telehealth, and social media). Participants’ self-reported experiences ranged from positive (50%), mixed (35%), to negative (15%). These findings will inform policy and community interventions to promote older adults’ social interactions during the pandemic.

scholarly journals HOPE AND RESILIENCE AMONG VULNERABLE, COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER PERSONS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S531-S531
Author(s):  
Dennis R Myers ◽  
Clay Polson ◽  
Jocelyn S McGee ◽  
Rachel Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Spiritual Experience ◽  
Meals On Wheels ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Community-dwelling older adults in the U.S. are at risk for experiencing a number of physical, emotional, and social issues including poverty, social isolation, and deteriorating health and daily functioning. Despite such challenges, research indicates that many older adults remain resilient and that factors such as social support, spirituality, and self-esteem contribute to resilience and improved outcomes. One factor that has been found to be particularly important for resilience among older adults is a sense of hopefulness. However, research has not looked specifically at the effects of hope on older adults experiencing severe economic and psychosocial challenges. Utilizing survey data drawn from a unique sample (n = 64) randomly drawn from 224 clients of a Meals on Wheels program, we explore the relationship between hope and resilience among a group of at-risk, community-dwelling older adults in one central Texas community. We find that hope, after accounting for the effects of social support, spiritual experience, health (ADL), and ethnicity, is a strong and significant predictor of resilience among at-risk older adults and that hope tends to mediate the effect of spiritual experience on resilience. Drawing on these findings, we discuss potential implications for social workers and congregational leaders working with older adults and for future scholarship on hope and resilience.

Exploring the Interpretation of COVID-19 Messaging on Older Adults’ Experiences of Vulnerability

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ruheena Sangrar ◽  
Michelle M. Porter ◽  
Stephanie Chesser
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Public Health Messages ◽  
Information Interpretation ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Multiple Health ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Abstract Public health messages and societal discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic have consistently indicated a higher morbidity and mortality risk for older people, particularly those with multiple health conditions. Older adults’ interpretations of pandemic messaging can shape their perceived vulnerability and behaviours. This study examined their perspectives on COVID-19 messaging. Eighteen community-dwelling older adults residing in Manitoba (Canada) participated in semi-structured telephone interviews between July and August 2020, a period of low COVID-19 cases within the province. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify key themes that described participants’ processes of information interpretation when consuming pandemic-related messages, their emotional responses to messaging and consequent vulnerability, and the impacts of messaging on their everyday lives. Understanding how older adults have construed COVID-19 and pandemic-related messages, and the subsequent impact on their daily behaviours, is the first step towards shaping societal discourse and sets the stage for examining the pandemic’s long-term effects.

Motives for and Barriers to Physical Activity among Older Adults with Mobility Limitations

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Rasinaho ◽  
Mirja Hirvensalo ◽  
Raija Leinonen ◽  
Taru Lintunen ◽  
Taina Rantanen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mobility Limitation ◽  
Mobility Limitations ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Barriers To Exercise ◽  
Positive Experiences

The purpose of this study was to investigate what older adults with severe, moderate, or no mobility limitation consider motives for and barriers to engaging in physical exercise. Community-dwelling adults (N = 645) age 75–81 years completed a questionnaire about their motives for and barriers to physical exercise and answered interview questions on mobility limitation. Those with severely limited mobility more often reported poor health, fear and negative experiences, lack of company, and an unsuitable environment as barriers to exercise than did those with no mobility limitation. They also accentuated disease management as a motive for exercise, whereas those with no or moderate mobility limitation emphasized health promotion and positive experiences related to exercise. Information about differences in motives for and barriers to exercise among people with and without mobility limitation helps tailor support systems that support engagement in physical activity among older adults.

scholarly journals Exploring older adults’ lived experiences of COVID-19: A narrative inquiry study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 888-889
Author(s):  
Tia Rogers-Jarrell ◽  
Brad Meisner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract COVID-19 dramatically changed daily life for older adults in numerous and complex ways. Research is calling for an understanding on how COVID-19 has and will impact aging, and older adults’ lived experiences with aging, within the context of the pandemic. Social and physical distancing guidelines have put older adults at an increased risk for social isolation. Intergenerational tensions have also intensified during the pandemic, and early research states the labeling of older adults as a homogenous and “vulnerable” group can lead to an increased risk of ageism in their communities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how community-dwelling older adults (ages 65 and greater) experience daily life amid the COVID-19 pandemic using a biopsychosocial approach. This study employs a critical qualitative narrative inquiry design. Data will be collected through solicited diaries and semi-structured individual interviews (via telephone and video conferencing software). Data will be analyzed thematically and involve a re-storying of the findings. Preliminary results will be presented and discussed. This study aims to inform new and critical perspectives that broaden our understanding of how the overall health, wellness, and quality of life of older adults can be supported. Findings contribute to the current and developing knowledge of older adults’ first-person accounts of their experiences within the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associations of Social Relationships with Consultation for Symptoms of Depression: A Community Study of Depression in Older Men and Women in Québec

2011 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 537-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samia-Djemaa Mechakra-Tahiri ◽  
Maria Victoria Zunzunegui ◽  
Micheline Dubé ◽  
Michel Préville
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Community Study ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Older Men And Women

To assess associations between social relationships and consultation for symptoms of depression, data from a representative sample of 2,811 French-speaking community-dwelling older adults in Québec were used. Less than half of the older adults meeting DSM criteria for depression ( N = 379; 47.1%) had sought consultation about their depression-relevant symptoms in the preceding 12 months. Having a cohabitant partner or having children were not associated with frequency of consultation for women. Men without a partner tended to consult more frequently than men with a cohabiting partner (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 0.81, 7.88). None of the men without a confidant had consulted. Among the 67 men with a confidant, consultation was more frequent among those not cohabiting with a partner (70%) than among those with a cohabiting partner (46%). The influence of social relationships on consultation for depression differed in men and women in this population of depressed elderly people in Québec.

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