scholarly journals Partner Care Arrangements and Older Europeans' Well-Being: Variations by Gender and Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 392-393
Author(s):  
Nekehia Quashie ◽  
Karen Glaser ◽  
Martina Brandt ◽  
Ginevra Floridi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Informal Providers ◽  
Share Data ◽  
European Women ◽  
Older Europeans

Abstract Across Europe, partners are often primary caregivers to older adults with care needs. Yet, a variety of partner care arrangements may arise. Little is known about the interrelations between partners’ care arrangements, (potential) caregivers’ gender, and the context in which care is embedded. We use 2015 SHARE data from 17 countries on 3,465 couples aged 50+ where one partner receives care. We examine how life satisfaction and depressive symptoms of (potential) caregivers vary across five care arrangements: solo-care; shared formal; shared informal; outsourced formal; and outsourced informal. We explore heterogeneity by gender and across four contexts: Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe. Outsourcing partners’ care to formal or informal providers is linked with higher well-being among Northern and Western European women, but with lower well-being among women in Southern Europe, where traditional female caregiving responsibilities are stronger. Among men, outsourcing partner care is linked to higher well-being regardless of context.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Representations of Nature to Improve Well-Being amongst Older Adults: a Rapid Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josca Van Houwelingen-Snippe ◽  
Somaya Ben Allouch ◽  
Thomas J. L. Van Rompay
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Representations Of Nature

Abstract Poor well-being amongst older adults poses a serious health concern. Simultaneously, research shows that contact with nature can improve various facets of well-being, including physical, social, and mental well-being. However, nature is not always accessible for older adults due to mobility restrictions and related care needs that come with age. A promising strategy aims at bringing nature inside through pervasive technologies. However, so far, there is little academic understanding of essential nature characteristics, psychological processes involved, and means for implementation in practice. The current study used a three-folded rapid review to assess current understanding and strategies used for improving well-being for older adults through virtual reality representations of nature. Searches were performed across three databases, followed-up by content-based evaluation of abstracts. In total, a set of 25 relevant articles was identified. Only three studies specifically focus on digital nature as an intervention strategy for improving well-being amongst older adults. Although these studies provide useful starting points for the design and (technological) development of such environments, they do not generate understanding of how specific characteristics of virtual nature representations impact social well-being measures in particular, and of the underlying psychological processes involved. We conclude that follow-up research is warranted to close the gap between insights and findings from nature research, gerontology, health research, and human-technology interaction.

scholarly journals Depression and loneliness of older adults in Europe and Israel after the first wave of covid-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefine Atzendorf ◽  
Stefan Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Using Data

AbstractEpidemic control measures that aim to introduce social distancing help to decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their consequences in terms of mental well-being might be negative, especially for older adults. While existing studies mainly focus on the time during the first lockdown, we look at the weeks afterward in order to measure the medium-term consequences of the first wave of the pandemic. Using data from the SHARE Corona Survey, we include retired respondents aged 60 and above from 25 European countries plus Israel. Combining SHARE data with macro-data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker allows us to include macro-indicators at the country level, namely the number of deaths per 100,000 and the number of days with stringent epidemic control measures, in addition to individual characteristics. The findings show that both macro-indicators are influential for increased feelings of sadness/depression, but that individual factors are crucial for explaining increased feelings of loneliness in the time after the first lockdown. Models with interaction terms reveal that the included macro-indicators have negative well-being consequences, particularly for the oldest survey participants. Additionally, the results reveal that especially those living alone had a higher risk for increased loneliness in the time after the first COVID-19 wave.

scholarly journals Family Solidarity, Social Support, Loneliness, and Well-Being Among Older Adults in Rural China

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 319-320
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Zhang ◽  
Merril Silverstein
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
National Bureau ◽  
Subjective Well Being

Abstract China is experiencing a large increase in elderly population. In 2019, China’s population aged 60 and above had reached 253 million, accounting for 18.1% of the total population (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2020). By 2050, the number of adults aged 60+ would be up to 430 million, reaching one third of the total population (Du, Zhai & Chen, 2005). Considering such a rapid aging process and the existing large number of older adults in China, it becomes imperative to investigate how psychosocial factors affect this group’s subjective well-being. This study proposed that, among older adults, higher support received from each of the three relational sources (adult children, family and friends) were associated with reduced loneliness and improved well-being. Structural equation modeling was conducted using a sample of rural adults aged 60 and older (N= 1142) from the 2018 wave of data from the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. Findings indicated that support from adult children directly and indirectly decreased older adults’ depression and improved their life satisfaction through loneliness; while support from family members directly decreased depression but did not directly improve life satisfaction or indirectly improve well-being through loneliness. Although support from friends did not have a significant impact on older adults’ well-being, it indirectly improved well-being through reduced loneliness. Findings have implications for programs or interventions targeting both parent -adult-child support and friends support and reducing rural older adults’ loneliness.

Intergenerational Solidarity and Life Satisfaction among Empty-nest Older Adults in Rural China: Does Distance Matter?

2020 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2092621
Author(s):  
Mengting Li ◽  
Yaling Luo ◽  
Penghui Li
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Geographical Proximity ◽  
Intergenerational Solidarity ◽  
Contact Frequency

Intergenerational solidarity plays a significant role in older adults’ psychological well-being, but it remains unclear whether the influence would vary by distance. This study aims to examine the moderating role of geographical proximity between intergenerational solidarity and life satisfaction. We interviewed 1,015 rural older adults in Sichuan, China. Life satisfaction was measured by Satisfaction with Life Scale. Five of the six dimensions of intergenerational solidarity were assessed: structural (geographical proximity), associational (contact frequency), functional (support exchange), affectual (emotional closeness), and normative (filial obligation). Multiple regression with interaction term was used. We found the effect of intergenerational solidarity (except associational solidarity) on life satisfaction was strongest for older adults with children living in the same city. Gender differences existed in the moderating effect of parent–child distance on the relationship between intergenerational solidarity and life satisfaction. Social services could focus on older adults with interprovincial migrant children and protect their well-being.

Who We Live With and How We Are Feeling: A Study of Household Living Arrangements and Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults in China

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096154
Author(s):  
Wen-Jui Han ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Cliff Whetung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

Using a sample of Chinese adults over the age of 50 from wave 1 of the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (n = 13,367), we investigated the relationship between living arrangements and subjective well-being (SWB) in regard to life satisfaction, happiness, and control. We also looked at the moderating role of resources, proxied by income and hukou status. Multivariate regression results indicate that living only with a spouse was significantly associated with better SWB. Multigenerational living arrangements may not always promote SWB, particularly when resources are constrained. Yet, results also underscore the importance of daughters and daughters-in-law in promoting SWB among older adults. Older adults in rural areas had better SWB, including greater life satisfaction if living with grandchildren only, compared to their urban peers living with a spouse only. Findings suggest that context matters in the association between living arrangements and older adults’ SWB.

Impact of Savoring Ability on the Relationship Between Older Adults’ Activity Engagement and Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Smith ◽  
Joseph G. Bihary ◽  
Dugan O’Connor ◽  
Ajla Basic ◽  
Catherine J. O’Brien
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Moderating Factors ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between activity engagement and well-being can vary based on individual characteristics, and it is important to identify moderating factors to support the development and implementation of aging services. The current study examined whether the relationship between activity engagement and well-being depends on older adults’ savoring ability, that is, the ability to attend to positive experiences and to engage in emotion regulation strategies to enhance positive feelings during those experiences. A total of 5,128 older adults ( Mage = 83.86 years) completed measures of activity engagement, savoring, and well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, depression, loneliness, purpose, and health). Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that activity engagement and savoring independently predicted better functioning across all well-being measures. However, savoring moderated the relationship between activity engagement and four well-being measures (life satisfaction, depression, loneliness, and purpose). Findings suggest that older adults with low activity engagement may particularly benefit from savoring-skills training to enhance their psychological well-being.

Bridging community and prison for older adults: invoking human rights and elder and intergenerational family justice

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Maschi ◽  
Deborah Viola ◽  
Mary T. Harrison ◽  
William Harrison ◽  
Lindsay Koskinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Family System ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – Older adults in prison present a significant health and human rights challenge for the criminal justice system. To date, there is no known study that provides a comprehensive examination or portrait of older persons in prison. The purpose of this paper is to understand individual, family, system, and community vulnerabilities that can complicate successful community reintegration for these individuals. Design/methodology/approach – This study provides a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of biopsychosocial, spiritual, and prison use characteristics associated with a sample of 677 older prisoners, aged 50+, in a state-wide prison system. Findings – Results indicate the extent of diversity within this population based on demographic, clinical, social, legal profiles, prison service use patterns, and professional and personal contacts. Research limitations/implications – Due to the diversity within this population, an interdisciplinary approach is needed to address the complex social and health care needs of an aging prison population and to plan for their reentry. Practical implications – These findings suggest the need for holistic prevention, assessment, and interventions to interrupt the social-structural disparities that foster and support pathways to incarceration and recidivism. Originality/value – The human rights implications for the current treatment of older adults in prison include providing in-prison treatment that promotes safety, well-being, reconciliation, and seamless bridges between prison and community for older adults and their families. The True Grit Program is presented as an example of a humanistic and holistic approach of such an approach.

scholarly journals Identifying and understanding the health and social care needs of older adults with multiple chronic conditions and their caregivers: a protocol for a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. e018247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elana Commisso ◽  
Katherine S McGilton ◽  
Ana Patricia Ayala ◽  
Melissa, K Andrew ◽  
Howard Bergman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Health And Social Care

IntroductionPeople are living longer; however, they are not necessarily experiencing good health and well-being as they age. Many older adults live with multiple chronic conditions (MCC), and complex health issues, which adversely affect their day-to-day functioning and overall quality of life. As a result, they frequently rely on the support of friend and/or family caregivers. Caregivers of older adults with MCC often face challenges to their own well-being and also require support. Currently, not enough is known about the health and social care needs of older adults with MCC and the needs of their caregivers or how best to identify and meet these needs. This study will examine and synthesise the literature on the needs of older adults with MCC and those of their caregivers, and identify gaps in evidence and directions for further research.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a scoping review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature using the updated Arksey and O’Malley framework. The literature will be identified using a multidatabase and grey literature search strategy developed by a health sciences librarian. Papers, reports and other materials addressing the health and social care needs of older adults and their friend/family caregivers will be included. Search results will be screened, independently, by two reviewers, and data will be abstracted from included literature and charted in duplicate.Ethics and disseminationThis scoping review does not require ethics approval. We anticipate that study findings will inform novel strategies for identifying and ascertaining the health and social care needs of older adults living with MCC and those of their caregivers. Working with knowledge-user members of our team, we will prepare materials and presentations to disseminate findings to relevant stakeholder and end-user groups at local, national and international levels. We will also publish our findings in a peer-reviewed journal.

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