scholarly journals Aesthetics and Environment: What is the Role of Beauty in Supporting Ageing Well?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 780-780
Author(s):  
Holly Nelson-Becker ◽  
Eleanor van den Heuvel
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Spiritual Health ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Total N ◽  
Relational Quality ◽  
Aesthetic Sensibility ◽  
Creativity And Innovation

Abstract Access to beauty is intrinsic to psychological, social, and spiritual health. Aesthetic sensibility includes awareness initiated in both mind and emotion accessed through nurturing environments (Caspari, Eriksson, & Naden, 2011). While individual tastes vary and aesthetic preferences are culturally conditioned, an appreciation of natural and constructed beauty is fundamental to human meaning-making, creativity, and innovation (Hillman 1998). Beauty is thus an instrumental tool that may support ageing well. We investigated the question of what aesthetics/beauty meant to older adults in England, how they experienced it, and whether experiencing beauty sustained them. Three focus groups were conducted with community dwelling participants aged between 60 and 93 (median age 75) for a total N of 14. Five themes emerged related to experience: an unexpected recognition; an evolving openness to experience; a universal perception available in micro and macro environments; a force that can alleviate depression; and a relational quality of some interactions. The value of beauty was identified through all groups: participants found it difficult to imagine a world with no beauty in it. They wondered if age made discernment capacity greater. Appreciation of beauty in unexpected places like a cracked pot led participants to identify happiness and wellbeing as outcomes of perception. This study suggests that beauty is essential for wellbeing and human flourishing and can emerge in unlikely ways. Implications are that professionals should assist older people to consider the role of beauty in life and develop interventions to consciously keep beauty awakened in normal and aesthetically-deprived environments.

Close social relationships and loneliness: the role of subjective age

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naama Spitzer ◽  
Dikla Segel-Karpas ◽  
Yuval Palgi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Subjective Age ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract Loneliness is considered a major issue, often negatively influencing the quality of life of individuals of all ages, and of older adults, in particular. The aims of this study are: (1) to assess the association between close social relationships and loneliness; and (2) to examine the moderating role of subjective age in this association. Married or cohabiting community-dwelling Israelis in the second half of life (N = 360) were interviewed and reported on their close social relationships, their level of loneliness, and their subjective age. The number of close social relationships was found to have a negative relationship with loneliness. Moreover, subjective age was found to moderate the relationship between close social relationships and loneliness, such that the association was weaker for those with older subjective age. Those with older subjective age are often not able to benefit from close social relationships to alleviate loneliness as much as their younger-subjective-age counterparts. Efforts to address older adults’ loneliness should consider focusing on older adults’ perceptions of aging.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Search for Meaning: The Role of Religion/Spirituality and Social Support-An Indian Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Shweta Tandon ◽  
Dr. Seema Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Role Of Religion

Background: The diagnosis of cancer can shake the equanimity of the strongest individual and the onset of symptoms and eventual diagnosis are occasions for questions such as “Why me?”, “Why now?”, and “How did I get this illness?” Aims: The purpose of the present research on a sample of 103 recently diagnosed cancer patients was to investigate the extent of preoccupation with search for meaning, to document individual differences when one is confronted with a cancer diagnosis and to record changes if any in preoccupation during an interval of one month. Secondly to assess the role of religion/spirituality as well as social support in individual encounters with cancer by examining the effects of these two variables among individuals facing a common stressful situation. Lastly to examine relationship of search for meaning with psychological outcomes (anxiety, depression and quality of life). Results: The results indicated that individual differences did exist in the degree of preoccupation with “why me”, social support scores significantly differentiated between subgroups with different levels of preoccupation with “why me?” and that patients with highest engagement with “why me” had poorer quality of life and elevated distress levels. Conclusion: Findings highlighted the important role of meaning making issues and the need to address them in intervention. Secondly dialoguing with treating physicians regarding the important role of psychological variables and their relation to distress levels and quality of life.

scholarly journals An Overview of Spiritual Health and Experts` Viewpoints Concerning the Role of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Its Excellence in Community

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Akbar Haghdoost ◽  
Bagher Larijani ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Nicknam ◽  
Reza Dehnavieh ◽  
Monireh Balochi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Sector ◽  
Spiritual Health ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Assessment And Evaluation ◽  
Spiritual Dimension ◽  
Medical Population ◽  
The Subject

The spiritual dimension of health is the subject of much controversy; since it is not seen as a purely scientific and quantifiable aspect of health. However, it is exactly this quality of spiritual health that makes the thorough examination of the concept worthwhile. Furthermore, a comprehensive assessment of the theoretical concepts associated with it should be prioritized. The present study is a combination of a literature review followed by a series of expert interviews. First, articles addressing the different aspects of spiritual health were identified and acquired from academic databases. After a thorough assessment and evaluation, the findings were listed and prioritized in order to determine the most important aspects of spiritual health. Then, the most significant features were specified and interpreted. The interpretations were then sent to a group of experts for assessment and evaluation. The expert reviews and comments were then collected and analyzed in order to refine and improve the primary interpretations. The responsibilities of the health sector do not end with the provision and maintenance of the physical aspects of health or even the non-medical population. It includes not only promoting spiritual health in health sector graduates and personnel, but also conducting profound scientific studies, providing documentation, and interpreting the evidence for beneficiaries. However, establishing a new university major to train professionals exclusively for pursuing this objective and even adding new university credits in this field does not seem to be necessary from the point of view of experts and studies. In addition to providing the education necessary for students and personnel of each organization, providing adequate spiritual health and promoting the essential education and related skills are also the responsibilities of the health sector. Instead, it is suggested that an active secretariat be established to oversee the promotion of spiritual health in all sectors using the minimum independent facilities and manpower.

Role of Leisure in Meaning-Making for Community-Dwelling Adults with Mental Illness

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 538-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Iwasaki ◽  
Emily Messina ◽  
John Shank ◽  
Catherine Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Adults With Mental Illness

Integrated care for community dwelling older Australians

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Mann ◽  
Sue Devine ◽  
Robyn McDermott
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Health System ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Content Type

PurposeIntegrated care is gaining popularity in Australian public policy as an acceptable means to address the needs of the unwell aged. The purpose of this paper is to investigate contemporary models of integrated care for community dwelling older persons in Australia and discuss how public policy has been interpreted at the service delivery level to improve the quality of care for the older person.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review was conducted for peer-reviewed and grey literature on integrated care for the older person in Australia. Publications from 2007 to present that described community-based enablement models were included.FindingsCare co-ordination is popular in assisting the older person to bridge the gap between existing, disparate health and social care services. The role of primary care is respected but communication with the general practitioner and introduction of new roles into an existing system is challenging. Older persons value the role of the care co-ordinator and while robust model evaluation is rare, there is evidence of integrated care reducing emergency department presentations and stabilising quality of life of participants. Technology is an underutilised facilitator of integration in Australia. Innovative funding solutions and a long-term commitment to health system redesign is required for integrated care to extend beyond care co-ordination.Originality/valueThis scoping review summarises the contemporary evidence base for integrated care for the community dwelling older person in Australia and proposes the barriers and enablers for consideration of implementation of any such model within this health system.

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