scholarly journals EMPOWERING VULNERABLE GROUPS IN LATER LIFE: FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL NETWORK, AND ROUND-THE-CLOCK CARE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S577-S577
Author(s):  
An-Sofie Smetcoren ◽  
G A Rixt Zijlstra
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Aging Populations

Abstract Europe has been challenged with an intense rise of aging populations facing for example multiple chronic health problems, functional limitations and social and psychological challenges. With increasing age people may become vulnerable, nevertheless, they can still report high levels of well-being despite their deficits. Older adults’ strengths and resources can balance negative experiences and increase positive well-being outcomes. These resources can be personal (e.g. have sufficient income) or stemming from the social environment of the older person (e.g. an involved social network). Hence, this symposium focusses on these strengths and resources and how they might (positively) affect the well-being of vulnerable groups ageing in place. The main objective of the symposium is to give insights into different aspects and strategies that can protect older adults against negative outcomes. Four different studies from Belgium will be presented: Sarah Dury starts with explaining the potential buffering predictor of leisure and civic activities, by uncovering the mechanisms underlying the relationship between multidimensional frailty and well-being. Lise Switsers examines if the absence of social and emotional loneliness can act as a buffer to maintain a good well-being for older adults at risk of frailty. An-Sofie Smetcoren examines how ‘living in solidarity’ in a co-housing project can contribute to ageing in place. Finally, Sylvia Hoens explores the experiences of the older care users and their informal caregivers with live-in migrant care workers and examines how this care can increase their well-being.

Negative old-age life events and well-being in later life: the moderating and mediating role of loneliness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Lise Switsers ◽  
Eva Dierckx ◽  
Joan Domènech-Abella ◽  
Liesbeth De Donder ◽  
Sarah Dury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness

ABSTRACT Objectives: Although older adults often experience negative life events or loss experiences, they rarely experience large decreases in their quality of life or well-being. Emotionally satisfying relationships in older adults may serve as a protective factor that reduces the impact of negative events in decreasing well-being. The availability of these close social contacts is essential, and their potential for alleviating feelings of loneliness after negative events could have an important role in promoting well-being. The aim of this study was to test the hypothetical moderation and mediation effects of social and emotional loneliness on the occurrence of negative old-age life events and well-being in later life. Design: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted as part of the Detection, Support and Care for older people – Prevention and Empowerment research project (2015–2018). Setting: Participants were community-dwelling older adults in Flanders (Belgium). Participants: The sample composed of 770 participants aged 60 years and over. Measurements: Participant demographics, social and emotional loneliness, and subjective well-being were measured. Moderation and mediation analyses were performed using the regression-based approach as conducted by Hayes and Rockwood (2017). Results: Results indicated that a low degree of (social) loneliness is a protective, moderating factor and (emotional) loneliness is a mediating factor on the effects of negative life events on well-being in later life. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of emotionally and socially satisfying social contacts in order to maintain positive subjective well-being in later life when negative life events may occur.

scholarly journals EXPANDING SOCIAL TIES AS A GOAL IN LATER LIFE: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S175-S175
Author(s):  
Danielle Oleskiewicz ◽  
Karen Rook
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Support Provision ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Network Composition

Abstract Older adults often winnow their social ties to focus on emotionally rewarding ties (Charles & Carstensen, 2010). Some older adults, however, have small social networks that preclude much winnowing or aversive social ties from which disengagement is difficult. These individuals might be motivated to expand, rather than contract, their social ties. The current study sought to extend knowledge regarding potential links between social network characteristics and older adults’ interest, effort, and success in creating new social ties. We expected that small social networks and negative social ties might motivate interest and effort directed toward forming new social ties but that positive social ties might foster success in efforts to form new ties. In-person interviews were conducted with participants (N = 351, Mean age = 74.16) in a larger study of older adults’ social networks and well-being. The interviews assessed participants’ social networks, as well as their interest, effort, and success in making new social ties. Participants’ social network composition, rather than size, was associated with greater motivation to establish new social ties. Negative social ties were associated with greater interest and effort directed toward forming new social ties. Positive social ties were related to greater success (due, in part, to their support provision) and, unexpectedly, were also related to greater interest and effort directed toward forming new ties. Older adults sometimes seek to expand, rather than contract, their social ties, and characteristics of their social networks appear to play a role in fueling and influencing the success of such efforts.

scholarly journals Adaptation of “Sociotropy—Self-Sufficience” Questionnaire for Russian Sample on Middle Adults and Ageing People

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-233
Author(s):  
O.Y. Strizhitskaya ◽  
M.D. Petrash ◽  
I.R. Murtazina ◽  
G.A. Vartanyan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Independent Analysis ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Confirmatory Analysis ◽  
Psychometric Validity

Present paper describes that adaptation of a questionnaire on the sociotropy or own assumptions and goals. Paper presents the results of the psychometric validity of the Russian adaptation of the Questionnaire for middle and older adults. Participants were adults aged 35-75 (N=358; M= 49,27; SD = 11,08; 75,5 % — females). Our adaptation was based on a New Zealand version of the “Socitropy/ Autonomy scale” by A. Beck. To check the criterial validity we used “Differential questionnaire of loneliness experiences”, “Social and emotional loneliness scales for middle and older adults”, “Psychological well-being scale by C. Ryff”. The results of the exploratory and confirmatory analysis identified four subscales: “Social non-confidence”, “Dependence on other’s opinion”, “Affiliation” and “Independence”. Psychometric tests proved that all identified scales had internal consistency, and form a general factor. Final confirmatory analysis showed that four scales are comparatively independent. Analysis of the results in age and sex groups showed that the questionnaire maintained its consistency in age groups (middle adulthood, later adulthood, aging) as well as for males and females. Thus, our results revealed that our adaptation could be used on adults and older adults in Russia.

Daily social media use, social ties, and emotional well-being in later life

2022 ◽  
pp. 026540752110672
Author(s):  
Yijung K Kim ◽  
Karen L Fingerman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Social Network Structure ◽  
Social Encounters

Older American adults are increasingly utilizing communication technologies, but research has seldom explored older adults’ daily social media use and its interface with other “offline” social ties. To explore a complementary and/or compensatory function of social media in later life, this study employed data from the Daily Experiences and Well-Being Study (2016–2017) to examine associations between daily social media use, daily social encounters, social network structure, and daily mood. Community-dwelling older adults ( N = 310; Mage = 73.96) reported on their overall social network structure (diversity in types of social ties and size of network), their daily social encounters in-person and by phone, social media use, and emotional well-being for 5 to 6 days. Multilevel models revealed that daily social media use was associated with daily mood in the context of daily social encounters and the size of the social network. Individuals reported less negative mood on days with more social media use and more in-person encounters. More daily social media use was associated with more positive mood for individuals with a relatively small social network but not for their counterparts with larger social networks. Findings suggest that social media is a distinct form of social resource in later life that may complement the emotional benefits of daily social encounters and compensate for the age-related reduction in social network size. Future research should consider how socially isolated older adults might use computer-mediated communication such as social media to foster a sense of social connection.

The impact of social networks on the relationship between functional impairment and depressive symptoms in older adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly J. Stoeckel ◽  
Howard Litwin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Meaningful Relationships ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Network Type

ABSTRACTBackground:To examine the role of meaningful relationship characteristics, defined here as social network type, in relation to the association between functional impairment and depressive symptoms.Methods:The sample included respondents aged 65 years and older (n = 26,401) from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Respondents were classified into one of seven relationship network types (Distal Children (living at a distance), Proximal Family (living nearby), Spouse, Other Family, Friend, Other, and No Network) according to the predominant characteristics of their most meaningful relationships. A two-stage regression analysis was performed in which the number of depressive symptoms was first regressed on the extent of functional impairment and network type, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, cognition, health, and country. In the second stage, variables representing the interactions between functional impairment and network type were considered.Results:The compositional characteristics of respondents’ relationships in later life, as defined by social network type, were associated with depressive symptoms. In particular, when experiencing functional impairment, those without any meaningful relationships were found to have more depressive symptoms when compared to all other network types. The findings underscore the importance of meaningful relationships for the mental health of older adults experiencing functional impairment as well as the risk of experiencing depression among those who maintain no personal social network.Conclusions:The study shows that differing constellations of meaningful relationships in later life yield different associations with mental health, especially when taking functional limitations into account.

scholarly journals Daily Social Media Use, Social Ties, and Emotional Well-Being in Later Life

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 301-302
Author(s):  
Karen Fingerman ◽  
Yijung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use

Abstract Research has seldom explored older adults’ daily social media use and its interface with ‘offline’ social ties. Using data from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study (N = 310; Mage = 73.96), we investigated whether more daily social media use was associated with the same-day negative or positive mood in later life, and how these associations varied with older adults’ daily social encounters and social network structure. More daily social media use was associated with less same-day negative mood. Additionally, more daily social media use was associated with less negative mood on days with more in-person encounters, compared to the days with fewer in-person encounters. More daily social media use was also associated with more positive mood for individuals with a relatively small social network, but not for their counterparts. Post-hoc analyses supported a compensatory function of social media for those older adults lacking social connections in their daily lives.

scholarly journals DOES MOVING LATER IN LIFE INFLUENCE IN-PERSON CONTACT WITH CHILDREN, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S177-S177
Author(s):  
Joonyoung Cho ◽  
Jacqui Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Geographic Mobility ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
Linear Regressions ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Relocation is common in later life and older adults differ the distance they move. One possible consequence of relocation is that in-person contact frequency with social network members changes. To date, relatively little is known about how older adults’ in-person contact frequency with their children, family members, and friends is influenced by the distance they move and if this differs by age group (50-64, 65-74, 75+). To examine this, we used information from the Health and Retirement Study about geographic mobility and social network contact frequency. The sample was restricted to respondents over age 50 in the 2006 wave with data on contact frequency with children, family members, and friends in 2006 and 2014 (N=5159). Distance moved from 2006 to 2014 was categorized as: stayer, <5 miles, 5–49.9 miles, and ≥50 miles. Linear regressions with covariates controlled revealed that moving ≥50 miles was significantly associated with less frequent in-person contact with family members (β=-0.31, 95%CI [- 0.46, -0.16], p≤0.001) and friends (β =-0.32, 95%CI [-0.46, -0.18], p≤0.001). Interestingly, the 50-64 group who moved ≥50 miles was less likely to meet up with their children (β=-.0.36, 95%CI [-0.56, -0.15], p≤0.001), family members (β=-0.31, 95%CI [-0.52, -0.11], p≤0.01) and friends (β=-0.21, 95%CI [-0.39, -0.03], p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, the 75+ group who moved ≥50 miles were significantly less likely to have in-person frequency only with their friends (β=-0.58, 95%CI [-1.04, -0.14], p≤0.05). These findings are discussed in relation to theories about social support and emotional well-being in old age.

scholarly journals Worry about debt is related to social loneliness in older adults in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Cäzilia Loibl ◽  
Madeleine A. Drost ◽  
Martijn Huisman ◽  
Bianca Suanet ◽  
Wändi Bruine de Bruin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Social Network Size ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract The amount of financial debt held by older adults has grown substantially over the past two decades in Europe. This study examines the association of objective and subjective debt burden with social and emotional loneliness among 1,606 older adults in the Netherlands. Objective debt burden is based on financial terms, such as debt-to-income ratio; whereas subjective debt burden measures the psychological distress caused by financial debt. Data are from the 2015/2016 wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. First, we use means-comparison tests to examine whether older adults who experience social and emotional loneliness differ from older adults who do not experience loneliness regarding their subjective and objective debt burdens. Subsequently, using linear regression models we address two questions: whether social loneliness and emotional loneliness are associated with objective and subjective debt burden; and whether social participation, social network size, anxiety and depression mediate these relationships. We find that subjective debt burden (i.e. the worry related to debt) is a significant predictor of social loneliness, above and beyond the role of social and psychological measures. Objective debt burden, in contrast, is unrelated to social and emotional loneliness. Social participation, social network size, anxiety and depression do not mediate the debt-burden-to-loneliness relationships. The results point to the importance of subjective debt burden in understanding social loneliness and designing interventions.

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

scholarly journals Loving Others: The Impact of Compassionate Love on Later-Life Psychological Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 480-481
Author(s):  
Eva Kahana ◽  
Tirth Bhatta ◽  
Boaz Kahana ◽  
Nirmala Lekhak
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Compassionate Love ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Existing scholarship in social gerontology has surprisingly paid little attention to broader loving emotions, such as compassionate and altruistic love, as potentially meaningful mechanisms for improving later life psychological well-being. This study examined the influence of feeling love toward other persons and experiencing love from others on later life psychological well-being. We conducted a 3-wave longitudinal study of a representative sample of 340 ethnically heterogeneous community dwelling older residents of Miami, Florida. The increase in feeling of being loved (β=-1.53, p<0.001) and love for others (β=-1.43, p<0.001) led to decline in odds of reporting greater level of depressive symptoms over time. The odds of reporting higher level of positive affect were significantly greater for older adults who reported feeling loved by others (β=1.16, p<0.001) and expressed love for other people (β=1.18, p<0.01). Older adults who felt loved had 0.92-point lower ordered log odds of reporting higher negative affect than those who reported lower level of love. The impact of compassionate love on depressive symptoms and negative affect remained statistically significant even after adjustment for altruistic attitudes and emotional support. The influence of loving emotions on positive affect was, however, explained by altruistic attitudes and emotional support. Our findings underscore the powerful influence of both receiving and giving love for the maintenance of later life psychological well-being. We offer support for the expectation that love is a significant force in the lives of older adults that transcends intimate relationships.

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