Late-Life Bereavement

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Anil Mercan ◽  
Hande Barlin ◽  
Ali F. Cebeci
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Late Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Loss Of A Parent

Healthy aging is critical for the elderly to be independent and enjoy at least a satisfactory quality of life. However, late-life bereavement threatens healthy aging, as it may lead to adverse health effects. Using data from the Health and Retirement Survey, this study investigates the relationship between weight—specifically, body mass index (BMI)—and the loss of a parent, sibling, or spouse at an older age. It is the first attempt to investigate this relationship among the elderly population in the United States and makes the following notable contributions to the literature: (a) use of a large longitudinal dataset, (b) estimation of the effects of a familial death on a person’s BMI, and (c) investigation of the consequences of the bereavement for older people. Our results suggest that losing a family member at an older age results in a decrease in BMI.

scholarly journals Capoterapia como prática comunitária para o envelhecimento saudável

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ianny Ferreira Raiol ◽  
Fernando Conceição De Lima ◽  
Adely Cristine Sales Campos ◽  
Maura Layse Botelho Rodrigues ◽  
Dayara De Nazaré Rosa de Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Body ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing Students ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing ◽  
Calidad De Vida ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Municipal Health

Objetivo: relatar a experiência de acadêmicos do Curso de Enfermagem quanto à relação capoterapia e o envelhecimento saudável dos idosos. Método: trata-se de um estudo descritivo, tipo relato de experiência, em uma Unidade Municipal de Saúde. Executou-se a atividade em três momentos: visita técnica à unidade; roda de conversa, dinâmica de sentimentos e avaliação do perímetro da panturrilha e uma enquete. Construiu-se, a partir do IRAMUTEQ, um corpus textual submetido à análise de similitude. Resultados: obtiveram-se, na identificação, as coerências entre as palavras e as indicações da conexidade dos seguintes termos: idoso; atividade; capoterapia; autonomia; grupo; melhor; muscular e vida. Observou-se que, de acordo com a árvore de coocorrência, os resultados mostram que a capoterapia influencia a qualidade de vida do idoso por melhorar a capacidade funcional e promover a autonomia. Conclusão: conclui-se que o resultado permitiu identificar que há relação entre a capoterapia e o envelhecimento saudável do idoso. Entende-se que as práticas integrativas e complementares amenizam as perdas biológicas, psicológicas e sociais ocorridas no processo do envelhecimento, utilizando o corpo e a música como uma forma de relacionamento individual e social. Descritores: Envelhecimento Saudável; Idoso; Práticas Integrativas e Complementares; Atividade Física; Independência; Autonomia.AbstractObjective: to report the experience of undergraduate nursing students regarding the relationship between capotherapy and healthy aging of the elderly. Method: this is a descriptive study, like experience report, in a Municipal Health Unit. The activity was performed in three moments: technical visit to the unit; conversation wheel, feeling dynamics and calf girth assessment, and a poll. From the IRAMUTEQ, a textual corpus was submitted to similarity analysis. Results: the identification of coherence between words and indications of the following terms: elderly; activity; capotherapy; autonomy; group; best; muscle and life. According to the co-occurrence tree, the results show that capotherapy influences the quality of life of the elderly by improving functional capacity and promoting autonomy. Conclusion: it is concluded that the result allowed to identify that there is a relationship between the capotherapy and the healthy aging of the elderly. It is understood that the integrative and complementary practices mitigate the biological, psychological and social losses that occurred in the aging process, using the body and music as a form of individual and social relationship. Descriptors: Healthy Aging; Old Man; Integrative and Complementary Practices; Physical Activity; Independence; Autonomy.ResumenObjetivo: informar sobre la experiencia de los estudiantes de Enfermería con respecto a la relación entre la capoterapia y el envejecimiento saludable de los ancianos. Método: estudio descriptivo, como informe de experiencia, en una Unidad Municipal de Salud, la actividad se realizó en tres momentos: visita técnica a la unidad; rueda de conversación, dinámica de los sentimientos y evaluación de la circunferencia de la pantorrilla y una encuesta. Se construyó, a través del IRAMUTEQ, un corpus textual para análisis de similitud. Resultados: identificación de coherencia entre palabras e indicaciones de los siguientes términos: ancianos; actividad capoterapia; autonomía; grupo; mejor; muscular y vida. Según el árbol de concurrencia, los resultados muestran que la capoterapia influye en la calidad de vida de los ancianos al mejorar la capacidad funcional y promover la autonomía. Conclusión: se puede concluir que el resultado nos permitió identificar que existe una relación entre la capoterapia y el envejecimiento saludable de los ancianos. Se entiende que las prácticas integradoras y complementarias mitigan las pérdidas biológicas, psicológicas y sociales que ocurrieron en el proceso de envejecimiento, utilizando el cuerpo y la música como una forma de relación individual y social. Descriptores: Envejecimiento Saludable; Ciudadano Mayor; Prácticas Integradoras y Complementarias; Actividad Física; Independencia; Autonomía.

scholarly journals Last Place of Care and End-of-Life Quality of Life in the United States: Evidence From a National Representative Data Set

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 17-17
Author(s):  
Yifan Lou ◽  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Katherine Ornstein
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Person Centered Care ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background: Quality of life (QoL) during last stage of life has raised expanded interests as an important aspect of person-centered care. Last place of care (LPC), refer to the last place decedents received their formal end-of-life care (EOLC), has been identified as a key indicator of older adults’ end-of-life QoL, but the relationship was understudied. This study explores the association between LPC and end-of-life QoL among American older adults. Methods: Data used seven waves of Last Month of Life data with a total sample of 3068 Medicare decedents in NHATS. Outcome is end-of-life QoL assessed by eleven measures on four domains: pain and symptoms management (SP), quality of healthcare encounter (HE), person-centered care (PC), and overall quality of care (QC). LPC was categorized into home, hospital, nursing home, and residential hospice. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship with covariates. Results: LPC varied by most demographic characteristics, except immigration status and education. Older adults whose LPC is hospital, compared to those who had home-care, were less likely to have great experiences on HE, PC, and QC. People dying at nursing homes are more likely to receive care meeting their dyspnea and spiritual needs. Residential hospice is negatively related to respected care, clear coordination, and keeping family informed, but are more likely to provide PS and spiritual care. Discussion: Home-based end-of-life care has certain advantages but still has room to improve on SP and religious concerns. Hospitals should keep reforming their service delivery structure to improve patients’ QoL.

scholarly journals The health and relationship dynamics of late-life couples: a systematic review of the literature

2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
RUTH B. WALKER ◽  
MARY A. LUSZCZ
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Late Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health It ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Marital Relations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Adequate Communication

ABSTRACTLate-life husband and wife relationships are increasingly recognised as an important factor in promoting wellbeing, particularly in terms of the health, social, emotional, financial and practical needs of older people. Knowledge of marital dynamics and how they affect both members of a couple remains scarce. This systematic review aimed to identify and appraise research that has focused explicitly on the dynamics of the relationship, as evinced by data frombothspouses. Implementing rigorous identification strategies, 45 articles were identified and reviewed. These studies were grouped into three broad thematic areas: marital relations and satisfaction; concordance in emotional state or physical health; and the interplay between marital quality and wellbeing. The issues found to affect marital relations and satisfaction in late life included equality of roles, having adequate communication, and transitions to living apart. There is strong evidence for couple concordance in depression, that marital relationships affect ill-health, longevity and recovery from illness, and reciprocally that ill-health impacts on the marriage itself. The research also suggests important gender differences in the impact of marital dynamics on health. It has led to the conclusion that there is a need for more diverse studies of late-life marriages, particularly ones that examine the dynamics of non-traditional elderly couples and that extend beyond a predominant focus on the Caucasian population of the United States.

scholarly journals Nutrition and Healthy Aging: Prevention and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4337
Author(s):  
Neri Maria Cristina ◽  
d’Alba Lucia
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
The Body ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Effective Prevention

Nutritional well-being is a fundamental aspect for the health, autonomy and, therefore, the quality of life of all people, but especially of the elderly. It is estimated that at least half of non-institutionalized elderly people need nutritional intervention to improve their health and that 85% have one or more chronic diseases that could improve with correct nutrition. Although prevalence estimates are highly variable, depending on the population considered and the tool used for its assessment, malnutrition in the elderly has been reported up to 50%. Older patients are particularly at risk of malnutrition, due to multiple etiopathogenetic factors which can lead to a reduction or utilization in the intake of nutrients, a progressive loss of functional autonomy with dependence on food, and psychological problems related to economic or social isolation, e.g., linked to poverty or loneliness. Changes in the aging gut involve the mechanical disintegration of food, gastrointestinal motor function, food transit, intestinal wall function, and chemical digestion of food. These alterations progressively lead to the reduced ability to supply the body with adequate levels of nutrients, with the consequent development of malnutrition. Furthermore, studies have shown that the quality of life is impaired both in gastrointestinal diseases, but especially in malnutrition. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of malnutrition in elderly people is necessary to promote the knowledge of age-related changes in appetite, food intake, homeostasis, and body composition in order to better develop effective prevention and intervention strategies to achieve healthy aging.

SUICIDE, SOCIAL CAPITAL, AND HATE GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES

World Affairs ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004382002110538
Author(s):  
Brendan Szendro
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Hate Groups ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Enduring Power

In recent years, hate groups have increasingly attracted public attention while at the same time escaping the purview of scholars. Although overt prejudiced attitudes have lost public support in recent decades, hate group and hate-group activity has remained relatively consistent. What, then, explains the enduring power of hate? I argue that hate groups have arisen in reaction to the loss of social capital, particularly in regard to rural and exurban communities. Using county-level suicide rates as a proxy for the loss of social capital, I test this theory using data from the lower 48 states from 2010 to 2019. I find that each 5.38 percent increase in suicide rates is associated with 1 additional hate group forming. These findings highlight the importance of examining quality-of-life in understanding far-right activity, and challenge previous findings with regard to rurality and hate.

The Impact of Social Injustice on Public Health

2019 ◽  
pp. 3-20
Author(s):  
Barry S. Levy
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Injustice ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Social injustice creates conditions that adversely affect the health of individuals and communities. It denies individuals and groups equal opportunity to have their basic human needs met. It violates fundamental human rights. It represents a lack of fairness or equity. This chapter provides two broad definitions of social injustice. It gives examples of social injustice, both within the United States and internationally. It describes adverse health effects related to social injustice. And it outlines ways in which health professionals and others can work to minimize social injustice and its adverse health consequences. Text boxes describe concepts of social justice, as well as the relationship between science and social justice. The Appendix to the chapter contains the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

COGNITIVE HABITS LINKED TO RESILIENCE: SURPRISING COMMONALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
United States ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Postal Code ◽  
Improvement Plan ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Way

Abstract Background: Research has documented many geographic inequities in health. Research has also documented that the way one thinks about health and quality of life (QOL) affects one’s experience of health, treatment, and one’s ability to cope with health problems. Purpose: We examined United-States (US) regional differences in QOL appraisal (i.e., the way one thinks about health and QOL), and whether resilience-appraisal relationships varied by region. Methods: Secondary analysis of 3,955 chronic-disease patients and caregivers assessed QOL appraisal via the QOL Appraisal Profile-v2 and resilience via the Centers for Disease Control Healthy Days Core Module. Covariates included individual-level and aggregate-level socioeconomic status (SES) characteristics. Zone improvement plan (ZIP) code was linked to publicly available indicators of income inequality, poverty, wealth, population density, and rurality. Multivariate and hierarchical residual modeling tested study hypotheses that there are regional differences in QOL appraisal and in the relationship between resilience and appraisal. Results: After sociodemographic adjustment, QOL appraisal patterns and the appraisal-resilience connection were virtually the same across regions. For resilience, sociodemographic variables explained 26 % of the variance; appraisal processes, an additional 17 %; and region and its interaction terms, just an additional 0.1 %. Conclusion: The study findings underscore a geographic universality across the contiguous US in how people think about QOL, and in the relationship between appraisal and resilience. Despite the recent prominence of divisive rhetoric suggesting vast regional differences in values, priorities, and experiences, our findings support the commonality of ways of thinking and responding to life challenges. These findings support the wide applicability of cognitive-based interventions to boost resilience. Keywords: appraisal; resilience; cognitive; quality of life; societal; geographic Abbreviations: MANOVA = Multivariate Analysis of Variance; PCA = principal components analysis; QOL = quality of life; SES = socioeconomic status; US = United States; ZIP = Zone Improvement Plan (postal code)

scholarly journals Nurturing Practitioner-Researcher Partnerships to Improve Adoption and Delivery of Research-Based Social and Public Health Services Worldwide

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rogério Pinto ◽  
Anya Spector ◽  
Rahbel Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Partnership Development ◽  
Research Cycle ◽  
Tailored Approach ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Research Based Interventions ◽  
Research Based Practices

Research-based practices—psychosocial, behavioral, and public health interventions—have been demonstrated to be effective and often cost-saving treatments, but they can take up to two decades to reach practitioners within the health and human services workforce worldwide. Practitioners often rely on anecdotal evidence and their “practice wisdom” rather than on research, and may thus unintentionally provide less effective or ineffective services. Worldwide, community engagement in research is recommended, particularly in low-resource contexts. However, practitioner involvement has not been adequately explored in its own right as an innovative community-engaged practice that requires a tailored approach. The involvement of practitioners in research has been shown to improve their use of research-based interventions, and thus the quality of care and client outcomes. Nevertheless, the literature is lacking specificity about when and how (that is, using which tasks and procedures) to nurture and develop practitioner–researcher partnerships. This paper offers theoretical and empirical evidence on practitioner–researcher partnerships as an innovation with potential to enhance each phase of the research cycle and improve services, using data from the United States, Brazil, and Spain. Recommendations for partnership development and sustainability are offered, and a case is made for involving practitioners in research in order to advance social justice by amplifying the local relevance of research, increasing the likelihood of dissemination to community settings, and securing the sustainability of research-based interventions in practice settings.

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