Dyadic Experiences of Love in Late-Life Repartnering Relationships

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110315
Author(s):  
Chaya Koren
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Parental Love ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Partner Relationships ◽  
Interview Analysis

Love is desired at any age and has many meanings. Formulating new partner relationships later in life includes love as a motivation. However, experiences of love as a concept within such relationships have yet to be examined. Such an investigation could contribute to further understanding the meaning of love within new relationships formulated later in life. Thirty-eight semi-structured, qualitative interviews with older adults (19 couples) who entered a new relationship at old age after widowhood or divorce following a long-term marriage were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Dyadic interview analysis methodology was used. Unique experiences of love were identified: (1) Kinds of love: (a) pleasant love—not heated, (b) parental love—deep and quiet, and (c) sibling love; (2) phases of love: (a) being in love, (b) partial love, and (c) falling out of love yet caring. The discussion addresses late-life repartnering love as exclusive and as shifting from passion to compassion.

scholarly journals Older workers imagining retirement: the collapse of agency, or freedom at last?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Anne Skevik Grødem ◽  
Ragni Hege Kitterød
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Social Meaning ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Work Patterns ◽  
Ideal Types ◽  
Retirement Decisions ◽  
The Ideal

Abstract Images of what retirement is and ought to be are changing. Older workers are being encouraged to work for longer, at the same time, older adults increasingly voice expectations of a ‘third age’ of active engagement and new life prospects. In this article, we draw on the literature on older workers’ work patterns and retirement transitions (noting push/pull/stay/stuck/jump factors), and on scholarship on the changing social meaning of old age, most importantly the notions of a ‘third’ and ‘fourth’ age. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews with 28 employees in the private sector in Norway, aged between 55 and 66 years. Based on the interviews, we propose three ideal-typical approaches to the work–retirement transition: ‘the logic of deadline’, ‘the logic of negotiation’ and ‘the logic of averting retirement’. The ideal-types are defined by the degree to which informants assume agency in the workplace, their orientation towards work versus retirement and the degree to which they expect to exercise agency in retirement. We emphasise how retirement decisions are informed by notions of the meaning of ageing, while also embedded in relationships with employers and partners.

scholarly journals The prognosis of depression in late life versus mid-life: implications for the treatment of older adults

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari Subramaniam ◽  
Alex J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Clinical Excellence ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Nice Guidelines ◽  
Primary Care Settings

Depression in late life is extremely common. Of those aged 65 years or older, 2–5% have syndromal depression, but up to 20% of elderly people have depressive symptoms (Horwath et al., 2002). Both syndromal and subsyndromal depression carry a high risk of long-term complications and both are associated with elevated risks of morbidity and mortality (Penninx et al., 1999). Despite repeated alerts, depression is consistently under-recognized in acute medical settings, in nursing homes and in primary care (Volkers et al., 2004). For reasons that are inadequately understood, late-life depression seems to be under-treated to an even greater extent than depression in mid-life (Mackenzie et al., 1999). This issue is particularly important, given that effective and safe treatments for depression are available (Bartels et al., 2003), even though the evidence regarding maintenance therapies in older people is inconsistent (Geddes et al., 2003; Wilson et al., 2003). Recent evidence suggests that a package of care can improve the care of older depressed patients in primary care settings (Bruce et al., 2004) and in nursing homes (Ciechanowski et al., 2004). This has led to the development of several clinical guidelines specifically for late-life depression (Baldwin et al., 2003; Charney et al., 2003; Lebowitzet al., 1997). Yet, in the recent National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of depression in primary and secondary care, no distinction was made between early, middle and late-life depression (Malone and Mitchell, 2005).

scholarly journals Treated hypothyroidism, cognitive function, and depressed mood in old age: the Rancho Bernardo Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 161 (6) ◽  
pp. 917-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline K Kramer ◽  
Denise von Mühlen ◽  
Donna Kritz-Silverstein ◽  
Elizabeth Barrett-Connor
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Thyroid Hormone ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Depressed Mood ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Antidepressant Medication ◽  
Primary Hypothyroidism ◽  
Overt Hypothyroidism

ObjectiveOvert hypothyroidism is associated with cognitive impairment, which can be reversed if treated early and appropriately. We compared cognitive function (CF) of euthyroid older adults with those who had long-term treated hypothyroidism.MethodsBetween 1999 and 2003, the CF of 885 euthyroid and 149 hypothyroid-treated older adults (primary hypothyroidism after surgery or autoimmune thyroid disease) was assessed using three standardized CF tests: the modified mini-mental state examination, Trails B, and verbal fluency. Depressed mood was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Only participants with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in the normal range were included.ResultsThe treated hypothyroid group had been treated with l-thyroxine for an average of 20 years. Those with treated hypothyroidism were older than the euthyroid group (76.1±9.6 vs 73.6±10.2 years, P=0.005) and were much more often women (81.6 vs 54.8%, P<0.001). TSH levels were similar between groups (median interquartile range=1.57 (1.19) vs 1.54 (1.59) mIU/l, P=0.81). Compared to euthyroid, the treated hypothyroidism group had more frequent antidepressant medication use (19.5 vs 8.5%, P<0.001) but similar BDI scores. Performance on the three CF tests did not differ by thyroid hormone treatment. Results were not changed after adjustment for age, sex, antidepressant medication use, exercise, and total cholesterol.ConclusionLong-term treated hypothyroidism is not associated with impaired CF or depressed mood in old age. The lack of association with CF is reassuring with regard to long-term use of thyroid hormone therapy.

scholarly journals Linking early life risk factors to frailty in old age: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaxi Li ◽  
Qian-Li Xue ◽  
Michelle C Odden ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Chenkai Wu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Childhood Health

Abstract Background exposures in childhood and adolescence may impact the development of diseases and symptoms in late life. However, evidence from low- and middle-income countries is scarce. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association of early life risk factors with frailty amongst older adults using a large, nationally representative cohort of community-dwelling Chinese sample. Methods we included 6,806 participants aged $\ge$60 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. We measured 13 risk factors in childhood or adolescence through self-reports, encompassing six dimensions (education, family economic status, nutritional status, domestic violence, neighbourhood and health). We used multinomial regression models to examine the association between risk factors and frailty. We further calculated the absolute risk difference for the statistically significant factors. Results persons with higher personal and paternal education attainment, better childhood neighbourhood quality and better childhood health status had lower risk of being frail in old age. Severe starvation in childhood was associated with higher risk of prefrailty. The risk differences of being frail were 5.6% lower for persons with a high school or above education, 1.5% lower for those whose fathers were literate, 4.8% lower for the highest neighbourhood quality and 2.9% higher for worse childhood health status compared to their counterparts. Conclusions unfavorable socioeconomic status and worse health condition in childhood and adolescence may increase the risk of late-life frailty amongst Chinese older adults.

Unskilled, Foreign, and Old

GeroPsych ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Liversage ◽  
Vibeke Jakobsen
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Turkish Immigrants ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
Poverty Levels ◽  
Do So

Abstract. In order to increase our understanding of the financial disparity between older immigrants and their host-country peers, this article combines a cumulative dis/advantage analysis of immigrant life-course experiences while also attending to larger-scale, socioeconomic processes. The article combines qualitative interviews with quantitative register data from a cohort of older Turkish immigrants and compares their situation with that of their host-country peers. The analysis shows considerable inequalities in old age: While 1% of the ethnic majority live below OECD poverty levels, 29% of the immigrants do so. Their financially disadvantaged situation in late life results partly from the accumulation of a lifetime of disadvantages. Also important are the national rules that tie full social security pensions to length of residence in Denmark.

scholarly journals Spousal Loss and Health in Late Life

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniruddha Das
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Spousal Loss ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Multiple Health ◽  
Weathering Process

Objectives: This study queries the linkage of older adults’ spousal loss to multiple dimensions of their health. Methods: Data are from the 2005-2006 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, nationally representative of U.S. adults ages 57 to 85. Analyses examine associations of spousal loss and time since loss with multiple health dimensions. Results: Spousal loss is linked to a system of mental, social, behavioral, and biological issues, consistent with a stress-induced weathering process. Biological problems are more uniformly associated with women’s than men’s loss. While emotional sequelae may partially subside with time, a range of other outcomes remain worse even among individuals a decade or more past loss, than those with current partners. Discussion: Older adults’ spousal loss influences multiple dimensions of their health. Gender differences in biological linkages suggest women’s greater physiological vulnerability to this weathering event. Effects of loss are long term rather than transient, especially with biological conditions.

scholarly journals THE INTERSECTION OF VULNERABILITY AND OLD AGE: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LONG-TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S238-S238
Author(s):  
Kelly Niles-Yokum
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Just Society ◽  
Services And Supports

Abstract This session focuses on ethical considerations in the context of long-term services and supports (LTSS) for vulnerable older adults. Long-term supports for vulnerable older adults can no longer adhere to a “one-sized fits all” solution. We will explore the intersection of vulnerability, old age, and community which present a myriad of ethical issues in both the planning and delivery of supports for older adults. The quest for a just society goes beyond understanding and considering the critical issues of the vulnerability of older adults in our society in that this pursuit provides a pathway to develop and implement programs and services that allow all of us the opportunity to live in a world that both protects and can provide the opportunity for self determination and dignity.

scholarly journals THE EXPERIENCE OF HAPPINESS IN LATE-LIFE REPARTNERING: SURPRISE AND DISAPPOINTMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S577-S577
Author(s):  
Chaya Koren
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Person Perception ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Lay Persons ◽  
The Common ◽  
Disappointment Theory ◽  
Interview Analysis

Abstract Late life repartnering among those aged 65 and older is a phenomenon developing along with the increase in life expectancy. Although research indicates that older people are happier than adults at other life phases, the common lay person perception among the young as well as the old is that old age is associated with less happiness. Late life repartnering in Israel, culturally located between tradition and modernity, is not officially recognized as an option in old age. Exploring the experience of happiness within a social context that perceives late-life repartnering as the exception, using a naturalistic paradigm, has the potential for understanding lay persons perceptions of happiness. The aim of this qualitative research is to explore the experience of happiness in late-life repartnering relationships from a dyadic perspective of each and both partners. 20 couples (40 participants) functionally independent, aged 66-92 who entered their late-life repartnership at old age (men aged 65+; women aged 60+) after widowhood or divorce from a lifelong marriage raising a family, were interviewed separately. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using a dyadic interview analysis method. Findings indicate that happiness in late-life repartnering relationships include experiences of surprise and disappointment in three sub-themes: a. “A gift from heaven”: Surprised of being happy; b. Disappointment not being happy; c. No surprise – No disappointment. Findings are discussed based on disappointment theory, and empirical literature on expectations and happiness. Implications are addressed.

scholarly journals Subjective Technology Adaptivity Predicts Technology Use in Old Age

Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan T. Kamin ◽  
Frieder R. Lang ◽  
Anja Beyer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Interindividual Differences

Background: To date, not much is known about the psychological and motivational factors underlying technology use in late life. What are the interindividual determinants that lead older adults to invest in using technological innovations despite the age-related physiological changes that impose challenges on behavioral plasticity in everyday life? Objective: This research explores interindividual differences in subjective technology adaptivity - a general technology-related motivational resource that accounts for technology use in late life. More specifically, we investigate the influence of this factor relative to demographic characteristics, personality traits, and functional limitations in a longitudinal sample of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We report results from a paper-and-pencil survey with 136 older adults between 59 and 92 years of age (mean = 71.4, SD = 7.4). Of those participants, 77 participated in a 2-year follow-up. We assessed self-reports of technology use, subjective technology adaptivity, functional limitations, and the personality traits openness to new experiences and neuroticism. Results: Higher levels of subjective technology adaptivity were associated with technology use at the first measurement as well as increased use over the course of 2 years. Conclusions: Subjective technology adaptivity is a significant predictor of technology use in old age. Our findings contribute to improving the understanding of interindividual differences when using technological innovation in late life. Moreover, our findings have implications in the context of user involvement and may contribute to the successful development of innovative technology for older adults.

The Interplay Between Poly-Victimization and Sexual Assault in Late Life in the Context of Life Course Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110120
Author(s):  
Sagit Lev ◽  
Dovrat Harel ◽  
Hadass Goldblatt ◽  
Tova Band-Winterstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Marital Relationships ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
The Life Course

The aim of this article is to explore the interplay between poly-victimization and sexual assault against women in late life (SAWLL) according to the life-course perspective. Two themes emerged from qualitative interviews with 18 experienced welfare and health care professionals who intervened in cases of SAWLL: sexual assault by a spouse co-occurring with other types of abuse within marital relationships, and sexual assault and other types of abuse by two or more perpetrators along the life course. In many cases, SAWLL is an expression of a broader experience of poly-victimization, which relates to vulnerability in old age.

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