Relational strain in close social relations among older adults with dual sensory loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Birkbak Hovaldt ◽  
Rikke Lund ◽  
Christine Marie Lehane ◽  
Jesper Dammeyer

Objectives: The loss of both hearing and vision (dual sensory loss) affects communication and potentially challenges the ability to maintain healthy social relations. The aim of this study was to examine the association between severity of sensory loss and relational strain among older adults with acquired dual sensory loss. Method: Data were collected through a national cross-sectional questionnaire survey and an administrative database. A total of 302 individuals with functional dual sensory loss ⩾50 years of age participated (66% response). Relational strain was measured as the perceived experience of excessive demands, worries, and conflicts with children, other relatives, or the personal support worker. Data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: No associations between severity of dual sensory loss and excessive demands from or worries for children, other relatives, or personal support workers were found. Participants with total blindness and profound deafness had significantly higher odds for experiencing conflicts with children (odds ratio [OR] = 3.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.02, 9.38]) and the personal support worker (OR = 4.18, 95% CI = [1.23, 4.28]) compared to participants with residuals of both senses. Discussion: Individuals with total blindness and profound deafness might require special attention in rehabilitation to support them in maintaining healthy social relations.

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Crowe ◽  
Hanna Birkbak Hovaldt ◽  
Jesper Dammeyer

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A. Cotter ◽  
Aurora M. Sherman

Exercise self-efficacy is a powerful predictor of physical activity behavior, which enhances health and well-being for older adults. Social relations have been proposed as influential precursors for exercise self-efficacy. In a longitudinal study of 160 older adults with osteoarthritis (76.9% women), the authors found that social support (but not social strain) significantly predicted exercise self-efficacy in a structural equation model examining cross-sectional data: χ2(178, N = 160) = 264.57, p < .01; RMSEA = .06; CFI = .92; TLI = .90. When data were examined longitudinally, however, social strain (but not social support) significantly predicted lower exercise self-efficacy 1 year later: χ2(233, N = 160) = 288.64, p < .01; RMSEA = .04; CFI = .96; TLI = .95. Results support the negativity effect, suggesting that social strain might be the more potent aspect of social relations and should be the target of interventions.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Zhou ◽  
Yanping Hu ◽  
Jianfeng Luo ◽  
Yinwen Li ◽  
Haiyun Liu ◽  
...  

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that sensory loss is linked to falls. However, most of these studies were cross-sectional designed, focused on single sensory loss, and were conducted in developed countries with mixed results. The current study aims to investigate the longitudinal relationship between hearing loss (HL), vision loss (VL) and dual sensory loss (DSL) with falls among middle-aged and older Chinese population over 7 years.Methods: The data was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS). In total, 7,623 Chinese older adults aged over 45 were included at baseline 2011 in this study. Self-reported falls and HL/VL/DSL were accepted. Other confounding variables included age, sex, BMI, educational level, marital status, various physical disorders and lifestyles. The impact of baseline sensory status on baseline prevalence of falls and incident falls over 7 years were assessed using logistic regression analyses. A logistic mixed model was used to assess the association between time-varying sensory loss with incident falls over 7 years after adjusted with multi-confounding factors.Results: Single and dual sensory loss groups had significantly higher prevalence of falls compared to no sensory loss (NSL) group (DSL: 22.4%, HL: 17.4%, VL: 15.7%, NSL: 12.3%). Baseline HL (OR: 1.503, 95% CI: 1.240–1.820), VL (OR: 1.330, 95% CI: 1.075–1.646) and DSL (OR: 2.061, 95% CI: 1.768–2.404) were significantly associated with prevalence of falls. For longitudinal observation over 7 years, baseline HL/DSL and persistence of all types of sensory loss were associated with incidence of falls. Time-varying HL (OR: 1.203, 95% CI: 1.070–1.354) and DSL (OR: 1.479, 95% CI: 1.343–1.629) were associated with incident falls after adjusted with multi-confounders, while VL was not.Conclusion: HL and DSL are significantly associated with both onset and increased incidence of falls over 7 year's observation in middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. Persistence or amelioration of sensory loss status could exert divergent influences on incidence of falls, which should be considered in the development of falls-prevention public health policies for aging population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 936-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigrid Mueller-Schotte ◽  
Nicolaas P A Zuithoff ◽  
Yvonne T van der Schouw ◽  
Marieke J Schuurmans ◽  
Nienke Bleijenberg

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S583-S583
Author(s):  
Philip A Rozario ◽  
Emily Greenfield ◽  
Nancy Kusmaul

Abstract Social networks provide opportunities for engagement with others and structure the receipt and provision of emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal support. Indeed scholars in this field have documented the importance of having strong social networks in influencing older adults’ well-being and quality of life. The three papers in this symposium draw on the convoy model of social relations and ecological model to examine and better understand the micro, mezzo, macro contexts that shape and influence how older people engage with and benefit from their networks in three areas: low-income senior housing communities, urban areas specifically targeting older Latinos with dementia, and disaster preparedness in micropolitan counties in eastern Iowa. The first paper, a cross-sectional study focusing on social connections in senior housing communities, examines levels of social networks, engagement, support and loneliness and their relationship with well-being outcomes. The second paper, a community-based participatory research project, reports an intervention that seeks to train natural helpers in a predominantly Latino urban neighborhood to identify and refer older Latinos with dementia to bilingual assessment services. The third paper, synthesizing findings from interventions targeting network building at the individual and state levels as well as a community-based network analysis, presents ways to strengthen networks at the mezzo and macro levels as well as environmental contexts that enable better disaster preparedness for community-based older adults. These papers will consider practice, policy and research implications in strengthening social networks and engagement to optimize older adults’ well-being in various settings.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. e0237152
Author(s):  
Andrea Urqueta Alfaro ◽  
Dawn M. Guthrie ◽  
Cathy McGraw ◽  
Walter Wittich

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S120-S121
Author(s):  
Katherine McGilton ◽  
Fiona Höbler ◽  
Marilyn Reed ◽  
Tammy Labreche ◽  
M Kathleen Pichora-Fuller ◽  
...  

Abstract Sensory loss accounts for one of the most common chronic conditions among older adults, with hearing loss affecting half of adults aged over 65 years and vision loss almost one fifth of those aged 70 years and over. Together, dual sensory loss is found to be most prevalent in older adults with dementia. The highest prevalence is found in long-term care (LTC) settings. For this reason, we conducted a multi-stage study to identify the most effective vision and hearing screening tools for use with older adults living with dementia and to evaluate their feasibility of use by nurses working in LTC. We first conducted a comprehensive review of the literature, and supplemented this with an environmental scan of healthcare professionals and sensory specialists working with older adults who have dementia. Following this extensive review and consultative decision-making process, a package of vision and hearing screening tools was selected for use by nurses working in LTC. On-site training was provided by two experienced audiologists and optometrists, after which the feasibility of sensory screening by three nurses of 17 residents under their care was evaluated. We report on the six measures of hearing and seven measures of vision that were piloted for screening of older adults with dementia living in LTC, and on the findings for their feasibility of use by nurses working in this setting. Recommendations regarding the feasibility and reliability of screening for vision and hearing loss in older adults with dementia are discussed.


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