scholarly journals The meaning of losing a child in older adults: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azade Safa ◽  
Mohsen Adib-Hajbaghery ◽  
Mahboubeh Rezaei ◽  
Marzieh Araban
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Healthcare Team ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Heart Of Darkness ◽  
Deceased Child ◽  
Positive Meaning ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Background After losing their child, elderly parents look for a meaning in this phenomenon. This meaning comes out from their experiences, and their responses to and actions in life are shaped based on this meaning. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of “understanding the meaning of losing a child in older adults.” Methods This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis method. Using semi-structured face-to-face interviews, data were collected from 15 older adults who had experienced of losing their adult child. Data analysis was performed according to the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman, 2004. To prove the trustworthiness of the data, credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability were used. Results The age range of participants was between 61 and 83 years and 73.3% of them were female. The two main categories of “tasting the bitter flavor of life” and “searching for a positive meaning in losing a child” together with the theme of “finding hope in the heart of darkness” were extracted from the participants’ experiences. Conclusions Despite the grief of losing a child, which had cast a dark shadow over the parents’ lives, the child’s liberation from worldly sufferings, his/her presence in a better world, and being hopeful about the grace of God had caused the elderly parents to find hope in the heart of darkness. After identifying the parents with a deceased child, they should be helped through psychological counseling and care of the healthcare team so that they can adapt to this situation by finding a positive meaning in losing their child.

scholarly journals Use of seroprevalence to guide dengue vaccination plans for older adults in a dengue non-endemic country

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0009312
Author(s):  
Yi-Hua Pan ◽  
Mei-Ying Liao ◽  
Yu-Wen Chien ◽  
Tzong-Shiann Ho ◽  
Hui-Ying Ko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Denv Infection ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Older Populations ◽  
Age Range

A shift in dengue cases toward the adult population, accompanied by an increased risk of severe cases of dengue in the elderly, has created an important emerging issue in the past decade. To understand the level of past DENV infection among older adults after a large dengue outbreak occurred in southern Taiwan in 2015, we screened 1498 and 2603 serum samples from healthy residents aged ≥ 40 years in Kaohsiung City and Tainan City, respectively, to assess the seroprevalence of anti-DENV IgG in 2016. Seropositive samples were verified to exclude cross-reaction from Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), using DENV/JEV-NS1 indirect IgG ELISA. We further identified viral serotypes and secondary DENV infections among positive samples in the two cities. The overall age-standardized seroprevalence of DENV-IgG among participants was 25.77% in Kaohsiung and 11.40% in Tainan, and the seroprevalence was significantly higher in older age groups of both cities. Although the percentages of secondary DENV infection in Kaohsiung and Tainan were very similar (43.09% and 44.76%, respectively), DENV-1 and DENV-2 spanned a wider age range in Kaohsiung, whereas DENV-2 was dominant in Tainan. As very few studies have obtained the serostatus of DENV infection in older adults and the elderly, this study highlights the need for further investigation into antibody status, as well as the safety and efficacy of dengue vaccination in these older populations.

scholarly journals CHARACTERISTICS OF RESILIENCE IN HONG KONG OLDER ADULTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pak Kwong Chung ◽  
◽  
Chun Hu ◽  
Chun-Qing Zhang ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Environmental Support ◽  
Positive Attitudes

"Introduction: Resilience, which is defined as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress, is important for older adults to maintain a healthy life. This qualitative study aimed to identify the characteristics that contribute to resilience among a group of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Methods: Individual and focus group interviews were conducted to collect information on life adverse events, attitudes towards adversity, and beliefs underlying the approaches to overcoming adversity among 25 Chinese older adults (2M and 23F) aged 69 to 100 years old (M=80.00, SD=39.08). The transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Seven characteristics were emerged under the three factors, including equanimity, positive attitudes towards life, meaningfulness, and self-reliance (internal factor), social support and environmental support (external factor), and spirituality and faith (existential factor). Conclusion: In addition to identifying the seven characteristics that contribute to resilience, this study also identified “taking part in physical activity” as an individual resource contributing to resilience. The study also found “government support” is an important environmental factor contributing to positive adaptation to stressful life of the elderly in Hong Kong. The results and findings may facilitate the development of interventions on enhancing older adults’ resilience."

scholarly journals Decisions to Enter and Leave Skilled Nursing Facilities for Post-Acute Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Chimitt ◽  
Jennifer Carnahan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Skilled Nursing Facilities ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Healthcare Team ◽  
Discharge Process ◽  
Nursing Facilities ◽  
Skilled Nursing

Background and Hypothesis:   Approximately 40% of patients aged 80+ enter a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) following a hospitalization. SNFs can be used as “safety nets” to expedite the discharge process of older adults and it can be difficult to pinpoint how and who made the decision for a hospitalized older adult to discharge to a SNF.   This project examines the factors that drive older adults to enter and leave a SNF for their rehabilitation care.    Project Methods:   Interview transcripts from a qualitative study with patients and their caregivers were used to examine factors influencing admission to and discharge from SNFs. Baseline interviews were conducted within two to seven days after returning home from a SNF stay followed by a follow up phone call one to two weeks after the initial interview. Transcripts and audio files were coded (using NVivo version 12+) for major themes. Interviews were analyzed using a constant comparative method to elicit themes of interest to interviewees.    Results:   There were 24 baseline interviews and X follow up interviews performed with a total of 24 patients and 15 caregivers. The primary theme identified was that patients perceived a loss of autonomy when considering the decision-making process. 75% (18/24) patients or their caregivers felt the healthcare team told them they must go to a SNF for their rehabilitation. 38% (9/24) patients or caregivers felt they had no choice but to leave due to insurance coverage and 50% (12/24) stated that they needed more time.    Potential Impact:   To achieve better patient outcomes, one must understand both the purpose of skilled nursing facilities and also how patients and their families are feeling as they transition through this uncertain period of their lives. Restoring a patient’s sense of autonomy will foster better patient-healthcare relationships and improve trust in the system. 

Aging Parent-Adult Child Coresidence

1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
GARY R. LEE ◽  
JEFFREY W. DWYER
Keyword(s):  
Adult Child ◽  
Population Data ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Aging Parents ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Parental Characteristics ◽  
Care Survey

Several recent studies have concluded that coresidence between aging parents and their adult children is caused by the children's dependency needs, whereas parental characteristics are irrelevant. We argue that these studies are based on samples that contain insufficient proportions of elderly parents who possess the characteristics that eventuate in coresidence. Such elders, however, represent a large and important segment of the elderly population. Data from the National Long-Term Care Survey, a sample of Medicare beneficiaries, indicate that the probability of coresiding with children is elevated by parents' advanced age, failing health, and absence of a spouse. At the same time, children's characteristics (marital status and employment status) are also important predictors of coresidence.

scholarly journals Will my parents come to Australia when retired? Later-life transnational migration intentions of Chinese parents

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xueying Xiong ◽  
Hoon Han
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Transnational Migration ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Chinese Parents ◽  
Working Age

Background  China is the second largest source country of immigrants to Australia every year. The elderly parents of these working-age immigrants in Australia usually visit their children on a tourist visa, which allows short term family gatherings. These visits do not require much effort. However, when it comes to long-term transnational migration, the decision becomes hard to make and often involves complex factors, such as personal preferences and lifestyle choices. Aims  This paper aims to examine the later-life transnational migration intentions of elderly Chinese parents and how the parents’ intentions are affected by personal preferences, personality and lifestyle differences between the generations. Data and methods  This paper uses data from a two-stage study including an online survey and semi-structured interviews conducted in Sydney from October 2018 to May 2019 with both caregivers (adult children who are first-generation immigrants living in Australia) and their elderly parents. Results  The study found that external contributors such as language barriers and transport dependence in Australia, and existing social ties as well as another adult child living in China, have a negative influence on moving to Australia. Conclusions  Elderly parents with an optimistic and outgoing personality are more likely to consider moving to Australia compared to those who are more conservative. Foremost, conflicts due to different lifestyles between the generations reduces the possibility of parents’ later-life migration to Australia.

scholarly journals Facilitators and Barriers to Social Participation of Community-dwelling Older Adults in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Salmand ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-187
Author(s):  
Raziyeh Amini ◽  
◽  
Farahnaz Mohammadi Shahboulaghi ◽  
Kian Norouzi Tabrizi ◽  
Amene Setareh Forouzan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives: Social participation in older adults is one of the key pillars of active aging. Social participation is influenced by multiple underlying factors. The present study aims to explore the facilitators and barriers to social participation in community-dwelling older adults in Iran. Methods & Materials: This is a qualitative study using the grounded theory approach. The study population consisted of community-dwelling older adults. Fifteen samples were selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Information were collected until data saturation. Each interview lasted for 45-60 minutes. Analysis was done using the method of Corbin and Strauss (2015). Results: Three main categories and 11 sub-categories were found based on data analysis which were: Participatory elderly (with 5 sub-categories), participatory family (with 2 sub-categories), and community capacity for social participation (with 4 sub-categories). Conclusion: Facilitating social participation of community-dwelling older adults in Iran is associated by individual, family and community. Proper planning should be done in these areas. Providing facilitators for the development of social participation in the elderly can facilitate movement towards active aging.

Suicide-related bereavement and psychiatric morbidity in the elderly

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ciaran S Clarke ◽  
Margo Wrigley
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
National Population ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry ◽  
Clinical Profiles ◽  
Complicated Bereavement

AbstractObjectives: We sought to determine whether elderly bereaved patients attending an old-age psychiatry service were more likely to have been bereaved through suicide than through other causes.Methods: We studied the demographic and clinical profiles of all patients attending an old-age psychiatry service who had experienced the death of an adult child. We compared the causes of the deaths of their children with the most recent figures for the national population.Results: Deaths from suicide among the children of the bereaved elderly were commoner than for the age-matched national population.Conclusions: Suicide is more likely than other causes of death to lead to psychiatric morbidity in elderly parents. The needs of elderly survivors should be considered in formulating national strategies for suicide prevention. Further studies are needed on risk factors for complicated bereavement in the elderly.

Adult child migration and elderly parental health in rural China

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 677-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Chang ◽  
Yaojiang Shi ◽  
Hongmei Yi ◽  
Natalie Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Adult Children ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Care For The Elderly ◽  
Child Migration ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of adult children migration on the health status of elderly parents. Increased labor migration in developing countries that lack adequate social security systems and institutionalized care for the elderly is a phenomenon that is important to understand. When their adult children go away to work, it is not clear what effect there will be on “left-behind” elderly parents. Design/methodology/approach This study employs nearly nationally representative data from five provinces, 25 counties, 101 villages and 2,000 households, collected from two waves of data in 2007 and 2011. This sample comprises a subset of households which include both elderly individuals (above 60 years old) and their grown (working-aged) children in order to estimate the impact of adult child migration on the health of elderly parents in rural China. Findings This study finds that adult child migration has a significant positive impact on the health of elderly family members. Practical implications These findings are consistent with the explanation that migration raises family resources, which in turn may contribute to better health outcomes for elderly household members. Originality/value This is the first paper to attempt to identify the relationship between household migration and the health of elderly parents within the Chinese context.

The Abdication of King Edward VIII: a study of estrangement between an adult son and elderly mother

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-39
Author(s):  
Robert C Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Intergenerational Conflict ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Geriatric Population ◽  
Elderly Parents ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Historical Materials ◽  
Clinical Literature ◽  
Clinical Narrative

In this article the Abdication of King Edward VIII of Great Britain and his estrangement from the dowager Queen Mary are reconsidered as prototypes of intergenerational conflict arising from a collision of values between an adult child and an elderly mother. Historical materials on the Abdication and other respected secondary sources, including biographies of key individuals, were consulted, and the limited sociological and clinical literature on estrangement between elderly parents and adult children was referenced. Although estrangement was perpetuated by the rigid and incompatible positions taken up by both the former king and his widowed mother, the elderly Queen Mary, it was the latter who suffered the greater emotional consequences of the permanent separation that followed the Abdication. Most accounts of the Abdication have put forward views of the conflict of values at its centre that emphasise the vulnerability of the elderly mother. The clinical narrative supports a characterisation of estrangement as a subtype of bereavement with particular relevance to the geriatric population.

scholarly journals Life Changes of the Elderly After Earthquake: A Qualitative Study in Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
Hamid Reza Khankeh ◽  
◽  
Shokoufeh Ahmadi ◽  
Robab Sahaf ◽  
Asghar Dalvandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Individual Growth ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Structured Interviews

Background: The growth of the elderly population, on the one hand, and the increase in exposure to accidents and disasters, on the other hand, have highlighted the attention on the issues of the older adults in disasters. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the lives of the elderly after the earthquake. Materials and Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis method. The study data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. In total, 26 participants were interviewed in this study, including 4 specialists (an accident and disaster specialist, an elderly specialist, a psychologist, a social worker), 18 older adults, and 4 caregivers of the older adults. The data collection and data analysis process were performed simultaneously, and the Granheim and Lundman approach was used in this regard. Results: In this study, two main categories were found about changes in the lives of the elderly after the earthquake: re-victimization and post-accident growth. Re-victimization category consisted of the subcategories of “increased dependency”, “declining physical and mental health”, “poverty and deprivation”, and “avoidance of work and family activities”, and post-accident growth included the subcategories of “individual growth”, “self-regulatory behaviors”, and “reinforcing the houses”. Conclusion: Clarifying the nature and life changes of the elderly after the earthquake can enhance the knowledge of service providers. This information helps them make the necessary plans to prevent and reduce the problems that the elderly face after the earthquak

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