scholarly journals Social Support Attainment of Older Adults Living in a Flood-Prone Community

Jurnal NERS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Arlene Supremo ◽  
Sillmark Bacason ◽  
Alpha Issa Christianne Abegonia ◽  
Louverille Bacason
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Received Social Support ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Health And Well Being

Introduction: A flood, a catastrophic phenomenon often experienced by many, brings destruction to property and livelihood. This kind of event renders access to basic services difficult. During times of floods, older adults need additional social support, from family, friends, relatives, or significant others. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of attainment of social support of older adults during periods of floods and periods without floods.Methods: A descriptive quantitative research design was used. Purposive sampling was utilized to reach the population sample of 126 elderly respondents. They were interviewed face-to-face in their homes using a modified questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and mean scores were used.Results: 126 older adults participated in the research study. Most older adults strongly agreed that they received social support during periods of floods (with a mean score of 4.40) and without floods (with a mean score of 4.39).Discussion: Social support was extended to older adults both during times of floods and without floods. The support they received from people who were special to them maintained their health and well-being. 

Spirituality, health and well-being in the elderly

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1741-1742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orestes V. Forlenza ◽  
Homero Vallada
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Goal Adjustment ◽  
Flexible Goal Adjustment ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Daily Spiritual Experience Scale

Bailly et al. (2018) examined the trajectory of spirituality in a cohort of 567 non-institutionalized older adults living in Tours, France, during a period of five years. The measurements for spirituality (Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, DES), social support (Satisfaction with Social Support subscale of the Duke Social Support Index), and accommodative tendencies (Flexible Goal Adjustment) were longitudinally collected at three time points (2007, 2009, and 2012). The results of the study confirmed some expected observations, such as higher levels of spirituality among religious older adults when compared with the ones without religion, and older women reporting higher levels of spirituality than older men. But the most interesting finding was the observation that the measured levels of spirituality among older adults remained stable during this five-year period. Based on a growing number of studies and theories of aging suggesting that the levels of spirituality increases during a person's lifetime, one would expect an increase in the levels of spirituality along the study follow-up. The authors, however, interpreted the stable level of spirituality informed by the participants as having already reached a relatively high mean rating score of spirituality at baseline. From the beginning of the trail, many participants expressed self-contentment and reported having found meaning in their lives. Moreover, the responders had, in general, more years of education than expected for people in their age group, lived at home independently with a good self-health evaluation, had relatively fewer diseases, and a good perception of financial satisfaction; these characteristics perhaps make this group not representative of the French general population in the same age bracket.

scholarly journals Dealing With Loneliness Among LGBT Older Adults: Different Coping Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 516-517
Author(s):  
Natasha Peterson ◽  
Jeongeun Lee ◽  
Daniel Russell
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Social Discrimination ◽  
Time Usage ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) adults may be at risk for high levels of loneliness—a risk factor for worse health behaviors—as a result of historical and social discrimination. Some LGBT older adults may have estranged relationships with family members or have toxic relationships, consequently leaving them without adequate social support. The 2018 Loneliness and Social Connections survey by the AARP Foundation consists of a national sample of non-institutionalized individuals 45 and older, including 2905 individuals who identify as heterosexual and 318 who identify as LGBT. The study indicated individuals had similar levels of loneliness regardless of sexual orientation. However, significant differences between heterosexuals and LGBT participants were found in their communication and time usage when they are lonely. For example, heterosexual individuals socialize with friends in person more than homosexuals (t=-2.393, p<.05), whereas LGBT older adults use technology more to socialize with friends (t=3.749), p<.001. Further, findings revealed that older LGBT adults tend to engage in more risky or unhealthy behaviors when lonely than do heterosexual older adults (t=3.907, p<.001). Overall, the results indicate that while LGBT older adults may spend more time alone (t=7.350, p<.001), they are engaging in different types of activities, particularly involving technology to communicate with friends, suggesting compensation for their lack of in-person contact. By understanding how LGBT older adults cope with loneliness along with the risks and resources that have influences on their health disparities can be useful for developing interventions to improve the health and well-being in these communities.

scholarly journals Generativity and Social Well-Being in Older Women: Expectations Regarding Aging Matter

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Moieni ◽  
Teresa E Seeman ◽  
Theodore F Robles ◽  
Matthew D Lieberman ◽  
Stephanie Okimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Domain ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Objectives Beliefs about aging can contribute to health and well-being in older adults. Feeling generative, or that one is caring for and contributing to the well-being of others, can also impact health and well-being. In this study, we hypothesized that those with more positive expectations regarding aging (ERA) in the mental health domain would report greater levels of perceived social support (PSS) and lower levels of loneliness in response to a generativity intervention (vs control condition). Method Participants in this study (n = 73, 100% female) were randomly assigned to a 6-week generativity condition, which involved writing about life experiences and sharing advice with others, or to a control condition, which involved writing about neutral topics. Pre- and postintervention, PSS, and feelings of loneliness were measured. Results Those in the generativity condition with more positive ERA in the mental health domain reported greater PSS and lower loneliness postintervention. Discussion These results highlight the importance of psychological factors, such as ERA, in moderating the efficacy of interventions to promote social well-being in older adults.

Connecting Older Adults and Their Families through Social Technology

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Mueller ◽  
H Foran
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Technology ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Older adults often face problems with social isolation, which is a risk factor for poorer mental and physical health. New forms of social technologies (e.g., WhatsApp) provide opportunities to facilitate social connectedness with family members. Understanding older adults’ behaviors and perceptions related to digital communication tools can inform the development of interventions to increase the adoption of these tools for social communication. This study aims to evaluate attitudes and barriers to as well as facilitators of social technology reported by grandparents and grandchildren. The secondary aim is to examine the associations between social technology use and health and well-being outcomes and to identify what factors mediate the use of social technology. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 144 grandchildren (Mage=26.53, SD = 9.17; 81.9% female) were recruited through student mailing lists. Grandparents were invited either through their grandchild or by the research team and recruitment is expected to be completed by September 2019. Three main groups of variables were examined: health and well-being outcomes, social support related outcomes and social technology related outcomes. Results & Conclusions Grandchildren reported very positive attitudes toward social technology as expected. Greater social technology use was associated with better psychological (r =.26, p =.002) and subjective well-being (rs =.20, p =.023), higher psychosocial flourishing (r =.41, p <.001), social support (rs =.22, p =.009) and social connectedness (r =.39, p <.001). Social technology use was not correlated with health, the grandparent-grandchild relationship, loneliness and depression at the bivariate level. Barriers to social technology are security concerns, threat to privacy and constant availability. Facilitators include increased contact, dealing with geographic boundaries and information seeking. Results from grandparents will also be presented. Key messages Social technology has potential to enhance older adults’ lives by facilitating better family relationships, building social support, reducing loneliness and through this improve health and well-being. More research is needed in this area to understand benefits or potential harms and dynamics between younger family members and older adults in use of social technology.

From Social Integration to Social Isolation: The Relationship Between Social Network Types and Perceived Availability of Social Support in a National Sample of Older Canadians

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 715-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Harasemiw ◽  
Nancy Newall ◽  
Shahin Shooshtari ◽  
Corey Mackenzie ◽  
Verena Menec
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Perceived Availability ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Well Being

It is well-documented that social isolation is detrimental to health and well-being. What is less clear is what types of social networks allow older adults to get the social support they need to promote health and well-being. In this study, we identified social network types in a national sample of older Canadians and explored whether they are associated with perceived availability of different types of social support (affectionate, emotional, or tangible, and positive social interactions). Data were drawn from the baseline questionnaire of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging for participants aged 65–85 (unweighted n = 8,782). Cluster analyses revealed six social network groups. Social support generally declined as social networks became more restricted; however, different patterns of social support availability emerged for different social network groups. These findings suggest that certain types of social networks place older adults at risk of not having met specific social support needs.

scholarly journals The Impact of Pets on Everyday Life for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer W. Applebaum ◽  
Carlyn Ellison ◽  
Linda Struckmeyer ◽  
Barbara A. Zsembik ◽  
Shelby E. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Limited Participation ◽  
Pet Attachment ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose: The social and behavioral health of older adults is of particular concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that at least 50% of older adults in the U.S. have pets; while pets may be a source of support, they could also pose unique challenges during an already trying time. We aimed to investigate how pets impacted the everyday lives of older adults in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A large survey of U.S. pet owners (n = 2,068) was administered to assess the impact of relationships with pets during COVID-19 on human health and well-being. We conducted bivariate analyses to compare levels of social support, loneliness, pet attachment, and family income for a subset of older adults (ages 65 and older) with a younger comparison group (ages 18–64). Using thematic and content analysis, we analyzed two open-ended prompts from age 65+ respondents (n = 122): (1) the pros and cons of living with pets during the pandemic, and (2) advice for those living with pets in future pandemics.Results: Older adults, on average, reported lower levels of social support and less loneliness than respondents below age 65. There were no significant differences in strength of attachment to pets nor income between the younger and older respondents. For the open-ended prompt regarding pros and cons, we coded three emerging themes and related sub-themes: (1) pros (company; more time together; life purpose or meaning; love; support; stress relief; routine; distraction; exercise), (2) cons (general worry; potential for illness; limited participation; veterinary care access; obtaining supplies; difficulty meeting pet needs; financial concerns), and (3) no difference. Advice shared was coded into 13 themes/sub-themes: pets' health and welfare; make plans; veterinary information; treat pets like family; don't abandon pets; human health and well-being; stay calm; enjoy pets; keep routine; be careful of transmission; seek community resources; keep supplies stocked; and finances.Conclusions: Pets may fulfill some social and emotional needs for older adults during this particularly isolating event; equally important to consider are the challenges that may be precipitated by and/or exacerbated by this public health emergency.

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