scholarly journals Maintenance and Development of Social Connection by People with Long-term Conditions: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 1875
Author(s):  
Amanda Wilkinson ◽  
Lucy Bowen ◽  
Elias Gustavsson ◽  
Simon Håkansson ◽  
Nicole Littleton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Health And Well Being

Social connection is important for people’s health and well-being. Social isolation arising from a lack of meaningful connection with others can result in deterioration of well-being with negative consequences for health. For people living with multiple long-term conditions, the building and maintaining of social connection may be challenging. The aim of this study was to explore with people with long-term conditions how they perceive they maintain and develop social connections. We undertook semi-structured interviews with seventeen adults, and analyzed the data for themes. Themes were “Meaningful connection”, “Wherewithal for social connection” and “Impact of a major change in life course”. The findings suggest that social connection is valued, and facilitates meaningful ways to reciprocate support with others, thus enabling access to knowledge and resources for better health and well-being. However, people with long-term conditions can experience challenges to developing and maintaining social connectedness after a major change in life course. We suggest that healthcare providers are well placed to facilitate ways for people with long-term conditions to socially connect with others in their neighbourhood and community, and that this in particular be attended to after a major life change.

Client perceptions of engaging with a health and social care navigation service: A qualitative study

2020 ◽  
pp. 174239532093704
Author(s):  
Amanda Wilkinson ◽  
Janel Atlas ◽  
Katrina Nelson ◽  
Hilda Mulligan
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Life Choices ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Regenerative Approach ◽  
Navigation Service ◽  
Health And Well Being

Objectives Health and social care navigation services provide support for people with long-term conditions. Such services are available in the New Zealand (NZ) context. However little is known nationally or internationally about clients’ experience of engaging with such services. This study aimed to describe client perspectives of engaging with a health and social care navigation service in a NZ metropolitan city. Methods The manager and navigators of the service recruited clients who were previous users of the service. We individually interviewed nine clients (F = 7; M = 2; aged between 30–80 years) in their homes. Many of the participants reported social isolation, and some were without regular income. We transcribed interviews verbatim and analysed data thematically. Results There was one overall theme: Restoration of my essence or being (in the Māori language, wairua), and sense of belonging (turangawaewae) through a regenerative approach developed in partnership between the navigator and the client. Thus, participants felt renewed and validated as human beings. Discussion Enabling clients to feel re-valued as human beings captures the concept of personhood whereby a person has capability and capacity for life choices. We suggest enabling a client to feel valued assists in development of self-determination and consequently improved health and well-being.

scholarly journals Social Connection is Essential in Long-Term Care Homes: Considerations During COVID-19 and Beyond

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-153
Author(s):  
Jennifer Bethell ◽  
Hannah M. O'Rourke ◽  
Heather Eagleson ◽  
Daniel Gaetano ◽  
Wayne Hykaway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Care ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Profound Impact ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Health And Well Being

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on long-term care (LTC) homes in Canada. But the measures put in place to control infection within LTC homes have also had devastating impacts on the health and well-being of residents through the effects on social connection. Here, we offer guiding principles to enable social connection and promote health and quality of life for LTC residents during COVID-19 and beyond. These principles were generated by a working group of the CO­VID-19 and Dementia Task Force, convened by the Alzheimer Society of Canada to identify the urgent and emerging issues raised by COVID-19 for Canadians with dementia.

scholarly journals Long-term Outcomes of Military Service in Aging and the Life Course: A Positive Re-envisioning

2015 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avron Spiro ◽  
Richard A. Settersten ◽  
Carolyn M. Aldwin
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Most research on military service focuses on its short-term negative consequences, especially the mental and physical injuries of those deployed in warzones. However, studies of long-term outcomes reveal surprisingly positive effects of military service—both those early in adulthood that grow over time and others that can emerge later in life. These multidomain effects have been found in veterans of World War II and the Korean War and are now being seen in veterans of the Vietnam War. Although some are directly attributable to public policies such as the GI Bill, which facilitate educational and economic gains, there are personal developmental gains as well, including autonomy, emotional maturity and resilience, mastery, and leadership skills, that lead to better health and well-being in later life. These long-term effects vary across persons, change over time within persons, and often reflect processes of cumulative advantage and disadvantage. We propose a life-span model of the effects of military service that provides a perspective for probing both long-term positive and negative outcomes for aging veterans. We further explicate the model by focusing on both sociocultural dynamics and individual processes. We identify public-use data that can be examined to evaluate this model, and offer a set of questions that can be used to assess military service. Finally, we outline an agenda for dedicated inquiry into such effects and consider policy implications for the health and well-being of aging veterans in later life.

scholarly journals Exploring The Use of Health and Wellbeing Measures During Pregnancy and The First Year Following Birth in Women Living With Pre-Existing Long-Term Conditions: Qualitative Interviews With Women and Healthcare Professionals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Kelly ◽  
Jennifer J Kurinczuk ◽  
Oliver Rivero-Arias ◽  
Ray Fitzpatrick ◽  
Elizabeth Gibbons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Postpartum Women ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Maternity Services ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

Abstract BackgroundOne way in which care for pregnant and postpartum women living with long-term health conditions (LTCs) may be improved is through the adoption of standardised measures to provide evidence of health outcomes and wellbeing from the woman’s perspective. AimWe aimed to explore the views of pregnant and postpartum women living with LTCs, and healthcare professionals to better understand the potential value of using standardised health and wellbeing measures within this patient population.MethodsQualitative semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to explore the perceived value of using measures with pregnant and postpartum women living with LTCs within maternity services. Participants were asked to provide feedback on three exemplar measures: the Long Term Conditions Questionnaire, the Well-being in Pregnancy Questionnaire and the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L instrument. Thematic analysis was used in the analysis of the transcripts. ResultsEleven women and 11 healthcare professionals took part in semi-structured interviews. Analysis identified five themes as relevant to the use of measures within maternity services: 1) Improving care, 2) Assessing outcomes, 3) Interpretation and application of data, 4) Engagement challenges and implementation and, 5) Women and healthcare professionals alignment.ConclusionsDespite varying prior experience and expressing some questions about implementation, respondents were cautiously positive about the use of standardised health and well-being measures. Their use offers the opportunity for both affected women and healthcare professionals caring for them to collectively identify and assess important areas of unmet needs and improve outcomes. Incorporating the perspectives of women with LTC’s will help to bring awareness to elements of women centred care which health services may seek to address.

scholarly journals Experiences of self-management support in patients with diabetes and multimorbidity: a qualitative study in Norwegian general practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Sørensen ◽  
Karen Synne Groven ◽  
Bjørn Gjelsvik ◽  
Kari Almendingen ◽  
Lisa Garnweidner-Holme
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
Emotional Aspects

Abstract Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore how patients with diabetes and multimorbidity experience self-management support by general practitioners (GPs), nurses and medical secretaries in Norwegian general practice. Background: Self-management support is recognised as an important strategy to improve the autonomy and well-being of patients with long-term conditions. Collaborating healthcare professionals (cHCPs), such as nurses and medical secretaries, may have an important role in the provision of self-management support. No previous study has explored how patients with diabetes and multimorbidity experience self-management support provided by cHCPs in general practice in Norway. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 11 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with one or more additional long-term condition were performed during February–May 2017. Findings: Patients experienced cHCPs as particularly attentive towards the psychological and emotional aspects of living with diabetes. Compared to GPs, whose appointments were experienced as stressful, patients found cHCPs more approachable and more likely to address patients’ questions and worries. In this sense, cHCPs complemented GP-led diabetes care. However, neither cHCPs nor GPs were perceived to involve patients’ in clinical decisions or goal setting during consultations.

scholarly journals In Sickness and in Health: Dyadic Perspectives on Health and Well-Being Among Older Couples

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 648-648
Author(s):  
Courtney Polenick
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract This session will incorporate a variety of dyadic methods to explore the multifaceted ways that older spouses shape their own and their partners’ health and well-being. First, Dr. Karen Lyons will consider the roles of communication, collaborative decision-making, and social support in shaping the mental health of couples managing chronic pain. Her comparative dyadic analysis highlights the value of collaborative illness management in optimizing couples’ mental health. Dr. Courtney Polenick will then describe how chronic condition discordance (i.e., the extent to which two or more conditions have non-overlapping self-management requirements) within individuals and between spouses is linked to perceived control among couples over an8-year period. This study reveals that more complex patterns of chronic conditions within couples have particularly detrimental implications for women’s perceptions of control over their own health and other life domains. Next, Dr. Kira Birditt will examine the long-term effects of spouses’ similar drinking patterns (i.e., concordance). Although drinking concordance may enhance marital satisfaction, she will explain how it can have enduring negative consequences for cardiovascular health among middle-aged men. Dr. Joan Monin will then explain the short-term benefits of laughter for blood pressure among couples during lab-based spousal support interactions. Finally, Dr. Amy Rauer will discuss how spouses react to one another’s health-related support attempts using in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with both members of the couple. Taken together, these studies underscore the importance of evaluating dynamic short-term and long-term health-related influences among couples in middle and later life. Dyadic Research on Health and Illness Across the Adult Lifespan Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

scholarly journals Veteran Status Matters! Life Course Perspectives on the Health and Well-Being of Aging Veterans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-636
Author(s):  
Avron Spiro
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Military service during early life can result in exposure to traumatic events that can reverberate throughout life. Although much attention is focused on the negative effects of military service, many veterans report positive effects. These papers explore life course effects of military service on veterans’ health and well-being. Three used national US longitudinal cohorts (HRS, MIDUS); two sampled veterans from Oregon or from Korea. Three compared veterans to non-veterans; two examined veterans only. Cheng and colleagues found that veterans in HRS are more likely to be risk-averse than non-veterans. Risk aversion matters because it determines how people make decisions and predicts a wide array of health and economic outcomes. Kurth and colleagues examined Oregon veterans from several wars, finding PTSD symptoms were highest among Vietnam combat veterans, the oldest cohort; there were no differences among non-combat veterans. Piazza and colleagues examined in MIDUS the impact of veteran status on cortisol, a stress biomarker, finding older veterans more likely had non-normative patterns than did younger or non-veterans. Lee and colleagues studied patterns of mental health among Korean Vietnam veterans, identifying two patterns as ‘normal’ and ‘resilient’ encompassing half the sample; these veterans demonstrated positive outcomes of military service. Frochen and colleagues compared depression trajectories between veterans and non-veterans in HRS, finding veterans had less depression than non-veterans, but among veterans, trajectories varied based on extent of service. in sum, these papers demonstrate that military service can have positive as well as negative effects on veterans’ health and well-being in later life. Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

scholarly journals #MoreThanAVisitor: Families as “Essential” Care Partners During COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace L Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Family Involvement ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Partners

Abstract The public health response to the current Coronavirus pandemic in long-term care communities, including assisted living, encompasses prohibiting visitors. This ban, which includes family members, has been criticized for being unfair, unhealthy, and unsafe. Against this backdrop, I examine the roles family play in residents’ daily lives and care routines. I argue that classifying family as “visitors” rather than essential care partners overlooks their critical contributions and stems from taken-for-granted assumption about gender, families, and care work, and I demonstrate why families are more than visitors. Policies that ban family visits also reflect a narrow understanding of health that focuses on mitigating infection risk, but neglects overall health and well-being. This policy further stems from a limited comprehension of care relations. Research shows that banning family visits has negative consequences for residents, but also families themselves, and direct care workers. I argue that identifying ways to better understand and support family involvement is essential and demonstrate the utility of the Convoys of Care model for guiding the reconceptualization of family in long-term care research, policy, and practice during and beyond the pandemic.

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