Social support is defined by the U of M (2010) as “having friends and other people, including family, to turn to in times of need or crisis to give you a broader focus and positive self-image. Social support enhances quality of life and provides a buffer against adverse life events.” Several articles regarding the benefits of social support on physical well-being, emotional well being and cognitive deterioration were reviewed. We wanted to discover the correlations between social support concerning older adults and its effects on health. We will summarize the articles researched, discuss our goals, and describe our plan for implementation. Benefits regarding physical health, emotional health, and cognitive health have all been researched. “With respect to elderly people’s health, qualitative support (satisfaction with the level of support) has also been found to be a better predictor of positive outcome than quantitative support” (Antonucci, 1985). Most of the studies we found were qualitative studies, but some proved to have quantitative information. Studies have shown conflicting information when it comes to social support and its effects on cognitive deterioration. The study by Choi and Wodarksi (1996) did not find a significant benefit for cognitive function and showed that it does not stop the process of deterioration. A different article by Yeh and Liu (2003) suggested unmarried elders had lower cognitive function than married elders, suggesting that the social support of a spouse improves cognitive function. “A longitudinal study from Bassuk and colleagues (1999) found that elderly persons who had no social ties were at increased risk for cognitive decline, compared with those who had five or six social ties” (Yeh 2003)... ... middle of paper ... ..., Ando, F., Shimokata, H. (2008). Social support as a moderator in a fall prevention program for older adults. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 34(5), 19-24. Social support. (2010, September 1). Retrieved from http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/social-support White, A. M., Philogene, S. G., Fine, L., & Sinha, S. (2009). Social support and self reported health status of older adults in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 99(10), 1872-1877. Winnigham, R G., Pike, N. L. (2007). A cognitive intervention to enhance institutionalized older adults’ social support networks and decrease loneliness. Journal of Aging and Mental Health, 11(6), 716-721. Yeh, S.J., & Liu, J. (2003). Influence of social support on cognitive function in the elderly. BioMed Central, 3(9). Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/3/9
Roberto, K. A., & Jarrott, S. E. (2008, January). Family Caregivers of Older Adults: A Life Span Perspective. Family Relations , 100-111.
Jones, D., & Whitaker, T. (2011). Preventing falls in older people: assessment and interventions. Nursing Standard, 25(52), 50-55.
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). (2005). Prevention of falls and fall injuries in the older adult. Retrieved from http://rnao.ca/sites/rnao-ca/files/Prevention_of_Falls_and_Fall_Injuries_in_the_Older_Adult.pdf
Talley, Amelia E., et al. "Social Roles, Basic Need Satisfaction, and Psychological Health." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 38.2 Feb. (2012): 155-73. Web. 21 Feb. 2012.
However, some variation and possible novelty surfaced in this period of the lifespan. According to (Clark, Ouellette, Powell, & Milberg, 1987), in late adulthood, social interactions are more about communal orientation. Meaning that in this stage, friendships are deeply about the welfare of friends, concerns for friend’s well-being, and support, which portrayed this stage mainly about high quality relations. In his research, Field (1999) reported that late adults’ deep care for friend’s well-being is understandable for the fact that, older adults are in the stage where health issues often emerge, therefore, a sense of vulnerability arised. However, normative life events that retained social interactions in middle adulthood decrease because they are most likely release from family restraint, workforce responsibility and past personal obligations (Field,
Several studies also asserted that loneliness is correlated with aging itself (Tijhuis et al, 1999; Victor et al, 2000) and that there was a gradual increase in loneliness up to the age of 90 (Holmen, 1992). This increasing trend can be attributed to interactions with other factors due to additive nature of risk factors for loneliness and social isolation (Victor et al, 2000).
Falls are the leading cause of injuries, disabilities, and deaths among community-dwelling older adults (Moyer, 2012). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2016), each year one out of three community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or above falls at least once. There is a need to identify effective interventions pertinent to the primary-care setting to prevent falls among older adults living in the community. The guideline titled “Prevention of falls in community-dwelling older adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement” is focused on determining the effectiveness and harms of different fall-prevention interventions relevant to primary care for adults aged 65 years or above (Moyer,
Sivertsen, Heidi, et al. "Depression and Quality of Life in Older Persons: A Review." Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, vol. 40, no. 5-6, 2015, pp. 311-339. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1159/000437299.
Home is a place where our identity constantly develop through connections with the past and is defined by cultural, socio-demographic, psychological, political, and economic factors. One place that older adults are calling home at the end of their life is long term care facilities. Long term care has experienced rapid growth over the past several decades. Currently, assisted living represents one of the most abundant institutional care settings for older adults. An estimated 36,000 assisted living facilities exist in the United States (Nursing Home Care, 2016) compared with an estimated 15,600 nursing homes (Nursing Home Care, 2016). With long term care facilities rapidly growing, there have been several different models composed, including
...quicker in a broad society (Brainy Quote, 2013).” In conclusion, based upon this research report on the social engagement and the older adults, the more social engagement that seniors are involved in, the more benefits they will receive and feel. Older Adults who are more socially engaged with other people gain more benefits than those who are not. From this report, we looked at the key benefits that come towards the older adults. Benefits, which consisted of improving many health diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, technological innovation that help social engagement that include the on-line and telephone interference, and lastly the various benefits that come towards mental benefits. In the end, older adults who tend to get involved in social engagement, encounter many benefits compared to those who are less prominent to social interaction.
Within the elderly community, the existence of activities and interaction with others creates an impact on the elderly daily living. As being a provider in a home health facility, there has been a substantial amount of complaints from family members due to the lack of socializing by their loved ones. When dealing with quality care of the elderly, relationships is a major form of communication that allows each individual the opportunity to express their emotions, and continue his/her consistency of motor skills. Relationships with others are normally formed in senior citizen centers, senior communities and/or with home health
There is a relationship between old age and late life loneliness; whether is perceived or actual is irrelevant, as society views elderly people differently
This essay will first look at the benefits of social support among individuals living in rural areas and how social support has a positive effect on their mental health, improved suicide rate and with new mothers in isolated areas. The essay then looks at social support in relation to the elderly and its effect on cognitive decline, better eating habits and nutrient intake as well as an increase in life expectancy. The next paragraph looks at the positive effect of social support with women w...
The importance of family networks, for practical and emotional support in old age, is therefore vital. Studies shown that lack of family support predisposes towards institutionalization, destitution and dependency on third parts. Of course, family networks are not always perfect: some older people feel affected by family conflict. This emphasizes the fact that understanding old-age vulnerability is a very complex and personal task that requires examination not only of the size and composition of old people’s networks, but also of the quality of those relationships (Pritchard-Jones,
The importance of family and friends is critical in for mentally ill patients. This is especially true for women with low income (Ichiro Kawachi, Lisa F. Berkman, 2001). Promoting more counseling and support group can increase the quality of mental health because individuals are able to talk their problems and express themselves without any restraints. Home counseling for families with children under the age of five can help train parent to become more efficient parents by enhancing their interaction with their children to increase mental health for their children and by improving family and work balance. Senior also benefit from social interaction. Seniors are at risk for many mental illness because of social isolation, death of family member and loss of some rights like driving. So being able to talk to someone decreases their chances of developing