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Social Context and Communication and Aging (Common Support Networks for…
Social Context and Communication and Aging
Shifting Boundaries of Life Periods
:
significant reductions in mortality, morbidity and fertility provided:
longer, healthier lives
aging societies
become and being "old" in brand new ways
transform human experience and the landscape of the life course to younger people
extend living for multiple decades
extreme different from early and late phases of life
Shifting "Boxes" of Education, Work and Leisure
:
depart from educational, work and leisure boxes (by choice or out of necessity), provides penalize for person
life is dynamic and dramatic changes come across the life course for education, work, leisure experiences
younger generations attitudes are differ from previous cohorts (the will further challenge for granted about aging)
Older Adults - Social Roles and Relationships
:
most older adults keep their social contacts with relatives and friends as they age
as people age: social roles and relationships change; needs for social support may increase; lose a critical context for social involvement
Older Adults - Family Roles and Social Relationships
:
Positive Roles: grandparents, grandmothers -->
serve as safety values or stabilizers by solving problems and mediating between family members
reducing marital instability
informal care of grandchildren (transitional role)
primary responsibility for rearing grandchildren (recent years)
Negative Consequences: for older adults caregivers (reducing physical, social and psychological wellbeing)
Social Networks for Older Adults
:
loneliness is having fewer social ties or friends than a person expects, desires or feels
older adults with poor health and poverty are at risk of loneliness
living alone is not social isolation, if they keep their regular contact with variety of relatives and friends
social isolation and loneliness are associated with:
depression
neighbourhood variables (ex. poor physical and social urban environment, poor transport and other services and insecurity of crime)
increasing age in older people (especially over 80) rise risk of:
all social network shrinking
vulnerability to loosing relationships through retirement, sadness and relocation (ex. friends leaving, or enter residential homes)
declining health and difficulty in maintaining networks
loneliness (ex. spouse death, and widow)
there is relationship between social context and valued occupation:
older people living in local integrated networks have greater level of occupation and happiness
living in sheltered accommodations with locally integrated networks feel more active and less lonely
social ties provide healthier lifestyle behaviour (ex. exercise, sufficient sleep)
social contact provides (greater range of activities, reducing depression, promoting meaningful quality of life)
older people with less support
suffer prolong physiological stress responses
down regulation of immune system (ex. infection, slower healing, cancer)
Social Context and Valued Occupation (self-care, productivity, leisure)
:
social context influences quality and quantity of leisure occupation, life satisfaction, wellbeing)
engaging in valued leisure occupation offers a better condition against stress
engaging in more social activities provides longer life for older adults
rich social network provides more opportunities to stay active and engaged in an occupation
Dysfunctional Social Contexts
:
provides - maltreatment, physical abuse, financial abuse, psychological wellbeing issues (ex. immature or childish behaviour and neglect); less power for older people
support systems shrinking or unexpected pressure increase risk of neglect and abuse
abuses and neglects increase risk of feeling worthless and depression as well as physical harm
family frustration or withdrawal from social contexts increase risk of vulnerability
private networks with minimal outside contact increase risk of hiding abuse
Types of Social Support Benefits:
social support benefits achieved through family members, neighbours or friends
types of social support benefits are: emotional, informational, practical support (preferring family members to neighbours)
most older people are satisfied with their social context; older people relationships are based on give and take (give help to the older people and receive help from them)
having peer support: improves wellbeing of older adults either living in residential, or in community settings
being volunteer: provides social networks, social contact, and meaningful role
Common Support Networks for Older Adults
: five types of social support
Local family dependent network support: having close ties with family members who live close at hand (at least within five miles)
benefits:
regular contact, offering assistance and emotional support
more common among widowed older people and people with poorer health conditions
Local integrated network support: having friends, neighbours, family members living locally
benefits:
more social network, developed over a long period close ties with church and voluntary bodies
more common for people with better health
Local self-contained network support: having a few relatives, sometimes emotionally as well as geographically distinct
benefits:
reliant to them in time of emergency
Wider community-focused network support: large number of ties with the local community (ex. member of local clubs, societies, charitable organizations)
benefits:
little needs for assistance
more common among people with good health conditions
Private restricted network support: tiny and minimal contacts with a few friends
more common among people with life-long pattern of extreme independence or unfriendliness
Support for the Elderly
:
Informal Supports (include friends, family, and community supports who provide emotional and health care support); sources = children (most source of informal support), friends, siblings, neighbours
Formal Supports (include professional caregivers such as doctors, nurses and social workers); people pay for formal supports either from their own resources or through taxes
Common Models of Informal Support
:
Task Specific Model:
different groups - family, friends and neighbours - provide different types of support; each group plays a specific role in supporting the older person
Hierarchical Compensatory Model:
people choose their supports: first from their inner family circle, then move outward (less intimate people as they need); ex. married older adults get help hierarchical from spouses, widow, widower, children or neighbour
Marital Status and Support in Later Life
:
Married (a good marriage provides support for both partners)
Married Vs. Unmarried: use less formal care, rely less on children and friends for support, have lower institutionalization rate, have more financial resources)
Divorced: (especially men have - smallest social networks, weakest ties to families, lowest life satisfaction)
Lifelong Singles: make special adaptations by creating friendships and other social relationships to provide supporters, confidants and companion for themselves
Widowhood: higher risk for older women than older men, may create stress in person's life, debate on whether men are affected by widowhood less or more than women; men are more likely to remarry (7x more likely)
Lesbian and Gay Partners: majority are accepting of age, have satisfying long term relationships, more likely to plan for their own future security; less likely to assume that families will provide support for them in old age
Never Married: typically develop reciprocal support relationships with others; more socially active and resourceful with more diversity in social networks
Newer Married compare with widowed peers: more satisfied with their lives to be self dependent and to be focused on the present
Sibling and Support in Later Life
:
sisters are more likely to maintain frequent contact
siblings often: renew past ties as they age, forgive past conflict and become close, frequently share memories
Adult Children and Support in Later Life
:
Children: maintain their contact with their parents; provide them with help; get help from them when they need it
Middle Aged Children: are abandon with their elderly parents
Adults Children after spouses are most important: source of informal support, social contact in old age
Adult Children and Older Adults: have reciprocal exchanges support; have desire for more satisfying relationships
Older Children (especially daughters): maintain contact with their parents; maintain affection and mutual support; note: risk of some types of conflict
Pets as Members of Older Adult's Social Context
:
no evidence to support for psychological health benefits from pet ownership
pet’s loyalty and affection could be seen as a form of unconditional emotional support
benefits of having a pet (dog or cat) for older adults
maintain engagement in activities of daily living (better self-care)
health promoting (more active routines)
walk further
improve social context (valued sense of connection and identity)
dog or cat death: can be distressing as the loss of a friend or relative
Health Professional as Sources of Social Support
:
health professionals enable older adults to achieve better outcomes through
continuing relationships
listening effectively
collaborating in decision making
formal support (social and health care professionals):
provides a value support and network for the client
part of treatemnt process, not emotional support
note: seeking and accepting professional help can be a source of discomfort and stigma
Retirement
:
program introduced in 1965:
many people living to "old age"
many older people living in poverty
encouraged retirement
decrease unemployment and improve productivity
provided basic income to poorest older people
principle: the idea that a fixed age, regardless of mental and physical ability, a person leaves work
wage: a pension paid by state to support all older people
Canadian Pension Plan (CPP)
:
no mandatory retirement age in Canada (one can work as long as they are able to)
provides monthly benefit to eligible canadians
standard age to begin receiving CPP is 65
older adults can take a permanently reduced CPP retirement pension as early as age 60 or take a permanently increased CPP after age 65
eligibility:
have worked and made at least one valid contribution (payment) to CPP
amount of retirement pension is based on how much and how long you have contributed to CPP at the time you apply
Why Retire
:
health issues
unemployment
spouse's decision to be retired
changing attitudes to work (increased leisure and recreation focus)
more positive societal attitude to retirement (consider it as a reward)
better pensions start at age 65
mandatory retirement rules (for some countries)
Flexible Retirement
:
slowly cut back number of hours worked
work sharing
part time work
take up second careers/personal career
46% of people will continue to work after retirement age
reasons: keep busy, earn money, meet people
Communication Changes
:
verbal and non-verbal (speaking, listening, reading, writing, body language)
communication skills change with typical aging
Reasons For Communication Changes
:
Aging Process: physical health, depression, cognitive decline, physiologic changes in hearing, voice and speech processes
Adding previous communication disorder to aging process: ex. MS with fatigue or depression in the middle age
Beginning of new communication disorders in old age (ex. hearing loss, Parkinsons, stroke, Alzheimer, Dementia)
Important Functions of Communication
:
Necessary in Daily Activities: ex. employment, social and leisure activities, community involvement, personal relationships
Establish and maintain social roles: ex. social affiliation, sense of identity, relieving loneliness, depression or anxiety
Suggestions for Enhancing Communication
:
knowing client's communication strengths and weaknesses
availability and using sensory aids (ex. eye glasses, hearing aids, communication devices, memory aids)
take extra time for communication
appropriate atmosphere or environmental communication (ex. quiet, distance between speakers, decreasing background noise, face-to-face interactions)
speak slowly and simple sentences
supplement verbal descriptions with pictures and writing
confirm understanding with teach-back approaches or rephrasing
consider limitation for information given in one session
provide take-home educational material in the preferred format and at the appropriate reading level