Social Aspects of Later Life

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Social Aspects ofLater Life

• Psychosocial, Retirement, Relationship and
  Societal Issues
• Chapter 15, Kail Cavanaugh

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15.1 Theories of Psychological Aging

• What is continuity theory?
• What is the competence and environmental press
  model, and how do docility and proactivity relate
  to the model?

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Continuity Theory

• Continuity theory - theory based on idea that
  people tend to cope with daily life in later
  adulthood by applying familiar strategies based
  on past experience to maintain and preserve both
  internal and external structures
• 3 degrees of continuity
• Too Little - feel life is too unpredictable (or
  too chaotic)
• Too Much - can create boredom or a rut of
  predictability
• Optimal - enough change to be a challenge and
  provide interest by not taxing ones resources

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Competence Environmental Press Theory

• Competencethe upper limit of a persons ability
  to function in five domains physical health,
  sensory-perceptual skills, motor skills,
  cognitive skills, and ego strength
• Environmental pressthe physical, interpersonal,
  or social demands that environments put on people

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• Adaptation level - when press level is average
  for a particular level of competence
• Zone of maximum performance potential - when
  press level is slightly higher (than the persons
  competence level), tending to improve performance
• Zone of maximum comfort - when press level is
  slightly slower, facilitating a high quality of
  life

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Dealing with Change

• Proactivity - when people choose new behaviors to
  meet new desires or needs and exert control over
  their lives
• Docility - when people allow their situation to
  dictate the options they have

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14.2 Personality, Social Cognition, and
Spirituality

• What is integrity in late life? How do people
  achieve it?
• How is well-being defined in adulthood? How do
  people view themselves differently as they age?
• What role does spirituality play in late life?

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Integrity versus Despair

• Integrity versus Despair - (Erikson) - the stage
  in later life in which people try to make sense
  of their lives
• Requires a life review
• Process by which people reflect on the events and
  experiences of their lifetimes
• Connection between engaging in life review and
  achieving integrity

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Well-Being and Social Cognition

• Subjective well-being - an evaluation of ones
  life that is associated with positive feelings
• Influenced by hardiness, chronic illness,
  marital status, quality of ones social network,
  and stress
• Women may experience less subjective well-being

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Study Findings
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Findings from a Study of Subjective Well-Being

• Having more social resources was related to
  ____________.
• Having fewer social resources was related to
  _______________.
• Having more social resources was related to
  _______________ ____________________. Having
  fewer social resources was related to less
  subjective well-being.
• Less stress was related to greater subjective
  well-being. More stress was related to less
  subjective well-being.
• Stress mediates (or influences) the relation
  between social resources and subjective
  well-being.
• Findings were true regardless of the ___________
  of the adult.

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• Older adults report more stress related to health
  but lower stress regarding finances and housing.
• Dependent on SES of sample

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Spirituality in Later Life

• Spirituality is a means by which older
  individuals can cope with life
• Spiritual support - type of coping strategy that
  includes seeking pastoral care, participation in
  organized and unorganized religious activities,
  and expressing faith in a God who cares for
  people
• Faith in Gods help is distinguishing between
  what can and cannot be changed, doing what one
  can to change the things they can, and letting go
  of those things that cannot be changed

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15.3 Living in Retirement

• What does being retired mean?
• Why do people retire?
• How satisfied are retired people?
• How do retirees keep busy?

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• What does retired mean?

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What Does Being Retired Mean?

• Does not always mean complete absence of a work
• Crisp
• Blurred
• Often people have a bridge job
• Transitional job held between ones exit from a
  career job and the final retirement
• Associated with retirement and life-satisfaction

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Why do People Retire?

• Often by choice unless there is a serious health
  reason
• Feel they are financially secure
• Physical health problems interfere with work
• People with jobs that are physically demanding
  tend to retire earlier
• Women enter the workforce later and have more
  interruptions in their work history
• Women with husbands that have poor health or with
  larger numbers of dependents tend to retire
  earlier.
• Men with wives that have poor health or with
  larger number of dependents tend to retire later.

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Adjusting to Retirement

• Develops over time as an interplay between
  physical health, financial status, voluntary
  retirement status, and feelings of personal
  control
• Men who place high priority on family report more
  retirement satisfaction
• Womens satisfaction with retirement is not
  associated with any specific roles
• Research does not support belief that health
  begins to decline after retirement
• A sedentary lifestyle at any age or life stage
  will predict health problems

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Keeping Busy in Retirement

• Organizations for retirees such as the AARP have
  increased the availability of activities and
  interests among the retired
• Retirees volunteer and find ways to provide
  service to others
• Volunteering promotes a personal sense of purpose

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15.4 Friends and Familyin Late Life

• What role do friends and family play in late
  life?
• What are older adults marriages life?
• What is it like to provide basic care for ones
  partner?
• How do people cope with widowhood? How do men
  and women differ?
• What special issues are involved in being a
  great-grandparent?

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Friends and Siblings

• Social convoy - a group of people that journeys
  with us throughout our lives, providing support
  in good times and bad
• Socioemotional selectivity - process by which
  social contact is motivated by many goals,
  including information seeking, self-concept, and
  emotional regulation

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Friends and Siblings

• Patterns of friendships in late life are similar
  to those in young adulthood
• Older adults have fewer relationships than
  younger adults

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• Sibling relationships (5)
• Intimate sibling relationships- 14
• Hi closeness, involvement, and contact.
• Low envy and resentment.
• Congenial sibling relationships- 30
• Hi closeness, involvement. Avg. contact.
• Low envy and resentment.
• Loyal sibling relationships- 34
• Avg. closeness, involvement, and contact.
• Low envy and resentment.
• Apathetic sibling relationships- 11
• Low closeness, involvement, contact, envy and
  resentment.
• Hostile sibling relationships- 11
• Hi involvement and resentment.
• Low levels of closeness and contact.

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Marriage and Same-Sex Partners

• Older couples are more likely to be similar in
  mental and physical health and show fewer gender
  differences in sources of pleasure
• Older couples usually have developed effective
  ways to avoid conflict
• No known differences between older gay and
  lesbian relationships and those of heterosexuals,
  in terms of quality

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Caring for a Partner

• Caring for a chronically ill partner is more
  stressful and challenging than caring for a
  chronically ill parent
• Division of labor has to be readjusted
• Spouses of Alzheimers patients report more
  depression and decreased marital satisfaction
• Older adults who have higher feelings of
  competence report few hassles in caring for
  partners

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Widowhood

• The death of a spouse is among the most traumatic
  experiences a person will experience
• More than half of all women over 65 are widows
• 15 of men the same age are widowers
• Friends and family may not visit or socialize as
  much with elders after the death of a spouse

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Widowhood

• Men are at a higher risk of dying, themselves,
  soon after the death of a spouse
• Some researchers believe that a mans wife is
  often his only close friend and confidant
• There is evidence that older men are less likely
  to be able to carry out routine activities such
  as shopping and financial responsibilities
• Women are usually less financially secure when
  widowed and are more likely to enter poverty
  status
• Widowers (male) are 5 times more likely to
  remarry than widows (female)

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Great-Grandparenthood

• Great-grandparenting is an enjoyable and
  important role
• Three important aspects of great-grandparenthood
• Gives a sense of personal and family renewal
• Great-grandchildren provide new diversions and a
  positive new role
• A major milestone of longevity, which is usually
  viewed positively

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Community Living Arrangements

• Assisted living facilities - a supportive living
  arrangement for people who need assistance with
  ADLs or IADLs but who are not so impaired
  physically or cognitively that they need 24-hour
  care
• Intermediate care - facility that consists of
  24-hour care necessitating nursing supervision,
  but usually not at an intense level
• Skilled nursing care - facility that consists of
  24-hour care requiring fairly constant monitoring
  and provision of medical and other health
  services, usually by nurses

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Who Lives in Nursing Homes?

• Often widowed or divorced, financially
  disadvantaged, without living family, very old,
  and European American
• Residents are commonly
• Over age 85, Female
• Recently admitted to a hospital
• Lives in retirement housing
• Unmarried or living alone
• Has no children nearby
• Has cognitive impairment, has problem with IADLs

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• Researchers suggest a person-centered planning
  approach to nursing home policies
• This approach promotes residents well-being by
  increasing their feelings of personal control
• Nursing home staff should avoid
• Patronizing speech (speech marked by slower
  speed, exaggerated intonation, higher pitch,
  increase volume, repetitions, close-ended
  questions, simplified vocabulary and grammar)
• Infantilization (i.e., using first names when
  inappropriate, terms of endearment, etc.)