Social Participation Considered as Meaningful in old age − the Perceptions of Senior Housing Residents in Finland (original) (raw)
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Social participation of community living older persons: importance, determinants and opportunities
Socio-psychological models of successful ageing emphasize life satisfaction, social participation and functioning as the keys to ageing successfully. Some studies suggest that maintaining social participation in late life has a positive influence on quality of life, psychological wellbeing, health, cognitive functioning and life expectancy. However, there is an increasing trend for older people to live alone, some of them in unsafe and insecure environments. The purpose of the paper is to identify factors that hinder or support the social participation of older persons living in the community. The importance of older people's engagement in physical, social and productive activities was studied. Opportunities for older people socialize in the housing environment were explored. These tasks were carried out through literature review.
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Background: Social participation concerns the possibility of engaging in activities in interaction with others or society at large and contributes to the health and well-being of older adults. In contrast, a lack of social participation is associated with loneliness. It is, therefore, important to understand what strategies older adults use to maintain social participation. Aim: To explore and describe older adults' experiences of maintaining social participation. Materials and methods: Nine older adults, aged 69-92 years, participated in interviews that were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Results: The overall findings reflect how older adults create opportunities for social participation by developing strategies and striving to adapt to changing situations, emphasizing how maintaining social participation is an active process. Preserving social participation requires motivation and an effort to take initiative to cultivate social relations, maintain community bonds, engage in social events and activities and stay connected with society. Conclusions and significance: These results may extend our understanding of strategies that older adults use, as well as the challenges they face when striving to adapt to new circumstances. This study may have implications for the practice of how to support older adults' social participation.
Social Participation Among Older Adults Receiving Community Care Services
Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2020
Aged care services have the potential to support social participation for the growing number of adults aging at home, but little is known about the types of social activities older adults in community care are engaged in. We used cluster analysis to examine the current profiles of social participation across seven domains in 1,114 older Australians, and chi-square analyses to explore between-group differences in social participation and sociodemographic and community care service use. Two distinct participation profiles were identified: (a) connected, capable, older rural women and (b) isolated, high-needs, urban-dwelling men. The first group had higher levels of engagement across six social participation domains compared with the second group. Social participation among older adults receiving community care services varies by gender, age, individual care needs, and geographical location. More targeted service provision at both the individual and community levels may assist older ad...
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Background: Social participation can be described as engaging in activities that provide interaction with others, and support for social participation may reduce loneliness and improve health. However, there is limited knowledge about social participation in a home care context. Aim: To explore the perceptions and experiences of community-dwelling older adults with regard to aspects related to social participation in a home care context. Materials and methods: Seven home care recipients, aged 79-94 years, from two Swedish municipalities participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The study identified the central theme, Personhood in aloneness and in affinity, as important in accomplishing satisfactory social participation. The results incorporated cultivating personal interests and navigating occupations, as well as having one's needs seen and experiencing mutuality in social encounters. Conclusions: The study nuances existing knowledge about social participation among older home care recipients, and the findings strengthen the importance of framing a home care environment where recipients can cultivate personhood and be recognized as valuable individuals with relevant needs. Significance: This study extends current understandings of the variety and richness of the social participation and occupational engagement enjoyed by older home care recipients, to be considered in research and practice.
The meaning of a ‘sense of community’ in a Finnish senior cohousing community
In the foreseeable future, alternative housing options will be needed to meet the needs of and answer to the wishes of older people. Cohousing schemes are developed to fulfill the need for a housing type that provides mutual support and social contacts while alleviating the isolation and loneliness often experienced in ordinary neighborhoods. This study on a senior co-housing community in Finland asked what a "sense of community" meant to the residents and how a sense of community becomes visible in daily life. For these residents, a sense of community meant not only living with like-minded people but also communal activities, doing things together, learning from each other, and having reciprocal support, all of which created a sense of togetherness, belonging, and trust. The findings of this study showed that moving in later life can offer a viable option of having a living environment that one likes, which calls for a broader interpretation of housing policy guided by "aging in place" thinking.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2019
This article provides methodological guidance to researchers wishing to develop collaborative research projects with local governments and other agencies, by describing the process adopted in a mixed methods study conducted in the City of Wanneroo (the City), a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. The study explored factors related to older people’s (60+ years) participation in community-based activities and links between their participation and levels of social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness. The research incorporated four interrelated stages: (1) an audit of existing programs in the City and program participant characteristics; (2) focus groups with program participants and interviews with nonparticipants; (3) a cross-sectional survey to assess factors associated with participation and links to social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness; (4) face-to-face interviews with survey respondents screened at risk for loneliness. Methodological re...
Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association, 2016
Objectives Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology, but the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity that renders it difficult to define and measure. This means that research on social participation is difficult to compare directly. The aim of the present study was to draw the literature on social participation in older adults together to inform health services researchers seeking to investigate social participation as an indicator of successful aging.Methods A narrative review of studies investigating the association between social participation and health in adults aged 65 years and older was conducted.Results Three concepts of social participation (i.e. social connections, informal social participation and volunteering) were defined, their measurement instruments described and evidence of their associations with health explored. All three concepts have demonstrated associations with an array of health indicators. Prospective studies reveal ...
Social Participation of Older Adults
Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, 2014
Background: Social participation is critical in fostering community vitality, promoting health, and preventing disabilities, but is restricted for approximately half the older adult population. Social participation involves social and leisure activities, such as visiting friends, bowling, etc., that meet fundamental needs for interaction, wellbeing and self-actualization. Although targeted through interventions by community organizations, healthcare professionals and municipalities, little is known about the needs of older adults to participate socially, especially in rural areas. This study thus aimed to identify and prioritize the social participation needs of older adults living in a rural area. Methods: A participatory action research was conducted in a rural regional county municipality (RCM) in Quebec, Canada with convenience sample of 139 stakeholders, including older adults, caregivers, healthcare and community organization managers, healthcare and community organization workers, RCM partners and key informants. Results: Facilitators and barriers to social participation related to personal factors (e.g., health, interests, motivation), the social environment (e.g., availability of assistance or volunteers) and the physical environment (e.g., distance to resources, recreational facilities and social partners). Nine needs emerged and were prioritized as follows: 1) having access to and being informed about transportation options, 2) being informed about available activities and services, 3) having access to activities, including volunteering opportunities, suited to their interests, schedule, cost, language and health condition, 4) being accompanied to activities, 5) having access to meeting places near home and adapted to their health condition, and 6-9 (no preferred order) being reached when isolated, being personally invited and welcomed to activities, having a social support network, and being valued and recognized. Differences emerged when prioritizing needs of older adults with disabilities (greater need for assistance, accessibility and adapted activities) and older adults living in a rural area (greater need for transportation). Conclusions: To promote active participation in the community, the social participation needs of older women and men living in rural areas must be addressed, especially in regard to transportation, information, adapted activities, assistance and accessibility. The rst part of this action research will be followed by community selection and implementation of initiatives to ultimately foster their social participation.
Ageing and Society
The age-friendly cities and communities movement has focused on how to better support older adults to age well within urban environments. Central to ‘ageing well’ and ‘active ageing’ agendas is ensuring that older adults can participate in meaningful forms of social participation. The benefits of social participation in old age have been well documented, and research amongst community-dwelling older adults has explored some of the neighbourhood qualities that facilitate or impede such forms of engagement. However, understandings of how older adults construct and negotiate social participation within everyday urban environments have been largely unexplored. To address this gap, we present results from 104 interviews conducted with older adults living in three cities and nine neighbourhoods in the United Kingdom (UK). The findings explore three themes generated from the research: ‘constructing meaningful social participation in old age’, ‘negotiating access to social participation’ an...