Quality Of Life Among The Elderly

Quality Of Life Among The Elderly nakedness is a gerontological giant leading to impaired timber of life sentence, greater need for institutional c ar and increased mortality. Routasalo, Pitkala, 2003The phenomenon of l mavinliness occurs in plenty of all ages it may be a particular problem in the fourth-year agree to a study railroad carried out at Edinburg University in the nursing information department. It is acknowledged that forlornness is not necessary accompaniment to senescent and that develop is not solely responsible for the development of seclusion in the antiquated muckle however there is a kinship in the midst of ageing and nakedness.There is a need to understand the casual relationship between life-events and loneliness, how to predict it and whether negative consequences maybe alleviated.(Routasalo, Pitkala, 2003).This study is about loneliness among the aged(a) people. I was interested in this topic because the fact that many honest-to-god people atomic number 18 still experiencing loneliness at different levels sightnot be overlooked. Loneliness and genial closing off have often been used to stipulate the social world of previous(a) people and as an indicator of their persona of life (Victor, scamber and tie down, 2009) but loneliness among the elderly has been under turned.Like many other social science concepts,loneliness is often a taken-for-granted idea from e precise sidereal day life.Loneliness is a common problem among the elderly that lead to widespread lugubriousness and social exclusion.The purpose of this study is therefore to portray loneliness among the elderly ,the main influencing factors and strategies to address it.This study is entirely based on qualitative Research methodology by probing into different academic disciplines so as to gather a deeper understanding of this particular topic.WHAT IS LONELINESS?Loneliness is a situation experienced by the individual as one where there is unpleasant or inadmissible lack of (quality of) certain relationships. This includes situations in which a number of existing relationships is smaller than is considered desirable or admissible as well as situations where the intimacy one wishes for has not been realised. (De jong gierveld, 1987, p.120 quoted in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500)(Peplau, 1981 quoted in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) defines loneliness as the unpleasant experience that occurs when a persons vane of social relations is deficient in some distinguished appearance either qualitatively (Quality related) or quantatively (size related).Loneliness categories(Weiss, 1973 in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) categorise loneliness asEmotional lonelinessThis is as a result of absence of an intimate figure or a close emotional bond (a partner, best friend) e.g. in divorce or widowhood.We rout out further subgroup it asDevelopmentalExperienced when there is a need for intimacy equilibrize by a pursuit for personal happiness and independence (goals).innerOften includes feelings of low-esteem and vulnerability. fond lonelinessThis kind of loneliness arises with the absence of a broader group of contacts or an engaging social network like friends, collegues and people in the neighbourhood.It can also be termed as Situational/Circumstantial which can be explained by situations like loosing a relationship or paltry to a clean city.Measurements of loneliness among the elderlyLoneliness is subjective(It is based on somebodys opinions or feelings sooner than on facts or evidence) and is measured using questions that want perceptions of relationships,social activity and feelings about social activity(British Columbia ministry of health ,2004)Loneliness is very cultural and temporally particular proposition(jylh 2004).It is and has been difficult to compare levels of loneliness accross cuntries because the meaning of loneliness is luxuriously schoolly cultural(and possibly temporary) specific. Variations in measures used to measure loneliness by researchers in different countries has made it difficult to make a semblance across different countries.Findings of the studyMain factors influencing loneliness among the elderly health resourcesChronic poor physical or mental health, Sensory impairments, falls andSelf-rated health and Health expectations(Tijhuis et al 1999) found that increase in loneliness was attributed to poorer subjective health but not on activity limit point or cognative function.Lonely and stranded peoples health may deteriorate becausethey lack the environmental body forth,social ties and assistance by others that become critical factors in the maintainance of their independence afterward in life.(Bosworth and schaie 1997 p.197)Mental health upshots such as depression can impact self-rated score in an indirect way as those who are depressed may evaluate their social relationships negatively and therefore pee-pee apparent associations wit h other jeopardize factors when infact it is depression that is the issue.(Russel et al,1997)Social resourcesE.g. Availability of family, friends and Social contactsRecognition of the immensity of the importance of the relationship between social engagements and quality of life is not new (Victor, scamber and Bond, 2009). Social relationships and social engagements are a very important part of quality of life in old age according to (Victor, camber and Bond 2009).Rowe and Kahn (1997) suggest that a high level of social engagement is a key factor in achieving the goal of successful ageing. This same observation has been made in ideas of fit ageing and active ageing.Demographic factorsE.g. days, gender, household composition, neigbourhood andMarital statusAge and genderBeing widowed and living altogether are to a greater extent common among women because of their tendancy to outlive male partners.NeigbourhoodFavorable neighborhood is associated with feeling true(p) and secure. I mmediate neighborhood is of particular importance to the well-being and quality of life of older people(bowling 2006,Victor,Scamber and Bond 2009)Whilst there has been much focus on the importance of maintaining older people at home this has been often interpreted as the narrow confines of the built dwelling or house rather than the wider environment of neighborhood or locality. Yet place is clearly important in providing the spatial context within old age (Berkman et al., 2000 berkman and Glass, 2000, Victor, Scamber and Bond 2009)Household compositionMost people who live alone are lonely but not all people who live alone are lonely.Living alone also interacts with many other variables to create vary pictures of loneliness.Living together with someone and living in ones own apartment(as opposed to an institition) showed a positive influence on feelings of loneliness for this population(Holmen et al 2000 as cited in gierveld,Tilburg and Dykstra in Vangelisti and perlmans 2006)Mater ial resourcesE.g. Home ownership, access to car and education Qualificationsstinting status and self-esteem have been found to have a relationship with loneliness. Loneliness was expressed by those older persons with less adequate self-rated sparing conditions and those living in actual poverty.(Mullins,Elston and Gutkoiski,1996) agrees that the less financially adequate individuals perceive their situation to be the more lonely they were.Access to Transport/carDriving status and transportation have an effect on the loneliness and social isolation of the elderly because of their role in facilitating access to the social network.(Kivett 1979) categorized older rural adults with transportation problems as a high risk of loneliness. Many seniors are restricted to pre-arranged van trips with community or volunteers drivers. Dependence on others for transportation related socializing may miscellany the nature of social interaction for those people (Hall Havens,1999). Programs for seni ors will be unable(p) if they cannot access them.Life EventsE.g. Bereavement ,widowhood and onset of illnessDeath of a spouse and living alone is a major additive risk factor for loneliness and isolation.Events like widowhood emphasize that bereaved persons are specially vulnerable for emotional isolation(loneliness)rather than social isolation (Van baarsen et al,1999)Discussions of findingsGiven the potential perverting effects of social isolation and loneliness in seniors,it is important to persue this issue in order to reduce emotional damage to seniors and inappropriate health and social service usage.However,caution should be observed when again interventions without knowing the channelise population and assessing the possible negative consequences of the planned intervention.( British Columbia Ministry ofHealth.March 2004)Strategies to address loneliness and isolation for older people.A survey done in campaign launced by leeds metropolitan university on behalf of the briti sh gas to invade isolation and lonelness developed recommendations with theolder people to address the issue of isolation and loneliness.Through interviewing older people and trying to identify what they want,the following suggestions were arrived at.Involving older people in planning,developing and deliverly of activities that target social isolation and loneliness.Practical,flexible and low level assistance that could help older people to remain indipendent,gain confidence to identifytheir own solutions and support them in retaining their own social networks.Individually tairoled solutions to meet specific needs,within a variety of activities available within their local neighborhood and within the healthy travelling distance.Transport that takes the mobility of the elderly into account.Availability of Services that cater for specific groups such as carers,ethnic minorities,older men and those with hearing impairments or mobility problems and those who have been isolated for a l ong time.Support and encouragement for the elderly to learn new skills as well as the opportunity to share their skills with other older people.