Week 5

Question 1

social healthy aging (WHO)

Answer 1

a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Question 2

what should social healthy aging include?

Answer 2

1. adequate and well-functioning social relationships
2. adequate social support
3. little or no social strain
4. some social participation
5. social inclusion in ones society
6. strong and well-functioning social networks
7. sexuality as one may desire

Question 3

key dimensions of social well-being

Answer 3

1. presence and quality of social relationships
2. social networks
3. social participation
4. social isolation
5. sexuality
6. social support
7. social strain
8. social environment

Question 4

social ecological model

Answer 4

1. policy
2. community
3. institutional
4. interpersonal
5. individual

Question 5

social ecological model - individual and interpersonal factors (micro)

Answer 5

1. immediate family, friends and community significantly shape aging and health
2. supportive social connections
3. need for belonging and reciprocity with others
4. family context experiences during early years of ones life has significant influence on later-life experiences and health

Question 6

what is loneliness influenced by?

Answer 6

1. social network size
2. social interaction frequency
3. number of relationships

Question 7

social ecological model - institutional and community (meso)

Answer 7

1. neighbourhood and built environments, healthcare and educational organizations exert influence on older adults health experiences
2. physical environment (housing, transport, access to healthy food, exercise opportunities) also effect

Question 8

how are institutional and community factors improved?

Answer 8

1. collaborative leadership
2. cooperation across sectors
3. age-friendly communities
4. top-down approaches

Question 9

social ecological model - policy, cultural, structural factors (macro)

Answer 9

1. cultural health beliefs, policies and environmental characteristics of a region have profound influence over aging experience and health
2. political factors shape socioeconomic determinants of health and can reduce health disparities
3. decisions people make, capacity to cope with progression of disease, and effects of medical interventions are all influences by societal cultural values and norms

Question 10

social ties in later life

Answer 10

older adults tend to have fewer social partners than younger adults

Question 11

the socioemotional selectivity theory

Answer 11

older adults prioritize emotional fulfillment over expanding social networks
- explains progression of social networks while aging

Question 12

what does the socioeconomic selectivity theory entail?

Answer 12

1. proportion of emotional material recalled increases with age (older adults have greater emotional response)
2. older adults have fewer social partners cause they want to spend time with people they care about most
   - doesn’t mean anti-social - just don’t have time to waste and are more risk-adverse

Question 13

the disengagement theory

Answer 13

disengagement or mutual withdrawal between the ageing person and society in anticipation of death
- decrease activity levels and interact less frequently
- society frees older adults from employment and family’s responsibilities at the same time

Question 14

social issues of aging and psychological health

Answer 14

1. social isolation
2. social support
3. social connection

Question 15

social connection

Answer 15

1. key pillar of of lifestyle medicine and essential for human health
2. decreases depressive symptoms, PTSD, and improves overall mental health
3. counseling on social connection can add both years to life and enhance well-being

Question 16

strong social support

Answer 16

improves physical health outcomes (BMI, blood sugar, cancer survival, cardiovascular health)

Question 16

retirement and aging

Answer 16

shown to be positively and negatively associated with mental health
- very complex

Question 17

involuntary retirement

Answer 17

overall increases the possibility of loneliness, isolation and mental disorders

Question 18

prevalence of psychiatric illness with retirement

Answer 18

43% of early retirements among working individual s

Question 19

naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs)

Answer 19

unplanned communities that have high proportion of older residents, and may be critical to finding housing solutions for aging Canadians

Question 20

NORC buildings

Answer 20

1. apartments
2. condos
3. co-ops with 30% or more older adults (65+)

Question 21

family and friends social roles

Answer 21

1. multiple social roles = self-efficacy and life satisfactions
2. social worth = improved overall health and survival
3. strong social roles = reduced rates of death, social isolation and loneliness

Question 22

family and friends and aging

Answer 22

older adults with strong ties to family and friends are more likely to retain independence, sense of meaning and purpose in life, and effective physical and psychological functioning longer

Question 23

what effect does fulfilling multiple social roles have?

Answer 23

linked to higher life satisfaction and feelings of self-efficacy
(worker, spouse, caregiver, grandparent, etc.)

Question 24

social worth

Answer 24

having a sense of social worth is important for health and survival - study showed reduced rates of death when perceived themselves as useful to others or were involved in giving social support

Question 25

challenges affecting social networks and relationships

Answer 25

1. changes in family dynamics 2. illnesses 3. retirement 4. admission to LTC 5. death of a spouse 6. change in income

Question 26

marital loss and self-perception

Answer 26

those who experienced marital loss have lower positive self-perceptions of aging than those who remained marred

Question 27

men and marial status

Answer 27

men who were continuously married, continuously widowed, or became married between the waves were more likely to age successfully than their never-married counterparts

Question 28

unique caregiving demands increasing risk of health issues

Answer 28

1. financial hardship 2. organizing LTC placement for their spouse 3. navigating familial tensions

Question 29

LTC residents and relationships

Answer 29

maintaining physical and emotional contact is imperative for LTC residents and their spouses relationship

Question 30

elder abuse

Answer 30

often perpetrated by family members - includes physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse

Question 31

prevalence of elder abuse

Answer 31

1/3 (32%) of seniors were victimized by a family member - 8% higher in 2019 from previous year - 19% increase overall between 2009-2019 - 31% increase for non-family violence between 2009-2019

Question 32

social media and aging

Answer 32

social media is associated with negative mental health outcomes including poorer mental health for older adults - BUT digital inclusion is important if used properly

Question 33

social media and aging barriers

Answer 33

1. lack of instructions/knowledge 2. confidence 3. financial 4. health abilities 5. trust

Question 34

social media and aging motivated by...

Answer 34

1. social (and medical) support 2. enjoyment and fun 3. personal empowerment 4. advocacy 5. bridging generational gaps

Question 35

telehealth programs

Answer 35

- most elderly still do in-person meetings - for mental health they do more video meetings or over the phone

Question 36

kingston- sunshine call program

Answer 36

goal is to reach socially isolated seniors and help them build new social networks

Question 37

social connections and stress model

Answer 37

highlighting the general pathways from social connection to physical health outcomes

Question 38

social prescription and use of technology

Answer 38

combat social isolation

Question 39

social connection structure

Answer 39

the connection to others via the existence of relationships and their roles (marital status, living alone, network size, etc.)

Question 40

social connection functions

Answer 40

a sense of connection that results from actual or perceived support or inclusion (perceived or received social support)

Question 41

social connection quality

Answer 41

sense of connection to others that is based on positive and negative qualities (relationship satisfaction, strain, etc.)