Journal of Gerontological Social Work最新文献

This study sought to explore the management process of FOF among the older adults patients hospitalized due to falls. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with 21 older patients. Three types of coping strategies were developed by hospitalized older adults: primary management of explaining the reason of falls by attributing it to inevitable consequence of aging as well as accidental events; secondary management of fear including self-consolation, downstairs comparison and distraction from fear, as well as confronting and reflecting fear; and tertiary management of the consequences of falling such as active rehabilitation, food therapy, seeking emotional support etc.

Positive caregiving appraisal is strongly linked to health among caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). This study hypothesized that race and ethnicity, as well as cultural factors, would predict positive caregiving appraisal. One-hundred thirty-six racially and ethnically diverse ADRD caregivers completed a cross-sectional survey. Race and ethnicity did not predict positive appraisal. However, culture-based values around caregiving and perceived provider cultural competence did predict positive appraisal. Findings reinforce the need to assess and incorporate culture-based values in services for ADRD caregivers and the importance of provider cultural competence when working with diverse ADRD family caregivers.

Exposure to a persistent terrorist threat constitutes a continuous traumatic situation (CTS) that can severely impact one's mental and physical health. For older adults living in CTS, this risk is compounded by the challenges of aging. This vulnerability is significantly heightened for older adults living alone in CTS, who typically experience increased social isolation and loneliness. Past research has explored internal coping resources that help these individuals deal with their stressful circumstances. Nevertheless, external coping resources have been hardly explored, making it difficult to create policies and practices to support older adults living alone in areas affected by terrorism. To address this lacuna, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 older adults living alone in Sderot, an Israeli city that has been under constant terror attacks for over two decades, and analyzed them using thematic analysis. Four external coping resources were identified: family; friendships; communal resources including a sense of belonging to their community and neighbors; and formal resources provided to them by the municipality and the state, comprising instrumental and emotional support. The findings affirm the significance of external coping resources for older adults facing continuous stress and trauma, suggesting ways to strengthen these resources to boost individuals' resilience.

This study investigated whether social relationships and aging perceptions moderate the roles of health stressors on life satisfaction among very old adults (80+ years, N = 4,220) in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Data were analyzed in R Lavaan using structural equation modeling with latent interactions. Positive ageing perception and the quality of social relationships with children and relatives attenuated the influence of mobility limitations on life satisfaction. Only social relationships moderated pain's influence on life satisfaction. Interventions to increase subjective well-being in advanced old age can target positive views of aging and the quality of social relationships.

One in six older adults worldwide is subjected to abuse (WHO, 2022), with heightened risk among parents of offspring with mental disorders. This qualitative study explores social workers' experiences in addressing elder abuse by these offspring. Two themes emerged: (1) "The snowball rolls: Unfolding mutual dependency and symbiosis," describing abusive offspring's characteristics and dynamics with aging parents, (2) "For every case, you need to match a tailor-made suit," detailing psychosocial and legal interventions. Findings highlight the need for family-focused interventions and providing treatment to the abuser. It is recommended to develop formal guiding principles to address these complex cases effectively.

Fostering emotional well-being is essential for older adults, particularly for immigrants. Focusing on 163 African immigrants aged 60+ in the U.S., this study examines the relationship between emotional well-being and key predictors: social isolation, financial satisfaction, acculturation, transportation, and grandchild care. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that social isolation, ethnic social relations, and financial satisfaction explained 25% of the variance in emotional well-being. Financial satisfaction positively influenced emotional well-being, while social isolation and ethnic social relations had negative impacts. Findings highlight the importance of community engagement for older immigrants and suggest incorporating multicultural components in aging programs to support their well-being.

The environment plays an integral role in the lives of individuals with cognitive decline. This study analyzed data from the National Survey of Older Koreans (2020) (9,885 older Koreans). The results showed that cognitively impaired group had lower community environment satisfaction than the cognitively healthy group, which led to lower social participation and lower life satisfaction, and the double mediation effect was significant (B = -.001, p < .001). However, there was no direct effect of cognitive status on life satisfaction (B = .004, p = .759). The findings highlight the imperative for the development of neighborhood environments that foster social engagement among older adults experiencing cognitive decline.

This umbrella review and research update explores experiences of loneliness and social isolation in older immigrants to understand their support needs and the effectiveness of current interventions. Nine quantitative and qualitative studies discussing loneliness and/or social isolation in older immigrants were identified. Six key themes emerged: language and cultural barriers, life-course intersections, family relationships and obligations, meaningful opportunities as a counter-strategy, regaining self-esteem, and effectiveness of peer/community support. Assessment of needs was a central topic in the literature. Peer and community support is an effective intervention targeting loneliness and social isolation in older immigrants as it connects participants and creates meaningful relationships.

Dementia caregiving involves a challenging and complex process, especially for immigrant families. Using a qualitative method, this study provides an in-depth exploration of caregiving experiences among Korean American caregivers of people living with dementia. Based on various sampling strategies, 16 Korean American caregivers of family members/relatives with dementia were recruited in the greater Los Angeles area. Guided by the stress process model and the constant comparative method, themes and subthemes were derived and categorized into four domains: (1) background/context; (2) perception/appraisal; (3) resources/coping, and (4) caregiver burden/reward. Findings suggest that intervention efforts should focus on educating and training dementia caregivers.

An online qualitative survey explored perceived training, readiness, and needs of recent SW graduates serving older adults. Over half (N = 14) held a master's in social work, with 70% having taken an introductory aging course. Nearly halfcompleted other aging-specific coursework, and 80% did fieldwork with older adults. Participants indicated moderate proficiency in assessing issues like lossestransitions (46.7%), and physical health (53.3%), and advanced expertise in cognitive assessments (60.0%) and caregiver stress management (53.3%). Training deficiencies were noted in disaster readiness, telehealth, and resource coordination. Findings underscore the need for educationfor early-career social workers, ensuring their effective support to older adults.