Benefits of Support Networks for Older Adults Essay

When evaluating Maggie’s situation, it is important to analyse social support networks in the matter of community connectedness as a protective factor of her health. Many epidemiologists corroborate that a healthy social network relates to positive health, such as reduced rates of depression. (Thompson, Teresa. 2014) Social support can be delivered by family, friends, teachers, social groups and many more. Social support aims to educate through advice, information and resources for a common goal to improve health.

What makes you happy? Psychology: Ninth Edition in Modules responds “most people mention- before anything else- close, satisfying relationships with family, friends, or romantic partners” [Bercheld 1985]. In summation, happiness is often dependent on social interaction. People who live alone and have little to no interaction with others begin to exhibit qualities associated with insanity- a person is said to have psychological disorders for making up people who do not actually surround them. Ironically, Americans of the present generation are increasingly isolating themselves through “social” media. The absence of genuine human interaction has led to increased numbers of people feeling depressed or even

The impact of loneliness on physical health can also be better understood by the study conducted by Uchino and colleagues (1996). They found that social individuals have lower blood pressure, better immunity and lower levels of stress hormones than the socially isolated people. In contrast another study described by Arthur 2006 demonstrated that it is not yet clear that group therapy or socialization can improve the secondary prevention of Coronary heart Disease. After considering all the studies and arguments by different authors it can be conclude that it is necessary to do more research on the impact of socialization on physical health of individuals.

High-quality social relationships, wherein people experience camaraderie and happiness, yield substantial health benefits. For instance, social ties such as marriage and religious involvement have been linked to healthier choices with diet and exercise, possibly because these connections promote positive behavioral norms (Umberson and Montez, 2010). High-quality social relationships also promote mental health by offering individuals a sense of place within a meaningful environment. When people feel connected and supported, they tend to experience a greater sense of control, a psychological state shown to be both associated and causally linked to good health (Lachman and Weaver, 1998). Positive psychological effects of social relationships improve physical health by making it easier for the body to maintain chemical homeostasis over long periods of time by alleviating its “allostatic load” (Umberson and Montez, 2010). Ultimately, these components of high-quality social relationships make people less likely to get sick and die.

Older adults are at a stage in life where they have to come to terms with their “inevitable decline” (Gladding, pg. 301). Older adults may suffer from “loneliness, fear and loss” (Gladding, pg. 302). They have been facing “chronic health problems that require increased attention” (Gladding, pg. 302). Many older people have difficulty transitioning to a “retirement lifestyle and long for their professional roles” (302). Many elderly also experience “limited socialization and interpersonal activities” (Gladding, pg. 303). Depression “affects 121 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability” (Pépin, Guérette, Lefebvre & Jacques, pg. 117).

Referring to a news article I read, researchers at the University of North Carolina found that the quantity and quality of one’s social relationships affect certain health measures at different points in their lives, for example, “adolescents who are socially isolated face the same risk for developing inflammation as those who don’t exercise” and “Older adults are more at risk for developing hypertension from social isolation than from diabetes” (Izadi, 2016, pg1). In the same article it explains four surveys that were performed on more than 14,000 participants at different stages of their lives to capture the essential qualities of their social lives followed by their physical well-being. They found that social relationships can not only prevent some of the effects caused by stress but they can also help with coping. According to the universal class website, studies have shown that “the more social relationships someone has, the greater the person's ability to fight the common cold” and “those with a strong social network have been shown twice as likely to survive after a heart attack than those lacking strong relationships” (The Benefits of Social Relationships, 2018). They found that being more socially connected is protective when it comes to our health, whereas being less socially connected is associated with risk factors when it comes to our health.

Butler (2206) suggests an evaluation instrument that directors of the Senior Companion Program (SCP) and other similar programs can use to collect data on the impact of their programs. This instrument consists of two open ended questions for both SCP volunteers and their clients, and two standardized measures: the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSN-A) quantifies a client’s contact and support; and the Center for Epidemological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) which measures “the frequency of depressive symptoms in the previous week” (p.52). Butler’s (2006) evaluation tool is administered at intake and periodically over time to elicit participants’ feedback on their experience with the program.

Like the skeleton of the human body, everything important in one’s life relies on this key concept to be strong and supportive. From the day one is born until the day that they die, they have and continuously build up relationships with the people in their family, their friends, co-workers, really anyone and everyone of their choosing. These people are there whenever you may need somebody to help care for you when going through a rough patch, or to help you celebrate when something great happens. Everybody has their “person”, as ever so famously quoted and demonstrated by Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang in the hit television show “Grey’s Anatomy”. In fact, this feature is so important to one 's’ success in life that it even affects their health in a similar way that diet and exercise also does, which is explained in the quote “Want to be healthy? Hit the gym. Eat nutritious food. And… hang out with people,” (Izadi). This quote comments on the idea that in order to be healthy, one must acquire numerous sociable relationships. Socialization is a key component of human nature, and can be argued to even be as important as eating and drinking, which is why the establishment of these supportive bonds with others is really the first step in living the American Dream.

Matuska, Giles-Heinz, Flinn, Neighbor, & Bass-Haugen (2003) discussed the outcomes of a wellness program for adults aged 65 years or greater who live in a community-dwelling setting. The wellness program included weekly sessions for 6 months discussing topics that may help the adults reduce personal and environmental barriers to improve quality of life (QoL) (Matuska, Giles-Heinz, Flinn, Neighbor, & Bass-Haugen, 2003). Topics of discussion include transportation, stress, life balance, safety associated with fall prevention, communication, aging (Matuska et al., 2003). Participants completed an intake form and SF-36 Health Survey prior to entering the program to obtain baseline data with the SF-36 Health Survey completed 6 months following the program too (Matuska et al., 2003). Matuska et al. (2003) determined QoL associated with vitality, social functioning, and mental health were statistically significant with positive trends in all areas of the SF-36. While the results were generally positive, the authors recognized limitations, including lack of control group and uncontrolled variables, with potentially incorrect statistical analysis. However, as a result of the generally favorable results,

The social animal works and interacts with others and inserts itself into a web of social connections. These groups manifest out of strangers, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, friends, relatives and among other loved ones we may consider. As a result, the social group provides the information of being loved and belonging in which benefits the social animal (Cobb, 1976). These sensations of love and belonging are also referred to as social support. Nevertheless, research has heavily focused on the physical health benefits of social support but not much knowledge exists on the five psychological constructs such as, rumination, gratitude, preventive health, reappraisal, and the inclusion of other in the self. I should say that I do believe a relationship of perceived social support exists among these constructs like I said its talked about but not stressed enough. However, these studies that emphasize on depression, for example are not drawbacks but fruitful studies in regards to depression. On one hand, we discovered that depression is sometimes caused by loneliness, also to mention this usually leads to suicide, which is a product of loneliness (Wagner & Calhoun,

The ability to support the older people keep up social ties with the use of technical devices such as telephone is vital, and there is indication that older people may benefit from the use of internet as a befriending opportunity (Skingley, 2013). According to Age UK (2009), there is no evidence to effectiveness of services aimed at reducing loneliness and social isolation among older people, but concludes that there is a need to focus on befriending services for older people, in particular the effectiveness of such services in terms of their impact on older people’s quality of life and their overall preventive value.

This study investigated the difference between emotional and social loneliness using structural equation modeling, evaluated whether a two-dimensional or unidimensional conception of loneliness provides a better fit to the data. Second, the extent to which positive and negative social exchanges are associated with older adults’ loneliness was examined. Third, they also investigated whether the structure and social-exchange correlates of loneliness differ for currently married versus formerly married older

As the people, they should have more relationship. The more relationship which they have, the more friendship they gain. People should understand that there is the link between friendship and health. Psychologist agree that the importance of strong social connections throughout life is gaining scientific clout, having been linked with such benefits as a greater pain tolerance, a stronger immune system, and a lower risk of depression and early death. Therefore, people should be more open-minded, more socialite. They will have more relationships; even thought, they live far from their

Some researches indicate that social relations play an important role on the cognitive function in late adulthood. In fact, the size of social networks are highly related to the well-maintained cognition in human memory (Carstensen, & Hartel, 2006 ; Doge, Ybarra, & Kaye, 2014 ; Howieson, 2015) because it provides social support to old adults. Krause (1986) developed the concept of social support and separated it into three categories which are informational, emotional and network support. More studies claim that it provides environmental stimulation to elders, thus, their cognitive function is enhanced and reduced the risk of cognitive deterioration (Arbuckle, Gold, Andres, Schwartzman, & Chaikelson, 1992 ; Yeh & Liu, 2003). Holtzman, Rebok,

Studies of mortality, which included social relationships as a metric, determined social relationships have a significant causal relationship to mortality. (Holt-Lunstad, Smith & Layton, 2010) More studies have been done on social relationships however; the mechanisms of how social relationships affect our health are still unclear. (2010) Relationships and their effect on health status continue to be an important area of research and analysis. Social relationships are a determinant which can be addressed at a community level. One key principle outlined by the Commission of European Communities report was not just looking at mortality rates, but also focusing on the quality of life during the