Establishing and maintaining social connectivity: An understanding of the lived experiences of older adults residing in regional and rural communities

Buys, Laurie; Burton, Lorelle J.; Cuthill, Michael; Hogan, Anthony; Wilson, Bruce; Baker, Douglas

doi:10.1111/ajr.12196

Cited by 20 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Almost half the selected articles – six in total – had an MMAT percentage of 100 per cent. The article of Buys et al (2015) scored 50 per cent of the MMAT checklist and was therefore not included. This means that 14 articles are included in this systematic literature review.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social needs of older people: a systematic literature review

2017

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Social needs are important basic human needs. When social needs are not satisfied, this can lead to mental and physical health problems. With a growing population of older adults and the need for them to stay healthy and community-dwelling, satisfying social needs is important. The aim of this review is to give more insight into the social needs of older people and subsequently into the characteristics of effective interventions for satisfying older people's social needs. A systematic review of the existing literature on quantitative, qualitative and mixed empirical studies on the social needs of older people was conducted. The themes that emerged were diversity, proximity, meaning of the relationship and reciprocity. These themes offered several intervention implications. Participation in hobbies and in volunteer work and being connected were among the main findings. The social needs of older people are diverse. They focus on both the intimate and the peripheral members of their networks. When satisfying social needs, reciprocity is important. The feeling of connectedness to others and to a community or neighbourhood contributes to wellbeing as well as a feeling of independence. Staying active by doing volunteer work or participating in (leisure) social activities satisfies social needs. Therefore, interventions should focus especially on the connectedness, participation and independence of the older adult.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social needs of older people: a systematic literature review

2017

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“…Older adults in many parts of the world are aging in rural places. For example, in Australia, over a third of the rural population are older adults [1]; in rural China, there are an estimated 178 million people over 60 years old [2]; and in Sri Lanka, almost 14% of the population is over 60 years old [3]. In Canada, there are approximately 3000 rural communities, 40% of which are not within commuting distance of major hospitals with advanced medical care options.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Globally, rural communities face limited access to transportation, which impacts access to friends, family, and health services [1,6]. The small size of these communities creates challenges in terms of local services available to older adults aging in place.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, palliative care resources may be limited in rural areas [7,8]. Consistent with the lack of available resources, rural older adults in many regions do not visit health care providers as often as urban residents [1,5,9], and are more likely to go to hospital emergency departments [10] and to be admitted [11]. In general, despite the fact that rural older adults tend to have poorer health [12,13] and less access to health care services [5,14], they express greater satisfaction with their health [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aging in place in a rural community comes with a unique set of challenges for those who design programs and services to help older adults to age in place successfully [1,44,50]. For example, many of the smallest communities do not have health service providers and family physicians [5,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A Scoping Review: Social Participation as a Cornerstone of Successful Aging in Place among Rural Older Adults

et al. 2018

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Despite obstacles, many rural-dwelling older adults report that positive aspects of rural residence, such as attachment to community, social participation, and familiarity, create a sense of belonging that far outweighs the negative. By being part of a community where they are known and they know people, rural elders continue to find meaning, the key to achieving successful aging in this last stage of life. This scoping review explored factors influencing social participation and, through it, successful aging among rural-dwelling older adults. We sought to answer the question: what factors enhance or detract from the ability of rural-dwelling older adults to engage in social participation in rural communities? The scoping review resulted in 19 articles that highlight the importance of supports to enable older people to spend time with others, including their pets, engage in volunteer and community activities, and help maintain their home and care for their pets. Overall, the lack of services, including local health care facilities, was less important than the attachment to place and social capital associated with aging in place.

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Older People with Diabetes and Life Transitions

Rasmussen

2018

The Art and Science of Personalising Care With Older People With Diabetes

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Establishing and maintaining social connectivity: An understanding of the lived experiences of older adults residing in regional and rural communities

Abstract: Social connections for older adults are important in maintaining independence and community engagement.

Cited by 20 publications

References 9 publications

Social needs of older people: a systematic literature review

Social needs of older people: a systematic literature review

A Scoping Review: Social Participation as a Cornerstone of Successful Aging in Place among Rural Older Adults

Older People with Diabetes and Life Transitions

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