Social Networks, New Technologies, and Wellbeing—An Interview Study on Factors Influencing Older Adults’ Successful Ageing

Abstract

Many factors are considered vital in supporting successful ageing and older adults’ wellbeing. Whilst evidence exists around facilitating and hindering factors in the general use of various forms of institutional and family support and personal development-oriented education and/or new technologies, evidence is limited with regards to older people’s motivations, expectations, and experiences surrounding ageing. Hence, in this study, the author used a qualitative explanatory method to interpret the factors influencing seniors’ successful ageing. The author’s focus was on how seniors experience ageing. The second issue was how they have been organizing life in old age. The third point concerned their expectations towards ageing now and in the future. Thirteen older adults (60+) were interviewed nationwide using a semi-structured scenario tool. Their objective was to give rich descriptions of their experiences of ageing. The interviews revealed the older adults’ own experiences and enabled an understanding of their motivations, perceptions, moderators, and expectations around successful ageing. Based on the analysis of the qualitative data, the author developed three main themes, each with its own sub-themes: 1. Life satisfaction (transitioning to retirement, using coping strategies in adaptation to negative changes, reaching personal goals, leading a meaningful life); 2. Supportive environments (being independent but using temporary assistance from relatives and/or people close to oneself, living with family members (e.g., husband or wife, children, grandchildren), having access to health care system); 3. Social integration (social relations, social engagement, independence in using technological advancements). The main categories that emerged from the three themes were social networks, new technologies, and wellbeing. To analyze these issues, the author used a sociological approach. The theoretic explorations were embedded mainly in two methods: criticism of writing and the analytical and comparative one.

“I Want to Grow Older With Dignity”: Older LGBTQ+ Canadian Adults’ Perceptions and Experiences of Aging

“…Unique to our study was the finding that some participants experienced increasing financial flexibility in later life, which directly contrasts with previous research with older LGBTQ+ adults ( Burton et al, 2019 ; Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2018 ) but is akin to findings from studies with cisgender and heterosexual older adults ( Betlej, 2023 ). We note that financial security was reported more often by gay men, which aligns with previous studies ( Carpenter & Eppink, 2017 ).…”

“…Moreover, our study illustrates that not only are there intersections between pathways to health, as per the Health Equity Promotion Model, but also that vulnerabilities themselves intersect and amplify each other, particularly for older LGBTQ+ adults. Unique to our study was the finding that some participants experienced increasing financial flexibility in later life, which directly contrasts with previous research with older LGBTQ+ adults (Burton et al, 2019;Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2018) but is akin to findings from studies with cisgender and heterosexual older adults (Betlej, 2023). We note that financial security was reported more often by gay men, which aligns with previous studies (Carpenter & Eppink, 2017).…”

Comparative Analysis of Social Networks in Institutionalized Older Adults versus Aging-in-Place Scenarios

“…The distinctive impact of higher education in shaping social connections among older adults is underscored by its ability to cultivate expansive social networks, as evidenced in both institutionalized and AIP settings. The relationship between education level and the social network was clearly delineated concerning the concept of successful aging [40]. Moreover, it appears that higher education is associated with better health outcomes, as indicated by recent research [41].…”