Sources of well-being for older adults with and without dementia in residential care: relations to presence of meaning and life satisfaction

Abstract

Objectives:To explore what sources of well-being are rated meaningful by older adults in residential care and how they are related to two important well-being outcomes. Method: Two cross-sectional questionnaire studies were conducted in a sample of care residents without cognitive disability (n = 329) and with Alzheimer's disease (n = 104). Structural equation modelling was used to test a hypothesized and exploratory model of different sources as predictors of presence of meaning in life (POM) and satisfaction with life (SWL). Results: Family and Health were rated most meaningful by residents with and without dementia. In both studies, the hypothesized model showed adequate fit with the data. For cognitively intact residents, Personal Growth, Spirituality/Religion, and Interpersonal Relationships predicted POM, while Family and Leisure predicted SWL. Exploratory testing identified Leisure as a possible additional predictor of POM. For residents with Alzheimer's disease, Personal Growth and Society/Community predicted POM, while Family predicted SWL. Conclusion:For older adults in residential care, many sources of well-being remain highly meaningful and some are directly related to the experience of meaning and life satisfaction.Both for residents with and without dementia, continued or increased investment in moments that foster personal growth and family relationships might be especially valuable.

What Can We Learn About the Concept of Meaning in Life from Older Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease? A Directed Content Analysis Study

“…Most sources discussed by the older adults with Alzheimer's disease who participated in the current investigation fit with the list of important sources forwarded by Delle Fave and colleagues (Delle Fave et al, 2011;Delle Fave et al, 2013). In line with findings in the general population (Grouden & Jose, 2014;Lambert et al, 2010) and previous quantitative research into sources of meaning for older adults with Alzheimer's disease (Dewitte, Vandenbulcke, Schellekens, & Dezutter, 2019), family was by far the most prominent theme, present in the description of more than half (56%) of the older adults. Within the category of family, children were most central and seemed to have a very special place in the lives of participants.…”

Meaning Reflectivity in Later Life: The Relationship Between Reflecting on Meaning in Life, Presence and Search for Meaning, and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults Over the Age of 75

“…Looking back at previous research, the mean levels of presence of meaning and search for meaning for this group were also lower than was observed in a general sample of community dwelling older adults aged 70 or more (Van der Heyden et al, 2015). In contrast, their scores were more similar to the relatively lower levels that have been observed in a nursing home population (Dewitte et al, 2019). While it should be noted that the mean score for depressive symptoms for the overall sample was low, the mean score for the unconcerned group also leaned more toward scores that have been observed in more challenged populations such as older adults recovering from stroke (Buijck et al, 2014) or older adults living in nursing homes (Dezutter et al, 2020).…”

Presence of Meaning in Life in Older Men and Women: The Role of Dimensions of Frailty and Social Support

“…Further, relations with others have been previously outlined as the central source of meaning across the life span (Glaw et al, 2017). In late life, the presence of meaning was positively associated with a number of significant social contacts in older adults (Volkert et al, 2019), with the quality of interpersonal relationships (Dewitte et al, 2019) and with aspects of social support (Krause, 2007). The term social support generally refers to different kinds of supportive social relations or interactions that increase or promote an individual's wellbeing (Cohen et al, 2000).…”