Search results for ‘Subject term:"activities of daily living"’ Sort:
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Caregiver confidence: does it predict changes in disability among elderly home care recipients?
- Authors:
- LI Lydia W., MCLAUGHLIN Sara J.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 52(1), February 2012, pp.79-88.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Caregivers who are confident in their care recipients’ functional capacity may be less likely to offer assistance and more likely to encourage the recipient to perform tasks independently. The aim of this study was to determine whether caregiver confidence in their care recipients’ functional capabilities predicts changes in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) among elderly home care recipients over time. The sample included 5,138 elderly recipients of home and community-based long-term care in Michigan. ADL performance was assessed multiple times over a 2-year period. Caregiver confidence was measured at baseline with a single item. Multilevel modelling was used to estimate the effect of caregiver confidence on changes in ADL performance over time, controlling for baseline self-efficacy and ADL performance. The findings showed that elders whose caregivers were confident in their capacity for greater functional independence experienced greater improvement in ADL performance than those whose caregivers were not confident. Elders in dyads in which both members expressed confidence experienced more improvement in ADL performance than those in dyads in which either 1 or both members lacked confidence.
Health among the oldest-old in China: which living arrangements make a difference?
- Authors:
- LI Lydia W., ZHANG Jiaan, LIANG Jersey
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 68(2), January 2009, pp.220-227.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This study aims to (1) examine the association of living arrangements and health among oldest-old Chinese, and (2) investigate gender differences in the association of living arrangements and health. Data were from the first two waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, which included 9093 Chinese averaging 92 years old. Living arrangements had six mutually exclusive categories: living alone, with spouse, with children, with spouse and children, with others and in institutions. Using multinomial logistic regression, it was found that baseline living arrangements are significantly associated with mortality, activities of daily living (ADL) disability, and self-rated health at Wave 2, controlling for baseline health, sociodemographic characteristics and availability of children. Further, the linkages between living arrangements and mortality vary by gender. Among the different living arrangements, having a spouse in the household (either with a spouse only or with both a spouse and children) provides the best health protection. Living alone and living with children are associated with both health advantages and disadvantages. Institutional living lowers mortality risk for men but not women. Living with others provides the least health benefits. The study has extended the research on living arrangements and health to a unique population - the oldest-old in China - and clarified the health advantages and disadvantages of different living arrangements. Future research should examine the mechanisms linking living arrangements and health, and the experience of institutional living for men and women in China.