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Valuing the health of the support worker in the aged care sector
- Authors:
- GEORGE Esther, HALE Leigh, ANGELO Jennifer
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 37(5), 2017, pp.1006-1024.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study explored aged care support workers’ perceptions of how their health was influenced by their job, highlighting similarities and differences of those working in community-based and institution-based care. Support workers working in two institution-based and three community-based aged care organisations were invited to participate. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with ten participants. Open-ended questions probed participants’ perceptions of their health as it related to their work. Data were analysed with the General Inductive Approach. Four central themes were identified, many of which related to mental, as opposed to physical health. ‘Love of the job’ described various sources of satisfaction for participants. These factors commonly overrode the negative aspects. ‘Stress’ encompassed the negative influences on all aspects of health. ‘Support’ described the positive influences on health, which supported participants in their job. ‘Physicality’ described the physical nature of the job and the positive and negative impact this had on participants’ health. Support workers perform numerous tasks, which often impact upon their health. Aspects of the job that may impact the health of the worker are improved communication and support from management, as well as recognition for support workers’ contribution to society. These could be targeted to enhance support worker health. Additional training and reduced time pressure may also represent aspects for improvement, to optimise support workers’ physical health. (Publisher abstract)
A pilot study on perceived stress and PTSD symptomatology in relation to four dimensions of older women’s physical health
- Authors:
- LAGANA Luciana, REGER Stacy L.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 13(6), November 2009, pp.885-893.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study examines the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology and stress of a non-traumatic nature on the physical well-being of older women. The subjects, 53 community living ethnically diverse women aged 65-105, were interviewed using various instruments including the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey, the Brief Posttraumatic Stress Screening Scale, and the Older Women’s Perceived Stress beyond Health Status Scale. The results indicated that perceived stress was a significant predictor of lower levels of general health but not of role limitations or physical functioning. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology predicted more limitations in role fulfilment and to a lesser extent impaired physical functioning, but not lower levels of general health. The authors conclude that posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology and perceived stress might alter older women’s physical health dimensions differentially, and that further research is required.
Daily well-being benefits of physical activity in older adults: does time or type matter?
- Authors:
- WHITEHEAD Brenda R., BLAXTON Jessica M.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 57(6), 2017, pp.1062-1071.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Purpose of the Study: There is little debate that maintaining some level of physical activity in later life conveys positive benefits both physically and psychologically. What is less understood is the extent to which the type of activity or the length of time spent doing it matters when it comes to these benefits on the daily level. Here, the authors investigated (a) whether the presence of daily purposeful exercise (Exercise) or non-exercise physical activity (Activity) is sufficient for experiencing day-level benefits, or if time spent matters, and (b) whether there are differential well-being benefits of Exercise and Activity on the daily level. Design and Methods: Older adults (N = 127; aged 60–95, Mage = 79.4) filled out surveys for 14 days, reporting daily Exercise and Activity behaviours as well as Positive and Negative Affect (PA/NA), Perceived Stress (PS), Perceived Health (PH), and Sleep Quality (SQ). Results: Multilevel regression models showed that for purposeful exercise, more time spent was beneficial for PA, NA, and PH, but for PS, only the presence of exercise was important (time did not matter). For non-exercise activity, time did not have as great an influence as presence—doing any form of activity was beneficial for both PA and SQ. Exercise and Activity had largely independent (additive) effects. Implications: Results reveal that both purposeful exercise and non-exercise activity convey independent daily well-being benefits, and that for some aspects of daily well-being, duration does matter. Findings can be applied in the development of physical activity education or engagement programmes for older adults. (Publisher abstract)
Informal caregiving and its impact on health: a reappraisal from population-based studies
- Authors:
- ROTH David L., FREDMAN Lisa, HALEY William E.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 55(2), 2015, pp.309-319.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This article aims to re-examine some of the existing evidence on the health effects of caregiving, focusing in particular on one commonly cited claim that family caregiving is associated with an increased risk for mortality. The authors discuss important methodological concerns on the definition of caregiving, the composition of different caregiving subgroups, the sampling of caregivers, and the sampling and recruitment of appropriate noncaregiving comparison groups. A landmark study by Schulz and Beach reported higher mortality rates for strained spouse caregivers. However, five subsequent population-based studies found reduced mortality and extended longevity for caregivers as a whole compared with noncaregiving controls. Most caregivers also report benefits from caregiving, and many report little or no caregiving-related strain. The article stresses the importance of achieving more balanced and updated portrayal of the health effects of caregiving is needed to encourage more persons to take on caregiving roles, and to better target evidence-based services to the subgroup of caregivers who are highly strained or otherwise at risk. Recommendations are discussed for research that will better integrate and clarify both the negative and potential positive health effects of informal caregiving. (Edited publisher abstract)
Stress on health-related quality of life in older adults: the protective nature of mindfulness
- Authors:
- DE FRAIS Cindy M., WHYNE Erum
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 19(3), 2015, pp.201-206.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: This study examines whether the link between stress and health-related quality of life was buffered by protective factors, namely mindfulness, in a sample of middle-aged and older adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 134 healthy, community-dwelling adults (ages 50-85 years) were recruited from Dallas, Texas. The participants were screened for depressive symptoms and severity (using the Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]). All participants completed measures of self-reported health status (i.e. SF36v2: mental and physical health composites), life stress (using the Elders Life Stress Inventory [ELSI]), and trait mindfulness (i.e. Mindful Attention Awareness Scale). Results: Hierarchical regressions (covarying for age, gender, and education) showed that life stress was inversely related to physical and mental health. Mindfulness was positively related to mental health. The negative effect of life stress on mental health was weakened for those individuals with higher levels of trait mindfulness. Conclusions: The results suggest that mindfulness is a powerful, adaptive strategy that may protect middle-aged and older adults from the well-known harmful effects of stress on mental health. (Publisher abstract)
Factors associated with perceived health in older adult Irish population
- Authors:
- BURKE Kate E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 16(3), April 2012, pp.288-295.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Perceived health status or self-reported health is a reliable indicator of overall health status and is a widely used measure in health and aging surveys. Self-reported health declines with age and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, poor mental health and functional outcomes and health care utilisation. The aim of this study was to investigate how older people perceive their health and the physical, psychological and social factors that influence and potentially predict such perceptions. The participants were 492 community-dwelling older people with a mean age of 72.5 years living in Dublin. The participants underwent a comprehensive assessment using standardised measures of medical morbidity, personality, functional status, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, cognition, loneliness and social support. Analysis of the findings revealed that self-rated health is best predicted by instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI), extraversion and perceived stress. The effects of cognition and social support from friends on self-rated health were found to be mediated by elements of these identified factors. The article concludes that self-rated health is not simply the absence of physical illness but is also strongly influenced by the degree of functional impairment, personality factors and the level of stress experienced by the older person.
Resilience and adaptation to stress in later life: empirical perspectives and conceptual implications
- Authors:
- ONG Anthony D., BERGEMAN C.S.
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing International, 29(3), 2004, pp.219-246.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
As it has become more widely recognized that increasing numbers of people are living to progressively older ages, it is important to understand the nature of individual traits that promote resilience and well-being in later life, to describe how these traits develop, to identify the factors that threaten and undermine their maintenance, and to elucidate the mechanisms that support and promote their growth. To have a knowledge base upon which to build intervention programs to improve and maintain well-being in later life, it is necessary to build understanding of what the multiple pathways are that lead to resilience, how these pathways may change, and what can be done to stop or forestall maladjustment and decline. In this article, the authors highlight theoretical areas of research on resilience and well-being that have received relatively little attention in previous work with older adults. They also identify unresolved methodological challenges associated with the measurement and analysis of within-person phenomena and elaborate on the implications of these challenges for process research in aging populations. Finally, future intervention directions to advance knowledge of resilience and positive health in later adulthood are discussed.
Psychosocial factors associated with the use/non-use of mental health services by primary carers of individuals with dementia
- Authors:
- MOCKLER Darren, RIORDAN John, MURPHY Marian
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13(5), May 1998, pp.310-314.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Investigates psychosocial factors associated with the use/non-use of services by primary carers of people with dementia. Considers health, stress, family and social support, years of caring, age of carers and person with dementia, gender and level of behavioural disturbance presented by the person with dementia. The findings indicated that primary carers in the non-user service group scored significantly higher on a measure estimating an individual's ability to deal with stressful situations. The individual's ability to deal with caring responsibilities was associated with a reduction in the level of diagnosable psychiatric disorder and the non-use of services. A significant inverse association between health, stress and individual ability to deal with stressful situations was also found when the two carer groups were combined.
Our crucial connection with nature
- Author:
- BORRETT Nick
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Dementia Care, 4(5), September 1996, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Hawker
Research into the effect of the environment on stress and well-being has shown that access to nature and natural forms in our surroundings have a marked beneficial effect. Demonstrates how this has far-reaching implications in the design of environments for people with dementia.
The impact of informal caregiving for older adults on the health of various types of caregivers: a systematic review
- Authors:
- BOM Judith, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 59(5), 2019, p.e629–e642.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Objective: Informal care, the provision of unpaid care to dependent friends or family members, is often associated with physical and mental health effects. As some individuals are more likely to provide caregiving tasks than others, estimating the causal impact of caregiving is difficult. This systematic literature review provides an overview of all studies aimed at estimating the causal effect of informal caregiving on the health of various subgroups of caregivers. Methodology: A structured literature search, following PRISMA guidelines, was conducted in 4 databases. Three independent researchers assessed studies for eligibility based on predefined criteria. Results from the studies included in the review were summarized in a predefined extraction form and synthesized narratively. Results: The systematic search yielded a total of 1,331 articles of which 15 are included for synthesis. The studies under review show that there is evidence of a negative impact of caregiving on the mental and physical health of the informal caregiver. The presence and intensity of these health effects strongly differ per subgroup of caregivers. Especially female, and married caregivers, and those providing intensive care appear to incur negative health effects from caregiving. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions aimed at reducing the negative impact of caregiving among different subgroups. As the strength and presence of the caregiving effect differ between subgroups of caregivers, policymakers should specifically target those caregivers that experience the largest health effect of informal caregiving. (Edited publisher abstract)