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Improvements and decline in the physical functioning of Israeli older adults
- Authors:
- SPALTER Tal, BRODSKY Jenny, SHNOOR Yitschak
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 54(6), 2014, pp.919-929.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Purpose: This study depicts improvement and decline in functioning among three population groups of Israeli older adults: Jews and veteran immigrants, former Soviet Union immigrants, and Arabs. Methods: Using longitudinal data from 2005 and 2010 Survey of Health and Retirement (SHARE) in Israel (n = 982), four functional changes in late life in mobility, movement, activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental ADL, as a function of sociodemographic, health, and social variables were examined. Results: The findings reveal that physical functioning among older adults can decline as well as improve over time. Older age, higher number of diseases and comorbidity, living with others (not the spouse) compared with living alone, receiving informal help and formal help with homemaking, and declined mental health and cognitive status predict deterioration in physical functioning. Also, Arab older adults are at higher risk of deterioration over time compared with Jewish older adults. Implications: Findings imply that non-compatible assistance to older adults may 'save them the hassle' of doing things by themselves and thus, weakens a potential functional rehabilitation process. There is a need to guide not only professional personnel but also nonprofessional home care workers and family members on how to encourage and retain older adults’ functions as much as possible in order to improve their quality of life. Another implication of investing in rehabilitation is that it might reduce the disability rate among older adults and thus save health expenditures on long-term care at the macrosocial level. (Edited publisher abstract)
Greater age-related decline in markers of physical, mental and cognitive health among Israeli older adults exposed to lifetime cumulative adversity
- Author:
- SHRIRA Amit
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 18(5), 2014, pp.610-618.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: This longitudinal investigation addressed whether and how lifetime cumulative adversity and depressive symptoms moderated age-related decline in markers of physical, mental, and cognitive health.Method: 1248 older adults (mean age = 62 at Wave 1) who completed the first two waves of the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel) reported on exposure to potentially traumatic life events, depressive symptoms, and three outcomes – disability, quality of life, and cognitive markers.Results: Age was related to greater functional decline in outcome measures across the two waves (i.e., increase in disability and decrease in quality of life and cognitive functioning). This age-related decline became stronger as lifetime adversity increased. A three-way interaction showed that the greatest age-related functional decline in outcome measures was especially salient among those with high level of lifetime adversity and high level of depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Lifetime cumulative adversity is associated with a more noticeable process of age-related dysfunction across various markers of health. Although the majority of older adults are resilient to lifetime adversity, prevention and intervention programs should be aimed at mitigating the pronounced senescence observed when adversity accumulated to a large degree, and especially when it is accompanied with high level of distress. (Publisher abstract)