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Multidimensional assessment of the elderly client
- Author:
- MORROW-HOWELL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 73(7), 1992, pp.395-406.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
Covers physical health, mental health, social support, physical environment, functioning, coping styles and formal service usage, Discussion includes helpful assessment tests, relevant interviewing skills and co-operation with other professionals.
Do caregivers benefit more from educational and volunteer activities than their noncaregiving peers?
- Authors:
- GREENFIELD Jennifer C., MORROW-HOWELL Nancy, TEUFEL James
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 55(8), November 2012, pp.738-744.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In the United States, informal caregivers are a critical component of the long-term care system, but caregivers often experience poor physical and mental health as a result of strain from the caregiving role. It is well known that engagement in community-based educational and volunteer activities contributes to older adult well-being, but previous studies have not assessed whether the effects of these types of engagement are different for older adults who are also caregivers. Using a sample of participants in educational and volunteer activities sponsored by a national non-profit organisation, this study found that participants who were caregivers reported more benefit from these community-based activities than their non-caregiving counterparts. The authors concluded that connecting caregivers to existing community-based activities may be an efficient strategy for improving caregiver well-being. Implications for practice are discussed.
Organizational support and volunteering benefits for older adults
- Authors:
- TANG Fengyan, CHOI EunHee, MORROW-HOWELL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 50(5), October 2010, pp.603-612.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This study aimed to develop and test a theoretical model of volunteering benefits. In particular, it examined the mechanism through which volunteering benefits older adults, investigating whether organisational support is associated with increased volunteer commitment and socioemotional benefits, and whether socioemotional benefits are related to mental and physical health among older volunteers. A total of 253 older adult volunteers serving in 10 volunteer programmes completed mailed surveys in 2005 and 2006. Structural equation modelling was used to define the latent variables and to test direct and indirect relationships among organisational support, socioemotional benefits, and self-reported health. The results showed that organisational support, measured by choice of volunteer activity, training, and ongoing support, had significant direct associations with two latent factors of socioemotional benefits, that is, perceived contribution and personal benefits. Perceived contribution was significantly related to mental health. Additionally, older volunteers with lower socioeconomic status committed more hours and perceived more personal benefits than higher socioeconomic peers. The findings suggest that volunteer programmes can provide various organisational supports to older volunteers, especially to low-socioeconomic volunteers, in order to promote the socioemotional and health benefits of volunteering to older adults.