Correlates of Attitudes Toward Personal Aging in Older Assisted Living Residents

This study explored factors contributing to older adults’ self-perceptions about their own aging in assisted living (AL) communities. Data analysis was completed based on interviews with 150 older residents from 17 AL communities. Multiple regression analyses found that functional disability and hearing impairment negatively affected attitudes toward personal aging among AL residents, and satisfaction with social support positively influenced attitudes. Health perception mediated attitudes toward personal aging. Findings suggest the importance of social workers helping older AL residents recognize social support as a means of promoting their positive self-regard.     

The Productive Aging Concept and Social Work Students’ Perceptions Toward an Older Population

Social work curriculum that offers an optimistic perspective on aging has the potential to help social work students go on to practice in a nondiscriminatory way with older adults. This study introduces social work students to the productive aging concept, an optimistic view to social potential in later life, in lecture format and assesses postlecture changes in their perceptions of older adults. Seventy-two students (16 BSW; 56 MSW) were recruited from a large university in the southeast United States to participate in a lecture on productive aging. A one-group pretest–posttest design was used, and a paired samples t test (n = 72) was used to analyze changes in social work students’ perceptions toward older adults. Negative attitudes toward older adults decreased and positive attitudes toward older adults increased among students following their participation in the lecture on productive aging. This finding suggests the productive aging concept may favorably influence student perceptions of older adults. Future research should aim to investigate ways in which these changes in perception at the college level can translate and self-sustain in social work practice for social work students postgraduation.     

How Effective are Helpers to Older Adults’ Life Satisfaction?

The effectiveness of help received from home care workers and volunteers to the life satisfaction of community-dwelling older adults is vital but uncharted. To address the effectiveness, this study aims to optimize the use of social resources for the older adults’ life quality. The study thus surveyed 398 community-dwelling older adults in a city of China about the help and life satisfaction. Results showed a significant positive effect of help from home care workers, but not that from volunteers, on the older adult’s life satisfaction. Moreover, the effect of help from volunteers was significantly greater when the older adult had higher education or lower family income. These effects are explicable with resource theory and need fulfillment theory. They imply the worth of promoting help from home care workers generally and volunteers conditionally to champion older adults’ life satisfaction.     

Social Support,Retirement Resources,and the Gendered Experiences of Aging for Tunisian Older Adults

Cultural context plays an important role in the experience of aging. The country of Tunisia is of particular interest because limited studies on aging have been done in the past decade. The study examined data collected from Tunisian older adults in an attempt to gain additional information about their experience aging in this culture. The purpose of this study was to identify key information tied to social policy factors that have the potential to impact older adults living in Tunisia. From June to July 2017, semi-structured interviews were completed with 60 older adults covering topics about family history, daily activities, health and health satisfaction, retirement benefits and satisfaction, medical coverage, social support, service availability, feelings of growing older, as well as advice provided to younger adults. Findings include gender differences in retirement resources and benefits, sources of support, and older adults’ self-reported desires for the future. This work adds to the growing body of literature concerning differences in global aging and provides greater awareness of aging in the distinctive context of Tunisia. Additional work should seek to deepen the investigation of the various social policies that impact the Tunisian older adult.     

Factors Protecting against Suicidal Ideation in South Korean Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review investigates protective factors against suicidal ideation among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea. Existing research focuses on risk factors for suicidal thoughts among older adults living in the community, but research on protective factors for this population is rare. Furthermore, studies have been more likely to examine individual and social factors rather than macro factors, yet suicidal thoughts among older adults may come from various long-term challenges. This study applied Bronfenbrenner’s ecological frame to synthesize 60 studies. The results reveal that protective factors against suicidal thoughts among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea are found at four levels: individual, family, community, and macro-level factors.     

Factors Associated With Productive Engagement Among Older South Koreans

ABSTRACT

 Although positive relationships among health, types of activities, and productive aging have been documented in Western industrial nations, little attention has been paid to rapidly developing countries. This study examined unique factors using national South Korean data. Community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and older (n = 6,688) were drawn from Wave II of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the main and interaction effects related to labor force participation (LFP) and lifelong-learning participation (LLP). Whereas one third (34.4%) of the respondents were involved in LFP, LLP was extremely low (6.8%). Health and socioeconomic status were significant in conducting LFP and LLP. Depression and cognition contributed to LFP but not LLP. Older men who reported higher levels of depression were less likely to engage in LLP than were their female peers. For female respondents, the social activities of exercise and alumni meetings contributed to the likelihood of LLP. Given the lower socioeconomic characteristics and low participation in lifelong learning, it is essential to establish financial incentives to encourage activity participation and develop programs to promote productive aging in South Korea. Future studies should consider the impact of environments and social policy on productive engagement.     

Does social capital always raise life satisfaction? A comparison of South Korea and Taiwan

This study examined the relationship between social capital and life satisfaction in an Asian context, focusing on South Korea and Taiwan. We considered two components of social capital – networks and trust – and argue that the ability of social capital to increase life satisfaction depends on the context. Using the national Life and Society survey data from South Korea (N = 978) and Taiwan (N = 1,200), our analysis found that, when several control variables, such as subjective social status, self‐reported health condition, sex and belief in individualism, were considered, social capital was positively related to life satisfaction in Taiwan, while there was no significant association between social capital and life satisfaction in South Korea. The South Korean case revealed that social capital is not a good predictor of life satisfaction in a context in which being successful is overwhelmingly emphasised.     

Social participation,health‐related behavior,and depression of older adults living alone in Korea

This study aims to identify the effects of social participation on depression among adults over 60 years old living alone in Korea, focusing on the mediating effect of health‐related behavior on the social participation–depression relationship. The study relies on secondary data analysis using the 6th wave of the Korea Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and structural equation modeling method was employed for analyses. The findings indicate that older adults' participation in religious and social gatherings decreases depressive symptoms. The study also finds that regular eating behavior, drinking, and exercise also act as significant mediators, as older adults' participation in social gatherings is associated with those health‐related behaviors and that they also reduce depression. The results suggest that social participation by older adults who live alone is crucial not only for providing them with support but also for encouraging health‐related activities that can have direct effects on their mental health. Implications for social work practice are also discussed.     

Functional Independence of Community-Dwelling Older Adults in China and South Korea

ABSTRACT

Population aging is occurring at an unprecedented pace in China and South Korea. This study intended to identify and compare factors associated with older adults’ functional status in China and South Korea using data from 2 national surveys. The study sample consisted of adults aged 65 to 79 years old drawn from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2005; n = 4,898) and the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (2006; n = 4,152). The outcome variable, functional status, was defined as dependence in self-care tasks. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to assess the explanatory contributions of sociodemographics, health conditions, and health behaviors and activities to functional status. These Asian older adults shared certain commonalities in maintaining functional independence in their communities, and absence of diseases and higher cognition were associated with functional independence in both countries. Rural residence and outdoor activity were significant for Chinese older adults; for their South Korean peers, gender, employment status, drinking, and exercise were important. This study adds to a slowly growing body of knowledge of ways to improve the functional independence of community-dwelling older persons in these 2 Asian countries and beyond. More research is needed to identify cross-cultural and/or cross-country differences.     

Older Workers in Intergenerational Child Care

Thirty-four older workers in one of five intergenerational child care settings participated in a study exploring the effects of their participation in intergenerational child care programs. The purpose o the study was (1) to identify and describe a sample of older child care workers and (2) to identify characteristics of the older child care workers or the work experience which significantly impact on their lives. The older workers completed a written questionnaire, standardized life satisfaction scale, and interviews. The results suggest that participation in intergenerational child care programs supports the notion of generativity and enhances productive aging. Older workers reported increases in feeling needed, valued, and a sense of self-worth, and increased social contact. Over 90% of the older workers reported that their job expectations were met and that they felt the children had benefitted from their work. Positive changes in attitude about children's growth was positively related to the older workers' personal growth. Older workers also reported greater personal growth when they worked in excellent child care centers as compared to good or fair quality centers. Younger teachers reported positive changes in the classroom environment with the presence of older workers. These findings have implications for training older adults as child care workers and for social policy issues concerning older citizens' roles in our society.     

A Comparison of Rural and Urban Older Adults in Iowa on Specific Markers of Successful Aging

This study examines the differences between rural and urban older adults on level of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, focusing on the effect of social support. Data were collected through structured interviews at senior centers and senior meal sites in eastern and southeastern Iowa. The Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), the Life Satisfaction Index-Z (LSI-Z), and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS15) were used. Correlations (Pearson's r), independent sample t-tests, and multiple regression were computed. Findings indicated that urban residents reported more depressive symptoms, as compared to rural residents. Subjective level of social support was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction and was more negatively related to depressive symptoms among rural than among urban older adults. Results suggest that social workers who work with aging people need to be aware of rural–urban differences in mental health. Furthermore, social workers need to have knowledge of older adults' social networks and work to ensure greater opportunity for social interaction.     

The effects of physical and psychological health on life satisfaction among older adults with a physical disability in South Korea: focus on gender differences

This study aims to investigate whether (a) functional disabilities, self-rated health and depression influence life satisfaction among older adults with a physical disability, and (b) whether the effects of the predictors differ by gender. The study utilises 2008 Korea Welfare Panel Study data. The findings reveal that functional disabilities and depression are negatively associated with life satisfaction, whereas self-rated health is positively related with life satisfaction. In addition, the effects of functional disabilities and income on life satisfaction vary by gender. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.     

The Association of Suicide Rates with Individual‐Level Suicide Attitudes: A Cross‐National Analysis*

Objective. Research on the predictors of individual‐level attitudes toward suicide has neglected the possible role of contextual‐level predictors. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by assessing the association between suicide rates and the attitudes of individuals. Based on social learning theory, it is argued that persons socialized in nations with relatively high rates of suicide are more likely to be exposed to suicidal role models, which provide positive definitions of suicide. Methods. Data refer to 40,873 adults in 31 nations, and are taken from the World Health Organization and World Values Surveys. Given the bi‐level nature of the data, hierarchical linear modeling techniques (HLM) are utilized. Additional predictor variables are incorporated from previous research and include religious participation and political orientation from social learning theory, marital status and life satisfaction from control theory, and basic demographics such as age and gender. Results. The results of the HLM indicate that controlling for individual‐level predictors, as well as other Level 2 variables, persons residing in nations with relatively high suicide rates are more approving of suicide than their counterparts. The model was replicated for the prediction of support for euthanasia. A social learning perspective was further supported by results linking 1970 suicide rates with suicide acceptability among older adults in 1990. Conclusion. National suicide rates are predictive of individual‐level suicide acceptability. However, the main predictors of suicide acceptability included a measure from social learning theory, religiosity, and a neglected measure of control theory, life satisfaction.     

Job satisfaction of social workers in senior welfare centres in South Korea: the effects of individual,client and organisational factors

This study investigates the individual, client and organisational factors that affect the job satisfaction of social workers employed by senior welfare centres in Korea. The data were collected from 130 social workers in senior welfare centres and subjected to hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The job satisfaction of social workers in senior welfare centres was influenced by their self-efficacy, positive attitude to older adults, their relationships with colleagues, and supervision. Ways to improve the job satisfaction of social workers are discussed.     

High Life Satisfaction: Exploring the Role of Health,Social Integration and Perceived Safety among Mexican Midlife and Older Adults

We sought to investigate the relationship of high life satisfaction with important physical health, mental health, social integration and perceived safety factors among midlife and older Mexican adults. We examined 2,200 midlife and older adults (aged 50–101 years) from the Mexican arm of the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) and used binary logistic regression models to identify key factors associated with high LSA. Our final logistic regression model revealed self-rated health, affect, interpersonal activities and perceived safety on street to be significantly associated with high life satisfaction. Results from this study add to the nascent literature on subjective well-being of midlife and older Mexicans. Although social work with older adults is not well established in Mexico, researchers and practitioners should collaborate on the development and implementation of social worker-led strategies for prevention and intervention to enhance well-being among midlife and older Mexicans.     

Sources of social support,job satisfaction,and quality of life among childcare teachers

Although literature has suggested a link between social support and well-being, relatively little research has examined the association of social support with job satisfaction and quality of life for employees. This study aimed to investigate whether and how different sources of social support influenced quality of life in conjunction with job satisfaction among teachers. Two-hundred and eighty-one childcare teachers in Korea completed measures of social support, job satisfaction, and quality of life. The results revealed that while director and colleague support predicted job satisfaction, director and family support predicted quality of life after controlling for age and marital status. Furthermore, results showed that job satisfaction mediated the relationship between director support and quality of life. The findings suggest the protecting role of different sources of social support in teachers’ job experience and evaluation of life domains. Suggestions for future research and implications for improving childcare teachers’ quality of life are discussed.     

Religious congregations as social services providers for older adults

A large proportion of older adults are affiliated with congregations. The literature suggests that, in general, religious participation among the older adults enhances their quality of life and provides a network of social care. In this article, we explored the relevant literature on organized religion and social support for older adults. Based on a census study of congregations in Philadelphia (N = 1,393), we documented the following: (1) the number of congregations serving older adults, (2) the types of services provided, and (3) the number of beneficiaries. The study also identified the organizational factors that predict the provision of congregation-based services for older adults. The findings suggest that serving older adults is not a top priority for most congregations. Most senior programs are small and often informal. Approximately half (48%) of the congregations do not provide a formal social service. However, those congregations that are more likely to serve older adults have larger budgets, more members over 65-years-old, and a moderate political orientation. We recommend that congregations, social service providers, and older adults explore ways to maximize this underutilized resource of congregational services to meet the needs of the increasing number of older adults.     

The determinants of income mobility of older people in England and South Korea

This paper adopts a longitudinal approach toward examining what lies behind income mobility of older people aged 50 and over in England and aged 45 and over in South Korea over the period between 2006 and 2012, using panel data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). The breakdown of income mobility which takes into account different type of division of the elderly population and income sources are also performed. The findings reveal that income growth has very little impact on aggregate income mobility in England, while it is crucial for the income mobility levels in Korea. There is a great deal of income mobility among single people under the age of 65 in England, while older people who are aged 65 or above and live alone experienced a greater variation in their income over time in Korea. In the case of breakdown of income mobility by income sources, it appears that labor income is the most important determinant of mobility in both countries and income from self‐employment for Korea and income from social transfers in England also plays an important contribution to income mobility.     

Social protection for happiness? The impact of social pension reform on subjective well-being of the Korean elderly

Expanding the scope of the traditional indicators used to assess economic progress with measures of subjective well-being has been of growing importance in policy modeling. A recent Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi report argued that policy decisions and welfare evaluations should be approached from a broader perspective on well-being and take into account metrics derived from self-reports of living conditions. To this end, we evaluate the efficacy of the 2014 social pension reform in South Korea using various measures of subjective well-being. The South Korean government introduced a basic old-age pension in 2008 and doubled its monthly benefits in 2014. The reform in 2014 represents one of the largest social welfare expansions in South Korean history, with an aim to improve seniors’ quality of life. Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we estimate a matched difference-in-differences model that isolates the causal effects of the benefit increase attributable to the reform. Results show that the reform was associated with an average of 4.8–5.7% increase in financial satisfaction among beneficiaries, and that this correlation was more pronounced for retirees, seniors above age 70, and those at the bottom of wealth distribution. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that satisfaction with health status, parent-child relationship, and overall quality of life has improved in response. Our findings are in contrast to the past evidence on objective welfare gains associated with pension expansion. Taken together this study calls for the use of self-reported well-being data in policy evaluation.     

Using Community-Based Participatory Research Strategies in Age-Friendly Communities to Solve Mobility Challenges

ABSTRACT

The number of older adults is steadily increasing in the United States and across the globe. Aging is linked to an increased risk of disability. Disabilities that limit one or more major life activities such as seeing, hearing, walking, and motor skills impact a person’s ability to drive a car. Low utilization of alternative transportation by older adults and people with disabilities may put them at risk for social isolation. Social isolation is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. While communities are challenged to create available, acceptable, accessible, adaptable and affordable mobility options, there are widely held, inaccurate biases around older adults’ abilities to contribute to the development and improvement of alternative transportation options. Gerontological social workers are well-positioned to address this bias. This paper presents a case study of a large metropolitan county in the Midwest where community-based participatory research (CBPR) strategies were used to engage older residents to support the development of alternative transportation options supporting the tenets of environmental justice.