Whether at home or in
institutions, loneliness can be both difficult and dangerous for the overall
health of older adults. Too many of them endure the negative impact of
loneliness daily and have trouble coping. Because information on this topic is
so limited, the Department of Sociology at VU University in Amsterdam did
research on how older adults cope and help their lonely peers in coping. This
research on older adult loneliness was done with 1,187 respondents aged 62-100 viewing
four vignettes about lonely people and later being asked about coping skills
that would help. Older adults emphasized two ways of coping:
1) Active Coping (improving relationships)
2) Regulative Coping
(lowering expectations about relationships)
Results:
Older adults suggested
using both ways to cope with loneliness, but active coping was suggested less
often to people who are older, in poor health, or lonely and by older adults
who were employed in midlife and have high self-esteem. Regulative coping with
lower relationship expectations was suggested more often to people who are
older and by older adults with a low educational level and with low mastery.
Unfortunately, active coping through improving relationships is less often seen
as an option for and by the people who could benefit most from it.
These results further
emphasize the need for improving relationships in the lives of lonely older
adults. Year-round regular visiting from family, friends, volunteers, and
others can do so much to improve their self-esteem and general quality of life.
In this video titled Delivering So Much More Than Meals - A REAL Volunteer Story, Max, a volunteer driver for Meals on
Wheels demonstrates the win-win rewards of visiting those who are lonely.
Frances Shani Parker,
Author
Becoming Dead Right: A
Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
is available in paperback at many booksellers in America and several other countries
and in e-book form at
Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.
Nice guy.
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