Articolo originAle Original article Le reti di supporto informale in una residenza per anziani autosufficienti The informal social support networks in a retirement home for self-sufficient older adults

Sezione Di, Gerontologia Psico-Sociale, L Gava, C Marigo, Buranello, G Pavan, E Borella Università Di Padova
2014 G Gerontol   unpublished
Introduction. The demographic changes and the aging of the population urge to examine social support networks, and in particular the informal ones. The present study aims to assess the quality of informal social networks and of the social support as perceived by older adults living in a retirement home. Methods. Forty self-sufficient older adults, aged between 81 and 97 years (M = 88.75; SD = 3.83), living in a retirement home, were presented questionnaires assessing social support networks,
more » ... eliness perception, coping strategies and satisfaction with life. Results. Results showed that loneliness was the main reason for admission in the retirement home, and social support network was composed primarily by family members. Furthermore, the adequacy of the social network, especially the adequacy of friends network, was found to be negatively correlated with the perception of loneliness, but positively with the coping strategies based on social support. The results also confirmed a significant correlation between perception of loneliness and satisfaction with life. Discussion. The present findings suggest that social needs are crucial aspects to be considered also in retirement homes.
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