Differences in the Perception of Social Support Among Rural Area Seniors—A Cross-Sectional Survey of Polish Population

Abstract

Introduction and objective: Social support constitutes an important determinant of an elderly person’s health and of functioning in his or her living environment. It depends on available support networks and the type of help received. Measurement of social support should encompass both its structure and the functions it fulfills, which enables detailed assessment of the phenomenon. The aim of the study was to compare the perception of social support among rural area seniors provided with institutional care with those living in a home setting. Material and method: Using the diagnostic survey method and the technique of the distribution of a direct questionnaire, 364 respondents from rural areas were examined: those living in an institutional environment (n = 190) and those living in their home (natural) environment (n = 174). The respondents were selected on the basis of a combined sampling method: proportionate, stratified, and systematic. Variables were measured with the following questionnaires: Courage Social Network Index (CSNI) and Social Support Scale (SSS). Results: The living environment has been proved to differentiate average values of support both in the structural and functional dimensions in a statistically significant way (p < 0.001). An untypical phenomenon was higher average values pertaining to emotional bonds, frequency of direct contacts, and help received in the group of respondents living in an institutional environment. Conclusions: The living environment and demographic variables affect the perception of social support among elderly people. Full-time institutional care of a senior citizen leads to the deterioration of social support; therefore, keeping an elderly person in a home environment should be one of the primary goals of the senior policy.

Examining the indirect effects of life satisfaction and perceived social support on selection optimization compensation and PTSD among the senior citizens of Ekiti State: A moderated mediation approach

“…Moreover, between the ages of 85+ years, we found a weak negative correlation (0.096) between LS and PSS but this correlation was also not significant (p = 0.480). While this study revealed that there was a positive correlation between LS and PSS among older person aged 75-84 years which has been supported in previous studies (Chruoeciel, et al, 2018;Ghimire, et al, 2018;Prakash & Srivastava 2020), there was a negative correlation between PSS and LS among seniors aged 85 years and older suggesting that those with high PSS scores tend to have low LS. While this relationship was not significant, contextual factors in Ekiti State such as large family size, poverty and unemployment of caregivers as well as the psychophysiological characteristics of those aged 85+ might have influenced this finding.…”

A Scoping Literature Review of Rural Institutional Elder Care

“…Communal life in rural old-age care institutions can alleviate depression and improve the life satisfaction of the elderly [ 82 ]. However, in recent years, the existing social networks of residents in rural old-age care institutions have been significantly reduced in number and diversity, posing the risk of social isolation [ 21 , 83 , 84 ]. As a promising solution, long-distance mental consultation services can alleviate the problem of mental illness in rural nursing homes to some extent [ 85 ], with apparent advantages in saving both time and money [ 86 ].…”

Developing Knowledge-Based Resources: The Role of Entrepreneurs’ Social Network Size and Trust

“…We expected that a high level of trust between entrepreneurs and their partners would enrich firms' knowledge-based resources. Trust is a central component of a social network [20,23,61]. Morgan and Hunt [62] found that trust within networks was key in helping focal firms cooperate with others and form interfirm alliances.…”