Social needs of older people: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Social needs are important basic human needs. When social needs are not satisfied, this can lead to mental and physical health problems. With a growing population of older adults and the need for them to stay healthy and community-dwelling, satisfying social needs is important. The aim of this review is to give more insight into the social needs of older people and subsequently into the characteristics of effective interventions for satisfying older people's social needs. A systematic review of the existing literature on quantitative, qualitative and mixed empirical studies on the social needs of older people was conducted. The themes that emerged were diversity, proximity, meaning of the relationship and reciprocity. These themes offered several intervention implications. Participation in hobbies and in volunteer work and being connected were among the main findings. The social needs of older people are diverse. They focus on both the intimate and the peripheral members of their networks. When satisfying social needs, reciprocity is important. The feeling of connectedness to others and to a community or neighbourhood contributes to wellbeing as well as a feeling of independence. Staying active by doing volunteer work or participating in (leisure) social activities satisfies social needs. Therefore, interventions should focus especially on the connectedness, participation and independence of the older adult.

“The people make it fun, the activities we do just make sure we turn up on time.” Factors influencing older adults’ participation in community-based group programmes in Perth, Western Australia

“…Our findings support suggestions put forward by Bruggencate et al (), particularly in relation to drawing on older adults’ skills, expertise and experience in designing and delivering programmes and activities at the neighbourhood level. However, one marked distinction emerged in our research that highlights the value in locally situated qualitative research.…”

“…As with previous research (Bruggencate et al, ), our findings draw attention to diversity among older adults in terms of interests, abilities and social needs. Demographic changes associated with an ageing population in countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia have resulted in a “‘new’ life course for most people [which] now includes several decades of life after the age of 60 years” (Kendig, , p. 14).…”

“…Thus, enjoyment and the desire for social connectedness were important motivators for the initiation and maintenance of regular participation among this sample of older adults. As such, our research echoes the findings of a recent systematic review which found that “older adults want to be socially active and participate in their community and society” (Bruggencate, Luijkz, & Sturm, , p. 21).…”

“…As with previous research (Bruggencate et al, 2017) (Kendig, 2017, p. 14). Adding further complexity, many countries are experiencing a demographic milestone as the first of the "baby boomer" cohort, born in the postwar period between 1946 and 1966, near or reach retirement.…”

Exploring the impact of social network change: Experiences of older adults ageing in place

“…The four high-impact social network changes that were found in our study corroborate findings of other studies on the impact of the loss of loved ones (Carr, House, Wortman, Nesse, & Kessler, 2001;Donnelly & Hinterlong, 2010;Fry, 1998;Van Baarsen, Van Duijn, Smit, Snijders, & Knipscheer, 2002;Van Grootheest, Beekman, Broese van Groenou, & Deeg, 1999) and on developing relations between older adults and their informal and formal carers (Byrne, Goeree, Hiedemann, & Stern, 2009;Egdell, 2012;Wellman, Wong, Tindall, & Nazer, 1997). Also, we found experiences and perceptions that are in line with other studies, such as the loyalty of spouses, acceptance of oneself and the situation, feelings of loneliness (Reichstadt, Sengupta, Depp, Palinkas, & Jeste, 2010;Roelofs, Luijkx, & Embregts, 2017), and the importance of connectedness, participation and independence (Bruggencate, Luijkx, & Sturm, 2018). In addition, our study extends findings in the field, first, by reaching a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of older adults' experiences.…”