Dataset Information

Older Adults' Empathy and Daily Support Exchanges.

ABSTRACT: Older adults' empathy may shape the frequency and types of support that they exchange with their social partners as well as the implications of these exchanges. This study drew on the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study, which included adults aged 65 and over and tracked them across 5 to 6 days using mobile phone surveys. Participants (n = 293) rated their empathy and reported their daily support exchanges (e.g., emotional support, instrumental support, advice) as well as mood. Findings showed that more empathic older adults provided each type of support more often. They also received more emotional support than less empathic older adults. Moreover, older adults' empathy moderated the associations between providing support and their daily mood. More empathic older adults maintained their mood regardless of whether they provided support. By contrast, less empathic older adults reported reduced positive mood on days when they provided emotional support and increased positive mood when they provided instrumental support. Greater empathy is associated with more frequent support exchanges; however, more empathic older adults appear immune to such exchanges in terms of their mood. Interestingly, less empathic older adults may find providing emotional support draining but instrumental support rewarding, probably because they are less equipped to cope with others' emotions.

SUBMITTER: Huo M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6897392 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Older Adults' Empathy and Daily Support Exchanges.

Huo Meng M Fuentecilla Jamie L JL Birditt Kira S KS Fingerman Karen L KL

Journal of social and personal relationships 20190401 11-12

Older adults' empathy may shape the frequency and types of support that they exchange with their social partners as well as the implications of these exchanges. This study drew on the <i>Daily Experiences and Well-being Study</i>, which included adults aged 65 and over and tracked them across 5 to 6 days using mobile phone surveys. Participants (<i>n</i> = 293) rated their empathy and reported their daily support exchanges (e.g., emotional support, instrumental support, advice) as well as mood. ...[more]

PMID: 31814654

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Project description:BackgroundIdentifying factors that affect variation in health care spending among older adults with disability may reveal opportunities to better address their care needs while offsetting excess spending.ObjectiveTo quantify differences in total Medicare spending among older adults with disability by whether they experience negative consequences due to inadequate support with household activities, mobility, or self-care.DesignObservational study of in-person interviews and linked Medicare claims.SettingUnited States, 2015.Participants3716 community-living older adults who participated in the 2015 NHATS (National Health and Aging Trends Study) and survived for 12 months.MeasurementsTotal Medicare spending by spending quartile in multivariable regression models that adjusted for individual characteristics.ResultsNegative consequences were experienced by 18.3% of participants with disability in household activities, 25.6% with mobility disability, and 20.0% with self-care disability. Median Medicare spending was higher for those who experienced negative consequences due to household ($4866 vs. $4095), mobility ($7266 vs. $4115), and self-care ($10 935 vs. $4436) disability versus those who did not. In regression-adjusted analyses, median spending did not differ appreciably for participants who experienced negative consequences in household activities ($338 [95% CI, -$768 to $1444]), but was higher for those with mobility ($2309 [CI, $208 to $4409]) and self-care ($3187 [CI, $432 to $5942]) disability. In the bottom-spending quartile, differences were observed for self-care only ($1460 [CI, $358 to $2561]). No differences were observed in the top quartile.LimitationThis observational study could not establish causality.ConclusionInadequate support for mobility and self-care is associated with higher Medicare spending, especially in the middle and lower ends of the spending distribution. Better support for the care needs of older adults with disability could offset some Medicare spending.Primary funding sourceThe Commonwealth Fund.

Project description:Background/objectivesAs home becomes the most common place of death in the United States, information about caregiver support and place of death is critical to improve patient and caregiver experiences at end of life. We seek to examine (1) the association between family care availability and place of death; and (2) caregiving intensity associated with place of death.Design2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving; nationally representative cross-sectional study of deceased older adults and last-month-of-life (LML) caregivers.SettingUnited States; all places of deaths.ParticipantsThree-hundred and seventy-five decedents and 267 LML caregivers.MeasurementsPlace of death (home, hospital, and nursing or hospice facility), family care availability (spouse/partner, household size, number of daughters and sons), caregiving intensity (hours of help provided at LML and a binary indicator for high care-related emotional difficulty).Results38.9% of older adults died at home, followed by hospital (33.1%), and nursing or hospice facility (28.0%). In an adjusted multinomial logistic regression, decedents with larger household size (odds ratio [OR]: 0.441; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.269-0.724) and more daughters (OR: 0.743 [95% CI: 0.575-0.958]) had lower odds of dying in nursing or hospice facility relative to dying at home. For older adults who died at home, caregivers provided 209.8 h of help at LML. In contrast, when death occurred in nursing or hospice facility, caregivers provided 91.6 fewer hours of help, adjusted for decedent and caregiver characteristics. Dying in hospital was associated with higher odds of caregiver emotional difficulty relative to home deaths (OR: 4.093 [95% CI: 1.623-10.323]).ConclusionsHousehold size and number of daughters are important determinants of place of death. Despite dying at home being associated with more hours of direct caregiving; caregiver emotional strain was experienced as higher for hospital deaths. Better support services for end-of-life caregivers might improve patient and caregiver experiences for home and hospital deaths.

Dataset Information

Older Adults' Empathy and Daily Support Exchanges.

Publications

Older Adults' Empathy and Daily Support Exchanges.

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