Support networks of older people living in the community

Aim.  The aim of the study was to identify the social support networks of older people living in the community in Ireland using Wenger's (1994) network typology. Background.  The population of older people in the community is increasing. With increasing age and changes in family circumstances a substantial proportion of older people will require social, psychological and instrumental support. However a lack of adequate social support networks for vulnerable older people can result in poor health, loneliness and isolation. Method.  A national, cross-sectional telephone survey of 683 people aged between 65 and 99 years was undertaken using the Practitioner Assessment of Network Type as the basis for identifying social support networks. Results.  The results demonstrated that the majority of older people were living in stable and supportive social networks and reported high levels of contact with family, friends and neighbours. However, a significant minority of older people were living in vulnerable networks. Older people in these networks are susceptible to loneliness, isolation and poor emotional and physical health. Conclusion.  Through the identification of people in vulnerable networks, nurses working both in the hospital and community setting can ensure that formal support is aimed at providing care to older people who do not have access to informal care networks. Furthermore, the predictive utility of the Practitioner Assessment Network Type (PANT) can enable nurses to identify people at risk of poor social support.