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[Loneliness and self-management abilities in the visually impaired elderly].
M A Alma1, S F Van der Mei, W N Feitsma
1Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Disciplinegroep Gezondheidswetenschappen, Sector F, Gezondheidswetenschappen, The Netherlands. m.a.alma@umcg.nl
Tijdschrift Voor Gerontologie En Geriatrie
|May 23, 2013
Summary
Visually impaired elderly individuals experience higher rates of loneliness compared to their sighted peers. Enhancing self-management abilities, such as self-efficacy, may help reduce these feelings.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Ophthalmology
- Psychology
Background:
- Loneliness is a significant concern in aging populations.
- Visual impairment can exacerbate social isolation and loneliness in older adults.
- Self-management abilities (SMAs) may play a role in mitigating loneliness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify loneliness in visually impaired elderly.
- To compare loneliness levels between visually impaired and normally sighted elderly.
- To investigate SMAs as predictors of loneliness in visually impaired elderly.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Telephone interviews with 173 visually impaired elderly participants.
- Validated scales used to assess loneliness and SMAs.
Main Results:
- Loneliness prevalence was significantly higher in the visually impaired elderly (50%) versus the normally sighted elderly (29%).
- Key determinants of loneliness included self-efficacy, partner status, and self-esteem.
- Severity and duration of visual impairment did not significantly impact loneliness levels.
Conclusions:
- Self-efficacy, a component of SMAs, is a significant factor in loneliness among visually impaired elderly.
- Training in SMAs, particularly self-efficacy, offers a potential intervention to reduce loneliness.
- Interventions targeting self-management skills could improve the well-being of visually impaired older adults.
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