Journal of Akhtar Saeed Medical & Dental College.

Original Article

OLD AGE HOMES PERSPECTIVE: SOCIAL SUPPORT AND LIFE

SATISFACTION INSIGHTS FROM THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Muhammad Safdar1, Amna Ilyas2, Mussarat Hussain3, Umair Ahmed4, Tahira Faiz5, Ajmal Khan6

ABSTRACT
Background: Problems relating to old age are on the rise in many countries. To get a wider view of the
existing situation in Pakistan, this study explored the relationship between social support and its effects
on satisfaction in life in the older population residing in old-age homes. Efforts of non-governmental
organizations in Pakistan are increasing day by day in the fields of medical, social, financial,
psychological, physical, public interests and all other factors to decrease maltreatment of the elderly.
But in present days, the situation towards older adults has been changed by our society. The reason
behind their homelessness is the attitude of family, friends and other social contacts. The current study,
aimed to find a correlation between social support and life satisfaction.
Material and Methods: Two scales, Satisfaction with Life developed by Ed., Diener (1985) and
Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support developed by Zimet et al. (1988), were used on
90 older adults for this purpose. Men and women were selected equally within the age range of 60 and
above years. A sample was selected from three urban areas of Punjab Province (Lahore, Rawalpindi,
and Sargodha). Data was entered in SPSS. Independent sample t-test and Pearson correlation was
applied.
Results: The results showed that elderly females and males show no differences in life satisfaction (M
= 13.65, SD = 3.0) as compared to males (M =14.4, SD = 3.3). Statistical analysis of the correlation
between life satisfaction and perceived social support was found to be significantly correlated.
Conclusion: Findings from the study showed a significant correlation between life satisfaction and
social support.

Key Words: Social Support, Aging, Life satisfaction

doi: https://doi.org/10.51127/JAMDCV4I3OA05
How to cite this:
Safdar M, Ilyas A, Hussain M, Ahmed U, Faiz T, Khan A. Old age homes perspective: social support
and life satisfaction insights from the retirement community. JAMDC. 2022;4(3): 128-134
doi: https://doi.org/10.51127/JAMDCV4I3OA05

INTRODUCTION In most developed countries, the retirement

The aging process is a natural process that age of older adults is 60 to 65 years but in
has its dynamic and is uncontrolled by hu- developing countries, the chronological ag-
mans. In developed countries, chronological ing process is not important in terms of old
age plays a vital role. age.1 Moreover, in the field of sociology, so-
cial aging is an unpredictable and slower pro-
___________________________________ cess and it consists of socially defined posi-
1
Ph.D Scholar, Department of Social Work, tions, which is a major cause of aging. The
University of the Punjab, Lahore most recent century has seen some intense
2
M.Phil Social Work, Department of Social Work, changes in the fast increment in the older
University of Sargodha, Lahore Campus
3,4
Lecturer, Department of Sociology & Criminology,
population all over the world because of
University of Sargodha modernization and urbanization.2 These ad-
5
M.Phil Sociology, Government College University vancements have been attributed to a variety
Faisalabad. of factors, including increased life expec-
6
Lecturer Sociology, Government Boys Degree tancy, age and lower mortality rates as a re-
College Zhob, Balochistan.
sult of lifestyle advancements. Maturing is

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Muhammad Safdar Old age homes perspective

turning out to be a significant issue for non- Aging is a worldwide occurrence, but it does
industrial nations similar to Pakistan, which not have the same familiarity among all older
has at present a 9 million population above adults. Some older adults attain a feeling of
the 60-year-old age mark and it has been pro- gratification and fulfillment in their later
posed that it will increase to 42 million in years, whereas others become unpleasant and
2050.3,4 Qualities owing to the regard and re- lament the failure of their capabilities and so-
spect of the elderly are altering, the situation cial importance. Satisfaction with life in the
with old guardians has already been influ- older population is a vital concept because it
enced, and the conventional family setup is has a major impact and it may provide us with
likewise becoming more fragile. Because of a complete sense of the highest populations
the breakdown of the joint family framework living among us, whether they are maturing
to the family unit, a growing number of issues successfully or not. A few modifiable factors
for senior citizens from family novation and of fruitful aging are health conditions, marital
clinical exploration.5,6 circumstances, socioeconomic status, and
In the joint family system, the cherishing en- age category. Many studies have explored the
vironment of a home and well-disposed con- value of these various aspects, including all
nections between the individuals provide se- of the aforementioned variables and the
curity and acknowledgment to the more sea- strength of their impact on life and satisfac-
soned individuals from the family, while in tion among older adults.13,14 Social support
the family unit structure, old guardians have has resources provided by human beings that
next to zero power and their consideration help one to feel worth living, protected, and
and backing are ignored.7 When the endeav- cared for. People of old age often witness de-
ors of the aged to spend time and engage in pressing situations like losing spouses or
activities with their youngsters fall flat, it close relatives, which take them depression
brings about the forlornness and lack of so- and gives them a sense of loneliness. Further-
cial help of older individuals. These unfortu- more, health issues are more common in old
nate circumstances of the feeling of being age than in younger people.15
useless, having no jobs or house chores, and The huge popularity of research on this sub-
not having good company, make them feel ject has been accompanied by older people
vulnerable and distanced from their family.8 residing in a circle. This research is original
In any event, old people are usually not con- as it inspects the differing parts of family sup-
sulted by their family members for funda- port, which comprises companions and mates
mental necessities, and as an outcome, older outside of the boundaries of the home and
people wind up confronting difficulties.9 It companionship in treatment homes, on the
has likewise been noticed that this change has quality of life of senior citizens in long-term
brought about no regard, no consideration, care.16 The relatives are worried about the
detachment, chronic weakness and actual well-being of older people, but financial ac-
maltreatment for old people physical health countabilities are also a matter of concern for
status.10,11 The deficiency of a stable source them. In 82.8% of the cases, children seemed
of income may make them more prone to to be very helpful and accommodating,
health problems. Likewise, inactivity also af- whereas, in 17.2% of the cases, the family
fects older adults' health, whether it be phys- members were completely oblivious to their
ical or psychological, which later on leads to needs. About 46% of older people were pri-
various effects such as heart problems, hyper- marily cared for by others, while 34% were
tension, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, etc. The cared for by their children. Almost 44.3% of
majority of older adults feel lonely because older people could still handle their economic
of the lack of attention from their kids, family business. In 66% of the cases, no kind of
and society. The mental stress eventually in- monetary stabilization was provided by the
creases their chances of falling prey to health- governing bodies. About 28.9% of cases
related issues and complications.12 were those where older people demanded

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Muhammad Safdar Old age homes perspective

support from other sources.17 Perceiving so- new place, interaction with members of their
cial support reduces the occurrence of un- family is vital.21
wanted physiological problems associated The rationale behind researching this topic
with illnesses, increases self-care, has a posi- was to identify variables that contribute to the
tive impact on patients’ physical, psycholog- status of older people who are residents of old
ical and social conditions, and, finally, im- age homes, their health status, and the effect
proves functionality to achieve full recovery. of social support on life satisfaction. This
According to some studies, increased social study will help to realize another characteris-
support results in lower hospitalization rates, tic of health effects and support problems on
better treatment adherence, and a reduced the life satisfaction improvements related to
risk of death from chronic illnesses.18 The re- aging in our country. The evaluation and so-
quirement for social support is urgent, mainly cial support of senior citizens in old age
in the aged in lower states of physical health, homes in Pakistan can help endorse and de-
as they lose some of their critical abilities to sign new tasks as well as improve the lives of
accomplish daily life due to physical or men- older adults. The primary aim is to draw the
tal weakness, and this can prime them for attention of the policymakers to make legis-
several difficulties.19 Instrumental support is lation about the welfare of senior citizens
provided by the family at times when needed, who are accommodated in old age homes,
but unfortunately, this assistance given by which is very significant in this modern age.
these relationships is very volatile and can The current study, aimed to find a correlation
end abruptly any day. between social support and life satisfaction.
Given the nonexistence of culturally-desig-
nated responsibilities to deliver such assis- MATERIAL AND METHODS
tance to older people, pledge and support op- The researcher adopted the quantitative
portunities tend to be modified among asso- method for the research, and the data was
ciations, and our focus is to continue cooper- collected through interviews. For this
ation. Relationships with inmates are slightly purpose, two scales were taken. One was
more vulnerable to dissolution if the connec- Satisfaction with Life by Ed. Diener (1985),
tions are more unstable than blood relation- and the other was the Multidimensional Scale
ships such as those between a child and his for Perceived Social Assistance developed by
parent. The availability of mates, relatives, Zimet et al. (1988). The quantitative data
and neighbors for strong adherence is de- were analyzed using SPSS. Pearson
pendent on the availability of communication correlation and t.test were applied. The
exchange with senior people.20 Older people comprised sample was obtained from the
sharing living space with a spouse, partner, or specific universe. The researchers chose
members of their family are probed to prac- three divisions in Punjab for the study:
tice optimistic strategies to endorse positivity Lahore, Sargodha and Rawalpindi, using
in the later stages of their lives. Keeping a simple random sampling. A convenience
good communication system with individuals sample of 90 respondents was approached
in society is substantial in keeping a better who were the residents of a care facility for
quality of life. However, the standard and the elderly. The visited facilities were Dar ul
volume of collaboration matter more as com- Kafala, Affiat, Happy Home, Senior Citizens
pared to the frequency of meetings. Senior from Lahore and Dar ul Affiat, Bint e Fatima,
citizens with a large circle of friends and Dar ul Sakon in Rawalpindi and Old Age
quality of friends report the best quality of Home Sargodha. The total population was
life. For people belonging to different ethnic 120. Respondents were 52 females and 38
backgrounds whose relations are interrupted males using convenience sampling. The age
by immigration and whose problems are fur- range of participants was 60–70 years old.
ther augmented by a language barrier in the

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Muhammad Safdar Old age homes perspective

RESULTS Table 3-t-test: Life Satisfaction of senior

Table-1: Correlation between perceived citizens residing in old age homes (N=90)
social support and life satisfaction Males Females

Variables M SD r Variable M SD M SD
t
p df
(88)

Social Support 18.74 2.88 .506* Percentage 13.65 3.06 14.4 3.309 -1.159 .314 0.25

Life satisfaction 13.98 3.21 .071** An Independent sample t-test was used to
assess the group differences in life
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level Satisfaction among males and females of
(2-tailed) elderly people. Thus, the results showed that
elderly people females and males show no
Pearson correlation was applied to see the changes or differences in life satisfaction (M
relationship between deemed social support = 13.65, SD = 3.0) as compared to males (M
and the life satisfaction of the elderly. A =14.4, SD = 3.3). The differences were not
positive correlation was seen between these significant, t (88) = .314, p> 0.05. The
two variables, r =.506**, n = 90, p = .000. correlation between life satisfaction and
Generally, there was a strong positive social support of elderly people living in old
correlation between percentages obtained by age homes. Statistical analysis of the
elderly people. Increases in social support correlation between life satisfaction and
were correlated with increases in health perceived social support was found to be
status. significantly correlated.
Table 2-t-test: Social support of elderly
people residing in old age homes (N=90)
DISCUSSION
Social support is a strong determinant of
Males Females content living with a longer life span. The
presence of social support in older age
T groups, despite a person’s socio-economic
Variable M SD M SD p df
(88) position, health risks, and the use of health-
related facilities, has a major effect on the
health status of this age group.22 Good social
Percentage 18.00 2.59 18.65 3.28 .242 .810 0.20 support balances and modifies the recovery
status of these individuals. Developing
An Independent sample t-test was applied to countries like Pakistan are currently facing a
assess the group differences in living major issue, which is population aging.
conditions among males and females of Family configurations and living
elderly people. Thus, the results showed that circumstances of elderly people are observed
elderly people females and males show no to be shifting in the wake of population aging
changes or differences in social support (M = in Pakistan. Even though the elderly is
18.00, SD = 2.59) as compared to males (M considered to be a pillar in certain family
=18.65, SD = 3.28). The differences were settings, altered family dynamics may change
insignificant, t (88) = 242.48, p> 0.05. the outline of the provision of support in
Equality of genders, or sexual equality, is the coming times.23,24 In advanced age, the
ideology of equal and unbiased ease in the presence of a partner or spouse provides
utilization of the resources and opportunities tremendous emotional and physical support
indifferent to the gender. during any ailments. In particular, the
widows within various societies of the Indo-
Pak subcontinent are facing a more traumatic

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Muhammad Safdar Old age homes perspective

experience as the cultural norms are against decreased social abidance from their family
remarrying at an old age, and this has a huge members during the previous year.29
impact on their mental health and physical Perceiving social support reduces the
productivity. occurrence of unwanted physiological
Even though the male members of the family problems associated with illnesses, increases
are thought to play an important role in the self-care, has a positive impact on patient’s
financial support of the family, most women, physical, psychological and social conditions
particularly daughters-in-law, are imposed and finally, improves functionality to achieve
with the role of being the sole caregiver in the full recovery.30 Previous research has linked
event of any elderly member's illness. It increased social support to lower rates of
might be one of the major reasons why, in hospitalization, better treatment adherence,
countries like Pakistan, the birth of a son is and a lower risk of death from chronic
celebrated more than the birth of a daughter. illnesses. Jordan and colleagues.31,32 Findings
Elderlies suffering from comorbidities (for from previous studies reveal that some
example, arthritis, diabetes, stroke, people attain a level of gratification and
quadriplegia, and visual illnesses) generally fulfillment in their advanced age, while
need extra support. Yet, the hierarchy of the others become unpleasant and lament the
class system also affects the amount of failure of their occupational capabilities and
support being provided by the family.25,26 social importance. Life satisfaction in the
Similarly, it was discovered that elderly elderly is an important concept because it has
people from lower socioeconomic classes significant allegations and can provide us
required more assistance with health and with a complete picture of our society's
economic issues than those from higher higher populations maturing successfully or
socioeconomic classes. The older individuals failing.33
of the upper social class did not need much
support as they had enough from friends' CONCLUSION
visits and could share their problems with Findings of the study showed that correlation
them.27,28 It is fascinating that a huge between life satisfaction and perceived social
proportion of elderly individuals displayed support was significant. However, gender
highly satisfactory approval with the help difference has no impact on life satisfaction.
they got from their beloved family members,
especially the close ones, in the previous AUTHOR’S CONTRIBUTION
year. The reason for this is that older people MS: Major conceptual framework,
may feel uncomfortable sharing home- objectives and introduction
related issues or, because of financial AI: Formulation of research tool and
insufficiency and lack of governmental literature review
support strategies, insufficient social MH: Analysis along with discussion
assistance by their family relations as they are UA: Methodology
scared of losing even the little social support TF: Discussion and conclusion
they are receiving. Furthermore, descriptive AK: Data collection
statistics and univariate analysis results
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