Presenter: Marcela Kepicova, ABD, MA, EdS, LPC, NCC

1. Changes in Leisure Activity Involvement in Widowed Older Adults:Revitalizing Lives through Volunteering Presenter: Marcela Kepicova, ABD, MA, EdS, LPC, NCC Ph.D. in Counselor Education Program Montclair State University

2. Objectives for Today’s Discussion • Define older adult (OA) retirees and the challenges and strengths associated with this population • Identify widowed vs non-widowed OA • Describe transition – spousal loss and grieving process • Compare widowed and non-widowed in terms of their health and functioning • Highlight gender differences • Discuss the importance of proactive intervention and effective strategies to improve life after spousal loss

3. Older Adults (OA) in the US in 2010 • Age 65 and older • 13 % of the total population (40.3 million) • 20 % of the total population (88.5 million) -projected OA population in 2050 • 9 % of OA lived in poverty • 9.1 million were veterans of the armed forces • 16.1 % were in labor force in 2010 • 21.3 % earned a bachelor’s degree or higher • Older Adults (85-94) fastest growing population (3.9 million to 5.1) • 18 % of OA live in Florida ( West Virginia, Maine, Pennsylvania, Iowa) • http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-239.pdf>

4. Diversity in AO • 80 % White • 8.3 % Black/AA • 7 % Hispanic • 3.3 % Asian • 0.5 % Native American • 57% married • 27 % widowed • 90 males per 100 females 65 and older (in 1990: 82 males per 100 females) • 58 males per 100 females 85 and older (in 1900: 45 males per 100 females)

5. Marital Status

6. Life-Span Developmental Gain and Loss Adults aged 65 and above who identify as retired • Physical • Cognitive • Social • Emotional • Existential • Strengths

7. Work and Meaning in Life • Having more meaning has been positively associated with work enjoyment (Bonebright, Clay, & Ankenmann, 2000) • Meaning in life is also positively correlated with life satisfaction (Chamberlain & Zika, 1988) • Establishing meaning through work or volunteer activities can • bolster self-esteem • increase self-efficacy • establish a greater sense of independence • provide opportunities for interpersonal connections

8. Importance of Life Themes • Human beings spend a majority of their lives working, making meaning of their work, and establishing satisfying life through work and social connections (Blustein, 2006) • OAs that engage in post-retirement work or volunteering report more positive levels of mental well-being than those who do not work or volunteer (Schwingel, A., Niti, M.M.,& Pin Ng, T., 2009)

9. Life Satisfaction: Contributing Factors • Health (physical and/or psychological) • Marital status • Social Support • Work/Leisure activities • High Level of Life Changes • Religion/Spirituality • Hope

10. Spousal Loss In Older Adulthood • The death of a spouse: one of the most common and stressful negative live event (10 million OA widowed) • Grieving Process/Adaptation to Loss • Widowed OAs came closest to complete adaptation to their loss and returned to pre-loss levels of happiness by the eight year of widowhood • (Lucas et al., 2003) Bereavement has been associated with affecting widows’: • Physical health • Mental health • Social functioning • Economics

11. Widowed vs Non-widowed OAs • Widowed OAs have: • Lower levels of psychological well-being • Higher levels of depressive symptoms • Lower levels of life satisfaction • Higher level of grief and distress • More difficulties with physical abilities and socialization • More deteriorating physical health • Greater declines in social functioning • (Arbuckle & de Vries, 1995; Chen at al., 1999; Hagedoorn et al., 2006; Wilcox et al., 2003)

12. What Can Improve Life of Widowed OAs? • Social support • Intimate attachment • Engaging in pleasant activities • Leisure activities (physical, formal, informal) • Modality for experiencing positive emotions • Positive context for adjustment after negative events • Association between participation in activities and stress reduction • Participation in leisure activities can have possible social and health benefits for OA • (Jankeet al., 2008; Kleiber et al., 2002; Lewinsohn, 1975; Uchino et al., 1996)

13. Four Behavioral Types Phone conversations, walking, movies, museums, exhibitions, vacations, music, restaurants, taking courses and reading books, • Expanders • Reducers • Concentrators • Diffusers • (Nimrod, G. Janke, M.C., Kleiber, D. A. (2009). Expanding, Reducing, Concentrating and Diffusing: Activity patterns of Recent Retirees in the United States. Leisure Sciences, 31, 37-52)

14. Definitions • Expenders: OAs who participate in a large number of activities at a higher frequency • Reducers: OAs who participate in the same or in a fewer activities at the same or lower frequency • Concentrators: OAs who participate in the same or in a fewer activities, but at the higher frequency • Diffusers: OAs who participate in a large number of activities but at the same or at a lower frequency

15. Expenders • 35% of the respondents • significantly higher life satisfaction than reducers • Higher SES • Good health • Highly participating in activities

16. Reducers • 43 % of the respondents • Less education • Lower SES • More health problems • Minimal participation in activities

17. Concentrators • 11% of the respondents • Significantly higher life satisfaction than reducers • Higher level of education • Good health • Financially stable

18. Diffusers • 11% of the respondents • Life satisfaction did not differ from the rest of the sample • Relatively high level of education • Fair financial situation • Fair health • Highly participating in activities

19. Gender Differences in Widowed OAs • Continuity Theory – OAs tend to continue some types of activities in later life or after retirement • The pattern of participation in leisure activities might change after a spousal loss (lost partner with whom one can participate) • Gender factor • Men and Women are often involved in different types of leisure activities across the lifespan

20. Gender Differences In Widowed OAs-cont Women Men • participate more in social and formal leisure activities • report more barriers to leisure participation • report more social anxiety, • have higher levels of depressive symptoms • have lower levels of self-efficacy, • are more likely to share their emotions • are more confident about their social contacts and support • participate more in physical activities, • report high levels of psychological disturbance and • report more depressive symptoms which leads to failure to cope • do not share their emotions • are not very confident about their social contacts and support

21. Changes in Leisure activities in Widowed OAs • 40% of OAs after spousal loss continued to participate in visiting or talking with friends and family members • 33% of OAs continued to participate in sports or exercise • Majority of OAs continued (40%) or increased (20%) participation in religious activities, and outdoors activities • Those who ceased participation in leisure activities reported higher levels of depressive symptoms • Widowers report more functional impairment, less involvement in visiting and talking activities, less involvement in sports and religious activities then widows

22. Interventions • Proactive Approach/Primary Prevention • Reaching out and educating health care professional ( e.g., physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, senior centers, etc.) • Strategies when working with widowed OAs • Psychoeducation • Life Circle Activity • Then and Now Activity • Work Graph Activity • Career Diamond • Wraparound Approach • Widowed OA • Health care professional • Family members • Community members • Religious representatives

23. Then and Now Activity PAST Present • Computer/internet 5Xweek • Hiking 2Xweek • TV 7Xweek • Time with children 1Xweek • Computer/internet 7Xweek • Hiking 4Xweek • TV 7Xweek • Time with children 3Xweek • Dining out 1Xweek • Dancing 1Xweek

24. Life Portions: Present

25. Life Portions: Future

26. Career Diamond Illustrates basic movement of career develop process

27. Questions?