This study examined the role of the church in providing elderly women with a structure within which to maintain social contact and spiritual support into old age. Twenty-one middle-class, older white women, all of whom lived in the same small Ohio town, attended the same Methodist church, and belonged to the same Sunday school class, were…

Examined the friendship patterns of older women (N=150). Results indicated the older widowed women received more help from their friends than did married older women. In addition, significant differences in the morale of the older women were found according to the equity of helping behaviors with friends. (JAC)

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors which may influence the decision to seek employment after retirement from one's primary occupation, and to determine if these factors are similar for males and females. Data were collected from 540 western land grant university employees from ages 40-65 who were employed in positions ranging…

A major focus in the literature on rural aging has been the dearth of formal services available in rural areas and the unique features of service delivery in rural communities. It has not generally been recognized that rural older adults are not passive recipients of services and care but rather, active manipulators of social support systems…

A crucial question in any study is how representative the sample is of the population being studied at the time of the interview. This is of particular concern when the study is based on a follow-up of a sample of respondents initially interviewed for other purposes. This study evaluated the representativeness of a sample of elderly female…

This planning guide is intended as a reference for individuals developing a self-directed health promotion/wellness program for older women. The introduction defines the concept of wellness, and the seven tasks involved in the action planning process. Six steps in designing a program are outlined, including laying the groundwork, targeting…

Regardless of their marital status earlier in life, most women can expect to be single for some of their old age. In addition, older single women often have reduced resources. Many women now face situations unlike their expectations when they chose their life courses. Such a situation is shared by a unique community of Catholic sisters. Changes in…

Widowhood may pose a threat to the adjustment and life satisfaction of older women. In order to examine the relationship between life satisfaction of elderly widowed black women and their involvement in formal and informal support systems, 65 women ranging in age from 64 to 92, were asked 326 questions by trained black interviewers. Interviewers…

Middle-aged women have traditionally been the main care providers for their elderly relatives. As the percentage of these women who are employed increases and family size decreases, this support for the elderly may decline. To examine the impact of women's work on their parent care activities, the following three members of each of 150 families…

There is nothing in American society to prepare women for aging. It has been proposed that the status that the aged hold in any culture diminishes when modernization, an increased number and proportion of elderly, or rapid social change is present. All three of these conditions exist in American society. Women face many dangers, especially as they…

It was hypothesized that women in different current life circumstances would emphasize different life content areas in verbal reports of their life histories. A basically homogeneous sample of 30 women (average age = 58.5) was divided into women who had never had children, women whose children had left home, and women who had at least one child…

The loss of one's spouse is a disorganizing life event. This study explores the mental health of older women who have lost a spouse. The specific aims of this study were: (1) to identify the incidence of depression or other psychiatric morbidity among widows during the first two years of bereavement; and (2) to evaluate a model which incorporates:…

When a woman defines herself as old is a complex phenomenon reflecting, among other variables, cultural attitudes, environmental constraints, and health status. In the later years, self-perceived age lags behind chronological age, but alters with the progressive contracting of life space, changes in health status, and decreases in perceived…

Both research and the gay community opinion have relied primarily on stereotypes in their ignorance of the older lesbian. A preliminary study of the close friendship patterns of older lesbians is underway in San Francisco, where gay community life is more visible than in other cities. Even there, lesbians are more underground than gay men. Most…

Drugs, which can be the most cost-effective and cost-beneficial modality of disease management in chronic care, may be hazardous to older adults. It is important that pharmacists ensure that drugs will not further impair the patients' mental, physical, and functional status. (MLW)