News

Relationships improve well-being in old age

Published 3 April 2012

The key to well-being as we get older is the quality of the relationships that we have with those around us. An innovative research project on ageing has found that relationships with family, friends, health and social workers, as well as encounters in shops and public places play an important role in older people's well-being. The report will be launched at an event at the Brighthelm Centre on 3 April.

The project, led by Professor Marian Barnes and Dr Lizzie Ward, both from the University of Brighton's School of Applied Social Science, and Dr Beatrice Gahagan, senior manager at Age UK Brighton and Hove, shows the importance of different types of relationships for older people's well-being.

It is the quality of these different kinds of relationships that can make a difference to how people feel about themselves because they indicate how others feel about them. The quality of caring relationships was particularly important for those who were ill, disabled or suffering from mental health problems and their carers, the research found.

Dr Lizzie Ward and Professor Marian Barnes

Over the last three years the researchers have been working with older people to explore what well-being means to them and how it is generated.

To do so they worked with a team of 11 Age UK volunteers in Brighton and Hove who conducted interviews with people aged between 67 and 97 to find out their views on how money, where they live, their health and their relationships affect their sense of well-being.

They also interviewed Age UK staff and volunteers who took part in focus groups to explore their views on the subject.

The project report and a booklet for older people written by the older peer researchers will be launched tomorrow.

The report highlights that, whilst many older people are enjoying their lives, some find it hard to sustain a sense of well-being, either because of the loss of friends and family, health issues or loss of identity and structure that they enjoyed when working. Some also find it hard to adjust to personal changes and to changes in the world around them.

The report also says that well-being is not straightforwardly associated with having lots of money. However, having enough money and being able to deal with unexpected expenses did have an impact. Moreover, those who were financially comfortable had more choices if, for instance, they need to move house or had problems getting about.

Marian Barnes, professor of social policy, said: "Our research demonstrated not only the challenges that older people face to sustain their well-being, and the hard emotional and organisational labour that goes into this, but also the resources that they draw on to 'be well' in old age and the different adaptations people face at different stages which may span a period of 30 years or more."

The research findings will contribute to developing local knowledge and understanding of older people's needs and be used by Age UK Brighton & Hove and local authority service providers in thinking about how to meet older people's needs and support their well-being.

Fran McCabe, Chair of Trustees Age UK Brighton & Hove, said: "This partnership has been a fantastic opportunity for Age UK Brighton & Hove to involve older people directly in a research project and add their valuable experience to it. Through the project we have found new ways to get older people's voices heard and understand the things that are important to them. Many the themes of the research echo things we have tried to develop in our work with older people such as the importance of relationships, making time, developing trust, providing good quality care, and working together. Remaining responsive to older people's experiences and continuing to reflect this in practice is vital at a time when the external policy environment around care and services is facing great challenges."

Clive Newton, National Development Manager – Care and Communities, Age UK England, said: "This is a very useful counterfoil to some of the more simplistic notions of wellbeing that get bandied about. And I'm delighted to see a local Age UK as a major partner in this sort of research."

For more information about the research or the launch please contact Lizzie Ward at University of Brighton 01273 643903 or email E.Ward@brighton.ac.uk Both the research report and the booklet are available to download at www.brighton.ac.uk/sass/older-people-wellbeing-and-participation.