Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandProfessor, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSenior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandResearch Fellow, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandAssociate Professor, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandLecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandLecturer, School of Nursing, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Int J Older People Nurs. 2008 Dec;3(4):234-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-3743.2008.00135.x.
Aim. The aim of the study was to identify the social support networks of older people living in the community in Ireland using Wenger's (1994) network typology. Background. The population of older people in the community is increasing. With increasing age and changes in family circumstances a substantial proportion of older people will require social, psychological and instrumental support. However a lack of adequate social support networks for vulnerable older people can result in poor health, loneliness and isolation. Method. A national, cross-sectional telephone survey of 683 people aged between 65 and 99 years was undertaken using the Practitioner Assessment of Network Type as the basis for identifying social support networks. Results. The results demonstrated that the majority of older people were living in stable and supportive social networks and reported high levels of contact with family, friends and neighbours. However, a significant minority of older people were living in vulnerable networks. Older people in these networks are susceptible to loneliness, isolation and poor emotional and physical health. Conclusion. Through the identification of people in vulnerable networks, nurses working both in the hospital and community setting can ensure that formal support is aimed at providing care to older people who do not have access to informal care networks. Furthermore, the predictive utility of the Practitioner Assessment Network Type (PANT) can enable nurses to identify people at risk of poor social support.
目的。本研究旨在利用 Wenger（1994 年）的网络类型学，确定爱尔兰社区中老年人的社会支持网络。背景。社区中老年人的人口正在增加。随着年龄的增长和家庭环境的变化，相当一部分老年人将需要社会、心理和工具支持。然而，弱势老年人缺乏足够的社会支持网络可能导致健康状况不佳、孤独和孤立。方法。采用全国性、横断面电话调查，对 683 名年龄在 65 岁至 99 岁之间的人进行调查，使用从业者评估网络类型作为识别社会支持网络的基础。结果。结果表明，大多数老年人生活在稳定和支持性的社会网络中，与家人、朋友和邻居的联系密切。然而，仍有相当一部分老年人生活在脆弱的网络中。这些网络中的老年人容易感到孤独、孤立和情绪及身体健康状况不佳。结论。通过识别处于弱势网络中的人，无论是在医院还是社区工作的护士都可以确保正式的支持旨在为那些无法获得非正式照顾网络的老年人提供照顾。此外，从业者评估网络类型（PANT）的预测效用可以使护士识别出那些面临社会支持不佳风险的人。
