Analysis II Satisfaction Ratings
Theme 5: Focus on Well-Being
“Well-being and happiness never appeared to me as an absolute aim. I am even inclined to compare such moral aims to the ambitions of a pig [...]
From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other - above all for those upon whose
smile and well-being our own happiness depends”.
-Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
In Chapter Two and Three, old age was discussed as a time of increased changes, loss and disability. Indeed, despite gerontologists’ past attempts to dispel stereotypes about aging (e.g., Lemon et al., 1972), it remains the case that older people face significant life challenges that can compromise their quality of life and sense of well-being (Knight, 2004; Knight & Poon, 2008; Laidlaw & Pachana, 2009). For example, factors such as failing health, increased disabilities, and an awareness of approaching mortality are an inherent part of this life stage. In addition, the high prevalence of chronic illness in late adulthood points to the fact that many older people care for a spouse or family member who is unwell (Knight & Lee, 2008).
Yet older people appear, on average, incredibly resilient; in fact, one might wonder: “Why older people are so happy?” (Zarit, 2009, p. 675). In the face of this, numerous studies have sought to explore what constitutes well-being in old age, namely by operationalising the concept into different components. These include relational factors such as social support (Watt & Konnert, 2007) and social engagement (Park, 2009). Furthermore, a distinction has been made between cognitive and emotional well- being (Katt et al., 2009).
Recent theories highlighting the positive aspects of aging have been put
forward. For instance, the translational theory proposed by Knight and Laidlaw (2009) emphasises a positive view of adult development which is rooted in psychological and gerontological theories of wisdom. Similarly, the CALTAP model put forward by Knight and Lee (2008) discusses the positive aspects of maturation, such as cognitive and emotional complexity, which act as protective factors in the face of aging.
But what does well-being actually mean for older people? What are the
developmental and contextual factors at play in the definition of happiness in later life from the older person’s perspective? How does the meaning of well-being differ for 80 year olds compared to people in their twenties?
Using loneliness as an example of challenge associated with aging, participants in the SEC have discussed ways to cope with ordeals, as mediated by their life context; the role of the past, and that of wisdom. “Focus on Well-Being” was the final main theme of this analysis, as well as the ultimate aim of the SEC. Participants wrote about their understanding of what well-being consists of, in terms of both individual and environmental factors. The sub-themes discussed in this section are ‘One Day at the Time’, ‘Being Able To’, and ‘A Feeling Inside’.
One Day at the Time
Participants in the SEC often talked about the importance of seizing each day as it comes. For example, the value of living in the present was frequently discussed towards the end of the group sessions when, after re-visiting personal memories, time was spent examining how the coping skills used in the past could be used currently.
Correspondingly, when invited to give their personal definitions of well-being, several participants referred to a day-to-day experience;
Happy and enjoying each day. Joy
And,
You suddenly realise that you’re feeling pretty well today, tomorrow could be different. Bill
One participant added the dimension of conflict resolution to that of living one day at the time:
Wake up happy and go to bed happy, fix up any quarrels, don’t let anything
linger. George
Many talked about waking up in the morning, and looking forward to the day ahead. For example;
You wake up feeling enthusiastic and look forward to the day. Mary
And,
I am glad to wake up in the morning with a host of interests and activities
beckoning me. Nigel
From the participants’ perspective, it appeared that well-being would be linked to an ability to live in the present. This proposal aligned with the growing body of literature advocating that well-being should be construed as a daily phenomenon, rather than as a personality trait (e.g., Reis et al., 2000). In contrast to this, one participant underscored the nature of well-being as continuous:
In an extension of the abovementioned definitions, well-being as an everyday
experience was paired with a sense of having some control over what lies ahead. For example, deciding what to do, planning an enjoyable day;
Getting up in the morning and feeling well and deciding what to do. Waking up in the morning and planning an enjoyable busy day. Joy
And,
Getting up and go, walking, gardening. Bill
Being Able To
The second sub-theme extended these claims by drawing attention to the active nature of well-being. Specifically, participants talked about well-being as having the ability to engage with their environment. This relates, in part, to the linkage between well-being and the basic needs of autonomy and competence (Reis et al., 2000). In addition, a number of studies offer support for the relationship between emotional well-being and ADL performance (e.g., Katt et al., 2009). In view of that, several participants
associated well-being with having the ability to do things;
Being able to do all you want to do, [for example] walking. Liz
And,
Able to do anything, [for example] gardening, playing golf. Tom
For some, well-being corresponded to being able to lead an active life;
Being able to live an active life [for example] play croquet, I’d hate to give it
up, and Probus. Ann
And to engage in rewarding activities and hobbies, such as:
Keeping occupied: writing, community work, gardening, physical activities. Francis
For others, well-being translated to having the possibility of still being useful by helping others, for instance:
Knowing that I can still be useful, Giving your time to others who need it. Malvina
In any case, participants stressed the importance of physical health in allowing them to do the things they wanted to do;
Being able to go around, to move, physical strength [...] I can go all around
And,
When you’re able to do all the things you would like to do. For me, being able
to walk. Mable
In actual fact, when invited to define well-being, numerous participants referred directly to physical health;
Good health. Malvina
And,
Feeling healthy and well. Robert I have good health. Agnes
Including the absence of pain:
Not hurting. Liz
Free from pain. Mable
This emphasis on the linkage between health and well-being highlights the specific challenges intrinsic to the later stages of life, as opposed to challenges experienced by younger generations (Goncalves et al., 2009; Knight & Lee, 2008). In addition, this association offers some support to research showing that worse self-rated health is associated with higher loneliness in older people (Steed et al., 2007).
In an extension of this, one participant hinted at cognitive well-being;
Feeling healthy, feeling alert. Thelma
While another made a connection between health and enthusiasm for life:
Being in good health and enjoying life. Ann
In spite of an evident focus on being physically able to carry-out daily activities, a distinct pattern in the data indicated that ‘being well’ also involved some form of personal decision. For instance, some participants talked about cultivating interests and hope;
Still being interested in everything [for example] politics, sports, what happens overseas, through TV, radio... some people don’t have TV, or even radio.
Agnes And,
A Feeling Inside
In this sub-theme, participants emphasised the inner nature of well-being, at the level of emotion (Gagliardi et al., 2010). Rather than being solely a consequence of external life events or fatalities, such as the loss of physical abilities, well-being was portrayed by participants as an internal feeling on which one has some control. For example, the capacity to engage in daily activities was paired with a feeling of motivation to engage;
Feeling you want to do something, feeling fit. Thelma
Or a sensation of care-freeness:
Feeling good. Walking and feeling “Gee I feel fine and have no great worries”. Bill
All participants described well-being in terms of a positive and enjoyable sensation; for example;
Feeling positive. Nigel Feeling good. Robert
Good feeling. Happy. Walter
Feelings of well-being took different forms for various people, including a sense of satisfaction;
Feeling enjoyment for living. Joy
Completeness;
A sense of being/feeling complete. Nigel
And comfort:
A sense of feeling comfortable Edith Feeling comfortable with yourself. Mary
Above all, participants described well-being as an individual phenomenon originating from within the self;
Something inward. Bill
And unique to each person;
What is best for me. Malvina
Such as feeling well;
And feeling good about oneself:
Feeling good about yourself and the way you are. Thelma
In line with research by Kammann and Flett (1983a), a feeling commonly associated with a sense of well-being, or happiness, was that of contentment;
The sense of contentment. Edith
Either with life in general:
Being satisfied with one’s life. Nigel
Satisfied with my lot. Francis Or with one’s situation;
Feeling good about where you are, the environment; feeling good about the place you live in. Robert
Being happy with your living situation, happy to be here – feels good. Ann
In the last quote, it is unclear what exactly ‘happy to be here’ refers to; i.e. being in the Retirement Village or content to be alive, which is highly possible given the participants’ age and number of deaths surrounding them (Donaldson & Watson, 1996). The unavoidable reality of losing meaningful people in late adulthood, such as friends, family, or a spouse, was made explicit during the SEC, particularly since the work revolved around memories of meaningful relationships. This indicates a need to tailor psychological interventions to address the multiple losses faced by older people, such as proposing ways to deal with resulting bereavement and grief.
Next, happiness in terms of contentment was described by participants as being satisfied with interpersonal relationships;
I’m happy with my surroundings, as much company as I need. Edith Including with one’s life companion:
Happy. Happy with your companion and living facilities. Peggy
One participant described well-being as a feeling of personal satisfaction with life, including having realistic expectations and a positive attitude:
Satisfaction with life, with current lifestyle, don’t expect too much, having a positive approach, e.g., “No worries”. George
Another portrayed well-being and contentment as existing even in the absence of actively doing something. Mary also referred to being happy at ‘being here’, which again, at this stage of the life cycle (Erikson, 1982), could be interpreted as feeling happy to be alive still:
A feeling of contentment, enthusiasm. Doing absolutely nothing, and thinking
to myself: I’m happy to be here. Mary
Finally, well-being was defined by some participants as feeling happy and able to cope with challenges;
If you’re happy and everything is going all right –manageable, you’re
managing well. Peggy
Including coping with life:
Feeling well and able to cope with the life you are living. Edith
Summary - Focus on Well-Being
To conclude, for the participants in this study, well-being involved having the ability to take each day as it comes. In the first sub-theme, ‘One Day at the Time’, the significance of getting up in the morning, enjoying each day, and resolving any conflicts was articulated by participants. This emphasis on well-being as a daily experience, which is consistent with previous studies (e.g., Okun et al., 1990; Reis et al., 2000), raises the need to carefully consider the stage of life at which people are at before developing interventions aimed at increasing well-being. In effect, the
participants’ descriptions of well-being as a day-to-day experience may reflect the specific existential issues faced by people in the later stages of life, such as approaching mortality (Gibson, 2004; Ruckdeschel, 2000), particularly for people over the age of 80 (Constança, 2007; Konnert et al., 2009).
Next, well-being was discussed in terms of engaging with one’s environment. ‘Being Able To’, showed how participants valued the capacity to be active and to engage in rewarding activities and hobbies. This emphasis on ‘doing things’ relates to the previous theme, “Managing Loneliness”, where participants noticeably privileged taking an active stance towards problem-solving. The crucial role played by physical health in facilitating this was clearly expressed by the participants in the current theme. This standpoint is consistent with physical decline as an age-related specific challenge (Knight, 2004; Knight & Lee, 2008), and its involvement in the overall well-being of older people (Katt et al., 2009; Okun et al., 1990; Zarit, 2009). It is possible that the
significance given by participants to leading an active life may reflect, in fact, the loss of physical faculties which they (or those around them), will face one day or another.
The third sub-theme, ‘A Feeling Inside’, portrayed well-being as a positive and enjoyable feeling which originates from the inner self (Bradburn, 1969). Participants conveyed their personal understandings of the construct such as feelings of satisfaction, comfort, and contentment. They emphasised the highly individualised nature of well- being, and discussed how one’s perception about their current situation has a direct impact on their sense of happiness (Okun, et al., 1990). This view corresponds with the cognitive approach to emotional problems, namely that it is not the situation per se, but the individual’s perception and meanings given to the situation that determine the response, or immediate state of being (Beck, 1976; Laidlaw & McAlpine, 2008).
As a final point, participants’ accounts in this section have highlighted the need to consider the well-being of older adults in terms of their context and individual presentation. Indeed, one advantage of instrumental reminiscence is the consideration of both past and current contexts of a given individual. In addition, corresponding to Cattan et al. (2005)’s suggestion of integrating participants’ opportunities to influence the content of group interventions, the SEC provided a context for participants to be active in their learning process, and to actively give advice to others. In line with the participants’ accounts of well-being in the current theme, it is possible to assume that the dynamic nature of the SEC was suited to the older participants’ wish for meaning and accomplishment.
CHAPTER SEVEN