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Biomedical subjects

M M Seltzer

Publications and source records attributed to M M Seltzer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

The psychological consequences of multiple roles: the nonnormative case.

Occupying multiple roles has been shown to be a major predictor of psychological well-being. We investigated the effects of multiple roles in the nonnormative case: a sample of aging mothers of adult children with mental retardation. These women have been in the role of caregiver for up to five decades, in addition to occupying the range of roles normatively held in adulthood and old age. We found, using longitudinal analyses, that holding multiple roles in significantly and negatively related to depression in this sample, as in the general population. The effect of multiple roles remains significant even after the previous level of depression is controlled. These results support the role accumulation hypothesis predicting positive consequences of multiple roles on psychological well-being, even in this sample of older women who have had lifelong caregiving responsibilities.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Aging parents of adults with disabilities: the gratifications and frustrations of later-life caregiving.

Using a stress process model, we investigated the impact of later-life caregiving on 105 mothers of adult children with mental illness and 208 mothers of adult children with mental retardation. As hypothesized, mothers of persons with mental illness reported higher levels of frustrations and lower levels of gratifications. Whereas the adult child's behavior problems were the strongest predictor of maternal gratifications, the adult child's diagnosis was the strongest predictor of maternal frustrations once all other factors were controlled. In addition, the size of the mother's social network, the family social climate, and the child's participation in an out-of-home program were associated with the effect of caregiver stress.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Adults with Down syndrome and their aging mothers: diagnostic group differences.

Adults with Down syndrome (n = 160) and their aging mothers were compared with adults who have mental retardation due to other causes (n = 253) and their mothers in order to determine the nature and direction of diagnostic group differences at the middle and later stages of the family life course. Consistent with research on young families with a child who has Down syndrome, aging mothers of adults with Down syndrome reported less conflicted family environments, more satisfaction with their social supports, and less stress and burden associated with caregiving than did mothers whose adult child's mental retardation was due to other causes. Factors associated with patterns of stability and change in diagnostic group differences were discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Professional and family collaboration in case management: a hospital-based replication of a community-based study.

This paper presents the results of research on a program that trains family members to serve as case managers for their elderly relatives. The effectiveness of the training program was evaluated using a randomized experimental design. Data were collected in an urban hospital setting about two groups of elderly patients: those with dementia and those needing hemodialysis. Family members of both types of patients were assigned randomly to an experimental group, which received systematic training in performing case management activities, or to a control group, which received only the services ordinarily provided by the hospital social work department. Post-test comparisons revealed that the experimental group family members performed significantly more case management tasks on behalf of their elderly relatives than did family members in the control group. Although trained family members assumed more responsibility for case management, there was no increase in the level of their subjective or objective caregiving burden. Implications for social work practice are presented.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Speculative gerontology revisited: the herd instinct.

Using as a vehicle the history of "Speculative Excursions into the Everyday Lives of Old People" (or some variant of that title) sessions at the Gerontological Society of America's Annual Scientific Meetings, this article is a semi-serious discussion of the place of humor in gerontology. The article describes the purposes of these sessions, the reactions of colleagues, the rejections of papers, and the hopes and future prospects of Speculative Excursion Gerontology.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Continuity and change revisited.

This concluding article summarizes key points about continuity and change in gerontology as described in the four previous articles. Synthesis and discussion is focused on five major areas in which gerontological continuity and change are evidenced: 1) transformation of basic themes over time; 2) gerontology's identity crisis; 3) the social ideology of gerontology; 4) evolution and refinement of gerontological ideas and methods; and 5) temporal frameworks. The author raises questions about unsolved issues and suggests the eventual need to examine the roles of individuals in shaping the field of study called gerontology.

Aging↗
PubMed1992

Social support networks of adults with mental retardation who live at home.

The social support networks of 418 adults with mental retardation who live at home were found to be large, durable, active, and diverse in their composition. Family members predominated as members of these support networks. Differences were found in many network characteristics based on the gender and level of mental retardation of the adults. Males and those with the most severe mental retardation were found to be at risk for social isolation. Contrasts with the social support networks of adults in nonfamily settings were discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Empowering families of the chronically ill: a partnership experience in a hospital setting.

An intervention model has been developed which teaches family members, in partnership with social workers, to obtain and monitor services for their chronically ill elderly relatives. The research site is a Boston teaching hospital with a patient population that is ethnically and racially diverse. Initial results of the study reveal that case management is easily accepted by most families, and the partnership between the family member and social worker enhances the delivery of needed services.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Utilization of aging network services by elderly persons with mental retardation.

Examined was the extent to which 373 programs in eight types of services provided by the aging network in Massachusetts were utilized by elderly persons with mental retardation. Based on a mailed survey, it was found that over half the programs (52%) had served such clients in 1987. In 2 of the 8 types of services, clients with mental retardation constituted at least 10% of the caseload. Characteristics that differentiated programs that provided services to persons with mental retardation and programs that did not were reported. The policy implications of the findings were discussed.

Health Services for the Aged↗
PubMed1989

Random and not so random thoughts on becoming and being a statistic: professional and personal musings.

This article contains personal and professional musings on becoming and being an old woman. Becoming and being an old woman (I had no choice) and being a "gerontologist" (I had a choice), results in experiencing at least two realities, that of subject and that of researcher (an interesting word in itself). We daily face the leap across the chasm between science and personal experiences; between swimming in the subject pool and being a life guard or researcher into the life of guarded subjects. How permeable are the boundaries between subject and objectivity? Do gerontological data inform our experiences of becoming old? Are they providing us with norms for aging? Dear Virginia, there are age and sex norms and Enforcers enforce them. And, dear Virginia, there is more to life than research.

Aging↗
PubMed1989

Aging parents with adult mentally retarded children: family risk factors and sources of support.

Predictors of four indices of well-being among 203 aging mothers of mentally retarded adults who live at home were examined. Maternal demographic variables (age, marital status, education, and income) correlated with maternal physical health and life satisfaction, whereas adult child risk factors (level of retardation, having Down syndrome, physical health, and functional skills) related more strongly to parenting stress and burden. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the family's social climate was a better predictor of maternal well-being than were formal or informal support, controlling for maternal and adult child risk factors. Results were considered in the context of previous findings in mental retardation and gerontology.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Comparison of elderly and adult mentally retarded persons in community and institutional settings.

Four hypotheses were tested to determine whether there are significant differences between elderly and adult mentally retarded persons living in institutional and community-based settings with respect to cognitive, medical, and functional impairments and service needs and utilization. The findings did not support the hypotheses that such differences exist, except with respect to service needs and utilization. The implications of these results for policy and program development were discussed.

Adult↗