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Social Integration and Caregiving among Seniors in Bermuda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Neena L. Chappell  and
Victor W. Marshall
Neena L. Chappell
Affiliation:
Centre on Aging, Sedgewick Building, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
Victor W. Marshall
Affiliation:
Centre for Studies of Aging, University of Toronto, 305-455 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2G8, Canada.
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Abstract

This paper examines social interaction among seniors in Bermuda, the relationship of various interaction variables with psychological or emotional well-being, and caregiving. The data come from the first ever social science survey conducted among seniors in this country. The findings are compared with selected industrialised countries. Bermudian seniors have strong social ties, somewhat stronger than have been reported in other developed nations. Overwhelmingly, perceived health is related to life satisfaction and functional disability is related to self-esteem among Bermudian seniors. The lack of relationship with social support may well be due to the lack of variation in social support, with virtually everyone having strong social ties. Informal assistance is strong in Bermuda as has been demonstrated for seniors elsewhere. Similarly, the predictors of informal assistance were no surprise, including functional disability, perceptions of health, and having a household member. That is, Bermudian seniors were somewhat distinctive, particularly in their strong social ties, but otherwise appear to be quite similar to seniors in other developed nations. Their geographical isolation and relative small size are believed to be related to their strong social network.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 1992 , pp. 499 - 514
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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