Older adults' attitudes toward using Euthanasia at the end-of life: cancer vs. Parkinson's disease.

Background: There is a paucity of studies that compare older adults' attitudes toward Euthanasia in two different terminal illnesses. Moreover, these studies did not relate to potentially influencing psycho-social factors. The current study aimed to examine the impact of a diverse range of variables on attitudes among older adults toward Euthanasia in two medical conditions: cancer and Parkinson's disease.

Social Support and Commitment to Life and Living: Bidirectional Associations in Late Life over Time.

Objectives: This study aims to enhance the understanding of longitudinal associations between two important facets of well-being in late life: social support and commitment to life and living (CTL).

Methods: Structured home interviews were conducted with 824 Israelis ≥75 years of age, with three annual data collection timepoints. We hypothesized and tested a cross-lagged, longitudinal structural equation model (SEM) in which CTL and social support were assumed to predict each other over time, covarying for previously reported CTL and social support.

Social Support and Symptoms of Depression in Late Life: Bidirectional Associations over Time.

Social support functions as an effective buffer against depression, especially among older adults with limited social networks. For the current study, we examined longitudinal bidirectional associations between social support and depression among those 75+ years of age. We recruited and followed a sample of Israeli adults 75+ years of age (N = 824; M = 80.

Psychological reactions to the coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study of Holocaust survivors and other older adults in Israel.

Background: The current study examines psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults living in Israel. Based on the 'life events, stress, coping and health theory,' we hypothesized that due to their traumatic early life history and dearth of emotional and physical coping resources, Holocaust survivors would be more vulnerable than other older adults to the negative effects of this difficult and prolonged life event on their mental health.

Methods: Based on structured questionnaires with closed questions, we interviewed 306 Holocaust survivors and non-survivors aged 75 + during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elderly Caregivers' Awareness of Caregiving Health Risks.

The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness of elderly primary caregivers of being at physical and mental health risk due to their caregiving role, as well as to examine the impact of sociodemographic characteristics, patient care characteristics, and situational variables on caregivers’ awareness. Data were collected by interview of a sample of primary caregivers aged 60+. A total of 202 primary caregivers responded positively, representing a response rate of 65% (202/311).

Care for caregivers- a mission for primary care.

Background: The number of elderly people living in the community who are limited in daily activities is increasing worldwide. This generates prolonged care, which usually falls on one family member, the family caregiver. Caregivers are prone to develop psychosocial and physical symptoms.

Open communication between caregivers' and terminally ill cancer patients about illness and death: The role of gender - A correlational study.

Purpose: Caregivers face severe difficulties in communicating openly with their terminally ill relatives about illness and death. Some studies suggest that females are more likely than males to hold such conversations. We compared level of open communication between male and female spouse-caregivers, and the contribution of personal and situational characteristics to the explanation of open communication level within each gender group.

Health and Well-Being in Late Life: Gender Differences Worldwide.

Maintaining health and quality of life and decreasing the number of years lived with disabilities in old age are among the main challenges of aging societies worldwide. This paper aims to present current worldwide health-related gender inequalities throughout life, and especially in late life, as well as gender gaps in social and personal resources which affect health, functioning and well-being. This paper also addresses the question of whether gender gaps at younger ages tend to narrow in late life, due to the many biological and social changes that occur in old age.

Reciprocal relationships between the will-to-live and successful aging.

The search for concomitants and predictors of successful aging is of theoretical and practical importance. In this study, we assessed the reciprocal relationships between the will-to-live (WTL) and both objective and subjective successful aging (SA) among older adults. Interviews were conducted with 1,216 randomly selected persons aged 75+ years (T1) and repeated with 1,019 of these participants one year later (T2).

Factors affecting the will to live among elderly jews living in israel.

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore factors that influence older persons' will to live (WTL). Twenty-five Israeli elders were interviewed about what weakens and/or strengthens their WTL. Elements of the grounded theory method guided the data collection and analysis.

Is a Decline in Will to Live a Consequence or Predictor of Depression in Late Life?

Objectives: To assess the causal directions of interaction between depression and decline in will to live (WTL) over 2 years in community-dwelling older adults.

Design: Community-based longitudinal study.

Setting: Three large cities in Israel.

Subjective well-being of visually impaired older adults living in the community.

Objectives: Vision impairment is one of the most common disabilities among older adults, and it has a substantial impact on well-being. The present study constructs an integrative model to identify which variables derived from four dimensions of life (physical/functional, social, psychological and environmental) combined with sociodemographic variables explain the overall subjective well-being (SWB) visually impaired older adults living in the community.

Method: A total of 121 severe visually impaired persons, aged 60 and over (M = 77.

Relationships Among Self-perception of Aging, Physical Functioning, and Self-efficacy in Late Life.

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between 2 central concepts in the study of subjective well-being in old age-self-perception of aging (SPA) and physical functioning, and to assess the mediating role of self-efficacy beliefs in this relationship.

Methods: Interviews were conducted in the home with 1,216 randomly selected persons aged 75+ years (T1) and repeated with 892 of them 2 years later (T2). We collected data on SPA, physical functioning, self-efficacy, self-rated health, and demographics.

The Paradox of Well-Being and Holocaust Survivors.

Background: Life satisfaction is a core component of well-being. Across age groups, satisfaction with life was found to be integral to individual mental and physical health. Surprisingly, there appears to be little or no association between age and life satisfaction.

Does early life trauma affect how depression is experienced by Holocaust survivors in late life?

Objectives: Existing research indicates that early life trauma increases the likelihood of depression in later life. This includes children who survived the Nazi Holocaust living in Israel today. For this study, we set out to examine whether early life trauma affects both levels of depression symptomatology and the relative prominence of certain facets of depression as compared to other older adults in Israel and Canada.

Why Do Holocaust Survivors Remember What They Remember?

Purpose Of The Study: The ability to integrate traumatic memories into a coherent life narrative is one factor associated with the mental health and well-being of Holocaust survivors. In the present study, reminiscences reported by survivors in Israel were collected to identify themes arising in positive and negative memories and experience.

Design And Methods: Participants (M = 80.

Translation and validation of the Hebrew version of the SHALOM Spiritual questionnaire.

Introduction: The SHALOM questionnaire is based on a multidimensional perception of spirituality. This study examines the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Hebrew version of Fisher's SHALOM questionnaire.

Methods: The study included 341 participants.

Subjective well-being: gender differences in Holocaust survivors-specific and cross-national effects.

Objectives: Subjective well-being (SWB) has become an important concept in evaluating older adults' quality of life. The cognitive and emotional evaluations which are used to appraise it differ in structure, characteristics, and effects on life. The purpose of this study was to support hypotheses regarding expected Holocaust survivors-specific effects and cross-cultural differences on three indicators of SWB.

Health, coping and subjective well-being: results of a longitudinal study of elderly Israelis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test a conceptual model designed to promote the understanding of factors influencing subjective well-being (SWB) in old age. Within this framework, we evaluated the relative influences on elderly Israelis' SWB of health and/or function, personal resources, coping behaviors (reactive and proactive), and changes in all of these factors over time.

Method: At baseline, 1216 randomly selected elderly persons (75+) were interviewed at home (T1) and 1019 one year later (T2).

The will-to-live scale: development, validation, and significance for elderly people.

Objectives: In old age, the will-to-live (WTL) is one of the most important indicators of subjective well-being (SWB). However, few studies to date have focused on WTL. In these studies, WTL has mainly been evaluated via indirect questions concerning factors that may influence peoples' WTL, or by measures directed to patients with specific diseases.

Function Self-Efficacy Scale-FSES: Development, Evaluation, and Contribution to Well-Being.

This article describes the development and validation of the Function Self-Efficacy Scale (FSES) for assessing the degree of confidence in self-functioning while facing decline in health and function (DHF). The FSES was evaluated in two studies of older Israelis, aged 75+ years. Data were collected by structured home interviews.

Patient communication pattern scale: psychometric characteristics.

Background: In western societies, a shared decision-making model for doctor-patient relationships calling for open and collaborative communication is recommended. Research focuses mainly on the doctor's communication patterns, while research on patient communication patterns is rare. The purpose of this study was to develop a tool for evaluating patient's communication patterns - the Patient Communication Pattern Scale (PCPS).

Influences of Nationalism and Historical Traumatic Events on the Will-to-Live of Elderly Israelis.

Purpose Of The Study: Existing research suggests that will-to-live (WTL) is an indicator of subjective well-being (SWB), and that similar personal variables including physical and mental health, quality-of-life, and sociodemographic characteristics influence elderly people's WTL. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore additional factors which influence older persons' WTL.

Design And Methods: Twenty-five elderly Israelis across the country were interviewed about what weakens and strengthens their WTL.

Holocaust Survivors' Memories of Past Trauma and the Functions of Reminiscence.

Purpose Of The Study: Existing research suggests that specific ways of recalling autobiographical memories of one's past cluster in self-positive, self-negative, and prosocial reminiscence functions. We undertook the present qualitative study to gain understanding of reminiscence functions as described by 269 Israeli Holocaust survivors and to see whether groupings of themes that emerged would correspond to our tripartite model of the reminiscence functions.

Design And Methods: Participants (M = 80.

Reminiscence functions and the health of Israeli Holocaust survivors as compared to other older Israelis and older Canadians.

Objectives: Existing research with English-speaking samples indicates that various ways in which older adults recall their past affect both their physical and mental health. Self-positive reminiscence functions (i.e.