Social Support for the Older Adult
Social support is a vast concept that embodies the core purpose of the nursing profession: to provide care. When providing care, nurses implement social support as a means to comfort and help their clients in whatever way they may need. Support is not only given within the healthcare system. Social support is provided between copious different people in different circumstances. This paper will encompass the types of support that are provided within these different circumstances and who provides these supports. These concepts are applied to the older adult population, by exploring the types of support and who provides support to this population. This relates to the previous notion of the role of a nurse and
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This quote affirms the importance of all the types of supports that are provided to the older adult population, as they are at a higher risk to encounter health problems. The onset of a health concern may trigger stressful circumstances, which often cause negative emotions. People often find strength, and the ability to cope through his or her social system (Mekoth & Noronha, 2013). Within an individual 's social system, the ability to cope with varying circumstances throughout the lifespan is provided through the various types of social support.
Types of Support
There are many types of support that are derived from interactions with others in society. These various divisions of social support include family support, emotional support, informational support and tangible support. Social support is the umbrella term for which all these other divisions of support are within, as the types of support we are discussing are all provided through social connection.
Family
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In different circumstances you may need different types of support. For an example, if you are in debt you may need financial support, or if you are upset you may need emotional support. In these situations, the support you receive can come from several different resources. Harahsheh (2011) explained that support may come from your family, friends, a healthcare professional or even someone who walked past you on the street. However, it can also come from community groups, pets or receiving financial assistance and much more. Often people who provide care to an older adult identify as being their caregiver. A caregiver is an unpaid family member, friend, or neighbor who can assist an individual with care, which may include bathing, dressing, feeding, and so on (Reinhard, Given, Petlick, & Bemis,