Social Capital and Its Related Factors in Caring for Elderly People Living Alone
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Abstract
This research employed a mixed-method approach with the following objectives: (1) to study the social capital in elderly care as perceived by elderly individuals living alone; and (2) to examine the relationship between various factors and social capital in elderly care. The sample comprised 180 elderly individuals living alone and 60 community network members. The research tools used were: (1) a personal information interview form; (2) a social capital measurement scale for the elderly; (3) a social capital measurement scale for the community network; and (4) a satisfaction scale for participation in the care of elderly individuals living alone. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistics, including means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, Pearson’s correlation, Spearman's rank correlation, and Chi-square tests. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.
The study results were as follows: (1) The average score of social capital perception among elderly people living alone was 66.33 (SD = 13.79); (2) The average score of social capital perception among the community network was 20.30 (SD = 2.47); and (3) The average score of satisfaction with participation in elderly care was 106.68 (SD = 9.29). The analysis results showed that gender (χ2 = 4.37), income (rs = 0.157), education level (rs = 0.224), satisfaction with quality of life (rs = 0.251), and housing (χ2 = 5.203) had a statistically significant positive relationship with social capital in the care of elderly people living alone at the .05 level. These research results indicated that community networks should become familiar with the elderly people living alone, especially elderly males, to build trust, and try to reach out to those with low income, particularly in urban areas in order to ensure comprehensive social capital for elderly people living alone.
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