Healthy Relationships: Examining Activities of Daily Living and Old Age Social Isolation

Abstract

As the population in the United States ages, more individuals are expected to experience difficulties with activities of daily living (ADL). How do difficulties with ADLs affect social relationships? In this thesis, I draw on several theoretical perspectives to explore how ADL difficulties might relate to social isolation. Specifically, I consider how resource constraints, stress effects, health burdens, and "dose-response" effects might impact relationships with others. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I separately examine associations between ADL difficulties and social isolation from family and friends when participants were in their 70s, and in a supplemental analysis, I explore associations between ADL difficulties and loneliness when respondents were in their 80s. I find that having an ADL difficulty is more detrimental to friendship ties than family ties, financial hardships and stress negatively impacts friendships, and having ADL difficulties is positively associated with being lonely a decade later. Implications from this study are that families, societies, and policymakers need to prepare and be proactive in addressing ADL difficulties and social isolation.