SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

Volume 2 | Issue 1 Article 5

October 2016

Activity Participation and Older Adults’ Well-Being

Elizabeth R. Tabet
Northeastern Illinois University

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Tabet, Elizabeth R. (2016) "Activity Participation and Older Adults’ Well-Being," SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement:
Vol. 2 : Iss. 1 , Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/space/vol2/iss1/5

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SPACE
Activity Participation and Older Adults' Well-being
Elizabeth R. Tabet, Northeastern Illinois University

Introduction

As people are living longer lives, there has come to be an increased emphasis on
defining productive and successful aging (Winstead, Yost, Cotton, Berkowsky, &
Anderson, 2014). The mission of Chicagoland Methodist Senior Services (CMSS) is to
support, improve1 and enhance the quality of life of older adults. CMSS provides a range
of care services for older adults' changing needs that can arise and develop through the
process of aging. Individuals who stay at a CMSS facility range in age and in level of care
needed. Some Individuals stay temporarily at CMSS tor rehabllltatlve purposes, whtle
others with dementia and in need of assisted living services may stay as permanent
residents. Over the course of a semester, I partook in a service learning internship at
CMSS. I participated in several projects and activities with a variety of residents, many of
whom had dementia and were in need of memory supportive care. In this paper I will
present my experience at CMSS working on various activities with older adult residents, in
combination with research on R. J. Havighurst's activity theory.

Havighurst's Activity Theory

Old age ls the start of the longest developmental phase of life (Niisson, Billow, &
Kazemi1 2015). During this phase1 an adult discovers and finds a renewed and ultimate
meaning of life (Nilsson et al., 2015). Later life can be filled with challenges and
inconvenient happenings, yet it can be a time characterized as highly productive,
rewarding, and meaningful, depending on an individual's approach to aging {Nilsson et
al., 2015). Activity theory (Havighurst1 1961) is one approach to developing a meaningful
and successful life in aging. The activity theory provides an outline of the importance and
overall Impact of participating In activities In older age (Havlghurst, 1961; Winstead et al.,
2014). There is an association between continual participation in informal activities and
overall greater life satisfaction (Winstead et al., 2014). Older adults need ongoing
stimulation, socialization, connectivity, sense of purpose, and sense of belonging {Gitlin,
Szanton, & Hodgson1 2013). Activity theory claims that the participation in activities is

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ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION AND OLDER ADULTS' WELL-BEING

essential for health, overall well-being, and quality of life of an older adult (Winstead et
al., 2014). The intention of the theory is to find the best solution for handling challenges
of aging and bringing an ease and enrichment to the lives of older adults (Nilsson et al.,
2015).
Two central concepts of the activity theory are activities and roles (Winstead et
al., 2014). Activity theory suggests that people use activities and roles as mechanisms to
aid in the development of a sense of "self' (Winstead et al., 2014). The key factors of
activities and roles each play a prominent part in the life of an older adult (Winstead et
al., 2014). Activity theory proposes the best way to adapt to changing circumstances
which come along with older age is by participating in voluntary and leisurely activities
that encourage different types of social interaction (Nilsson et al., 2015). Successful aging
can be defined by the continuation of common social roles of an individual, which can
include worker, spouse, homemaker, citizen, friend, or church member (Havighurst,
1961). A significant concept of the activity theory is that it is not just the number of
activities undertaken that is important (Reitzes, Mutran, & Verrill, 1995). Activities that
aid in confirming a role identity, such as being a friend or parent, have a greater impact
on self-esteem than simply the number of activities in which the older adult participates
(Reitzes et al., 1995). When activities have to be given up, the activity theory proposes
finding replacement or substitute activities (Havighurst, 1961). Research derived from the
activity theory has found that older adults who remain active, energetic, productive, and
a part of society overall age more successfully, are happier, and live longer lives (Wurtele,
2009).

Service Learning Experience

The activity theory is fundamentally based on older adults participating in

activities; therefore my service learning experience was spent working on different
activity projects for residents at CMSS. I participated in three main activities at CMSS. I
partook in the Around the World Cruise Program, I led a horticulture project, and I
created multisensory boxes/reminiscence kits. Each activity was chosen by staff and
agreed upon by me, with the focus being on what would provide valuable and meaningful
experiences for CMSS' older adult residents.
The first activity I participated in was the Around the World Cruise Program, which
was ongoing at three of CMSS's residential communities. Each month, a country from
various places around the world was picked and became the focus of activities and
related outings for that month. I helped prepare materials needed for an art activity,
created a presentation that was given to residents, and assisted with one of the
program's activities which was an outing to an art museum. For the Around the World
Cruise Program, I acted in a supportive role which provided me with the opportunity to
understand how programming is efficiently run at CMSS, and it allotted me opportunities
to spend time getting to know various residents.
My second activity was a horticulture project. This was a three-day activity which
involved dementia care residents coloring plastic pots and planting flower seeds. The first
activity day consisted of me interacting with and explaining the project to residents as

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ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION AND OLDER ADULTS' WELL-BEING

well as helping them choose how they wanted to color their plastic planting pot. The
second day was a continuation and completion of coloring the planting pots. For the third
activity day, I assisted residents with planting flower seeds of their choice. The final
planted pots were then placed in each resident's room with a plant care instruction guide
that I created. Once a week after the activity was completed, I visited with residents and
checked in on the growing flower plants.
For my third activity, I made multisensory boxes/reminiscence kits. The purpose of
this project was to provide an activity that incorporated aspects of both multisensory
stimulation and reminiscence experiences. The incorporation of multisensory stimulation
into the activity was a method used to activate the senses with the hope that the touch,
taste, sound, smell, or sight of an object would trigger a past memory in a resident with
dementia. The use of reminiscence in the activity was pertinent in picking kit themes that
would hopefully connect to a memory of a prior experience of a resident with dementia.
The themes of the kits were chosen carefully and aimed to recreate a pleasant and
familiar experience for activity participants. I created four different kits with the themes
of cooking (see Appendix A), sewing (see Appendix B), gardening/nature walk (see
Appendix C), and a trip to the beach/vacation (see Appendix D). Each kit had related
theme items in it that connected to each of the senses. Each of the four kits also had their
own folder, which contained all the necessary information pertaining to the activity so
the kits could be easily used by first-time activity participants, staff, or family members. I
created a guideline and set of instructions for the activity on how to use each kit from
start to finish. Included in the guideline were suggestions for the activity, prompts to aid
conversation, and related sayings and idioms for each of the themes to read aloud. Also
in the folders was information about the benefits of reminiscence and multisensory
stimulation for older adults with dementia. I created a post-activity questionnaire for kit
users to fill out after the activity session ended. The questionnaire was provided so
feedback could be collected and, if need be, the kits could be modified to make the
activity a more meaningful and beneficial experience for residents. I provided the list of
resources I used to create the kits, for further guidance and future reference for the
potential of the activity to continue and grow.

Reflection

In accordance with the activity theory and my site activities at CMSS, there were
several points of learning that I identified throughout my work. Themes of learning
included organizational learning, communication, group dynamics, critical thinking,
adaptability, and active listening. Each theme played an important role during my service
learning experience.
Organizational learning occurred throughout my service learning experience. I
learned about how CMSS operates, and I learned from the residents of CMSS. As each
person is different and has different needs, there is a flexibility that is necessary in an
organization to make activities meaningful and relevant to individual residents. It is
essential to provide older adults with a range of activity experiences, recreational or
competitive (Kelley, Little, Jong Seon, Birendra, & Henderson, 2014). To meet the needs

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of older adults, activities may need to be suitable for individuals with different vision,
hearing, and neuro-motor and cognitive capacitates and capabilities (Kraft, Steel,
Macmillan, Olson, & Merom, 2015). For organizations with the goal of improving the
health status of older adults, it is necessary to take into consideration social network
factors, physical health, emotional health, and education level of older adults {Pino et al.,
2014). There is significance in figuring out what activities are defined as productive and
engaging for older adults in order to deem such activities evident of success and well-
being (Johnson & Mutchler, 2013). The feature of an organization providing stimulating
activities for the entire range of older adults present in its care is imperative so all
residents are inclined to participate in activities.
Communication was a continual learning theme for me throughout my
experience. Communication was essential between staff at CMSS, and it was also crucial
relating to understanding residents. A resident's health and how a resident felt on a
particular day had an effect on his or her participation in activities. Some residents
communicated one day that they did not want to participate in an activity that they had
previously seemed interested in. A few residents arrived at an activity and then no longer
wished to participate. Providing activities for residents to participate in as active
members can aid in older adult learning (Winstead et al., 2014). Part of communication,
as well, is being able to diffuse tension in a situation and help calm upset residents.
Adverse health outcomes may result if activities are stressful or consume too much time
(Johnson & Mutchler, 2013). In speaking with residents, I learned what they liked to do
and tried to assist them in being able to participate in activities of their interest.
Continued communication with residents was significant, as it can impact a resident's
willingness to participate in activities.
Group dynamics and cohesiveness was a relevant learning theme during my time
at CMSS. This pertained to getting residents together and having them participate in an
activity at the same time. In experiencing group dynamics and cohesiveness, there is a
need to try to keep the residents happy and content in being with each other. There is
value in the social aspects of the participation of older adults in activities (Kelley et al.,
2014). Realizing the differences between residents and meeting the residents' needs
accordingly helped group activities to be more cohesive. After participating in group
activities, older adults may feel more connected with others (Winstead et el., 2014).
Honoring differences in group members can lead to a better group dynamic and greater
group cohesiveness during an activity.
Critical thinking was an ongoing learning theme for me. Critical thinking was vital
for the activities I was a part of, which catered to assisting residents in active and
meaningful aging. Critical thinking occurred at CMSS as it involved creating plans to meet
residents' needs. In promoting activity participation, it may be necessary to understand
why residents may not want to participate in activities. A lack of participation can be the
result of worsening health, worsening cognitive functioning, or a loss of ability to connect
with family and friends (Fernandez-Mayoralas et al., 2015). Other reasons that can affect
participation include perceived health status, lack of ability to perform daily tasks, and
education level (Fernandez-Mayoralas et al., 2015). An older adult's health status and
related factors warrant attention and critical thinking, with the goal of getting them to
participate in activities.
Adaptability was an important concept during my service learning experience and
was necessary in getting residents to participate in activities. Some residents were
resistant to participation, requiring an adjustment of ideas and activities offered for

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participation opportunities. Providing activities that allow for productive behavior to

occur is important in benefitting older adults (Johnson & Mutchler, 2013). Even later in
life, innovation can be liberating and growth producing for older adults (Nimrod &
Kleiber, 2007). Older adults may find ways to reinvent themselves, while others may
come up with ways to preserve their current sense of self {Nimrod & Kleiber, 2007). Being
adaptive in providing options for activities can give older adults new chances for
participation.
A learning theme for me that occurred during my time at CMSS was active
listening. According to Kelley et al. (2014), "Understanding the meanings that influence
activity behavior in older adults may be useful in promoting the values of activity across
the lifespan" (p. 64). Active listening involved understanding a resident's likes, dislikes,
interests, or concerns and doing one's best in providing opportunities for that person to
be able to participate in activities important to them. Some older adults may also want to
participate in different levels of activities (Kraft et al., 2015). Actively listening to an older
adult allows for the opportunity to provide personally meaningful options for activity
participation.
Each theme-organizational learning, communication, group dynamics, critical
thinking, adaptability, and active listening-was discovered throughout my work on the
various activities I was a part of at CMSS. Partaking in each activity project provided me
with newfound knowledge and understanding of older adults, resulting in my personal
and professional growth.

Conclusion

For older adults, being active can provide an outlet to transform and distinguish
their aging identity (Kelley et al., 2014). Activity participation can provide: (a)
opportunities for self-identification, (b) an outlet to build social networks, (c) an occasion
for social interaction, and (d) an opportunity for role support, which are all important
factors of successful aging {Winstead et al., 2014). Participation in activities allows for
interactions with others, which can impact a person's self-evaluation and self-esteem
(Reitzes et al., 1995). There is a need for adults to be active, connected, and engaged in
life in order to prevent decline (Gitlin et al., 2013).
The activity theory proposes continued participation in activities (Havighurst,
1961). The theory aimed to identify what it takes for an older adult to live a high-quality
life through aging without falling into despair, depression, or complete inactivity (Nilsson
et al., 2015). The activity theory promotes continuous action as indicative of successful
aging (Johnson & Mutchler, 2013). However, other theories stress the importance of
alone time and self-reflection (Nilsson et al., 2015). From the perspective of the activity
theory, disengagement due to aging does take place, but it is due to society withdrawing
from an individual, not the individual withdrawing from society (Havighurst, 1961). Some
research suggests that having an active physical and social life as well as being
contemplative and withdrawn are both important in coping with aging {Nilsson et al.,
2015). In deciding successful aging markers, it may be more relevant to take into
consideration the lifestyle of an individual (Havighurst, 1961). The activity theory suggests
that individuals who are happy in life being active and productive, will be happy and
satisfied in life if they continue to be active and productive (Havighurst, 1961). For an
individual who is characterized as having a passive or home-centered lifestyle, they will
more likely be satisfied with disengagement (Havighurst, 1961).

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Due to the growing life expectancy and reduction of adult mortality, the current
aging population is unprecedented (Pino et al., 2014). If an individual is fortunate enough
to live into older adulthood, that person is likely to experience a decline in physical,
cognitive, social, or emotional areas of life (Kelley et al., 2014). Future implications of
aging research can assist recreation providers in offering opportunities and services for
older adults to be able to be active (Kelley et al., 2014). Science and public health
disciplines can work together in coming up with learning platforms that fit the needs of
older adults at any developmental level (Kraft et al., 2015). Successful aging findings can
contribute to policy, advocacy, and theory development in the field of gerontology
(Johnson & Mutchler, 2013). A goal of gerontology is to offer individuals and society
advice in helping people to enjoy and achieve satisfaction in life (Havighurst, 1961).
Creating ways to make productive and engaging activity opportunities accessible and
available to all older adults who want to participate is essential (Johnson & Mutchler,
2013).

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