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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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'The wisdom of age'
— perspectives on aging and growth among lesbian older adults | | Author(s) | Jennifer M Putney, Rebecca R Leafmeeker, Nicholas Hebert |
| Journal title | Journal of Gerontological Social Work, vol 59, no 3, April 2016 |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis, April 2016 |
| Pages | pp 234-251 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com |
| Keywords | Lesbians ; Stress ; Adjustment ; Spiritual characteristics [elderly] ; Qualitative Studies ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Older lesbian-identified women are a disparate yet resilient population about whom knowledge is limited and emerging. Among the areas needing research are older lesbians' experiences of later life and stress-related growth. This article presents the findings from a qualitative study that investigated older lesbians' experiences of adversity and adaptation as they age. In-depth, exploratory interviews were conducted with 12 lesbian-identified women aged 65-80. This study applied grounded theory methodology to identify respondents sources of stress and fear, their strengths and coping strategies and how those relate to each other and to their growth in later life. The authors propose a model of adaptive change that shows how spirituality, social support and resistance to cultural norms help older lesbian adults cope with loss, illness and discrimination, and develop wisdom in later life. Knowledgeable practitioners can help older lesbian women to identify and maintain sources of social support, explore spirituality, and facilitate continuous growth until the end of life. Social workers can advocate for services that are welcoming and affirmative, so as to reduce fears of isolation and dependence associated with health decline. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-161125216 A |
| Classmark | ES6DB: QNH: DR: EX: 3DP: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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