Table 3.
Respondents’ health change and social network change in the life stage of ‘old age’
| Respondent | Health change | Social network change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nr. | Gender | Health decline before hospital admission - concerning the life stage of ‘old age’ | Health decline after hospital admission - compared to health status before admission | Addition of people | Loss of people | Change of existing relations |
| 1 | F | Regular aging with negligible health decline | Small | Home care professionals | No | Receiving support from a few close friends |
| 2 | M | Large decline due to chronic illness in past decade | Small | Home care professionals | Wife, Friends | Receiving more support from son and daughter-in-law |
| 3 | M | Regular aging with negligible health decline | Large | Home care professionals and rehabilitation professionals | Wife, Friends | Receiving more support from daughter and granddaughter |
| 4 | F | Large decline due to chronic illness in past two years | Small | Home care professionals | Family, Friends | Only reciprocal relations with family members and friends remained |
| 5 | M | Regular aging with negligible health decline | Large | Home care professionals, biological sister | Friends | More intense contacts with friends/neighbours; only superficial contact left with biological sister |
| 6 | F | Regular aging with negligible health decline | Small | Home care professionals | Acquaintances | Receiving more support from daughters |
| 7 | M | Large decline due to chronic illness in past two years | Large | Home care professionals | Friends/ Acquaintances | Receiving more support from (grand)children; less contact with friends/acquaintances |