CONGREGATIONAL INFORMAL SUPPORT NETWORKS FOR OLDER ADULTS WITHOUT ADVOCATES IN BLACK CHURCHES - Issue 883 - Poster session - Friendship, social networks, social support

Sep 29, 2026

Unmet care needs among older adults are increasing, with “Older Adults Without Advocates” (OAWA) expected to rise, particularly among Black/African American older adults. Prior literature indicates that many OAWA obtain informal, unpaid support through church-based social networks, yet little published research examines Black/African American OAWA directly. Using community-engaged guidance, the study synthesizes related scholarship and applies the Convoy of Care Model to analyze 18 interviews from members affiliated with 12 Baptist and Methodist churches in New York City. Thematic analysis finds CISN as a critical element for both OAs and OAWA, notes discordance between clinical and social definitions, and identifies overlap between groups. Findings inform urban faith-community caregiving patterns and aging-in-place support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Study background

Conceptual framework

Methods

Preliminary findings

Implications

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 883 SESSION 7355 (POSTER) FRIENDSHIP, SOCIAL NETWORKS, SOCIAL SUPPORT Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2985 CONGREGATIONAL INFORMAL SUPPORT NETWORKS FOR OLDER ADULTS WITHOUT ADVOCATES IN BLACK CHURCHES Miriam Gofine1, Carolyn Berry2, Stephanie Zhang2, and Antoinette Schoenthaler2, 1. New York University, Brookline, Massachusetts, United States, 2. New York University, New York, New York, United States Increasing proportions of older adults (OAs) have unmet care needs due to limited or no familial support (“Older Adults Without Advocates” [OAWA] or “elder orphans”) . This prevalence is expected to rise, especially among Black/African American (B/AA) OAs. Both the peer-reviewed and grey literatures suggest that many OAWA receive at least some support from church-based informal (i.e., unpaid) social networks. To our knowledge, no published research exists on B/AA OAWA, but prior work emphasizes the significance of spiritual, emotional, and instrumental support provided by volunteers in congregational informal support networks (CISN) to community-dwelling B/AA OAs more generally. This study synthesizes the work of expert scholars on church-based informal social support networks of B/AA OAs with the Convoy of Care Model and the American Geriatrics Society’s identification of“elder orphans” as a distinct clinical population to explore the role of CISN in B/AA OAWA’s care networks. Guided by a community-engaged framework, 18 semi-structured interviews with OAWA and CISN members affiliated with 12 predominantly B/ AA Baptist and Methodist churches across New York City were thematically analyzed. Preliminary results recognize CISN asa critical element of care networks of OAs and OAWA alike, identifying discordance between clinical and social definitions of OAWA and noting overlap between OAWA and CISN groups. This research enhances understanding of caregiving patterns related to OAWA within urban Black/African American faith communities, highlighting the essential role of CISN in promoting successful aging in place for urban B/AA OAWA.

FAQs

Why focus on older adults without advocates (OAWA) in Black churches?

OAWA have increasing unmet care needs due to limited or no familial support, and many are expected to rely on church-based informal social networks. The study addresses the lack of published research on Black/African American OAWA.

What framework guides the study of CISN for OAWA?

The study synthesizes expert scholarship on church-based informal support, guided by a community-engaged framework, and integrates the Convoy of Care Model alongside the American Geriatrics Society’s identification of “elder orphans.”

How was data collected and analyzed?

The study conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with OAWA and CISN members associated with 12 predominantly Black Baptist and Methodist churches in New York City, using thematic analysis.

Sep 29, 2026

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