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International perspectives on community care for older people
- Editors:
- SCHARF Thomas, WENGER G. Clare
- Publisher:
- Avebury
- Publication year:
- 1995
- Pagination:
- 243p.,tables,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- Aldershot
Research study.
Old age identity in social welfare practice
- Authors:
- WILIŃSKA Monika, HENNING Cecilia
- Journal article citation:
- Qualitative Social Work, 10(3), September 2011, pp.346-363.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Social welfare for old age is based on the assumption that ageing results in dependency. However, research on old age identity and social welfare work is limited. This study investigated the process of old age identity construction within a setting of social welfare work with old people. It aimed to identify social welfare practices that construct and enforce certain old age identities. The data analysed in this article were part of a study of a non-governmental organisation, based in Poland. The method of analysis was inspired by nexus analysis, which analyses social actions through a historical and ethnographic perspective. The analysis focused on practices that produced, sustained and promoted particular old age identity, and findings indicated a complex process in which social welfare professionals create the identities of preferred clients. In conclusion, the authors suggest that social welfare practice is often geared toward imagined client identities that have little to do with real people.
Social capital and self-rated health among older adults: a comparative analysis of Finland, Poland and Spain
- Authors:
- KOUTSOGEORGOU Eleni, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(3), 2015, pp.653-667.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The aim of this paper is to investigate the association between structural and cognitive aspects of social capital and self-rated health among adults aged 50 or more, living in three countries: Finland, Poland and Spain. The study, which was based on data from the European Social Survey (2008/09), was a part of the EU research project COURAGE in Europe. More specifically the paper assesses the association between social capital indicators - informal social network and general trust - and good self-rated health through single-level and joint effects analyses. The results showed that Finland was a country of high social capital, in terms of both social networks and general trust, while Spain showed low levels of general trust and Poland low levels of informal social networks. As to the association between social capital and self-rated health, high levels of general trust and high networks were found to be associated with good health among all countries' respondents. Older persons living in partnerships, with higher education, higher levels of engagement in informal networks and general trust, were found to be more likely to show good self-rated health. The comparative analyses revealed different associations between social capital and health according to country. (Edited publisher abstract)
Family carers' experiences using support services in Europe: empirical evidence from the EUROFAMCARE study
- Authors:
- LAMURA Giovanni, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 48(6), December 2008, pp.752-771.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This article explores the experiences of family carers of older people in using support services in six European countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK. Following a common protocol, data were collected from national samples of approximately 1,000 family carers per country and clustered into comparable subgroups to facilitate cross-national analysis. Carers' use of available support services is limited across Europe but is considerably higher in Germany, Sweden, and the UK than in Poland, Greece, and Italy. Service use is more prevalent among wives and carers with stronger support networks and less frequent among working daughters with high levels of burden, suggesting the need for a reconsideration of eligibility criteria and better targeting of service responses. Access to and use of services is characterized by a divide between carers in northwestern Europe, who experience few difficulties other than the older person's refusal to accept the support offered, and carers in southeastern Europe, where service affordability and poor transportation present remarkable barriers. Concerns regarding the timeliness and quality of support are common to all countries. European Union-wide efforts to improve carer support need to focus on improving the care system's ability to provide timely, high-quality care delivered by staff who treat the older person with dignity and respect, and to enhance cooperation between health professionals (in all countries), informal networks (especially in southeastern Europe), social services (particularly in Sweden and the UK), and voluntary organizations (in Germany and the UK).
Elder abuse and neglect in Poland
- Author:
- HALICKA Malgorzata
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 6(3/4), 1995, pp.157-169.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Polish gerontological literature has not defined abuse and neglect with regard to elderly people. Presents an interpretation of neglect and abuse and reports on research conducted in Bialystok. Concludes that social services do not solve the problems of older people in Poland. The transition from a centrally managed economy to a market economy means that there is a need to form a new model of social services. Outlines key points for policies aimed at preventing and solving the problems of neglect.
Met and unmet care needs of older people with dementia living at home: personal and informal carers’ perspectives
- Authors:
- MAZUREK Justyna, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 18(6), 2019, pp.1963-1975.
- Publisher:
- Sage
In Poland, there are few reports of the holistic approach to caring for older people with dementia. The aim of this study was to assess the needs of people with dementia living at home. This was done by evaluating the perspective of people with dementia themselves and that of their carers. The study included 47 people diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia and 41 informal carers, all living in Wroclaw in Poland, involved in the MeetingDem project. The needs were assessed using the CANE. Other scales used were: the MMSE, the GDS and the QOL-AD. The carers reported significantly more needs, both met and unmet, than the people with dementia themselves. The most frequent reported unmet needs both by the people with dementia and their carers included activities of daily living, psychological distress and the need for company. Based on this study’s findings, tailored multidisciplinary treatment, adjusted to their needs and wishes, can be offered thus creating integrated and individualised support. (Edited publisher abstract)
Understanding frailty: meanings and beliefs about screening and prevention across key stakeholder groups in Europe
- Authors:
- SHAW Rachel L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 38(6), 2018, pp.1223-1252.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Innovative methods to manage frailty are critical to managing the needs of an ageing population. Evidence suggests there are opportunities to reverse or prevent frailty through early intervention. However, little is known about older adults’, families’ and practitioners’ beliefs about the malleability of frailty. This study examined European stakeholders’ accounts of the acceptability and feasibility of frailty screening and prevention to inform future intervention development. Semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews were conducted in three European Union countries (Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom) with key stakeholders – frail and non-frail older adults, family care-givers, and health and social care professionals. Thematic analysis identified four themes: synchronicity between the physical and the psychological in frailty, living with frailty in the social world, the need for a new kind of care, and screening for and preventing frailty. Findings emphasised the need for a holistic approach to frailty care and early intervention. Integrated care services and advocacy were important in the organisation of care. Central to all stakeholders was the significance of the psychological and social alongside the physical elements of frailty and frailty prevention. Support and care for older adults and their family care-givers needs to be accessible and co-ordinated. Interventions to prevent frailty must encompass a social dimension to help older adults maintain a sense of self while building physical and psychological resilience. (Edited publisher abstract)