Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 410
Participant perspectives on home visitation services for older people
- Author:
- QUIRKE Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Irish Social Worker, Autumn 2012, pp.7-12.
- Publisher:
- Irish Association of Social Workers
The CONNECT project aim to alleviate loneliness among older people in Ireland. The project trains volunteers to carry out weekly one hour home visits where the volunteer talks and listens to older people. This research investigated the CONNECT home visitation project from the perspective of the service users. Interviews were conducted with 6 older people. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with the support they received. The project was perceived as making an important contribution to the lives of older adults in the area of social interaction. Based on the findings, the author presents six recommendations for the project.
Screening for elder mistreatment in a dental clinic population
- Authors:
- RUSSELL Stefanie L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 24(4), 2012, pp.326-339.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Many cases of elder mistreatment are unrecognised and go unreported. Active screening of elders in community clinics, such as dental clinics, is likely to uncover previously undiagnosed cases of elder mistreatment. The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility and utility of screening for elder mistreatment in a dental clinic population. The study participants were a convenience sample of 138 older adults over the age of 65 recruited from the New York University Dental School care clinics. All participants had a paid or unpaid carer for at least 2 hours a week. The participants were administered a series of questions on a touch computer screen using the Audio Computer Assisted Self Interviewing (ACASI) system, which included the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (HS-EAST). Overall, 48.4% of the participants scored 3 or greater on the HS-EAST, and 28.3% scored 4 or greater. The findings suggest that there is an opportunity to screen in busy dental clinics and to facilitate early detection for those patients who screen positive for elder mistreatment.
Seniors' self-administration of the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI): a feasibility study
- Authors:
- YAFFE Mark J., WEISS Deborah, LITHWICK Maxine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 24(4), 2012, pp.277-292.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Physician involvement in identifying or reporting elder abuse appears to be low. As part of a research programme to improve the detection of elder abuse, the authors had previously developed and validated a 6-question Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI) that can be asked quickly by family physicians of cognitively intact seniors in their offices. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using a modified version of EASI as a self-administered tool completed by older people during waiting times in physicians’ waiting rooms. The self-administrable version of the EASI (EASI-sa) was completed by a convenience sample of 210 cognitively intact older people aged 65 years and over. The findings were stratified by age, sex, and language (English and French). All completed the EASI-sa within an estimated 5 minutes, 82.9% within 2 minutes. Completion time decreased with higher education, but was not affected by age, sex, language, or measured physical or mental health. No questions went unanswered; no words were poorly understood or discomforting. The process of considering the EASI-sa questions also appeared to be associated with a significantly increased understanding about how elder abuse may present.
Transitions to part-time work at older ages: the case of people with disabilities in Europe
- Author:
- PAGÁN Ricardo
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 27(1), 2012, pp.95-115.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article examines the labour-force transitions of older workers with disabilities in general, particularly workers’ transitions to and from part-time employment within a European context. Using the 2004 and 2007 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, the article compares transitions between employment statuses for disabled and non-disabled individuals, even after controlling for different disability trajectories. In addition, it examines the determinants for remaining in part-time work in 2007 for those individuals who were part-timers in 2004. Findings indicated that older people with long-term disabilities had a higher probability of staying in a part-time job than their compared counterparts. The authors concluded that policy-makers must promote part-time employment as a means of increasing employment opportunities for older workers with disabilities and support gradual retirement opportunities with flexible working hours.
Understanding and improving transitions of older people: a user and carer centred approach
- Authors:
- ELLINS Jo, et al
- Publisher:
- National Institute for Health Research
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 169p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This project focuses on older people and their transition between different services and agencies in health and social care. Research studies and reports from inspectors have shown that older people experience many problems before, during and after transitions. This project had two key aims. First, it explored what information, support and care is needed by older people and their carers as they go through a transition. Second, the project team worked with people and organisations in four local areas to put the findings into practice. Care transitions involve far more than a move across services or settings. Participants in this study experienced transitions on a number of different levels: physical, including bodily changes as well as use of services; psychological, with changes in their identity or sense of self; and social, with changes in their relationships with partners, family and friends. These different transitions often happened simultaneously and if circumstances made coping difficult in one type of transition then it was likely to have an effect on others. Most of the suggestions participants made for improving services called for ‘micro-changes’ in the care environment and in interpersonal relationships. There was little suggestion that what was needed was new or different services; easier and earlier access to existing services emerged as a far greater priority. While these micro-changes may not cost large amounts of money, they do require committed and sustained effort to challenge existing ways of working that may be deeply ingrained in organisational and professional cultures.
An emerging typology of community aging initiatives
- Authors:
- LEHNING Amanda, SCHARLACH Andrew, WOLF Jennifer Price
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Community Practice, 20(3), 2012, pp.293-316.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philapelphia, USA
Although the majority of older people would like to remain in their own homes, many have to leave for nursing homes or other care facilities. In order to help older persons meet their long-term care needs and age in place, a growing number of initiatives have been implemented across the United States aiming to bring about comprehensive changes in community physical and social environments. The aim of this study was to develop a typology of community ageing initiatives and examine variations in these initiative types including the methods they use, roles of participants, funding sources, and challenges. Community ageing initiatives nationwide were identified through an online search and contact persons at these initiatives were invited to participate in an online survey. The final sample consisted of 124 community ageing initiatives. These initiatives were grouped into 5 categories: community-wide planning; consumer-driven support networks; cross-sector systems change initiatives; residence-based support services; and single-sector services. It is hoped that this emerging typology may serve as a useful organising framework from which to develop future evaluations of the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives.
Understanding the older entrepreneur
- Author:
- SMALL Malcolm
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 16(3), 2012, pp.132-140.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Older workers facing redundancy or retirement may decide to run their own business, be that a company, partnership, or on a self-employed basis. The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the prevalence of entrepreneurial activity amongst older people, and whether such activity may be an option for them to extend their working lives. The research sample was recruited from the Institute of Directors Policy Voice database. An e-mail survey was distributed which included a series of questions relating to age and business activities. Older respondents (aged 55 years or over) were also asked to answer 3 more open-ended questions in more depth. Over 1,200 responses to the survey were received. The findings show that starting, running or continuing in individual business or entrepreneurial activity was surprisingly commonplace amongst the research sample, suggesting that there might be more older entrepreneurs amongst the population as a whole than might have previously been supposed. For those with the requisite skills and personal attributes, entrepreneurship in later life would appear to be a valid option for extending working lives.
Helpful citizens and caring families: patterns of informal help and caregiving in Sweden in a 17-year perspective
- Authors:
- JEGERMALM Magnus, GRASSMAN Eva Jeppsson
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Social Welfare, 21(4), October 2012, pp.422-432.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article reports on an analysis of informal help and caregiving in Sweden with a focus on patterns of change over 17 years. In particular, it examines whether there has been a change in the extent of caregiving, the type of caregivers, and the relationship between the caregivers and the recipients of help. The discussion is based on results from a national survey repeated 4 times between 1992 and 2009. The survey asked whether the respondent regularly helped someone with whom they did not live (relatives, neighbours, co-workers or friends) with activities such as housework, transport, or gardening. In order to discuss how the trends can be understood in the Swedish context, the findings are analysed using 2 interpretative perspectives: the welfare state and impact of recent changes; and civil society and its possible and changing role. The findings indicate that in the 1990s the figures were stable, but from the late 1990s to 2009, there was a dramatic increase in the extent of informal help giving. Concerning types of helpers, the patterns implied involvement not only from family members, but also from other types of helpers.
Is social exclusion still important for older people?
- Author:
- KNEALE Dylan
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 124p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Social exclusion among older people has received little attention, despite the fact that older people are at high risk of social isolation and loneliness, as well as exhibiting substantial inequalities in income and housing. The study analysed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), collected in 2002 and 2008, to examine how patterns of social exclusion have changed. Social exclusion was measured across 7 domains including exclusion from social relationships, local amenities, financial products, civic activities and access to information, decent housing and public transport, cultural activities, and common consumer goods. The report discusses: how social exclusion can be measured among older people; factors associated with the risk of being socially excluded in 2008; how exclusion status changes over time for individuals; and the impact social exclusion has on people’s lives. The findings show that levels of social exclusion rose slightly between 2002 and 2008 among people aged 50 and above. In 2002, 54.4% were not excluded on any domain, reducing to 52.3% in 2008. The report highlights how an older person’s demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics are associated with whether or not they are socially excluded. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Older people's experience of emergency hospital readmission: research report
- Authors:
- LAWRIE Michael, BATTYE Fraser
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 41p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Reducing the occurrence of emergency hospital readmission (an unplanned readmission within 28 days of leaving) for older people is a key issue for the NHS. Over the past decade, rates of emergency hospital readmission have risen, particularly for those over the age of 75. The aim of this study was to investigate older people’s experience of emergency readmission to hospital. The study comprised: qualitative interviews with 18 older people who have experienced an emergency readmission (and in several cases their families); a brief review of key policy documents and research; and 4 semi-structured interviews with senior stakeholders. Interviewees were asked to share their experience, beginning from their first admission to hospital through to the discharge and return home, and then their experience of the readmission to hospital. The findings show that emergency hospital readmission is a complex issue with multiple potential causes which range across an individual’s care pathway. However there are particular challenges to be addressed in the transition between secondary and primary care, and ensuring that a personalised care package is put in place in the community. Implications for Age UK both at the local and national levels are discussed.