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The relationship between independence, inclusion and wellbeing: the perspective of older citizens living in Coventry, UK
- Authors:
- WOOLHAM John, HUGHES Elizabeth, DALY Guy
- Journal article citation:
- Research Policy and Planning, 30(1), 2013, pp.3-21.
- Publisher:
- Social Services Research Group
Independence, inclusion and wellbeing are commonly seen in a complementary relationship in policy and research literature. This paper examines the meaning of these terms for older citizens living in Coventry and the implications for policy implementation. The data presented, obtained from a large community survey of citizens of 55 years and over living in Coventry, found that although most survey participants were able to function independently, participate in ordinary community life and enjoyed reasonable physical and mental health, many others experienced a series of significant barriers to inclusion and wellbeing. The paper concludes that there is no automatic convergence between independence, inclusion and wellbeing at the level of the individual citizen and that to address this issue, more socially inclusive rather than individualistic forms of independence may be more appropriate goals for local public agencies. (Publisher abstract)
Loneliness amongst older people: findings from a survey in Coventry, UK
- Authors:
- WOOLHAM John, DALY Guy, HUGHES Elizabeth
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 14(3), 2013, pp.192-204.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors associated with loneliness amongst people aged 55 and over living in Coventry, a medium-sized city in the Midlands, UK. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative community survey of residents, involving postal and online questionnaire and distribution of questionnaire to local community resources used by older people and “ballot boxes” for completed questionnaires in these locations. Findings – Using multivariate regression analysis the study found that living alone, not enjoying life, needing help with personal care and not being in touch with people as often as liked all predicted loneliness. Research limitations/implications – Survey was commissioned by a range of local statutory and voluntary sector providers and had a wider focus than loneliness. Some evidence of under-representation of males, minority ethnic groups and possibly people from lower socio-economic groups is reported. Further qualitative research is needed to better understand consequences and causes of loneliness. Practical implications – The study identified factors associated with loneliness that could be used to identify people who may be lonely in general or, for example, NHS or social care service populations. Originality/value – Loneliness is slowly becoming more recognised as a social problem in its own right and a contributory factor in poor health and well-being. This paper explores a the relationship between lonely and “not lonely” people and a range of factors clustered within the four thematic areas of demographic background, reported health and well-being, access to personal resources and use of community resources of survey participants. (Publisher abstract)