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Exploring the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening for older adults
- Authors:
- SCOTT Theresa L., MASSER Barbara M., PACHANA Nancy A.
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(10), 2015, pp.2176-2200.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Research shows that contact with nature plays a vital role in our psychological wellbeing. Domestic gardening is common among older adults who spend more leisure hours gardening than any other age group. Despite this, few studies have systematically explored the significance of domestic gardens in relation to older adults' health and wellbeing. This study examined the perceived therapeutic benefits of gardening, and the effect of ageing in relation to older gardeners' continued participation in gardening, using quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of Australian older adult gardeners (N=331). The quantitative data, which included frequencies, were analysed using the PASW Statistics 18.0 package. The qualitative data, which included participants' responses to open questions, were analysed by deriving themes via Leximancer, an innovative text analytics software that uses word association information to elicit concepts, extracting the most important and grouping these according to themes. In relation to the reasons for gardening, several themes were identified including valuing the aesthetics of gardens, connecting with nature, achievement, and physical and mental activity. The benefits of gardening, and the variety of ways that respondents had adapted or modified their gardening activities in order to continue, are also reported. Gardening was more than a casual leisure pursuit for these participants, who saw it as critical to their physical and psychological wellbeing. (Publisher abstract)
Health capital in everyday life of the oldest old living in their own homes
- Authors:
- BERGLAND Astrid, SLETTEBO Ashild
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(10), 2015, pp.2156-2175.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
As more people experience old age as a time of growth and productivity, more research is needed that explores how they master everyday life. This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored how ten older women age 90 years or more experience and cope with the challenges of everyday life with a salutogenic perspective. The findings suggest that health resources such as positive expectation, reflection and adaptation, function and active contribution, relations and home, contribute to the health capital of women. These health resources were of importance for the women's experience of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness in daily life. Health capital is a meaningful concept for understanding coping in everyday life by older people. (Edited publisher abstract)
Personality's association with IADLs in community dwelling older adults
- Authors:
- PUENTE Antonio Nicolas, LINDBERGH Cutter A., MILLER Stephen L.
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(9), 2015, pp.950-956.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objectives: Preliminary evidence suggests that openness and agreeableness are associated with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). However, how personality is related to IADLs remains unclear. This study aims to determine how personality factors predict performance of (IADLs), which it was hypothesised, was because of executive functioning (EF). Methods: Participants were a total of 65 independent community dwelling older adults. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regressions were completed to determine the associations between openness and agreeableness with IADLs. Lastly, mediation analyses were completed to examine the hypothesis that EF would mediate this relationship Results: Correlation and regression findings support the relationship between openness and IADLs but not agreeableness and IADLs. As hypothesised, the relationship between openness and IADLs was mediated by EF. Conclusions: The research replicated the relationship between openness and IADLs and extend the literature by showing the mechanism of action for this relationship is EF. While the mediation results support this perspective, future research should determine if interventions that increase older adults' EF, in turn, increase or attenuate decline in IADLs over time. (Edited publisher abstract)
Factors influencing the degree of eating ability among people with dementia
- Authors:
- LEE Kyoung Min, SONG Jun-Ah
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24(11-12), 2015, pp.1707-1717.
- Publisher:
- John Wiley and Sons
Aims and objectives: To explore the degree of eating ability in people with dementia and identify what factors affect their eating ability. Background: Appropriate food consumption is important to human life. Although eating difficulties are common among people with dementia, little is known about what factors might influence their eating ability. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 149 people with dementia residing in nursing facilities in Seoul or the Gyeonggi area of Korea were evaluated using the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination, Korean Activities of Daily Living Scale and Eating Behaviour Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Results: The participants showed a moderate level of dependency with respect to eating ability and were most dependent on the use of utensils. There were significant differences in eating ability according to general characteristics such as duration of residence, duration of illness, degree of visual impairment, eating place, and diet type. The eating ability of the participants was significantly correlated with cognitive function and physical function. Cognitive function, physical function, duration of illness, eating place (living room or dining room), and diet type (soft or liquid) significantly predicted eating ability in people with dementia. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that it is necessary to thoroughly assess the eating ability of people with dementia and to develop appropriate training programmes to maintain or improve their remaining eating ability. The creation of a pleasurable physical and social environment for eating might also be helpful. Relevance to clinical practice: These findings would be able to serve a useful basis in the development of materials for nursing intervention programmes for people with dementia during mealtimes by improving the techniques and care qualities of nursing caregivers. (Edited publisher abstract)
Satisfaction with daily activities after retirement in Europe
- Authors:
- BONSANG Eric, SOEST Arthur van
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(6), 2015, pp.1146-1170.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper analyses the determinants of satisfaction with daily activities among retirees aged 65 years or older in 11 European countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. It uses data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe on self-assessed satisfaction with daily activities and anchoring vignettes to correct for potential differences in response scales across countries and socio-demographic groups. On average, retired Europeans appear to be satisfied with their daily activities, but there are large differences across countries: respondents from Northern countries tend to be more satisfied than individuals from Central European or Mediterranean countries. The analysis shows that correcting for response scale differentials alters the country ranking for satisfaction with daily activities but hardly affects the conclusions on the factors driving within-country differences between socio-demographic groups. (Edited publisher abstract)
An explorative study of the relationship between functional and cognitive decline in older persons with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
- Authors:
- VERMEERSCH Sophie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(3), 2015, pp.166-174.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Introduction: This study explored the relationship between functional decline on three advanced activities of daily living and cognitive decline in elderly persons. The use of everyday technology, driving a vehicle, and performing complex economic activities are advanced activities of daily living domains presumed to be sensitive to early cognitive decline and therefore of interest for the profession of occupational therapy. Method: The study included 45 persons with mild cognitive impairment, 48 persons with Alzheimer’s disease, and 50 cognitively healthy controls. Functional impairment due to cognitive decline was evaluated by the advanced activities of daily living tool. Cognitive disability indices were computed for the investigated advanced activities of daily living domains and correlated with the Mini Mental State Examination and the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly, Cognitive Part. Results The cognitive disability index for performing complex economic activities and the cognitive disability index for the three advanced activities of daily living domains together differed significantly between the three groups. For the whole sample, the advanced activity of daily living cognitive disability indices correlated strongly with the cognitive measures. Within each separate group, few correlations were found. Conclusion: This study contributes to the field of knowledge for occupational therapy by emphasizing the value of assessment of advanced activities of daily living in early cognitive decline. For the occupational therapy profession, further research is required in the interaction between functional decline and cognition in early cognitive decline. (Edited publisher abstract)
Health survey for England 2014: chapter 6 social care provision
- Authors:
- ROONEY Keeva, DARTON Robin, WITTENBERG Raphael
- Publisher:
- Health and Social Care Information Centre
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 11
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
This chapter presents results from the Health Survey for England 2014 about the provision of unpaid social care by adults aged 16 and over. This is defined as help or support provided to someone because of long-term physical or mental ill-health, a disability or problems relating to old age and excludes any help given in a professional capacity or as part of a job. The findings show that 17 per cent of adults provided unpaid help or support to other people, with women more likely than men to do so (20 per cent and 14 per cent respectively). Prevalence of providing unpaid care was lowest among those in higher income households and increased with decreasing income. Care was most commonly provided to a parent and men were more likely than women to provide help or support for a spouse or partner, with just under a fifth doing so. Most commonly, those who provided help and support said that they did so for between 1-9 hours in the last week. However, a substantial proportion of men and women provided more care, with 27 per cent providing 10 or more hours in the last week. (Edited publisher abstract)
People dependent of support in daily activities perceives reduced self-determination – a cross-sectional study with community-dwelling older people
- Authors:
- HAMMAR Isabelle Ottenvall, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 16(4), 2015, pp.208-221.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of self-determination with degree of dependence in daily activities among community-dwelling persons aged 80 years and older. Design/methodology/approach: This cross-sectional study focused on community-dwelling people 80 years or older with varied degree of dependence in daily activities. Self-determination in daily life was assessed with the statements from the Impact on Participation and Autonomy-Older persons (IPA-O), and degree of dependence in daily activities was assessed with the activities of daily living (ADL) staircase. Data were analysed using Fisher’s exact test, and the relative risk with a 95 per cent confidence interval was used to explore the risk of perceiving reduced self-determination in daily life. Findings: Compared to the independent persons, the perceived self-determination was significantly lower among persons dependent in instrumental activities of daily living (I-ADL), and persons dependent in personal activities of daily living (P-ADL). Reduced self-determination was most pronounced in persons requiring help with P-ADL. Practical implications: Following key features could be applied to strengthen the community-dwelling older people’s self-determination; incorporating a dialogue where self-determined questions are raised; adopting a person-centred approach between the persons involved; acknowledging older people’s capabilities – what they are able to do and to be, and what they value. Originality/value: This study highlights the need of integrating a self-determined dialogue into healthcare where the older person and the professional focus on self-determined questions. (Publisher abstract)
The association between higher social support and lower depressive symptoms among aging services clients is attenuated at higher levels of functional impairment
- Authors:
- ORDEN Kimberly A. van, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(10), 2015, pp.1085-1092.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: Adults seeking services from the Aging Services Provider Network (ASPN) are at risk for depression. ASPN clients also have high prevalence of both functional impairments and social morbidities. Study of the relationships between these factors may inform the development of interventions for depression in this service setting. Methods: The study interviewed 373 older adults accessing ASPN services and assessed depression symptom severity, functional impairment (instrumental activities of daily living and activities of daily living), and social support. Results: Lower social support and greater functional impairment were associated with greater depressive symptoms. At a high level of functional impairment, the inverse associations between indices of social support and depressive symptoms were attenuated. Conclusions: Results suggest that older adults with more severe functional impairment may benefit somewhat less from increased social support with respect to depression symptom severity. (Edited publisher abstract)
Keeping disease at arm's length: how older Danish people distance disease through active ageing
- Author:
- LASSEN Aske Juul
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(7), 2015, pp.1364-1383.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Many older people live with a range of chronic diseases. However, these diseases do not necessarily impede an active lifestyle. In this article the author analyses the relation between the active ageing discourse and the way older people at two Danish activity centres handle disease. How does active ageing change everyday life with chronic disease, and how do older people combine an active life with a range of chronic diseases? The participants in the study use activities to keep their diseases at arm's length, and this distancing of disease at the same time enables them to engage in social and physical activities at the activity centre. In this way, keeping disease at arm's length is analysed as an ambiguous health strategy. The article shows the importance of looking into how active ageing is practised, as active ageing seems to work well in the everyday life of the older people by not giving emphasis to disease. The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork and uses vignettes of four participants to show how they each keep diseases at arm's length. (Publisher abstract)