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Potentiality made workable - exploring logics of care in reablement for older people
- Author:
- BODKER Malene Norskov
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 39(9), 2019, pp.2018-2041.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
In the face of population ageing, Western health-care systems are currently demonstrating an immense interest in mobilising older people's potentials. With this agenda in mind, several countries have introduced reablement: a type of home care aimed at mobilising older people's potentials for independence by means of short-term training programmes. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Denmark's home care sector, this paper explores how elder-care professionals translate the abstract notion of ‘potentiality’ into practice. Theoretically, the paper draws on Annemarie Mol's term ‘logic of care’. The author demonstrates that professionals draw on two co-existing logics of care: a logic of reablement encapsulating ideals of successful ageing and life-long development; and a logic of retirement, which in contrast allows people at the end of life to retreat and engage in enjoyable activities. Professionals manage to balance these logics in order to live up to policy obligations while at the same time complying with moral standards of good care. However, very little is achieved in terms of increased independence. The author argues that by narrowly focusing on bodily and quantifiable potentials, the ‘potentiality paradigm’ holds the risk of deeming older people to lack potential. In conclusion, the article encourages a more inclusive approach to elder-care and ageing that recognises the complexities of ageing, including older people's potentials for retreat and leisure. (Edited publisher abstract)
Delusional disorder in old age and the risk of developing dementia - a nationwide register-based study
- Author:
- KRONER Alex
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 12(5), September 2008, pp.625-629.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study examines whether very late first-contact delusional disorder carries a risk for later development of dementia. By linkage of the psychiatric and the somatic nationwide registers of all out- and in-patients with hospital contact in Denmark, the study included all 60+ patients with first ever from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2001 with the index main diagnosis: delusional disorder. First contact osteoarthritis patients as well as the general population were used as controls. A total of 1,437 patients with persistent delusional disorder and 7,302 patients with osteoarthritis were included. Median follow-up time until first diagnosis of dementia at discharge was 1.87 and 4.40 years, respectively. The probability of getting a dementia diagnosis was estimated using Poisson regression models with dementia as the outcome of interest. Patients with very late first-contact delusional disorder had an 8.14 (95% CI, 6.51; 10.19) times increased rate of subsequently developing dementia compared with very late first contact osteoarthritis patients. Compared with the general population the rate ratio was 5.49 (95% CI, 4.81; 6.26). Very late first-contact delusional disorder increases the risk of subsequently getting a diagnosis of dementia 5-8 times compared with osteoarthritis patients and the general population.
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)
Trends in severe disability among elderly people: assessing the evidence in 12 OECD countries and the future implications
- Authors:
- LAFORTUNE Gaetan, et al
- Publisher:
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 78p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Paris
As the population aged 65 and over will continue to grow steadily in OECD countries over the next decades, improvements in the functional status of elderly people could help mitigate the rise in the demand for, and hence expenditure on, long-term care. This paper assesses the most recent evidence on trends in disability among the population aged 65 and over in 12 OECD countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. One of the principal findings from this review is that there is clear evidence of a decline in disability among elderly people in only five of the twelve countries studied (Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States). Three countries (Belgium, Japan and Sweden) report an increasing rate of severe disability among people aged 65 and over during the past five to ten years, and two countries (Australia, Canada) report a stable rate. In France and the United Kingdom, data from different surveys show different trends in ADL disability rates among elderly people, making it impossible to reach any definitive conclusion on the direction of the trend. One of the main policy implications that can be drawn from the findings of this study is that it would not be prudent for policymakers to count on future reductions in the prevalence of severe disability among elderly people to offset completely the rising demand for long-term care that will result from population ageing.
Home care for ageing populations: a comparative analysis of domiciliary care in Denmark, the United States and Germany
- Authors:
- DOYLE Martha, TIMONEN Virpi
- Publisher:
- Edward Elgar
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 154p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Cheltenham
At a time when the desire to “age in place” has emerged as a rallying cry among elderly and disabled adults and their advocates, this book provides an important new analysis of the ways in which three countries are facing the challenge of assuring the adequacy and quality of in-home care. Drawing on both primary and secondary sources, the book examines the ways in which home care is organized, financed, and delivered in Denmark, Germany, and the United States, countries that represent three different types of long-term care systems.
Welfare policies for older people in transition? Emerging trends and comparative perspectives
- Author:
- DAATLAND S.O.
- Journal article citation:
- Scandinavian Journal of Social Welfare, 6(3), July 1997, pp.153-161.
- Publisher:
- Munksgaard/ Blackwell
This article examines how the three Scandinavian countries are responding to the seemingly growing gap between demands and resources. Various strategies and approaches are identified and evaluated, and their relevance and potential are discussed in a comparative context across time and between countries.
The association between loneliness and health – a survey-based study among middle-aged and older adults in Denmark
- Authors:
- JESSEN Mathilde Amalie Buchwald, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(10), 2018, pp.1338-1343.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Background: While the association between overall poor health and loneliness among older adults continues to be examined closely, less attention has been given to middle-aged adults. This paper examines the relationship between loneliness and health as measured by self-rated health, physical ability and multi-morbidity in a large sample of Danish adults between the ages of 52–92 years. Furthermore, it identifies vulnerable groups with regard to the year of birth and gender. Method: We apply the survey-study method, using data collected by The Danish National Centre for Social Research in 2012. The authors analysed the association between loneliness and health in 9154 Danish adults through multi-variate regression analyses adjusting for the year of birth, gender, marital status, cohabitation status, employment status and home ownership. Results: They found that loneliness was associated with increased risks of poor self-rated health (OR, 2.58; 95% Cl, 1.20–3.35), limited physical abilities (OR, 1.91; 95% Cl, 1.58–2.32) and multiple diagnoses (OR, 1.77; 95% Cl, 1.48–2.12). Lonely middle-aged adults (52–62 years of age) had an increased risk of having limited physical abilities. Conclusion: Among middle-aged and older Danish adults, loneliness was strongly associated with poor self-rated health, limited physical ability and multi-morbidity. (Edited publisher abstract)
A good place to grow older: synthesis report: Peer Review in Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2010, London, 18-19 January 2011
- Authors:
- HOKEMA Anna, TESCH-ROMER Clemens
- Publisher:
- Peer Review in Social Protection and Social Inclusion
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 40p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Vienna
Peer Reviews are a key instrument of the EU framework ‘the open method of coordination’. They aim to enable open discussion on social protection and social inclusion policies in the different EU Member States and facilitate the mutual learning process among them. This publication reports on a Peer Review held in London in January 2011 which focused on strategies for building ‘a good place to grow older’. The Peer Review was hosted by the UK Department for Work and Pensions and also involved representatives from Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania and Spain. This publication covers: the policy debate at European level; the main elements of the UK’s policy; the experiences in peer countries and stakeholder contributions; and discussions at the Peer Review meeting covering UK policy reforms (including pension reform and reforms to health and social care), the role of ‘Big Society’, and the principles behind the reforms. The main conclusions and key lessons to emerge from the Peer Review relate to: the transferability of the UK reforms; older people as a societal resource; old age as part of life’s course; diversity; active ageing and the extension of working life; volunteering; partnerships across sectors; the role of stakeholder organisations; access to information; the role of the environment; and strategies for scaling up pilot projects.
Caring for frail elderly people: policies in evolution
- Author:
- ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
- Publisher:
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Publication year:
- 1996
- Pagination:
- 305p.,tables,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- Paris
Examines evolving policies on long term care for the ageing population in the OECD area, and presents detailed information from 8 countries. Each country chapter covers: the demographic and social context; current provisions; costs and charges for services; provision of services; funding issues; and trends and future plans.
Volunteer association perceptions of municipal policy strategies to promote co-production of healthy ageing services
- Authors:
- SCHEELE Christian Elling, VRANGBAEK Karsten, KRIEGBAUM Margit
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 39(6), 2019, pp.1152-1171.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Civic society voluntary associations promote healthy ageing by increasing older adults’ social and physical activity levels and through the co-production of services aimed at other senior citizens. Local governments are increasingly interested in collaborating with such associations as a policy response to an expanding ageing population. Co-production requires a flexible, network-based governance approach, which has not been examined from the voluntary associations’ point of view. This study explores how voluntary associations perceive the relevance and usefulness of public policies aimed at promoting co-production of services for ageing citizens. The study is based on quantitative data collected through a survey sent to 1,060 voluntary associations (N = 571) in three Danish municipalities. Also considered were municipalities’ policies relevant to co-production of services aimed at senior citizens. This study found that all the policies included the explicit ambition of network governance of co-production of services targeted to address healthy ageing issues. However, our study indicates that the voluntary associations perceive the actual network governance to be somewhat fragmented and the corresponding scope of co-production was limited, which indicates the failure of municipalities to implement policy goals. Accordingly, municipal co-production in this area could probably benefit from the use of relevant key performance indicators that can enable political-administrative monitoring in order to secure deeper implementation and political accountability that promotes healthy ageing at the local level. (Edited publisher abstract)