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Considerably better than the alternative: positive aspects of getting older
- Author:
- GARNER Jane
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 10(1), March 2009, pp.5-8.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
Older people tend to be viewed negatively as being needy, dependent and frail. These assumptions may be reinforced by policies that focus on the consequences of physical and mental decline. This paper argues for a more balanced and positive view. The wisdom and experience of older people is a vital resource for UK society.
Moving beyond place: aging in community
- Authors:
- THOMAS William H., BLANCHARD Janice M.
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 33(2), Summer 2009, pp.12-17. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
The current practice of institutionalising older people in need of care is undesirable because it consumes large quantities of financial capital while it also destroys reservoirs of social capital. Aging in place, with its dwelling-centric approach, relies heavily on dollar-denominated professional and paraprofessional services while offering older people little or no opportunity to create or deploy reserves of social capital. Aging in community presents a viable and appealing alternative to both approaches. Different types of communities are discussed.
Ageing and well-being in an international context
- Author:
- CLIFTON Jonathan
- Publisher:
- Institute for Public Policy Research
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 36p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
The author asks what lessons the UK can learn from several case studies from overseas about how the well-being of older people can be incorporated into a wider range of policy areas than those, traditionally, of pensions, health and social care. For example, in the UK an ageing population brings more focus onto mental health, loneliness and isolation issues, whereas life satisfaction is highest in Japan among those over 65. In addition, case studies from Ireland, the United States, Norway, Finland, New Zealand and China are presented with much variation in findings. Examples of how the well-being of older people can be addressed in the four key areas of relationships, work, learning and the built environment are discussed and put forward by the author as good practice for the future of an ageing population in the UK.
Persistence in goal striving and positive reappraisal as psychosocial resources for ageing well: a dyadic analysis
- Author:
- WINDSOR Tim D.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 13(6), November 2009, pp.874-884.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study looks at the association of individuals and their spouses tendencies towards goal striving and positive reappraisal with the individuals’ characteristics of successful aging. The indices of successful aging used were: physical and mental health, life satisfaction, and social networks and engagement. It was hypothesised that goal persistence and positive reappraisal would be positively associated with aging well. One hundred and twenty married couples with an age range of 52 to 90 completed a questionnaire concerned with psychosocial correlates of mental health and well-being. The results showed that individuals’ tendencies towards positive reappraisal were positively related to physical and mental health and life satisfaction, and were also related to more extensive social networks. Individuals’ persistence in goal striving was associated with better mental health but not to any of the other indices of aging well. Spouses’ goal persistence and reappraisal tendencies were not related to individuals’ aging well. The author concludes that the results highlight the value of positive reappraisal as a copying strategy to loss of primary control later in life.
The relationship between longevity and healthy life expectancy
- Authors:
- ROBINE Jean-Marie, SAITO Yasuhiko, JAGGER Carol
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 10(2), June 2009, pp.5-14.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
The authors discuss the relationship between longevity and health at an individual, national and global level. The authors draw on evidence to discuss whether centenarians are healthy people; whether nationally, the increase in healthy life expectancy is slower or faster than the increase in total life expectancy; and globally, whether countries with the highest life expectancies also have the highest healthy life expectancies.
The power of silver: age and identity politics in the 21st century
- Authors:
- GILLEARD Chris, HIGGS Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Aging and Social Policy, 21(3), July 2009, pp.277-295.
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Pensioner political movements emerged in the interwar years in America and Europe. Documentary and empirical analyses confirm the influential role such movements played in helping shape the postwar social security systems of Western societies. Pensioner movements, qua pensioner movements, have failed to retain their influence, despite that “old age” and its demographic significance have become more salient. Three explanations for this are proposed: the first concerns the failure of old age to connect with the generational ethos of identity politics; the second reflects the nature of the actors now involved in the governance of old age; and the third concerns the individualization of retirement as a phase of life.
Knowledge about aging and worry in older adults: testing the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty
- Authors:
- NUEVO Roberto, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 13(1), January 2009, pp.135-141.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This Spanish study aims to explore the relationship between knowledge about aging and severity of worry in older adults, and to test the potential mediational role of intolerance of uncertainty. The sample was composed of 120 community-dwelling older adults, with a mean of age of 71.0 years. Mediational analyses and structural equation modelling were used to analyze and compare different models. Greater knowledge about aging was negatively related to both intolerance of uncertainty and worry, and its effect on worry was partially mediated by intolerance of uncertainty. The mediational model obtained an excellent fit to the data and clearly had a better fit than alternative models. These results suggest that a good knowledge of the aging process could help decrease aversive uncertainty and thus reduce the level of worry among older adults. Thus, educational programs to increase knowledge about aging could serve as one preventive strategy for anxiety in old age.
Relationships between physical activity and perceived qualities of life in old age. Results of the SNAC study
- Authors:
- RENNEMARK Mikael, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 13(1), January 2009, pp.1-8.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The Swedish SNAC-Blekinge baseline database, consisting of data on 585 men and 817 women 60-96 years of age, was utilized. The independent variables were light and strenuous physical activity. Four dependent variables concerned with various quality of life components were employed (well-being, engagement, emotional support and social anchorage). Age, gender, functional ability and co-morbidity were included as possible confounders. Non-parametric bivariate and multivariate statistical tests were performed. Correlations suggested there to generally be a positive relationship between physical activity and quality of life. Multivariate logistic regression analyses controlling for possible confounders showed light physical activity to increase the odds of experiencing well-being, engagement and social anchorage, whereas strenuous physical activity increased the odds of experiencing engagement and emotional support. Thus, light physical activity and strenuous physical activity differed in their relation to quality of life generally. The results indicate that physical activity has a salutogenic effect by enhancing the quality of life, and it can be assumed to be connected to quality of life by generating pleasure and relaxation.
The efficiency of using everyday technological devices by older adults: the role of cognitive functions
- Authors:
- SLEGERS Karin, VAN BOXTELL Martin P. J., JOLLES Jelle
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 29(2), February 2009, pp.309-325.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
To test the role of cognitive abilities in performing technological tasks, the authors designed the Technological Transfer Test (TTT). This new and ecologically valid test comprises eight technological tasks that are common in modern life (operating a CD player, a telephone, an ATM, a train-ticket vending machine, a microwave-oven, an alarm clock, a smart card charging device and a telephone voice menu). The TTT and a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests were administered to 236 healthy adults aged 64–75 years living in the Netherlands on two separate occasions. The results demonstrated that the performance time for five of the eight tasks was predicted by cognitive abilities. The exact cognitive functions affecting technological performance varied by the technological task. Among several measures and components of cognition, the speed of information processing and cognitive flexibility had the greatest predictive power. The results imply that age-related cognitive decline has a profound effect on the interaction between older adults and technological appliances.
Groupwork as a tool to combat loneliness among older people: initial observations
- Authors:
- HEATHCOTE Julie, HONG Chia Swee
- Journal article citation:
- Groupwork, 19(2), 2009, pp.121-130.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
Predictions suggest that by 2030 a quarter of people in the UK will be over 65. Many current care strategies attempt to keep older people in their own homes. However, independent living and caring for an ageing partner is known to increase loneliness, described as an unwelcome feeling or lack of companionship. Help the Aged has suggested that participation in meaningful activities can reduce isolation and loneliness. This article describes two case studies of different groups of older people, and shows the positive impact of groups on older group members and the staff working with them. By providing companionship, engagement, support and activity, groupwork can bring structure to the lives of older people and their carers who may be feeling 'lonely' and 'isolated' and consequently can impact upon their quality of life. The author concludes that while groupwork is not the solution to reducing social isolation for everyone, for some people it is a positive step in the right direction.