Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Verbal mistreatment of the elderly
- Authors:
- FULMER Terry, RODGERS Rachel F., PELGER Allison
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 26(4), 2014, pp.351-364.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Elder mistreatment is expected to rise with the aging of the American population. To date, the association between specific forms of mistreatment and decreased quality of life is poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between verbal mistreatment among elderly individuals and depression and quality of life. A sample of 142 older adults (40% male) aged 65 or over was enrolled from a large medical practice and academic dental practice, mean (SD) age = 74.88 (6.98) years. Thirty-eight percent of the sample reported verbal mistreatment. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and depression, verbal mistreatment was a significant predictor of social functioning (r = –.28, p < .001), mental health (r = –.25, p < .001), and role limitations OR = 3.02, 95% CI [1.34–6.77]. The present findings highlight the prevalence of verbal mistreatment of elderly individuals. (Publisher abstract)
How to construct a case of Alzheimer's disease in three languages: case-based reasoning in narrative gerontology
- Authors:
- SCHRAUF Robert W., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 34(2), 2014, pp.280-309.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper explores how people reason about Alzheimer's disease by telling stories about others who have the disease. More specifically, the paper is a cross-linguistic investigation of the narrative and linguistic devices used by African Americans in English, Mexican Americans in Spanish, and refugees/immigrants from the former Soviet Union (to the United States of America) in Russian in their oral productions of such stories. The authors examine the narratives as instances of case-based reasoning in which lay people (non-medical professionals) distinguish, represent and ‘perform’ symptomatic behaviours and construct a ‘case’ of the disease as a way of probing the difference between the normal and the pathological in conversational contexts. In particular, the authors examine situations in which stories are accepted and confirmed and situations in which stories are contested and negotiated. Common narrative and discursive devices across the three languages include concatenation, intertextuality, conjunction and conjunctive adverbs, lexical opposition, past progressive tenses, temporal adverbials, reported speech and prosodic cues. The fine-grained analysis of these narrative and discursive devices lays bare the inner-workings of case-based reasoning as a conversational task and suggests specific linguistic tools for intervening in lay narrative reasoning in clinical settings and in public health messaging about Alzheimer's disease. (Edited publisher abstract)
Dignity in care: communication
- Author:
- SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE
- Publisher:
- Social Care Institute for Excellence
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 16 minutes 7 seconds
- Place of publication:
- London
Good communication can help people to maintain their dignity. It is vital that staff develop other ways of communicating with people who have a cognitive impairment or limited speech. This film provides an example of communicating with Matthew, a young man with Down's Syndrome Matthew is encouraged to use a diary so that he knows what he's going to be doing on any particular week. It's a good way for staff to find out what's been happening in Matthew's life. The film also shows how, for older people, past memories of being at the beach can be used as a useful communication tool. Communication in practice can mean asking people how they prefer to be addressed and to respect their wishes; giving people information about the service in advance and in a suitable format; and not assuming that you know what people want because of their culture, ability or any other factor. (Edited publisher abstract)
Building social inclusion for rural older people using information and communication technologies: perspectives of rural practitioners
- Authors:
- WARBURTON Jeni, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 67(4), 2014, pp.479-494.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The literature identifies rural, older people as at risk of social exclusion, as a result of rural disadvantage. In this context, improved access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) has potential to build social inclusion, yet current evidence shows that rural, older people are the lowest current users of technology. This paper draws on the practice and local knowledge of rural practitioners from one Victorian region in order to explore: (a) the practice issues associated with ICT use among rural, older people; and (b) the characteristics of effective practice models in the rural, social work context. An analysis of findings highlights the need to respond to the diverse skills, needs, and learning styles of older people, to demonstrate the benefits of ICTs, involve users, and build confidence. Major barriers include poor ICT usage by many rural agencies and low practitioner capacity, as well as access and resources. (Publisher abstract)
Hospital discharge of elderly patients to primary health care, with and without an intermediate care hospital: a qualitative study of health professionals' experiences
- Authors:
- DAHL Unni, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Integrated Care, 14(2), 2014, Online only
- Publisher:
- International Foundation for Integrated Care
Introduction: This is a study of an intermediate care hospital established in Central Norway to improve discharge from a general hospital to primary health care. The aim of the study was to investigate how professionals across health care levels experience the discharge of elderly patients, who are in need of continued care, from a general hospital via an intermediate care hospital compared to a direct discharge to primary health care in a municipality without intermediate care. Methods: A qualitative study with data collected through semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews. Results: Discharge via the intermediate care hospital was contrasted favourably compared to discharge directly from hospital to primary health care. Although increased capacity to receive patients from hospital and prepare them for discharge to primary health care was viewed as a benefit, professionals still requested better communication with the preceding care level concerning further treatment and care for the elderly patients. Conclusions: The intermediate care hospital reduced the coordination challenges during discharge of elderly patients from hospital to primary health care. Nevertheless, the intermediate care was experienced more like an extension of hospital than an included part of primary health care and did not meet the need for communication across care levels. (Edited publisher abstract)
The dance of communication: retaining family membership despite severe non-speech dementia
- Authors:
- WALMSLEY Bruce D., McCORMACK Lynne
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 13(5), 2014, pp.626-641.
- Publisher:
- Sage
There is minimal research investigating non-speech communication as a result of living with severe dementia. This phenomenological study explores retained awareness expressed through non-speech patterns of communication in a family member living with severe dementia. Further, it describes reciprocal efforts used by all family members to engage in alternative patterns of communication. Family interactions were filmed to observe speech and non-speech relational communication. Participants were four family groups each with a family member living with non-speech communication as a result of severe dementia. Overall there were 16 participants. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. One superordinate theme, Dance of Communication, describes the interactive patterns that were observed during family communication. Two subordinate themes emerged: (a) in-step; characterised by communication that indicated harmony, spontaneity and reciprocity, and; (b) out-of-step; characterised by communication that indicated disharmony, syncopation, and vulnerability. This study highlights that retained awareness can exist at levels previously unrecognised in those living with limited or absent speech as a result of severe dementia. A recommendation for the development of a communication programme for caregivers of individuals living with dementia is presented. (Edited publisher abstract)
‘I was there when she passed’: older widowers' narratives of the death
- Authors:
- van den HOONAARD Deborah K., BENNETT Kate Mary, EVANS Elizabeth
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 34(6), 2014, pp.974- 99.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
There is evidence that older widowed women provide narrative accounts of the events that led up to the deaths of their husbands. These accounts are qualitatively different from other parts of their interviews. This study examines interviews from older widowers and asks what features characterise their narrative accounts of their wife's death. The data show that men do speak of the death of their wife in a qualitatively different way than they do of other matters: women speak emotionally whilst men speak of their behaviour. Using Kirsi, Hervonen and Jylhä's typology of male care-givers, the authors find that their interviews are characterised by four types of speech: factual, agentic, familistic and destiny speech. In addition, there are two additional speech types related to blame – one related to medical negligence (a subset of destiny speech) and one to self-blame (a subset of familistic speech). The authors argue that the use of these patterns of speech allow men to preserve their masculine identities at a time when bereavement puts them under intense strain. (Edited publisher abstract)
Learning and using technology in intertwined processes: a study of people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease
- Authors:
- ROSENBERG Lena, NYGARD Louise
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 13(5), 2014, pp.662-677.
- Publisher:
- Sage
People with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease are likely to be challenged by the multitude of everyday technology in today’s society. The aim of this study was to explore how they try to prohibit, avoid or solve problems in everyday technology use, maintain skills, and learn to use new technology. To explore how the participants applied and reasoned about using everyday technology in real-life situations interviews were conducted while the participants used their own technology in their homes. Interviews were conducted with 20 participants with mild cognitive impairment (n = 10) or Alzheimer’s disease (n = 10). The analyses were inspired from grounded theory and resulted in one core category and three sub-categories that represent sub-processes in the core. The core finding presents a continuous, intertwined process of learning and using everyday technology, highlighting how the context was interwoven in the processes. The participants used a rich variety of management strategies when approaching technology, including communication with the everyday technologies on different levels. The findings underscore that it is important to support continued use of everyday technology as long as it is valued and relevant to the person with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. The intertwined process of learning and using everyday technology suggests how support could target different sub-processes. (Publisher abstract)
Aged care, cultural and linguistic diversity and IT in Australia: a critical perspective
- Author:
- O'MARA Ben
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care, 10(2), 2014, pp.73-87.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute a critical perspective to debate on health disparities in Australia by examining the ways in which information technology (IT) can support more inclusive communication on aged care with refugee and migrant communities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Design/methodology/approach: The paper analyses research and policy literature on Australian aged care, IT and participatory approaches to health communication influenced by Friere's critical pedagogy. It distils significant themes for comparison with findings from: a qualitative research project involving communities from Vietnamese, Sudanese and Samoan backgrounds and elderly members of those groups; and, a later case study conducted with elderly women of Vietnamese background. Both projects were based in Melbourne's west. Findings: Friere's theoretical framework can be used to more fully determine the capacity of IT to perform inclusive communication on aged care with refugee and migrant communities from CALD backgrounds. This is best actioned through future research and practice that: prioritises specific aged care issues; focuses on expanding the “transformation” and “critical consciousness” elements of Friere's dialogical theory; and, uses affordable, accessible and “multi-modal” IT combined with face-to-face bilingual facilitation and two-way communication between participants and health, community and university professionals. Research limitations/implications: Due to the conceptual nature of the paper, the research results lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the reccomendations further. Originality/value: The paper fills a gap in understanding about what may help in developing more inclusive aged care information using IT with elderly refugees and migrants from CALD backgrounds in Australia. (Edited publisher abstract)
Dementia communication using empathetic curiosity
- Author:
- McEVOY Phil
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 110(24), 2014, pp.12-15.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Communication skills training materials in dementia care usually focus on reminiscence. This is important because talking about past events can help people with dementia retain their sense of self. This article examines the use of an alternative set of communication skills known as empathetic curiosity, which may help to promote meaningful communication in the here and now with people who are living with dementia.