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‘I just felt as though I had to drop something’: the implications of care for female working elder carers’ working lives
- Authors:
- BURR Vivien, COLLEY Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 39(5), 2019, pp.877-89.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper explores the challenges that female elder carers in the United Kingdom face in combining paid work with elder care, and the implications of this care for their current and future working lives. In-depth interviews with 11 working women from a large organisation were conducted, and five of the women were re-interviewed after a period of one year to examine any changes in their situation. The interviews revealed the precarious nature of their daily schedules, which required constant effort to maintain, the intrusion of elder care into their working lives, and the impact it had upon their career development and future aspirations. The findings provide insight into the reasons why carers, especially women, are more likely to reduce their working hours, do not take advantage of training opportunities and retire early. The findings are discussed in relation to the expectation of an extended working age and gender equality. (Publisher abstract)
Receipt of formal and informal help with specific care tasks among older people living in their own home. National trends over two decades
- Authors:
- DAHLBERG Lena, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Policy and Administration, 52(1), 2018, pp.91-110.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Sweden is seen as a typical example of a social democratic welfare regime, with universal and generous welfare policies. However, in the last decades, there have been substantial reductions in the Swedish provision of care for older people. This study aimed to examine trends in sources of care-receipt in older people (77+) living in their own home and with a perceived need for help with two specific tasks: house cleaning and/or food shopping. Trends in care-receipt were examined in relation to gender, living alone, having children and socio-economic position. Data from the 1992, 2002 and 2011 data collection waves of the national study, Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD), were used. Response rates varied between 86 and 95 per cent, and the sample represents the population well. Trends and differences between groups were explored in bivariate and logistic regression analyses. There was a reduction in formal care-receipt regarding house cleaning and food shopping over the study period. It was more common for women than men to receive formal care, and more common for men than women to receive informal care. Reductions in formal care have affected older women more than older men. Still, living alone was the most influential factor in care-receipt, associated with a greater likelihood of formal care-receipt and a lower likelihood of informal care-receipt. It can be concluded that public responsibility for care is becoming more narrowly defined in Sweden, and that more responsibility for care is placed on persons in need of care and their families. (Publisher abstract)
Identifying frailty risk profiles of home-dwelling older people: focus on sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics
- Authors:
- DURY Sarah, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 21(10), 2017, pp.1031-1039.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: This paper investigates risk profiles of frailty among older people, as these are essential for detecting those individuals at risk for adverse outcomes and to undertake specific preventive actions. Frailty is not only a physical problem, but also refers to emotional, social, and environmental hazards. Methods: Using data generated from the Belgian Ageing Studies, a cross-sectional study (n = 28,049), we tested a multivariate regression model that included sociodemographic and socioeconomic indicators as well as four dimensions of frailty, for men and women separately. Results: The findings indicated that for both men and women, increased age, having no partner, having moved house in the previous 10 years, having a lower educational level and having a lower household income are risk characteristics for frailty. Moreover, when looking at the different frailty domains, different risk profiles arose, and gender-specific risk characteristics were detected. Discussion: This paper elaborates on practical implications, and formulates a number of future research recommendations to tackle frailty in an ageing society. The conclusion demonstrates the necessity for a thorough knowledge of risk profiles of frailty, as this will save both time and money and permit preventive actions to be more individually tailored. (Edited publisher abstract)
The determinants of receiving social care in later life in England
- Authors:
- VLACHANTONI A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(2), 2015, pp.321-345.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Demographic change and policy changes in social care provision can affect the type of social care support received by older people, whether through informal, formal state or formal paid-for sources. This paper analyses the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing data (wave 4) in order to examine the relationship between demographic and socio-economic characteristics, and the receipt of support from different sources by older people who report difficulty with daily activities. The research outlines three key results with implications for the future organisation of social care for older people. Firstly, the number of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) an older person reports having difficulty with, followed by the number of activities of daily living (ADLs) are the strongest determinants of receiving support from any source. Secondly, there are significant gender differences in the factors associated with receiving support from different sources; for example, physical health is a strong determinant of informal support receipt by men, while mental health status is a strong determinant of informal support receipt by women. Finally, the research shows that different kinds of impediments in everyday life are associated with receiving support from different sources. This 'link' between particular types of difficulties and support receipt from particular sources raises questions about the way social care provision can or should be organised in the future. (Publisher abstract)
Everyday physical activity as a predictor of late-life mortality
- Author:
- CHIPPERFIELD Judith G.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 48(3), June 2008, pp.349-357.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The present study hypothesized that simple, everyday physical activity (EPA) would decline with advancing age; that women would have a more favourable EPA profile than would men; and that EPA would have a survival benefit. Community-dwelling participants (aged 80–98 years, n = 198) wore mechanical actigraphs in order for EPA to be assessed. Individuals were classified as active, inactive, and sedentary based on their level of EPA exhibited over a substantial part of the day. Survival status was available at approximately 2 years. Mean EPA scores decreased with advancing age and, in contrast to men, women in their early eighties appeared to be protected from declining EPA. This partially supported the hypothesis that women would have a more favourable EPA profile. What is most important is that mean EPA scores predicted mortality. Moreover, when compared with their less sedentary counterparts, sedentary adults were more than three times as likely to be deceased 2 years later. Researchers need to conduct new trials to determine whether or how physical activity is associated with mortality.
Everyday competence and depressive symptoms: social support and sense of control as mediators or moderators?
- Author:
- CHOU K.-L.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 9(2), March 2005, pp.177-183.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Depression is common among the elderly members of Hong Kong Chinese society. The objectives of the present study are to assess the relationship between everyday competence and depressive symptoms and to test whether sense of control and social support mediate and moderate the impact of deterioration in everyday competence on depressive symptoms. The respondents were 393 people aged 60 years and older from a cross-sectional study of a representative community sample of the elderly population in Hong Kong and they were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. In multiple regression analyses, we found that everyday competence was significantly and negatively related to depressive symptoms (ß?=?-0.26, p?<?0.01) after we had adjusted age, gender, marital status, years of education, self-rated health status, and number of chronic illnesses. Moreover, both sense of control and social support were mediators in the linkage between everyday competence and depression. However, neither sense of control nor social support moderated the effect of everyday competence on depression. Findings suggest that both sense of control and social support play important roles in the relationship between everyday competence and depression.
Horizontal and vertical target efficiency: a comparison between users and non-users of public long-term care in Sweden
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 34(4), 2014, pp.700-719.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The extent to which a system of services is in tune with the needs of the population can be expressed in terms of target efficiency, which includes horizontal target efficiency – the extent to which those deemed to need a service receive it – and vertical target efficiency – the corresponding extent to which those who receive a service actually need it. Vertical efficiency can be measured by looking only at those receiving services. To measure horizontal target efficiency in a population, one must have access to population surveys. Data were taken from the baseline survey of the Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care (SNAC study). The results show that more than 80 per cent of those dependent in personal activities of daily living in the studied geographic areas were users of public long-term care (LTC). Dependency in instrumental activities of daily living was identified as the most important predictor of using LTC. Vertical target efficiency was 83–95 per cent depending on age, gender and type of household, if need was defined as dependency in instrumental activities of daily living. It was considerably lower, 35–61 per cent when defined as dependency in personal daily activities. Overall, long-term target efficiency in Sweden must be regarded as high. Few persons who need public LTC services fail to receive them. (Publisher abstract)
The impact of socioeconomic inequalities and lack of health insurance on physical functioning among middle-aged and older adults in the United States
- Authors:
- KIM Jinhyun, RICHARDSON Virginia
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 20(1), January 2012, pp.42-51.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Socioeconomic inequalities and lack of private health insurance are significant contributors to health disparities in the United States. As people age, the negative impact of these inequalities on health may increase. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of socioeconomic inequalities and lack of private health insurance on physical functioning, as measured by activities of daily living, and its rate of change over time. Data were obtained from a longitudinal panel study of individuals over 50 years, the Health and Retirement Study (1994–2006). The sample used for this analysis was 6519 black and white adults who provided in-depth information about health, socioeconomic, financial and health insurance information. The results showed that higher level of income and assets and having private health insurance significantly predicted better physical functioning. In particular, decline in physical functioning was slower among those who had private health insurance. Changes in economic status had a greater impact on women’s physical functioning than on men’s. Black adults did not suffer more rapid declines in physical functioning than white adults after controlling for socioeconomic status. The article concludes that economic security and affordable health insurance should be enhanced to reduce these disparities in physical functioning.
‘I think I have had a good life’: the everyday lives of older women and men from a lifecourse perspective
- Author:
- GUNNARSSON Evy
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 29(1), January 2009, pp.33-48.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Through increased longevity, older people today live for many years in retirement. Research on the everyday lives of older women and men who are not in need of help from elder care is scarce. This paper reports an in-depth study of a small sample of such relatively healthy older people in Sweden. The aim of the study was to describe, analyse and interpret from a lifecourse perspective how older women and men experience everyday life. Twenty informants were recruited through advertisements and they were interviewed twice. They were aged 75 to 90 years at the first interview. The informants belong to the cohort that was born before the Second World War and they have witnessed and benefitted from both unprecedented economic growth and the development of the Swedish welfare state. Both the men and the women had been in paid work outside the home, and once retired they were determined to remain active. Even though many had found that their capacities had reduced, the informants spontaneously stressed the importance of continuing to be physically and mentally active. They saw life as meaningful because they sustained links in different ways with kin, friends and organisations. They wanted to remain active as long as possible, even when a decline in health reduced the range of activities that they could pursue.
Depression, homelessness, and suicidal ideation among the elderly: a comparison between men and women living in nursing homes and in the community
- Author:
- RON Pnina
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 43(2/3), 2004, pp.97-115.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study attempts to compare levels of depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation among elderly males and females, in reference to their living arrangement, i.e., community vs. nursing homes. For many elderly people, old age is characterized by various losses: physiological, functional, social, cognitive, financial, etc. The outcomes of such losses often include, more often than not, environmental isolation, a subjective feeling of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and frequently, loss of motivation to continue living. In light of the rise in life expectancy and the multitude of losses which can be associated with the aging process, it is probable that one out of five elderly persons will spend part of his/her life in a long term care institute. Such living arrangements may have negative effects on the mental health of its residents, because placement is often accompanied by feelings of lack of control over one's own life, and inability to make decisions regarding daily issues. Elderly persons living in the community (227: 78 men, 149 women) and 91 living in nursing homes (33 men, 58 women), in both independent and frail functional status (ADL), participated in the study. Findings show significantly more hopelessness, helplessness, and depression among residents of nursing homes compared to those living in the community, differences between men and women living in both environments, and a correlation between other demographic variables and the three dependent variables of the study. The conclusions of the study indicate a need to pay interdisciplinary attention to the mental health of elderly residents of nursing homes, particularly in the preliminary stages of placement and adjustment. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)