Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Health and wellbeing consequences of social isolation and loneliness in old age
- Authors:
- COURTIN Emilie, KNAPP Martin
- Publisher:
- NIHR School for Social Care Research
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 3
- Place of publication:
- London
Summarises the findings of a scoping review which looked at literature on the impact of social isolation and loneliness on physical health, mental health and wellbeing in old age. Searches were conducted on nine databases, retrieving 11,736 articles, of which 128 were included in the scoping review. Almost all the studies reviewed found that isolation and loneliness has a detrimental effect on health. Depression and cardiovascular health were the most often researched outcomes, followed by well-being. Gaps in the evidence base were identified in both the use of health and social care by older people and on interventions to reduce loneliness and isolation. A lack of consistency in the definitions and measures of isolation and loneliness was also found, which limits the ability to compare findings between studies. (Edited publisher abstract)
Understanding the neighbourhood environment and the health and wellbeing of older Chinese immigrants: a systematic literature review
- Authors:
- GAO Siyao, DUPRE Karine, BOSMAN Caryl
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 41(4), 2021, pp.815-835.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Neighbourhood environment has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of older people. In recent years, the increase in older Chinese immigrants globally has attracted a growing amount of research which has investigated the health and wellbeing of these elderly residents. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic literature review of empirical findings on the health and wellbeing of older Chinese immigrants and the ways in which the neighbourhood environment impacts them. A systematic search was conducted using online databases where 52 articles met specific criteria and were subsequently reviewed critically. An inductive approach was undertaken to analyse the data extracted from the selected articles. The review was categorised according to the following themes: neighbourhood social environment, neighbourhood physical environment and place attachment. The findings show that the majority of research has investigated the health status of older immigrants, and in particular, the impacts related to the social environments in which they live. The literature review indicated that there is scope for future studies to investigate the impact of the physical neighbourhood environment on this group of people. (Edited publisher abstract)
Positive health among older Traveller and older homeless adults: a scoping review of life‐course and structural determinants
- Authors:
- CUSH Peter, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 28(6), 2020, pp.1961-1978.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Concepts related to positive health in later life are increasingly prevalent within community‐based health and social care policy. With a greater emphasis on inclusion health for older populations, there is a critical need to understand the determinants of such states for those most at risk of societal disadvantage. Focusing on two such groups, the aim of this article is to synthesise international research on the life‐course and structural determinants of positive subjective health for older homeless people and older Irish Travellers. Two scoping reviews were conducted (one for each group) to capture state‐of‐the art knowledge published from 1998 to 2020. The reviews were completed from July to December 2018, and repeated from March to April 2020. Thirty‐eight publications were included in the final sample (older Travellers: 10 sources; older homeless: 28 sources). Specific life‐course and structural factors were evident for both groups, as well as commonalities with respect to: accumulated exclusions; complexity of needs; accommodation adequacy/stability and independence and resilience. Research gaps are identified concerning: lack of conceptualisation of positive health; the application of life‐course perspectives and the absence of an environmental gerontological analysis of the situations of both groups. (Edited publisher abstract)
Who are the baby boomers of the 1960s?
- Authors:
- YOUNG Aideen, TINKER Anthea
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 21(4), 2017, pp.197-205.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The 8.3 million babies who were born during the 1960s in the UK are 48-57 years old. With growing concern about population ageing, and the oldest of this large cohort on the brink of later life, it is timely to provide an overview of selected characteristics of this cohort in order to help predict likely needs and choices for services and products in later life. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach: A synthesis (non-systematic) of the academic and grey literature plus data from various sources including the Office for National Statistics was used to construct a picture of the 1960s baby boomer. Findings: Characteristics with the potential to signify lifestyle changes among this, compared with previous, cohorts of older people include: a higher probability of living alone in old age due to high rates of childlessness and divorce; a possibly larger proportion of their lives spent with one or more chronic conditions, although the prevalence of disability affecting activities of daily living is lower than for previous cohorts; high levels of home ownership; increased rates of employment at older ages; but reduced wealth compared with previous cohorts. Originality/value: The term baby boomer is generally used to denote people born in the undifferentiated surge of births that occurred in the USA between 1946 and 1964. In the UK, post Second World War spike in births was followed by a separate, broad surge in births across the 1960s but there has been very little analysis specifically of the 1960s cohort in this country. This paper addresses that gap, by bringing together the available evidence and data on this specific cohort in the UK. (Publisher abstract)
Socio-economic position and subjective health and well-being among older people in Europe: a systematic narrative review
- Authors:
- READ Sanna, GRUNDY Emily, FOVERSKOV Else
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 20(5), 2016, pp.529-542.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: Previous studies of older European populations have established that disability and morbidity vary with indicators of socio-economic position (SEP). The authors undertook a systematic narrative review of the literature to ascertain to what extent there is evidence of similar inequalities in the subjective health and well-being of older people in Europe. Method: Relevant original research articles were searched for using Medline, Global Health, Embase, Social Policy and Practice, Cinahl, Web of Science and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS). The authors included studies of SEP and indicators of subjective health and well-being (self-rated health; life satisfaction; quality of life) conducted since 1991 using population-based samples of older people in Europe and published 1995–2013. Results: A total of 71 studies were identified. Poorer SEP was associated with poorer subjective health and well-being. Associations varied somewhat depending on the SEP measure and subjective health and well-being outcome used. Associations were weaker when social support and health-related behaviours were adjusted for suggesting that these factors mediate the relationship between SEP and subjective health and well-being. Associations tended to be weaker in the oldest age groups. The patterns of associations by gender were not consistent and tended to diminish after adjusting for indicators of health and life circumstances. Conclusion: The results of this systematic narrative review of the literature demonstrate the importance of social influences on later life subjective health and well-being and indicate areas which need further investigation, such as more studies from Eastern Europe, more longitudinal studies and more research on the role of mediating factors. (Edited publisher abstract)
Informal caregiving and its impact on health: a reappraisal from population-based studies
- Authors:
- ROTH David L., FREDMAN Lisa, HALEY William E.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 55(2), 2015, pp.309-319.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This article aims to re-examine some of the existing evidence on the health effects of caregiving, focusing in particular on one commonly cited claim that family caregiving is associated with an increased risk for mortality. The authors discuss important methodological concerns on the definition of caregiving, the composition of different caregiving subgroups, the sampling of caregivers, and the sampling and recruitment of appropriate noncaregiving comparison groups. A landmark study by Schulz and Beach reported higher mortality rates for strained spouse caregivers. However, five subsequent population-based studies found reduced mortality and extended longevity for caregivers as a whole compared with noncaregiving controls. Most caregivers also report benefits from caregiving, and many report little or no caregiving-related strain. The article stresses the importance of achieving more balanced and updated portrayal of the health effects of caregiving is needed to encourage more persons to take on caregiving roles, and to better target evidence-based services to the subgroup of caregivers who are highly strained or otherwise at risk. Recommendations are discussed for research that will better integrate and clarify both the negative and potential positive health effects of informal caregiving. (Edited publisher abstract)
Revealing the shape of knowledge using an intersectionality lens: results of a scoping review on the health and health care of ethnocultural minority older adults
- Authors:
- KOEHN Sharon, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 33(3), 2013, pp.437-464.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper uses an intersectionality theoretical lens to interrogate selected findings of a scoping review of published and grey literature on the health and health-care access of ethnocultural minority older adults. The review focuses on Canada and countries with similar immigrant populations and health-care systems (United Kingdom (UK), Australia, and New Zealand, and to a lesser extent, the USA). Approximately 3,300 source documents were reviewed covering the period 1980–2010: 816 met the eligibility criteria; 183 were Canadian. Summarised findings were presented to groups of older adults and care providers for critical review and discussion. This article discusses the extent to which the literature accounts for the complexity of categories such as culture and ethnicity, recognises the compounding effects of multiple intersections of inequity that include social determinants of health as well as the specificities of immigration, and places the experience of those inequities within the context of systemic oppression. The review found that Canada's two largest immigrant groups – Chinese and South Asians – had the highest representation in Canadian literature but, even for these groups, many topics remain unexplored and the heterogeneity within them is inadequately captured. Some qualitative literature, particularly in the health promotion and cultural competency domains, essentialises culture at the expense of other determinants and barriers, whereas the quantitative literature suffers from oversimplification of variables and their effects often due to the absence of proportionally representative data that captures the complexity of experience in minority groups. (Edited publisher abstract)
Loneliness and the health of older people
- Authors:
- O'LUNANAIGH Conor, LAWLOR Brian A.
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23(12), December 2008, pp.1213-1221.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The intense focus on major psychiatric disorders in both contemporary psychiatric research and clinical practice has resulted in the relative neglect of less definable constructs such as loneliness and how such entities might impact on health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to raise awareness among physicians and psychiatrists of the medical impact and biological effects of loneliness as well as making the argument that loneliness should be a legitimate therapeutic target. Using Pubmed a search was conducted for research and review papers looking at loneliness as a construct, how it is measured and its health effects. Relevant papers are reviewed and their main findings summarised. Loneliness has strong associations with depression and may in fact be an independent risk factor for depression. Furthermore loneliness appears to have a significant impact on physical health being linked detrimentally to higher blood pressure, worse sleep, immune stress responses and worse cognition over time in the elderly. There is a relative deficiency in adequate evidence based treatments for loneliness. Loneliness is common in older people an is associated with adverse health consequences both from a mental and physical health point of view. There needs to be an increased focus on initiating intervention strategies targeting loneliness to determine if decreasing loneliness can improve quality of life and functioning in the elderly.
Cancer treatments
- Authors:
- MARAMALDI Peter, DUNGAN Sheryn, POORVU Nancy L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 50(S1), 2008, pp.45-77.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
As survival rates for various cancers improve, with some now being seen as chronic illnesses, cancer is an increasingly important topic within gerontology. Demand for psychosocial interventions to improve the health and quality of life of those with cancer is rising, and this systematically conducted review aims to identify evaluation studies that are evidence-based. The majority that are disease-specific relate to breast cancer (15), with a smaller number (3) covering prostate cancer. In addition, the review identifies eight studies of treatments directed at patients with a variety of diagnoses. In the case of breast cancer, most treatments are group-based and designed to promote mutual aid. The use of complementary therapies is also a common feature. All these studies reported at least some improvement in health-related quality of life. Other studies used psycho-educational interventions to improve disease awareness and these gave positive results for both patients and carers. The paper concludes with a ‘treatment resource appendix’ directed at US practitioners. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Simple measures for assessing the physical, mental and social functioning of older people
- Authors:
- LOWLES Ruth V., PHILP Ian
- Journal article citation:
- Generations Review, 11(2), June 2001, pp.12-14.
- Publisher:
- British Society of Gerontology
This literature review aims to identify the shortest, simplest and cheapest measures for assessing physical, mental and social functioning of older people.