Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Healthy ageing in Australia's rural places: the contribution of older volunteers
- Authors:
- WINTERTON Rachel, WARBURTON Jeni
- Journal article citation:
- Voluntary Sector Review, 5(2), 2014, pp.181-201.
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- Place of publication:
- Bristol
Drawing on case studies of two ageing rural communities in north-east Victoria, Australia, this article explores how older volunteers both contribute to, and are supported by, third sector activities and services within rural environments. As such, volunteer activities build healthy ageing in rural settings, and contribute to community viability. However, further analyses suggest that reliance on third sector voluntarism also presents serious challenges for the future. This is particularly the case in relation to the sustainability of healthy ageing in rural settings where public sector resources are being rationalised. The authors findings show that there are risks associated with an over-reliance on volunteers in rural communities and with the excessive regulation of volunteers unless appropriate infrastructure and support are provided. (Edited publisher abstract)
‘Health is their heart, their legs, their back’: understanding ageing well in ethnically diverse older men in rural Australia
- Authors:
- RADERMACHER Harriet, FELDMAN Susan
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(5), 2015, pp.1011-1031.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Older men from ethnic minority communities living in a regional town in Australia were identified by a government-funded peak advocacy body as failing to access local health and support services and, more broadly, being at risk of not ageing well. A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the health and wellbeing of ethnic minority men growing older in a rural community, and to identify the barriers they faced in accessing appropriate services from a range of different perspectives. Individual interviews were conducted with key informants (service providers and community leaders), followed by focus groups with older men from four ethnic minority communities. The men in this study showed signs that they were at risk of poor mental and physical health, and experienced significant barriers to accessing health and support services. Furthermore, environmental, technological, social and economic changes have brought challenges for the older men as they age. Despite these challenges, this study demonstrated how work, family and ethnic identity was integral to the lives of these older men, and was, in many ways, a resource. Key informants' perspectives mostly confirmed the experiences of the older men in this study. The discrepancies in their views about the extent of health-promoting behaviour indicate some key areas for future health intervention, services and research. (Publisher abstract)
Establishing the well-being of the rural-urban elderly population: a case study of Indonesia
- Authors:
- MOHD Saidatulakmal, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Hong Kong Journal of Social Work, 44(2), Winter 2010, pp.105-120.
- Publisher:
- World Scientific Publishing Company
- Place of publication:
- Singapore
Indonesia is experiencing an aging population due to longer life expectancy and a decline in fertility. This paper examines the influence of various demographic factors (age, marital status, social class and perceived health) and economic conditions as well as living and familial arrangements on the well-being of the elderly. Data was collected from 302 elderly people covering the rural and urban areas of Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali using a survey-interview method. The participants were: 157 elderly with a mean age of 70 in the urban areas; and 145 elderly with a mean age of 74 in the rural areas. A causal model of well-being was employed to analyse the data obtained. The model of well-being was then tested using path analysis to test the causal relationships among the variables. In general, the well-being of the elderly in the urban and rural areas did not show much difference. The causal model of well-being of elderly in the rural areas indicated direct relationships between well-being and age, living arrangement and social status. The causal model of well-being of elderly in the urban areas were more complex, showing direct relationships between well-being and age, familial arrangement, social status and perceived health.
Gender differences in views about cognitive health and healthy lifestyle behaviors among rural older adults
- Authors:
- WU Bie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 49(S1), June 2009, pp.S72-S78.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Gender differences in views about cognitive health and behaviours are examined, focusing on older adults living in rural areas. Six focus groups in rural West Virginia were conducted. Participants included 37 women and 30 men, aged 55 years and older. Men and women held similar views of cognitive decline, as well as largely similar views about causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, women were more concerned about developing AD than were men. Gender differences were also noted with respect to healthy lifestyle beliefs, including diet, leisure-time physical activity, and strategies to maintain cognitive health. Findings illustrate the importance of considering gender with respect to health beliefs, health behaviours, and health promotion, and emphasize the need to develop interventions designed for specific populations.
Elderly people's perspectives on health and well-being in rural communities in England: findings from the evaluation of the National Service Framework for Older People
- Authors:
- MANTHORPE Jill, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 16(5), September 2008, pp.460-468.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Addressing the problems of meeting the needs of ageing populations in rural areas is recognised as a political and service delivery challenge. The National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People (NSFOP) set out a series of service standards to raise quality, to redress variations in service use and to enhance the effectiveness of services across health and social care in England and alluded to the challenges of meeting such standards in rural communities. This paper reports findings from the consultations undertaken with 713 elderly people as part of the midpoint review of the NSFOP in 2006, presenting and analysing the views and experiences of elderly people from rural areas. The consultations to engage with elderly people employed a mixed methodology that included public events, focus groups and individual interviews. The data reveal participants' views of how different patterns of social change in diverse country areas in England influence health and well-being in later life. The costs and benefits of centralization of services, and the pivotal issue of transport are important themes. The findings raise questions about the unclear and contradictory usages of the term 'rural' in England and the portrayal of rural ageing as a homogeneous experience.
Health and quality of life among older people in rural England: exploring the impact and efficacy of policy
- Authors:
- MILNE Alisoun, HATZIDIMITRIADOU Eleni, WISEMAN Janet
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Policy, 36(3), July 2007, pp.477-495.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Place of publication:
- Cambridge
There is increasing evidence that characteristics of place influence health and that the dimensions of rurality interlock with the process of ageing to produce a number of distinctive patterns. For the rising number of older people living in rural England, it is clear that, overall, the countryside promotes the health and wellbeing of the newly retired, fitter cohort who have access to financial and community resources. However, it carries a number of risks for elders who are frail, deprived or isolated; inequalities combine to undermine health and deepen exclusion. The efficacy of policy in taking account of the needs of rural elders is uneven. Analysis of the three most pivotal policy arenas – rurality, ageing and health, and community development – suggests that while some initiatives do promote quality of life, significant limitations remain. Further, the overarching policy response is incoherent and fragmented. Key deficits relate to resource allocation, limited recognition of rural disadvantage, and minimal incorporation of the perspectives of rural elders. That the majority of policy is rurally blind is a fundamental challenge; for rural elders to benefit from policy investment, a systemic shift is required in the mechanisms that steer its development, funding and implementation.
Factors affecting subjective well-being for rural elderly individuals the importance of spirituality, religiousness, and social support
- Author:
- YOON Dong Pil
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work, 25(2), 2006, pp.59-75.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine the relationships between spirituality, religiousness, social support, and the subjective well-being in a sample of 215 elderly individuals in the rural counties of West Virginia and North Carolina. The Brief Multidimensional Measures of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) was used to measure various domains of religiousness/spirituality, including daily spiritual experiences, values/beliefs, forgiveness, private religious practice, religious/spiritual coping, and religious support. Multivariate analyses found social support was positively related to life satisfaction and spirituality/religiousness was inversely related to depression. These findings provide health/mental health care providers and social workers with information that can increase their awareness of and sensitivity to services or programs that are congruent with religious/spiritual values and beliefs in order to enhance quality of life among rural elderly individuals.(Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Assessment of metabolic syndrome risk factors among rural-dwelling older adults requires innovation: partnerships and a mobile unit can help
- Authors:
- CROWTHER Martha R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 19(4), 2018, pp.251-260.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Older adults are at risk for developing metabolic syndrome (MSX). Given the growing rural older adult population and the unknown prevalence rate of MSX in rural communities, the purpose of this paper is to assess the risk factors for MSX among rural elders. Design/methodology/approach: Individuals aged 55+ from four West Alabama rural communities were assessed by an interdisciplinary healthcare team via a mobile unit (n=216). Descriptive analyses and analysis of variances (ANOVA) were conducted to assess the effect of gender, race and community on the number of risk factors of MSX among rural elders. Findings: Results of a three-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between gender, age and community on the number of MSX risk factors [F (16,193)= 2.41, p <0.01]. Rural communities with lower social economic status (SES) and predominantly African American residents were at higher risk for developing MSX compared to communities with higher SES [F(3, 68) = 7.42, p<0.05]. Practical implications: Findings suggest low SES rural communities are at risk of developing MSX. Innovative approaches such as mobile healthcare delivery are crucial to providing quality healthcare and preventive health screens to underserved rural older adult communities. Originality/value: Limited research is available on assessing rural midlife and older adults at risk for metabolic syndrome largely due to lack of communication or transportation infrastructure and their history of negative experiences with public institutions. This research demonstrates that how these barriers can be addressed. (Publisher abstract)
Nutritional self-management of elderly widows in rural communities
- Authors:
- QUANDT Sara A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 40(1), February 2000, pp.86-96.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Studies of the nutritional status of older adults (by marital status) and of older women recently widowed suggest that widows are nutritionally vulnerable. Yet few studies have examined nutrition-related behaviours among widows to see why this is true. The authors conceptualise these behaviours as nutritional self-management strategies, encompassing behaviours related to obtaining food, consuming it, and maintaining food security. Themes identified in recent windows' interviews and corroborated in those widowed longer indicate that there are varied responses to widowhood. Some may have a positive impact on nutritional strategies (e.g., following own dietary needs), but most are likely to be negative (e.g., meal skipping, reduced home food production, less dietary variety). Rural communities need to develop ways to identify such widows and assist them in finding acceptable ways to need nutritional needs.
Health and independence amongst older people in rural North Herefordshire: a report into the effectiveness of mobile day care provision provided by Age Concern Leominster
- Author:
- LE MESURIER N
- Publisher:
- Age Concern
- Publication year:
- 2000
- Pagination:
- 20p.
This is the sixth and final report in an evaluation of the Mobile Day Centre (MDC) service provided by Age Concern Leominster in Herefordshire, carried out by the University of Birmingham. The aim of the MDC service is to provide accessible day care services to older people in rural areas who live too far from day care services, thus reducing their social isolation and facilitating access to other services provided Herefordshire. About 220 people use the service by way of attending fortnightly meetings held at sites across the county in places such as village halls, sheltered housing schemes and school halls. Transport is provided by volunteers from the local communities.