Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Best foot forward: older people and foot care
- Authors:
- JONES Ray, et al
- Publisher:
- Help the Aged
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 44p.
- Place of publication:
- London
One in four people aged over 65 needs podiatric care but is not receiving it. This report by looks at the scale of unmet need among the older population and the likely longer-term outcome of not providing low-level podiatric services. It also suggests some innovative and cost-effective alternatives to traditional service delivery that could offer a way forward.
Recipe for life: helping older people who live alone to eat well: final report of research
- Authors:
- JONES Chris, DEWAR Belinda, DONALDSON Caroline
- Publisher:
- Queen Margaret University College. Royal Bank of Scotland Centre for the Older Persons Agenda
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 111p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
The report seeks to to: get a better understanding of the many factors that can lead to an older person who lives alone not eating well; get an understanding of the issues facing organisations which provide meals for older people; learn about positive policies and good practice ideas that are operating nationally and internationally; and discover some solutions to the problems older people face when trying to eat well.
Malnutrition within an ageing population: a call for action: report on the inaugural Conference of the European Nutrition for Health Alliance, London, 14th September, 2005
- Author:
- EUROPEAN NUTRITION FOR HEALTH ALLIANCE
- Publisher:
- European Nutrition for Health Alliance
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 17p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
The objectives of this conference report were to: bring together and engage a broad range of stakeholders in an open dialogue about the issues surrounding malnutrition in clinical and community settings; to help raise awareness of malnutrition within Europe; and to provide input into building a research and policy agenda to address this issue at a European and national level. The conference targeted the medical and nursing professions; dieticians and nutritionists; ageing NGOs and gerontology experts; academia; policymakers; think-tanks; hospital and health care managers; health insurers; social gerontologists; geriatricians; carer and patient groups.
Severe health and social care issues among British migrants who retire to Spain
- Authors:
- HARDILL Irene, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 25(5), September 2005, pp.769-783.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This article focuses on those members of the British community who have lived in Spain for a considerable time and for whom familial, social and institutional ties with Britain are weak or disrupted. Age Concern España was established by members of the British community to provide information and services on healthcare, benefits and local services in Spain. Four indicative case studies of those requesting assistance and classified as being of ‘serious need’ are presented. They illustrate the ways in which happy and fulfilling lives in Spain were abruptly changed as the person's resources (bodily, economic, social and skills) for independent living diminished, and in which institutions and friendship networks played a key role in supporting life. The paper is the product of collaboration between researchers and practitioners in Spain and the UK, and brings together previous research with new qualitative case studies. Whilst policy-makers, practitioners and gerontologists have an increasing awareness of the needs of older migrants and the challenges they pose for public policy, particularly for health and social care systems in Spain, there have been little sustained analysis and cross-country debate.
Social support factors and health among a senior center population in Southern Ontario, Canada
- Authors:
- FITZPATRICK Tanya R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Health Care, 40(3), 2005, pp.15-37.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Past research on senior centers has mainly focused on utilization, frequency, duration of attendance, participation or various activities and services. This study strives to go beyond previous research by examining social support factors and their relationship to mental and physical health across a senior center population in southern Ontario, Canada. Data were collected at two large senior centers in the Kitchener, Waterloo area. We used a self-administered survey among a sample of older participants (n = 186). One-way ANOVA with post-hoc Duncan's multiple range tests, t-tests, and linear regression analyses were used to examine the influence of social support (friendship, caregiving and advice) on mental and physical health. The results indicated that caregiving is significantly related to physical health, how respondents feel in general, and happiness with personal life. Advice from others is significantly related to perceptions of having a life full of interesting things. Additionally, respondents who are volunteers perceive better health and social support than non-volunteers, those who eat at the center perceive better health and caregiving support, and those that started a new activity perceived better health and social support from friendships. Implications for social work practice, policy and future research are discussed.
Ageism and ageist language across the life span: intimate relationships and non-intimate interactions
- Authors:
- NUSSBAUM Jon F., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Issues, 61(2), June 2005, pp.287-305.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The possible effects of ageist language and ageism on the structure and function of intimate and non-intimate relationships have received significant attention from social scientists. Recent research grounded in communication accommodation theory , the communication predicament model of ageing , the communication enhancement model of ageing, and ageing and stereotype research byHummert (1994)and colleagues point toward the numerous consequences of both negative and positive attitudes toward ageing. Focusing specifically on health care settings, this article reviews recent theoretical positions and empirical findings that link ageist language and ageism to these positive and negative social consequences, and offers pragmatic suggestions and directions for future research.
Providing older patients with holistic health promotion
- Author:
- BUDGEN Veronica
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 1.3.05, 2005, pp.28-29.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Health promotion strategies for older people should focus on positive activities, taking a holistic approach and accounting for the individual's needs. Outlines the development of a nurse-led project that aims to meet the health promotion needs of this group.
Health risk appraisal for older people in general practice using an expert system: a pilot study
- Author:
- ILIFFE S.
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 13(1), January 2005, pp.21-29.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The prevention of disability in later life is a major challenge facing industrialised societies. Primary care practitioners are well positioned to maintain and promote health in older people, but the British experience of population-wide preventive interventions has been disappointing. Health risk appraisal (HRA), an emergent information technology-based approach from the USA, has potential for fulfilling some of the objectives of the National Service Framework for Older People. Information technology and expert systems allow older people's perspectives on health and health risk behaviours to be collated, analysed and converted into tailored health promotion advice without adding to the workload of primary care practitioners. This paper describes a preliminary study of the portability of HRA to British settings. Cultural adaptation and feasibility testing of a comprehensive health risk assessment questionnaire was carried out in a single group practice with 12,500 patients, in which 58% of the registered population aged 65 and over participated. Eight of 10 respondents at all ages found the questionnaire easy or very easy to understand and complete, although more than one-third had or would have liked assistance. More than half felt the length of the questionnaire was about right, and 1 in 10 disliked some questions. Of those who completed the questionnaire and received tailored, written health promotion advice, 39% provided feedback with comments that can be used for increasing the acceptability of tailored advice. These findings have informed a wider exploratory study in general practice.
Water for healthy ageing: hydration best practice toolkit for care homes
- Author:
- WATER UK
- Publisher:
- Water UK
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- loose leaf
- Place of publication:
- London
The medical evidence for good hydration in older people shows that it can assist in the management of diabetes and help prevent pressure ulcers, constipation, urinary infections and incontinence, kidney stones, heart disease, low blood pressure, cognitive impairment, falls, poor oral health, skin conditions and many other illnesses. Furthermore, dehydration has been shown to increase by two-fold the mortality of patients admitted to hospital with a stroke, and to increase the length of hospital stay for patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Older people have a very similar water requirement to that of younger people. Their bodies require water constantly and all the important chemical reactions, such as the production of energy, take place in water. Unfortunately, many older people do not drink adequate amounts of tap water. A conservative estimate for adults is that daily intake of fluids should not be less than 1.6 litres per day. A recent survey of water provision in UK care homes for older people, carried out by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, found that at best most residents only consumed 2 to 4 glass (480-960ml) a day. As Care Standards now begin to recognise the clear benefits of hydration, it is likely that in the future care homes will be asked to ensure that fresh drinking water is available to residents throughout the day, free of charge. Carers can easily implement this in advance, as best practice. Clearly they have a vital role to play in supporting older, more dependent individuals in maintaining healthy levels of hydration. They can do this by ensuring that fresh tap water is made freely available and physically accessible day and night, as well as with meals. They should also be aware of an individual’s need for water and encourage all residents to drink enough.
Focus on older people
- Editors:
- SOULE A., et al, (eds.)
- Publisher:
- Palgrave Macmillan
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 92p., tables
- Place of publication:
- Basingstoke
This report includes information on their characteristics, lifestyles and experiences, placing particular emphasis on changes with age. Older people make up an increasing proportion of our population. The blurring of the various stages in our lifecycle mean that older people are as varied as any other group in our society. Many older people lead active and healthy lives for many years over the age of 50. Employment rates for people in their fifties have risen in the past decade, and it is this age group who are most likely to be providing unpaid care. However, for those at older ages, there may be barriers which prevent them from participating in a wide variety of activities. These may be financial, or related to health or lack of transport.