Working with Older People, 9(4), December 2005, pp.39-42.
Publisher:
Emerald
The author, an Associate Director with the Better Government for Older People (BGOP), explains the work of the BGOP and its work to connect politics and older people through active engagement.
The author, an Associate Director with the Better Government for Older People (BGOP), explains the work of the BGOP and its work to connect politics and older people through active engagement.
Subject terms:
older people, politics, social care provision, user participation;
Despite many directives promoting the involvement of older people in planning and evaluating services that are provided for them, relatively little is known about what older people themselves think about such involvement. The standards are designed by advisory groups who have been invited to take part in planning and monitoring the process of implementation for the standards.
Despite many directives promoting the involvement of older people in planning and evaluating services that are provided for them, relatively little is known about what older people themselves think about such involvement. The standards are designed by advisory groups who have been invited to take part in planning and monitoring the process of implementation for the standards.
Extended abstract:
AuthorAGE CONCERN
Title
Involving older people: in setting standards for day services
Publisher
Age Concern, 2005
Summary
This report sets out the findings of a research project carried out by Age Concern Norfolk between April 2001 and September 2002 supporting older people in designing quality standards and initiatives for day centre services.
Context
Despite many directives promoting the involvement of older people in planning and evaluating services that are provided for them, relatively little is known about what older people themselves think about such involvement.
Method
Contents
An executive summary begins with an introduction stating that older people remain largely excluded from participation in planning and policy decision-making processes, and that relatively little is known about how they feel about being involved or about what they perceive as successful outcomes of such involvement. It then gives the research aims: to involve older people, including service users, in defining the criteria for quality day centre services; to involve them in devising methods for assessing services; and to gain a greater understanding of the contributions older people are willing to and able to make in service planning and evaluation. The methodology is explained, and summarises specific findings: recruitment of non-service users was fare more difficult than recruitment of service users; verbal explanation and presentation was far more valuable in recruitment than written explanation; involving older people in rural areas generated complex planning arrangements; meetings are also a social event: refreshments and getting together can be an important part; appropriate encouragement and support will help facilitate involvement; and relaxed and friendly surroundings and adequate transport arrangements are essential. The main part of the report has an introduction giving the aims, rationale, background and context. Theoretical underpinning and methods are described. General findings and observations and evaluation findings – the views of participants – are given. The report ends with conclusions, outcomes, and an endnote. Appendices give the Norfolk Older People's Forum Evaluation Report, July 2002 and the Advisory Group Participants Report, August 2002.
Findings
Conclusion
Engaging older people in rewarding and worthwhile involvement processes is essential if feelings of tokenism are to be avoided. The findings support previous studies refuting assumptions often made about physically frail older people being unable to make a major impact on service planning. The participants' proposals for day centre quality standards and initiatives were accepted by Age Concern Norfolk's Care Services management team and a strategy and time frame for implementation agreed. The standards were implemented throughout CAN day centre services during 2003. The strengths of a democratic approach to involvement were highlighted. Interest in service planning and development decision-making among even frail older people, and particularly their ability, willingness and commitment to deal with complex issues, should not be underestimated.
19 references
Subject terms:
older people, standards, user participation, day services;
This paper begins by exploring the concept of public involvement within the current UK health policy context. It then discusses current levels of knowledge about older people’s preferences, perspectives and experience with the health care system. It concludes by bringing these two discussions together to explore the compatibility of the ageing of society with government’s declared aim of increasing public involvement in health.
This paper begins by exploring the concept of public involvement within the current UK health policy context. It then discusses current levels of knowledge about older people’s preferences, perspectives and experience with the health care system. It concludes by bringing these two discussions together to explore the compatibility of the ageing of society with government’s declared aim of increasing public involvement in health.
Subject terms:
older people, policy, user participation, empowerment, health care;
Local Government Studies, 31(1), February 2005, pp.39-51.
Publisher:
Routledge
The challenge of the ageing population is not just to provide more services but to employ new strategies. One of these is the need to rethink the provision of information to older people and their carers. This paper makes four points. First, that information and access to information have become more critical issues. Second, that older people may place a much higher value on information than other citizen groups but their access is poor for a range of reasons. Third, that the processes by which older people seek information may be empowering. Finally, effective partnerships with creative older people can be a catalyst to changing governance cultures which is a vital step in modernising local government. The paper draws upon examples from the author's experience of working alongside older people under the umbrella of the Better Life in Later Life project in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The challenge of the ageing population is not just to provide more services but to employ new strategies. One of these is the need to rethink the provision of information to older people and their carers. This paper makes four points. First, that information and access to information have become more critical issues. Second, that older people may place a much higher value on information than other citizen groups but their access is poor for a range of reasons. Third, that the processes by which older people seek information may be empowering. Finally, effective partnerships with creative older people can be a catalyst to changing governance cultures which is a vital step in modernising local government. The paper draws upon examples from the author's experience of working alongside older people under the umbrella of the Better Life in Later Life project in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Subject terms:
information technology, older people, user participation, access to information, case studies;
Recruitment and sampling are important in social gerontology because they directly affect research findings. There is also an increasing imperative in ageing research to include older people as more than sampled subjects. Researchers in other fields, many of them 'new to ageing', are now sampling the older population and recruiting older people to the qualitative elements of various studies. So who exactly are we sampling? How are we recruiting? The papers in this volume describe five quite different studies of ageing and intergenerational relationships. The methodologies and sample sizes involved range from a micro-level study of relationships between a small group of friends, to a multi-method approach incorporating interviews with people identified from a larger survey. However, there are some common themes. These include: 'vulnerability' and ethics; the role of the gatekeeper; under- and over-researched groups; sensitive topics and the role of language; and older people as research partners.
Recruitment and sampling are important in social gerontology because they directly affect research findings. There is also an increasing imperative in ageing research to include older people as more than sampled subjects. Researchers in other fields, many of them 'new to ageing', are now sampling the older population and recruiting older people to the qualitative elements of various studies. So who exactly are we sampling? How are we recruiting? The papers in this volume describe five quite different studies of ageing and intergenerational relationships. The methodologies and sample sizes involved range from a micro-level study of relationships between a small group of friends, to a multi-method approach incorporating interviews with people identified from a larger survey. However, there are some common themes. These include: 'vulnerability' and ethics; the role of the gatekeeper; under- and over-researched groups; sensitive topics and the role of language; and older people as research partners.
Subject terms:
intergenerational relationships, older people, participatory research, research ethics, research methods, user participation, vulnerable adults;
Families in Society, 86(3), July 2005, pp.401-409.
Publisher:
The Alliance for Children and Families
The authors report on lessons drawn from more than 3 years of experience with seniors-led community development at the neighborhood level, the Elder Friendly Communities Program (EFCP) in the USA. Although community practice has a long history in social work, it has been largely neglected with older adults. Based on analysis of qualitative data, the authors discuss key themes that inform community development practice with seniors including (a) challenging the dominant paradigm of community-based service delivery, (b) efficiency and sustainability, (c) expectations and perceptions of expertise, (d) involvement and leadership, and (e) multicultural practice. With a growing and increasingly healthy elder population, it is time to expand the scope of gerontological social work practice beyond a focus on disability and dependency.
The authors report on lessons drawn from more than 3 years of experience with seniors-led community development at the neighborhood level, the Elder Friendly Communities Program (EFCP) in the USA. Although community practice has a long history in social work, it has been largely neglected with older adults. Based on analysis of qualitative data, the authors discuss key themes that inform community development practice with seniors including (a) challenging the dominant paradigm of community-based service delivery, (b) efficiency and sustainability, (c) expectations and perceptions of expertise, (d) involvement and leadership, and (e) multicultural practice. With a growing and increasingly healthy elder population, it is time to expand the scope of gerontological social work practice beyond a focus on disability and dependency.
Subject terms:
leadership, multicultural approach, older people, neighbourhoods, user participation, community development;
Families in Society, 86(3), July 2005, pp.411-418.
Publisher:
The Alliance for Children and Families
Over the past several decades, federal policy has made states and communities increasingly more responsible for providing long-term care for older adults. The Community Partnerships for Older Adults, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, saw this as an opportunity to explore new, sustainable ways to meet current and future needs for community-based long term care. This initiative focuses on collaborative organizational partnerships, a distinctive philosophy of teaching and learning through the exchange of experience between communities, and program learning focusing on known factors promoting organizational sustainability. Using principles that emphasize the development of social capital and collective efficacy, the authors present a case study of the early experiences of this initiative to address the challenges inherent in meeting the growing supportive service needs of older adults. The implications of this multi-site community intervention for social work education and practice in aging are discussed.
Over the past several decades, federal policy has made states and communities increasingly more responsible for providing long-term care for older adults. The Community Partnerships for Older Adults, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, saw this as an opportunity to explore new, sustainable ways to meet current and future needs for community-based long term care. This initiative focuses on collaborative organizational partnerships, a distinctive philosophy of teaching and learning through the exchange of experience between communities, and program learning focusing on known factors promoting organizational sustainability. Using principles that emphasize the development of social capital and collective efficacy, the authors present a case study of the early experiences of this initiative to address the challenges inherent in meeting the growing supportive service needs of older adults. The implications of this multi-site community intervention for social work education and practice in aging are discussed.
Subject terms:
joint working, long term care, older people, social care provision, user participation, case studies, community development;
Working with Older People, 9(2), June 2005, pp.33-36.
Publisher:
Emerald
Describes the success story behind Khubsuret House, a 33-unit scheme in the Milkstone area of Rochdale that contains a mix of one and two-bedroomed flats for the over-60s. Although orginally intended to house Asian elders, its residents has become diverse with other ethnic groups such as English, European and African Carribean. Khubsuret House has won many awards, including most recently the National Housing Federation's iNBiz award for older people.
Describes the success story behind Khubsuret House, a 33-unit scheme in the Milkstone area of Rochdale that contains a mix of one and two-bedroomed flats for the over-60s. Although orginally intended to house Asian elders, its residents has become diverse with other ethnic groups such as English, European and African Carribean. Khubsuret House has won many awards, including most recently the National Housing Federation's iNBiz award for older people.
Subject terms:
multicultural approach, older people, residents, sheltered housing, user participation, Asian people;
Health and Social Care in the Community, 13(3), May 2005, pp.268-275.
Publisher:
Wiley
Highlights the key policy literature on user involvement and participatory research methods to establish the context for a partnership research project exploring perceptions of risk in relation to falls from the perspectives of older people, carers, and health and social care professionals. Reports the methods used in developing user involvement in the research at a number of levels, including project management, and a consumer panel working alongside the research team and influencing the dissemination in local falls prevention strategies. The authors draw out the issues related to the context and method of involvement, and discuss the impact on research quality and local service development in health and social care.
Highlights the key policy literature on user involvement and participatory research methods to establish the context for a partnership research project exploring perceptions of risk in relation to falls from the perspectives of older people, carers, and health and social care professionals. Reports the methods used in developing user involvement in the research at a number of levels, including project management, and a consumer panel working alongside the research team and influencing the dissemination in local falls prevention strategies. The authors draw out the issues related to the context and method of involvement, and discuss the impact on research quality and local service development in health and social care.
Subject terms:
older people, participatory research, prevention, research methods, user participation, falls;