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Care home census for adults in Scotland: figures for 2007-2017 (as at 31 March)
- Author:
- ISD SCOTLAND
- Publisher:
- ISD Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 35
- Place of publication:
- Glasgow
This release presents data from the Scottish Care Home Census for adults which takes place on 31 March each year. The care home census form consists of two parts: the first part asks for aggregated data at care home level; the second part of the census form asks for information on individual Long Stay residents only, such as gender, age and health characteristics e.g. dementia. Main points for all adult care homes include: there were 1,142 adult care homes on 31 March 2017, a decrease of 21% compared to 31 March 2007 (1,451); there were 40,926 registered care home places available on 31 March 2017, which is 4% fewer than were available in 2007 (42,653); on 31 March 2017, there were 35,989 adults in care homes, which is 5% lower than in 2007 (37,702); on 31 March 2017, 91% (32,691 out of 35,989) of all care home residents (i.e. long stay, short stay and respite residents) were in Older people care homes. With respect to older people care homes: at 31 March 2017, there were 31,223 long stay residents in care homes for older people, a decrease of 4% compared to 31 March 2007 (32,482); in the same time period, the number of short stay/respite residents in care homes for older people increased by 96% (1,468 compared to 750); the percentage of long stay residents living with dementia (either medically or nonmedically diagnosed) in a care home for older people increased from 54% at 31 March 2007 to 62% at 31 March 2017. (Edited publisher abstract)
Wellbeing for life: reducing the risk of falls
- Author:
- MACINTYRE
- Publisher:
- MacIntyre
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 20
- Place of publication:
- Milton Keynes
Using bullet points, this short publication provides information on reducing the risk of falls in people with learning disabilities. It covers the areas of: the impact of falls, how to reduce the risk of falls, how dementia can affect a person's perception, supporting people after a fall, and accessing Falls Prevention Clinics. It reports there is good evidence that falls are more common in people with learning disabilities throughout their lives, not only as they age. It is part of the Wellbeing for Life toolkit created for the MacIntyre Dementia project in order to promote understanding about getting older with a learning disability and living well with dementia. (Edited publisher abstract)
Cognitive reserve in elderly and its connection with cognitive performance: a systematic review
- Authors:
- FARINA Marianne, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing International, 43(4), 2018, pp.496-507.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
The cognitive reserve may delay impairments in the normal aging process, improving the resilience in cognitive functioning. The main objective of this study was to investigate, through a systematic review, which variables form the cognitive reserve. Furthermore, the association between the cognitive reserve and the cognitive functioning was also verified. Three judges searched for articles in PsycINFO, Pubmed and Scopus databases. The Cochrane recommendations, which offer directions for systematic reviews and meta-analysis, were utilized. Six surveys were gathered following the criteria of inclusion and exclusion. Studies indicate that gender, age, individual’s education, parents’ education, profession, reading activity, social engagement and humor are the main variables of the cognitive reserve. Education was the most assessed variable in the studies, followed by profession. It was concluded that the main cognitive reserve variable is education and that there is a significant correlation with a healthy cognitive maturation in the elderly. (Edited publisher abstract)
The social-political challenges behind the wish to die in older people who consider their lives to be completed and no longer worth living
- Authors:
- WIJNGAARDEN Els van, GOOSSENSEN Anne, LEGET Carlo
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of European Social Policy, 28(4), 2018, pp.419-429.
- Publisher:
- Sage
In the Netherlands, physician-assisted dying has been legalised since 2002. Currently, an increasing number of Dutch citizens are in favour of a more relaxed interpretation of the law. Based on an ethos of self-determination and autonomy, there is a strong political lobby for the legal right to assisted dying when life is considered to be completed and no longer worth living. Building on previous empirical research, this article provides a critical ethical reflection upon this social issue. In the first part, we discuss the following question: what is the lived experience of older people who consider their lives to be completed and no longer worth living? The authors describe the reported loss of a sense of autonomy, dignity and independence in the lives of these older people. In the second part, from an ethics of care stance, the authors analyse the emerging social and political challenges behind the wish to die. Empirically grounded, it is arugued that the debate on ‘completed life in old age’ should primarily focus not on the question of whether or not to legitimise a self-directed death but on how to build an inclusive society where people may feel less unneeded, useless and marginalized. (Edited publisher abstract)
The neighbourhood asset mapping of greater Fishponds: a project delivered by BAB community researchers
- Editors:
- MEANS Robin, WOODSPRING Naomi
- Publisher:
- Bristol Ageing Better
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 60
- Place of publication:
- Bristol
This report presents the findings of a neighbourhood asset-mapping by community researchers in one area of Bristol, and includes their reflections on the asset-mapping process itself. The mapping included a range of organisations, clubs and activities where older people might engage, either as participants or volunteers, some of which might not be expressly focused on older people. Assets identified ranged from churches and traditional service providers to bicycling and gardening clubs to cafes to individuals who were seen as important resources in their neighbourhoods. The mapping also identified some of the community deficits, which included poor public transportation, obstacles to walkability, and a basic lack of resources and facilities. An important insight from the asset mapping work was how boundaries of wards and neighbourhood partnership areas are artificial from the point of view of both many community groups and many older people, with older residents accessing various assets across ward and neighbourhood partnership boundaries. (Edited publisher abstract)
The importance of the size of the social network and residential proximity in the reception of informal care in the European Union
- Authors:
- RODRIGUEZ Mercedes, RECOVER M. Angeles Minguela, BALLESTA Jose A. Camacho
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 21(5), 2018, pp.653-664.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper explores which factors affect the reception of informal care among those dependent people aged 65 and over in Europe, starting from the so-called Behavioural Model of Health Service Use introduced by Andersen. The data employed are drawn from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement. The final sample consists of a total of 17,284 older dependent people of which 4529 (26.2%) received informal care. The main novelty is the incorporation of different characteristics of the social network of the individual (presence of children, size and residential proximity) among the factors that enable the reception of informal care. In particular the two latter aspects are combined in one sole indicator of distance to the social network. In addition to ‘traditional factors’ like age or degree of dependency, all the characteristics of the social network are found to influence the likelihood of receiving informal care. This reveals the need for taking into consideration the role played by social networks when governments design care programmes, especially in the current scenario of rising demand for care. (Publisher abstract)
Dementia across local districts in England 2014 to 2015
- Authors:
- TAMPUBOLON Gindo, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33(8), 2018, pp.1127-1131.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: The number of older people needing dementia care is projected to rise rapidly, and local districts are now charged with responding to this need. But evidence on local area factors of dementia is scarce. The authors studied the odds of dementia prevalence and its individual risk factors enriched with area factors. Materials and methods: This study analysed objectively assigned dementia prevalence in people aged 60 and over living in community in England, drawing data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing 2014 to 2015 and local districts statistics using multilevel logistic models. Dementia status is ascertained using a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. A number of individual risk factors were considered including social determinants, internet use, social connections, and health behaviours; 2 contextual factors were included: the index of multiple deprivation and land use mix. Results: The prevalence of dementia by this method is 8.8% (95% confidence interval 7.7%‐9.2%) in older adults in England. Maps of dementia prevalence across districts showed prevalent areas. In the full model, no area characteristics were significant in predicting dementia prevalence. Education, social connections, internet use, and moderate to vigorous physical activity showed protective associations. Conclusion: Dementia in older adults in England is largely predicted by individual characteristics, although some districts have a large share of their population with dementia. Given the health and social care costs associated with dementia, differential interventions and support to districts and to groups of individuals defined by these characteristics seem warranted. (Edited publisher abstract)
Professional discretion and length of work experience: what findings from focus groups with care managers in elder care suggest
- Authors:
- OLAISON Anna, TORRES Sandra, FORSSELL Emilia
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 32(2), 2018, pp.153-167.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Research has explored how care managers in elder care – who often function as ‘street-level bureaucrats’ – regard professional discretion. The way in which length of work experience affects care managers’ use of professional discretion remains, however, unexplored. This article present findings from 12 focus groups with 60 care managers. By bringing attention to how care managers experience the needs assessment process, this article sheds light on how these ‘street-level bureaucrats’ struggle when they try to balance their clients’ needs against institutional frameworks and local guidelines. Length of work experience seems to play a role in how care managers claim to use professional discretion. Experienced care managers describe how they deviate from the guidelines at times in order to create an increased scope of action in their decision-making process. Those with less time in the profession describe greater difficulties in this respect. Findings suggest that research should explore if length of work experience plays a role in the actual way in which care managers assess needs and make decisions. As such, they contribute to our understanding of how needs assessment processes are navigated by professionals while also pointing towards the nature of professional discretion in gerontological social work. (Publisher abstract)
Why the UK needs a social policy on ageing
- Author:
- WALKER Alan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Policy, 47(2), 2018, pp.253-273.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Place of publication:
- Cambridge
This article makes the case for a radical new strategy on ageing which focuses on the whole life course with the intention of preventing many of the chronic conditions associated with old age. The case is built on recent research evidence and the life-course concept of ‘active ageing’ is used to encapsulate the practical measures required. Combining biological and social science insights it is argued that, while ageing is inevitable, it is also plastic. This means that it not only manifests itself in different ways but also that it can be modified by mitigating the various risk factors that drive it. Such action would have considerable potential to reduce the personal costs of chronic conditions such as strokes and those falling on family carers but, also, to cut the associated health and social care expenditures. The question of why such apparently beneficial policy action is not being taken is discussed and a range of barriers are identified. One of these appears to be the UK's extreme brand of neo-liberalism, which militates against the collective approach necessary to implement a social policy for active ageing. Although the case is made with primary reference to UK policy and practice, the call for action to prevent chronic conditions has global relevance. (Publisher abstract)
Predictors of readiness for mobility transition in older drivers
- Authors:
- KANDASAMY Deepika, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(2), 2018, pp.193-202.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
We administered the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition (ARMT) to 301 older drivers and compared total scores with participant characteristics. Overall, 18% of participants were not attitudinally ready for mobility transition, while 19% were very ready. Notably, participants with hospitalisations in the past year were either very ready for mobility transition (20% vs 14% without hospitalisations) or not ready at all (30% vs 17%). Significant health events may polarize reactions towards mobility transition. Individualising communication about driving cessation readiness could help address such differing views. To further consider its effectiveness, ARMT could be utilised in mobility transition counselling interventions. (Edited publisher abstract)