-
What socio-cultural, emotional and relational factors shape older people's experiences of death and dying in residential aged care? A scoping review Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Georgia van Toorn, Emma Kirby, Myra Hamilton, John MacArtney
Research internationally has revealed a range of medical and health-related issues that shape care at the end of life for people living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs), their families and the staff who care for them. Yet, less is known about the lived experiences of residents, and the broader socio-cultural, emotional and relational factors that shape experiences of dying within such settings
-
Intrinsic post-retirement work motivation in formal Chilean workers at retirement age: a qualitative study Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Milda Galkutė, M. Soledad Herrera
The unstable employment trajectories and low wages of Chilean workers mean that the amount of savings accrued in pension funds are often insufficient to cope with the high costs of living in the country, compelling many older adults to remain in the labour market. Although financial need seems to be an important reason for post-retirement work in Chile, a national survey revealed that a majority of
-
Participation, autonomy and control are shared concepts within older people's interpretations of independence: a qualitative interview study Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Emily Taylor, Julia Frost, Susan Ball, Andrew Clegg, Lesley Brown, Victoria A. Goodwin
To date, support for independence in older people has been largely focused on achieving practice- and policy-orientated goals such as maintenance of function, remaining in one's own home and reducing the impact of receiving care. Uncertainty about what independence means to older people means that these goals may not align with what matters and should be considered for a more person-centred approach
-
‘I'm a fighter and I do not give up’ – Socially isolated older adults' experiences with meaning in life Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Anja Machielse
Positively experienced relationships with family, partners and friends are the most important source of meaning in life for older persons. At the same time, Western countries are confronted with a growing number of socially isolated older adults who lack those relationships. This study aims to explore whether and how older adults who live in social isolation experience meaning in life. Data were collected
-
Who receives most? Gendered consequences of divorce on public pension income in West Germany and Sweden Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Sarah Schmauk, Linda Kridahl
Sweden and West Germany have had persistently high divorce rates in recent decades, but these two welfare states were differently equipped to mitigate the economic consequences of divorce for individual security in old age: Sweden followed a gender-equal policy approach to enable women and men to achieve economic autonomy, while West Germany, following the male-breadwinner model, introduced the system
-
Family carers’ experiences of care home visiting restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a relational autonomy perspective Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Josie Dixon, Edmund Stubbs
Care home residents were vulnerable to severe effects from Covid-19 infection and experienced high mortality, especially early in the pandemic. In response, many countries introduced visiting restrictions to limit transmission. These often proved extensive and prolonged, drawing fresh attention to issues of autonomy and human rights in long-term care. We conducted in-depth interviews with 27 family
-
The third age interrupted: experiences of living in a retirement village during the first year of COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Andrew Simon Gilbert, Stephanie M. Garratt, Joan Ostaszkiewicz, Frances Batchelor, Bianca Brijnath, Christa Dang, Briony Dow, Anita M. Y. Goh
The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia has profoundly affected older adults, particularly in the state of Victoria, which experienced strict lockdown restrictions six times since the pandemic began in 2020; totalling 245 days over three years. This study explored the experiences of older adults living in retirement villages during the first three lockdowns in Victoria from March 2020 to February 2021.
-
What it means to be poor: dimensions of economic hardship among older people living in poverty across Europe Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-02-28 Liisa-Maria Palomäki, Aart-Jan Riekhoff, Kati Kuitto
There is a lack of comparative and quantitative research on how poverty manifests itself in the economic wellbeing of older people across European countries. In this study, we focus in on two central dimensions of economic wellbeing: the ability to pay for usual expenses and unexpected expenses. Our aim is to find out how often older people living at risk of poverty experience hardship on these dimensions
-
Coping with COVID-19 lockdown: a qualitative study of older adults in alcohol treatment Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Paulina Trevena, Jennifer Seddon, Lawrie Elliott, Sarah Wadd, Maureen Dutton
The COVID-19 global pandemic had a major impact on older people's mental health and resulted in changes in alcohol use, with more older adults increasing than decreasing consumption levels among the general population. So far, no studies have focused on older people who were already experiencing problem alcohol use. This qualitative research is the first to provide a nuanced understanding of changes
-
Older people enacting resilience in stories about living alone and receiving home care Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Kristin S. Voie, Janine Wiles, Bodil H. Blix, Margrethe Kristiansen, Ann Karin Helgesen, Kjersti Sunde Mæhre
Although older people who live alone might be in a vulnerable situation, they have often managed their everyday life for a long time, frequently with health challenges. In this article, we explore how nine older persons who live alone, who receive home care and are identified by home care professionals as being frail, manage their everyday lives by inquiring into their stories about living alone and
-
Finding a balance: resilience in older adults after depression in later life Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-12-13 Lieneke Glas, Didi Rhebergen, Guy Widdershoven, Martijn Huisman, Almar A. L. Kok
Older adults who have had a major depressive disorder (MDD) have a high risk of relapse. Although risk factors for depression have been researched extensively, less is known about protective factors, and what experiences might strengthen subsequent resilience and help to prevent relapse. Therefore, this qualitative study explored factors of resilience in older adults who recovered from MDD and did
-
The impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on care-givers of people with cognitive impairment and their support needs: a mixed-methods systematic review Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-11-28 Loretta Baldassar, Thi Ngoc Minh Nguyen, Bronte Jones, Catriona Stevens, Lukasz Krzyzowski, Silvia Lozeva, Simone Marino, Maria Greta Carleze Du Plooy, Johanne Eldridge, Osvaldo P. Almeida, Manonita Ghosh
The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing restrictions/lockdowns have caused significant physical and psychological consequences for people with cognitive impairment who are heavily dependent on their care-givers. However, little is known about the impact on care-givers, the factors that exacerbate their situation and what supports they need. The aims of this paper are threefold: (a) to examine the impact
-
Coping strategies for increased wellbeing and mental health among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic – a Swedish qualitative study Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-11-16 Linda Beckman, Johanna Gustavsson
Older adults were particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating significant efforts to avoid contamination. This extraordinary situation posed an increased risk of mental pressure, and the ability to handle stressful situations is affected by several aspects. Therefore, this study aims to explore the coping strategies employed by older adults during the early months of the COVID-19
-
Life stories from lonely older adults: the role of precipitating events and coping strategies throughout the lifecourse Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-11-16 Lise Switsers, Hannelore Stegen, Eva Dierckx, Leen Heylen, Sarah Dury, Liesbeth De Donder
Previous research has highlighted the importance of past life experiences in the theoretical and conceptual understanding of loneliness. However, adding a lifecourse perspective to loneliness research remains underexplored. To comprehend the complexity of loneliness in old age, it is crucial to pay attention to the lifecourse perspective. This study addresses an important lifecourse perspective on
-
Experiences of age-related declining navigation abilities and impact on use of outdoor environments: a qualitative study of young-old adults with self-reported memory difficulties Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-11-03 Michelle Heward, Ben Hicks, Brooke Hedges, Rebecca Gaden, Jan M. Wiener
Laboratory-based experiments show ageing negatively impacts navigation abilities, yet a paucity of research explores lived experience. This exploratory study examined young-old adults' experiences of declining navigation abilities during 16 semi-structured telephone interviews. Findings reveal: (a) ‘Behavioural drivers’ that underpinned the participants' experiences and actions when engaging with their
-
A narrative inquiry into how oldest-old care-givers of people with dementia manage age-related care-giving challenges Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-27 Ifah Arbel, Jill I. Cameron, Barry Trentham, Deirdre R. Dawson
Oldest-old (age 80+) spousal care-givers of people with dementia experience unique challenges and concerns that they attribute to age and/or ageing, including difficulties providing care because of physical, cognitive or sensory decline; having fewer friends who can provide practical support; and having less energy for non-care-giving activities (e.g. leisure activities, self-care). Previous research
-
Care home co-worker relationships: a key ingredient for care home quality Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-18 Kirsty Haunch, Karen Spilsbury
The relationships that care home staff have with their co-workers are a key influence on the way they feel about their work and how they perform in their roles. This has a direct influence on quality of care and life as experienced by residents. However, care home providers face a challenge to promote co-worker relationships because: (a) the care home workforce often lack human resource oversight;
-
What is helpful in everyday living with dementia at home? Learning from families’ diverse scenarios Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-13 Margrét Guðnadóttir, Christine Ceci, Marit Kirkevold, Jón Snædal, Kristín Björnsdóttir
As the population ages and the prevalence of dementia increases, caring for a relative living at home with dementia has become a reality for many families worldwide. Studies have shown that families are confronted with diverse difficulties as they try to address the challenges involved in providing care. By understanding how they manage daily life, formal service providers become better equipped to
-
Ageing in place with non-medical home support services need not translate into dependence Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-09 Kaitlyn Kuryk, Laura M. Funk, Grace Warner, Marilyn Macdonald, Michelle Lobchuk, Julie Rempel, Lauren Spring, Janice Keefe
Older adults who age at home independently are often celebrated as having anticipated and planned for their care needs in the later stages of life, whereas those who receive assistance from home support services are often stigmatised as dependent and characterised as a ‘drain on the system’. However, this thematic analysis of interview data from 12 home care clients in two Canadian provinces offers
-
The complexities of implementing an LGBT inclusion scheme in residential care: sharing knowledge, overcoming opposition and producing in- and exclusion Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-02 Roos Pijpers, Krystel Honsbeek
A growing number of organisations in residential care for older people are working towards safe and inclusive environments for LGBT residents. In the Netherlands, these efforts are supported by an LGBT inclusion scheme called ‘Pink Passkey’. Drawing on critical organisational diversity studies, the paper understands inclusion as ‘accomplished’ in interactions across difference, and as always inherently
-
Experiences of COVID-19 lockdown among older people in Aotearoa: idyllic or dystopian? Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-02 Mary Breheny, Christine Stephens
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted concern about the wellbeing of older people, however, there have also been accounts of increased sense of community in response to the disruption of established routines. To explore how older people experienced lockdown in Aotearoa/New Zealand, we analysed 635 written comments on the 2020 wave of the Health, Work and Retirement longitudinal survey of people aged 55–85
-
Revisiting the social construction of old age Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-02 Chris Gilleard
The aim of this paper is to review the social constructionist view of age and ageing that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It begins with a general consideration of social constructionism as an epistemological framing of the world, before turning to its use in social gerontology. It considers two distinct social constructionist approaches treating later life as a social reality: (a) as a
-
The role of uncertainty in planning for self-funded social care for older people with a diagnosis of dementia Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-10-02 Kate Baxter, Kate Gridley, Yvonne Birks
This paper considers how a diagnosis of dementia affects people's planning for future social care needs and associated costs. It addresses the gap in knowledge about how people recently diagnosed with dementia, and their family carers, engage with planning for social care needs that are uncertain in timing and scale. The paper also considers people's attitudes to planning for care that they may need
-
Widowhood and functional impairment: gender-specific trajectories of sensory and masticatory functions Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-08-18 Kyungeun Song, Jinho Kim
Despite a large body of research on the effects of widowhood on health, little is known about whether spousal loss is related to functional impairment in widowed persons. This study examines the trajectories of functional impairment (sensory and masticatory functions) before and after spousal loss. This study also investigates whether the temporal changes in functional impairment of widowed people
-
The meaning of home when you don't live there anymore: Using body mapping with people with dementia in care homes Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-08-17 Louisa Smith, Chantel Carr, Isabelle Chesher, Lyn Phillipson
The significance of home is broadly recognised as representing selfhood, safety and autonomy. For older people, especially those with dementia, the ability to age in place at home can be threatened by a necessary move into a care home. Home has heightened importance for people with dementia. We know most people want to stay in their own homes, but there is limited research which explores what home
-
Labour force transitions and changes in quality of life at age 50–55 years: evidence from a birth cohort study Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-08-07 Paul Watts, Mel Bartley, David Blane, Gopalakrishnan Netuveli
In the context of an ageing population and longer working lives, the impact of increasing rates of early exit from the labour force on quality of life is a particularly current concern. However, relatively little is known about the impact on quality of life of later-life labour force transitions and various forms of early exit from the labour force, compared to remaining in employment. This paper examines
-
The faceless and vulnerable other – the visual portrayal of older people on German online news sites within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-08-04 Janina Myrczik, Clemens Schwender, Annette Franke, Eva-Marie Kessler
Recent studies provide evidence that the coverage of older people's issues in the mass media during the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a (re-)emergence of negative stereotypes surrounding the question of age. However, these studies primarily relied on written materials. As visual imagery has the power to attract greater attention than words, this study set out to investigate the visual portrayal
-
Routes to healthy ageing: the role of lifecourse patterns Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-08-04 Roberta Papa, Stefani Scherer
Healthy ageing is a dynamic process, but only a few studies use a longitudinal perspective to investigate the routes to healthy ageing and rarely do so in comparative perspective. This study adopts a holistic multi-domain approach in order to investigate the importance of lifecourse patterns for healthy ageing in Europe, as measured by the Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI) and using seven
-
The (im)mobilities of COVID-19 in later life: burning and building generational bridges Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-07-31 Penny Tinkler, Laura Fenton, Luciana Lang
The COVID-19 pandemic foregrounded a numerical conception of age. Many of the targets of proposals to introduce age-specific restrictions are members of the ‘baby boomer’ generation, a generation that is widely recognised as having a youthful approach to ageing. Attending to arguments that baby boomers are a ‘bridging’ generation – i.e. they share cultural orientations with both preceding and succeeding
-
Masculinity, poverty and body image among older men in Tanzania: connecting intersectionality and Bourdieu's theory of practice Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-07-31 Sylivia Karen Rutagumirwa, Ajay Bailey
Until now, the body image literature has largely ignored older men. In particular, little is known about how older men perceive and experience their ageing bodies, despite the importance of the body to men's practice of masculinity and their position within gendered hierarchies. Addressing this gap in the research, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews and ten focus group discussions (N = 60) with older
-
Widows and the termination of the gender contract Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-07-04 Shlomit Manor
Widowhood is often described through stereotypes and images of passive, weak, lonely and dependent women. This study presents additional aspects of widows who have chosen to continue their lives without a new spouse. It thus joins the recently growing body of knowledge which presents widowhood in a less one-dimensional way while referring to the complexity and different layers of widows' lives. A qualitative
-
From an existential-humanistic perspective: examining factors contributing to purpose in life among artistically inclined individuals from middle to later life Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-29 Ying-Yi Patricia Chou
Purpose in life has been found to decline from middle to later life in several ageing studies. Because the decline has negative impacts on health-related outcomes, it is important to identify factors contributing to purpose in life to enhance wellbeing among the ageing population. This study first examined the role of subjective social economic status (SSES) in the relationship between age and purpose
-
‘I can still drive a car.’ Self-presentation in later life and the symbolic value of driving Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-27 Tóra Róin, Maria Skaalum Petersen, Ása Róin
This qualitative study draws attention to the symbolic value of driving or having a valid driver's licence among older adults as part of their impression management. While several studies have focused on driving behaviour, safety, risk factors and not least the consequences of driving cessation, the present study from the Faroe Islands contributes to the body of knowledge concerning older adults and
-
‘They've probably had those animals for years – they are like family’: accommodating pets in care homes and their contribution to creating a sense of ‘home’ Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-26 Michael Toze, Mo Ray, Marie Fox
Companion animals, or ‘pets’, are integral to many people's lives and to their sense of home. However, older people living with companion animals are vulnerable to separation from their animals when moving to a care home. Such separation is often a highly significant loss which, combined with other losses, may reinforce experiences of dislocation. Existing research draws attention to the importance
-
‘Brainwork practices’: responsibilisation of dementia prevention in Australian aged care discourse Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-16 Kristina Chelberg
Successful ageing continues to be a key theme in contemporary ageing discourses, where good physical and cognitive health in older age is an individualised responsibility. This paper explores how Australian aged care stakeholder discourse contributes to constructions of self-responsibility for brain health and dementia prevention in older persons. Brain health advice messages about diet, exercise and
-
Uncoupling in the third age – the importance of the existential context for late-life divorce Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-16 Torbjörn Bildtgård, Peter Öberg
Late-life divorce is increasingly common in many Western countries, however, studies on this transition remain scarce. The purpose of this article is to study attributed reasons for late-life divorce, and if any life phase-typical aspects can be identified in these attributions. Qualitative interviews were carried out with Swedish men and women aged 62–82, who after the age of 60 had divorced from
-
Constructing ‘Otherness’ in the neighbourhood: que(e)rying older adults' experiences of and talk about socio-cultural change Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-14 Jami McFarland, Carri Hand, Debbie Laliberte Rudman, Colleen McGrath, Katherine Stewart
Drawing from 108 qualitative interviews with 38 participants from an ethnographic study investigating older adults' experiences of inclusion and exclusion in two increasingly socio-economically diverse neighbourhoods, this paper employs a queer approach to identify how older adults construct and narrate socio-cultural change in the neighbourhood, as well as complicate simplistic binary understandings
-
Life-course generational placements and health and wellbeing in later life Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-14 Bettina Hünteler, Karsten Hank
Previous research has demonstrated that family transitions, specifically births and deaths of preceding and following generations within families, are associated with individuals' later-life wellbeing and health. However, lifecourse, family systems and role theories suggest that this relationship might be complex because, as individuals age, they can experience multiple such events and their effects
-
Shifting perspectives: outlooks on ageing in place in the COVID-19 era Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-06-01 Valerie Greer, Sarah L. Canham, Andy Hong, Natalie Caylor, Jessica Van Natter
Given the significant impact the pandemic has had on the lives of older adults, research is needed to understand how conceptions of ageing in place and attitudes about living independently may have shifted during a time marked by significant environmental change. There is a gap in knowledge about how older adults characterise positive support for ageing in place in response to rapid changes in physical
-
Framing dementia care in families with a migration background: an analysis of practitioners' and family carers' views and experiences Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-26 Menal Ahmad, Sawitri Saharso, Evelien Tonkens
Little is known regarding the ways in which practitioners' views and approaches impact support for persons with a migration background (PwM) caring for individuals with dementia. This paper responds to this knowledge gap by identifying how practitioners frame dementia care in families with a migration background, and how these frames can be understood in light of the experiences of PwM caring for a
-
Elders' perspectives and priorities for ageing well in a remote Aboriginal community Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-17 Ruth McCausland, Sacha Kendall Jamieson, Virginia Robinson, Wendy Spencer, Peta MacGillivray, Melanie Andersen
Aboriginal Elders in Australia are recognised as having an important role as community leaders and cultural knowledge holders. However, the effects of colonisation and institutional racism mean Elders also experience significant social and economic disadvantage and poor health outcomes. There has been a systemic lack of attention to the worldviews and priorities of Aboriginal people as they age. In
-
Evidence for the external validity of the Consumer Choice Index Six Dimension (CCI-6D) for people living in residential aged care with dementia Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-16 Rachel Kathleen Milte, Agathe Daria Jadczak, Renuka Visvanathan, Julie Ratcliffe
The large proportion of people living in residential aged care services with dementia necessitates that any instrument used to measure quality of care is meaningful and practical to be completed by this group. This study assessed the external validity of using the Consumer Choice Index Six Dimension (CCI-6D) instrument to assess quality of care in a large sample of people living in residential aged
-
Why care? How filial responsibility norms and relationship quality matter for subsequent provision of care to ageing parents Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-16 Hanna Vangen, Katharina Herlofson
How to meet the demands of long-term care is a pressing issue in ageing societies. In most countries, care systems depend on the capability and willingness of family members to fill the gap between existing needs and formal service provision. Understanding the motivations of adult children to engage in parent care is, therefore, of central importance. The existing research literature offers different
-
The intergenerational transmission of filial norms and children's provision of long-term care to parents Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-12 Freya Diederich, Hans-Helmut König, Christian Brettschneider
In the light of an increasing future demand for long-term care services in ageing societies, families' provision for current and future long-term care needs has been subject to debate. Within this context, there is little discussion about parents' incentives to socialise their children to their own traits to achieve a desired child behaviour. Our study contributes to the literature by analysing to
-
Enacting citizenship through writing: an analysis of a diary written by a man with Alzheimer's disease Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-10 Ann Therese Lotherington, Aud Uhlen Obstfelder
Citizenship and dementia studies have, during the last 15 years, grown into a substantial body of research recognising the experiences and agentic powers of people living with dementia. This article aims to contribute to and extend this research field. We undertake the aim through a feminist posthumanist non-representational analysis of a diary written by a man with Alzheimer's disease to explore the
-
What works in co-producing assistive technology solutions with older people: a scoping review of the evidence Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-10 Steve Rolfe, Vikki McCall, Grant Gibson, Angela Pusram, Jane Robertson
Assistive technology for older people promises much, but the research evidence suggests that it delivers little. One hypothesis to explain the lack of positive impact is that assistive technology is often implemented with little involvement of older people or other stakeholders, such as family members or care staff. The suggestion is that co-production may ensure that assistive technology solutions
-
The retirement impact on housing cost burden: are homeowners better off than tenants after retirement? Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-05-02 Alberto Lozano Alcántara, Laura Romeu Gordo, Heribert Engstler, Claudia Vogel
Existing research on housing cost burden focuses on its evolution over time. Few empirical studies, meanwhile, investigate changes in housing cost burden as a function of age. Literature is also scarce on how people's housing cost burden is affected by the act of retiring. In order to fill this research gap, we examine how the burden of housing costs tends to change after retirement and how the impact
-
Understanding millennial women's attitudes towards the state pension in the United Kingdom Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-04-18 Liam Foster
Many international pension systems have undergone extensive changes over recent decades, associated with a dominant narrative of the need to respond to the pressures of population ageing. This has resulted in an increasing emphasis on curtailing the role of the state and promoting individual responsibility for pension saving. However, there is currently limited research which considers attitudes and
-
Older and still voting? A mixed-methods study of voting amongst the older old in Europe and in the North-West of England Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-04-13 K. Purdam, H. Taylor
The implications of an ageing population for democracy are far reaching, however, older people are often treated as a homogenous group. This article used survey data from 29 countries across Europe, alongside qualitative interviews with the older old (people aged 70 and older) in the North-West of England (United Kingdom). The findings suggest that voting declines amongst the older old and women aged
-
Australian retirement village residents: wellbeing profiles and factors associated with low wellbeing Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-04-12 Angela Joe, Marissa Dickins, Elizabeth V. Cyarto, Judy A. Lowthian
The characteristics of Australian retirement village residents, an under-researched population, are not well understood. Knowledge of their wellbeing and modifiable factors associated with low wellbeing would aid in the introduction of health promotion measures and supports to facilitate healthy ageing-in-place. A novel approach utilising latent class analysis (LCA), a statistical method not previously
-
Dementia in rural settings: a scoping review exploring the personal experiences of people with dementia and their carers Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-03-08 Jennifer Rhiannon Roberts, Gill Windle, Anna Story, Emilie V. Brotherhood, Paul M. Camic, Sebastian J. Crutch, Joshua Stott, Mary Pat Sullivan, Adetola Grillo
Rural areas tend to be inhabited by more older people and thus have a higher prevalence of dementia. Combined with lower population densities and more sparse geography, rural areas pose numerous barriers and costs relating to support and resource provision. This may leave people with dementia in rural places at a significant disadvantage, leading to a heavy reliance on informal support networks. The
-
Care arrangements between family and state – developing hybrid scripts of ageing in a context of migration Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Anika Liversage
Due to demographic developments, the number of immigrant families with older members is growing across Western Europe. Poised between the different approaches to care in their countries of origin and destination, such families are treading new ground as they negotiate support for older family members. Based on semi-structured interviews with 26 older and younger family members from 20 Turkish immigrant
-
Death, dying and disparity: an ethnography of differently priced residential care homes for older people Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Eleanor K. Johnson
Recent scholarship has highlighted the experiences of, and various challenges faced by, dying persons and the workers tasked with end-of-life care. However, research has not sufficiently considered what symbolic resources – such as beliefs, rituals and vocabularies – are drawn upon by care workers when caring for dying and deceased residents in care homes, together with how this is informed by financial
-
Exploring associations of older adults with virtual nature: a randomised factorial online survey Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Kars Otten, Thomas J. L. van Rompay, Jan-Willem J. R. van ’t Klooster, Debby L. Gerritsen, Gerben J. Westerhof
Loneliness and social isolation are important social determinants of wellbeing of older adults. Conversational exchanges can promote connectedness between older adults, however, conversations may not always come easy. Research shows that exposure to nature-based stimuli such as pictures and videos can stimulate social aspirations and trigger associations that could facilitate conversations, in particular
-
Foregrounding the ageing self: a duoethnographic account of growing older as a gerontologist and educator Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Andrew J. Hostetler, Joyce Weil
Although ageing is personally relevant to many if not most gerontologists, a reflexive perspective is largely absent from gerontological scholarship. This paper employs duoethnography, a variant of autoethnography, to explore how experiences related to growing older have informed the authors' teaching and scholarship in the field of ageing. Duoethnography involves putting two autoethnographies into
-
The functions of leisure in later life: bridging individual- and community-level perspectives Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Catherine Hagan Hennessy
Leisure participation in older age has principally been researched from individual-level theoretical perspectives that view leisure as reflecting adaptations to ageing-related losses and change. Recent orientations to later-life leisure participation, such as innovation theory, emphasise positive developmental aspects and uses of older individuals' leisure pursuits, driven by personal agency. Moreover
-
‘Ways of being’ in the domestic garden for people living with dementia: doing, sensing and playing Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Christina Buse, Andrew Balmer, John Keady, Sarah Nettleton, Sarah Swift
Domestic gardens represent a site for enacting embodied identity and social relationships in later life, and negotiating tensions between continuity and change. In the context of dementia, domestic gardens have significant implications for ‘living well’ at home, and for wider discussions around embodiment, relational selfhood and agency. Yet previous studies exploring dementia and gardens have predominantly
-
Couples with intellectual disability where one partner has dementia – a scoping review exploring relationships in the context of dementia and intellectual disability Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-03 Paula Jacobs, Karen Watchman, Heather Wilkinson, Louise Hoyle
Relationships and marriages between couples with intellectual disability are to be celebrated, as is the longer life expectancy now enjoyed by many with intellectual disability. However, dementia disproportionately affects people with intellectual disability, especially people with Down's syndrome. Research into experiences of couples without intellectual disability who are affected by dementia suggests
-
Existential well-being for the oldest old in nursing homes: a meta-ethnography Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-02-01 Emma Jelstrup Balkin, Mette Grønkjær, Bente Martinsen, Ingjerd Gåre Kymre, Mette Geil Kollerup
Ideas of well-being in old age are often anchored in the successful ageing paradigm, foregrounding independence, activeness and autonomy. However, for those oldest old living in nursing homes, these goals are largely out of reach. In this article, we use the meta-ethnographic method to explore and reinterpret existing findings on the ways in which well-being is experienced (or not) by the oldest old
-
How older adults with physical impairments maintain their autonomy in nursing homes Ageing & Society (IF 3.718) Pub Date : 2023-01-25 Jolande van Loon, Meriam Janssen, Bienke Janssen, Ietje de Rooij, Katrien Luijkx
Autonomy is important to persons, including when they are living in nursing homes. Especially the relational dimension of autonomy is crucial for older adults with physical impairments. They generally have the decisional capacity to make choices about how they want to live their lives, but are often unable, or only partially able, to exercise these decisions themselves. To execute decisions, older