scholarly journals Pursuing security: economic resources and the ontological security of older New Zealanders

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1666-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIANA MANSVELT ◽  
MARY BREHENY ◽  
CHRISTINE STEPHENS
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Ontological Security ◽  
Strongly Connected ◽  
Material Conditions ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
New Zealanders

ABSTRACTAccess to economic resources influences the material conditions of life for older people, as well as the freedoms and capacities of older people to achieve the kind of lives they value. Security is one aspect of later life valued by older people. Ontological security provides a sense of order and continuity and needs to be understood in terms of the situated life experiences and circumstances of older people. The study reported in this paper analysed 145 qualitative interviews with New Zealanders aged 63–93 in order to explore how participants understand ontological security. Varying levels of access to economic resources were associated with differing abilities of participants to manage the unpredictability of everyday life. Among the wealthy, security was strongly connected to the freedoms provided by ample financial resources. Contrary to what might be expected, those with the lowest levels of economic resources did not express higher levels of insecurity, but instead drew upon life experiences of managing and making do to construct a trajectory of security. Those with mid-range levels of economic resources expressed most insecurity, including anxiety over changing economic conditions and concerns over their ability to manage reductions in economic resources. In discussing the implications of this, the paper highlights the need to recognise ways in which access to economic resources intersect with life circumstances, past experiences and future social expectations to provide opportunities for all older people to pursue security as they strive to age well.

scholarly journals Retirement Migration and Precarity: Material and Social Aspects

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 443-444
Author(s):  
Marion Repetti ◽  
Toni Calasanti
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Retirement Migration ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Discussions of precarity in later life have tended to focus on the uncertainties of material resources, and the feelings of anxiety that this evokes (e.g., Lain et al. 2019) as some older people thus face the risk of being excluded from the broader society. Although scholars often point to inequalities, such as those based on class and gender, as having an influence on the likelihood of older people experiencing such precarity, ageism is considered only to the extent that it can exacerbate the impact of these statuses through, for instance, labor market experiences. Here, we expand upon the impact of ageism on the social aspects of precarity: the loss of recognition and respect as a person that is at the core of social bonds. Drawing on qualitative interviews we have conducted among Swiss, British, and U.S. older people who migrated to cheaper countries in retirement, we demonstrate that ageism can influence precarity regardless of classes. We find that even among wealthier older migrants, who otherwise might fit the image of the retiree seeking an active lifestyle in a sunny location, the attempt to escape the devaluation heaped upon older people in their original country plays an important role. In their new countries, retired migrants of all classes felt that they were valued and part of a community, and this differed from the ageism in their home countries. We thus argue that ageism be considered in future analyses of precarity in later life.

scholarly journals Lived experiences of ageing and later life in older people with intellectual disabilities

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
IDA KÅHLIN ◽  
ANETTE KJELLBERG ◽  
CATHARINA NORD ◽  
JAN-ERIK HAGBERG
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Life World ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACTThe aim of this article is to explore how older people with intellectual disability (ID), who live in group accommodation, describe their lived experience in relation to ageing and later life. The article is based on a study with a phenomenological approach, grounded on the concept of life-world. Individual, qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 people with ID (five men, seven women), between the ages of 48 and 71 (mean=64), who lived in four different group accommodation units in southern Sweden. A descriptive phenomenological analysis method was used, which disclosed a structure consisting of themes and sub-themes. The findings of the study reveal the informants' lived experience of ageing and later life as a multifaceted phenomenon, expressed through the two themes, ‘age as a process of change’ and ‘existential aspects of ageing’, each with three sub-themes. The body is an essential element in their experience of ageing and growing old, and in how this experience is expressed. The study also found social, cultural and historical dimensions of the life-world to be important in the informants' experience of ageing and later life. This supports understanding of the existence of a collective life-world for older people with ID, the unique experiences the informants share because of their disability and its consequences for their lifecourse.

scholarly journals Support for Older People in Households With Bare Branches in Rural China: Vulnerability, Dilemmas, and Possible Solutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1213-1220
Author(s):  
Huijun Liu ◽  
Zhixin Feng
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Old Age Support ◽  
Older Parents ◽  
Social Security Benefits ◽  
Staying At Home

This study explored potential challenges and solutions for the support of older people among households with “bare branches” (unmarried men aged 28 years or older in rural China). Qualitative interviews were conducted in Ankang district of Shaanxi Province with 33 “bare branches” and 18 older parents of “bare branches.” Results showed that support from sons was still the main choice for older parents of “bare branches” in later life, and that most “bare branches” were the primary carers of their older parents. Older unmarried men faced a dilemma between staying at home to provide care to their parents, and migrating to cities to seek economic and marriage opportunities, and this was more common for unmarried men without a married brother. Government support is essential in relieving the challenges in old-age support faced by households with “bare branches”, such as developing social charities, training social workers, and improving social security benefits.

scholarly journals Dishing on dinner: a life course approach to understanding the family meal context among families with preschoolers

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Kathryn Walton ◽  
Andrea Breen ◽  
Julia Gruson-Wood ◽  
Kira Jewell ◽  
Emma Haycraft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Transitions ◽  
Family Meals ◽  
Family Meal ◽  
The Family ◽  
Significant Life ◽  
Past Experiences

Abstract Objective: Family meals promote healthful dietary intake and well-being among children. Despite these benefits, family meal participation typically declines as children age. This study utilises life course theory to explore parents’ perceptions of family meals in order to understand how parents’ past experiences with family meals (in childhood and earlier in adulthood) influence their current beliefs and practices regarding mealtimes with their own children. Design: Semi-structured qualitative interviews. Setting: In-person interviews were conducted in participants’ homes. Participants: Twenty families (twenty-one mothers and fifteen fathers) with a child aged between 18 months and 5 years. Results: Thematic analysis revealed that families seemed to primarily approach mealtimes from one of three overarching orientations: meals for (1) Togetherness, (2) Nutrition Messaging or (3) Necessity. These orientations were informed by parents’ own mealtime experiences and significant life transitions (e.g. parenthood). The current family meal context, including the messages parents shared with their children during mealtimes and the challenges experienced with mealtimes, characterised the orientations and families’ approaches to mealtimes. Conclusions: Parents’ own early life experiences and significant life transitions influence why families eat meals together and have important implications for the intergenerational transmission of mealtime practices. Results may help to inform the content and timing of intervention strategies to support the continuation of frequent family meals beyond the preschool years.

Transitions in kitchen living: past experiences and present use

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Peace ◽  
Martin Maguire ◽  
Colette Nicolle ◽  
Russ Marshall ◽  
John Percival ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Generational Differences ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Life Course

This chapter discusses the domestic kitchen in the lives of older people whose ages range across four decades and who were born between 1919 and 1948. They were living in various types of housing from detached to terraced; from maisonette to flat; from mainstream to supportive. By looking at past experiences of the kitchen across the life course gendered and generational differences are seen that contribute to kitchen living in the 21st century. Examining use of the most recent kitchen shows how biopsychosocial factors come together with design and on-going adaptation being both enabling and disabling. The kitchen is seen as a mainstay of the home environment and in later life central to maintaining personal autonomy

Intergenerational inequity arguments and the implications for state-funded financial support of older people

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAREN HURLEY ◽  
MARY BREHENY ◽  
KEITH TUFFIN
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Older People ◽  
Rhetorical Analysis ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Western World ◽  
The Future ◽  
Generational Groups ◽  
The Cost ◽  
New Zealanders

ABSTRACTAs population demographics shift towards an older population structure in the Western world, concerns about the future costs of pensions are apparent in politics, media and everyday conversations. In New Zealand, the universal state-funded pension paid to all citizens over the age of 65 years is often considered to be unsustainable in the context of population ageing. To examine the arguments surrounding universal superannuation, rhetorical analysis was undertaken on two New Zealand newspaper articles that discussed the future cost of pensions, and the 233 public responses these articles generated. The cost of superannuation was used to emphasise the different characteristics of each generational cohort and the ways that this produced inequity across generations. Claims of intergenerational inequity generated antagonism and widened divisions between generational groups. Foregrounding generational inequity in the discussion of superannuation has profound implications for state-funded income support for older people which relies upon widespread public support. Intergenerational inequity ignores the significant inequity in health and social circumstances in retirement among older New Zealanders and overlooks the significant impact of universal superannuation on protecting older New Zealanders from poverty in later life.

‘Independence’ among older people receiving support at home: the meaning of daily care practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
RACHEL BARKEN
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Interpretive Analysis ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Formal Services ◽  
The Face ◽  
Care Practices ◽  
Physical Capacities

ABSTRACTLater life care practices are closely entangled with the ideals of independence and dependence. Based on an interpretive analysis of qualitative interviews with 34 people aged 65–100 receiving home care in Ontario, Canada, this article explores older people's subjective interpretations of caring for themselves (i.e. independence) and receiving support from others (i.e. dependence). Findings suggest that individuals construct subjective meanings of independence in relation to their changing physical capacities, and in the context of their relationships with family members, friends and formal care providers. First, participants considered their care activities to be a way of maintaining independence when they undertook certain practices with the intention of staving off dependency and future decline. Second, when they accepted assistance, many engaged in care relations that allowed them to preserve an independent identity in the face of limits to physical self-sufficiency. Third, participants reached the limits of independence when they lacked adequate assistance, and were unable to care for themselves in desirable ways. Findings illustrate how objective circumstances related to social and financial resources as well as access to formal services shape subjective interpretations, allowing some older people to hold on to independent identities while exacerbating feelings of dependency among others.

scholarly journals “There’s More to Frail than That”: Older New Zealanders and Health Professionals Talk about Frailty

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Susan B. Gee ◽  
Gary Cheung ◽  
Ulrich Bergler ◽  
Hamish Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Mutual Understanding ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Adaptive Choice ◽  
New Zealanders

There is general agreement that frailty is common and important in later life, but there is less agreement about what frailty is. Little is known about the extent to which practicing health professionals and older people hold a mutual understanding of frailty. Focus groups were held to engage older people and health professionals in discussion about what made them think that someone was frail. Eighteen older people took part across three focus groups, and se'venteen health professionals took part across another three focus groups. Both the health professionals and the older people talked about the experience of frailty as an interplay of physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Older people with frailty were seen as needing help and being vulnerable to adverse outcomes, but accepting help was positioned by older people as an adaptive choice. The experience of frailty was described as being mediated by the individual’s psychological mindset, highlighting the importance of approaches that recognise strengths and resilience. A broader and more balanced understanding of frailty may help create more rounded and appropriate approaches to assessment and management.

scholarly journals Caring for older people with dementia reliving past trauma

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 621-633
Author(s):  
Åsa Gransjön Craftman ◽  
Anna Swall ◽  
Kajsa Båkman ◽  
Åke Grundberg ◽  
Carina Lundh Hagelin
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Severe Trauma ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Experience Of Care ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Past Experiences

Background: The occurrence of behavioural changes and problems, and degree of paranoid thoughts, are significantly higher among people who have experienced extreme trauma such as during the Holocaust. People with dementia and traumatic past experiences may have flashbacks reminding them of these experiences, which is of relevance in caring situations. In nursing homes for people with dementia, nursing assistants are often the group of staff who provide help with personal needs. They have firsthand experience of care and managing the devastating outcomes of inadequate understanding of a person’s past experiences. Aim: The aim was to describe nursing assistants’ experiences of caring for older people with dementia who have experienced Holocaust trauma. Research design: A qualitative descriptive and inductive approach was used, including qualitative interviews and content analysis. Participants and research context: Nine nursing assistants from a Jewish nursing home were interviewed. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board, Stockholm. Findings: The theme ‘Adapting and following the survivors’ expression of their situation’ was built on two categories: Knowing the life story enables adjustments in the care and Need for flexibility in managing emotional expressions. Discussion and conclusion: The world still witnesses genocidal violence and such traumatic experiences will therefore be reflected in different ways when caring for survivors with dementia in the future. Person-centred care and an awareness of the meaning of being a survivor of severe trauma make it possible to avoid negative triggers, and confirm emotions and comfort people during negative flashbacks in caring situations and environments. Nursing assistants’ patience and empathy were supported by a wider understanding of the behaviour of people with dementia who have survived trauma.

The contribution of music to quality of life in older people: an Australian qualitative study

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRENCE HAYS ◽  
VICTOR MINICHIELLO
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Imaginative Play

This study examines the personal meaning and importance of music in the lives of older people, paying particular attention to the ways in which music contributes to self-identity and the quality of life. The data derive from qualitative interviews with a sample of older Australians aged 65 years and over who live in rural and urban settings. The findings reveal that music provides people with ways of understanding and developing their self-identity, of connecting with other people, of maintaining wellbeing and of experiencing and expressing spirituality, and that it provides strong associations with and memories of a person's life. Specifically, the results show how music is used as a source of entertainment as well as a forum to share and interact with others. Music was described as a personal experience to which people assigned meaning and emotions. The informants also described how music allowed them to engage in imaginative play and to escape from some of the hardships experienced in later life. The results reveal that music promotes quality of life by contributing to positive self-esteem, by helping people feel competent and independent, and by lessening feelings of isolation and loneliness. The paper argues that music can be used to maintain and promote a better quality of life for older people.

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