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.

E-scaping the ageing body? Computer technologies and embodiment in later life

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 987-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA E. BUSE
Keyword(s):  
Technology Use ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Computer Technologies ◽  
Computing Skills ◽  
Ageing Body ◽  
Complete Theories

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the embodied dimensions of computer and internet use in later life, and examines how technology use relates to constructions and experiences of the ageing body. It is argued that previous research on technology use and embodiment has neglected older bodies, in contrast to research on gender and disability. Furthermore, while earlier theorisations presented internet use as disembodied, it is argued that the experience of using such technologies is grounded in our embodiment. In the light of these limitations and arguments for more complete theories of the body, this paper explores how technology use relates to various aspects of embodiment. These issues are examined in the light of data from qualitative interviews and time-use diaries completed by retirees in 17 households in the United Kingdom. By examining the ‘technobiographies’ of these older computer users, it is shown that changes in body techniques are prompted and in some cases required by broader cultural and technological change. The findings evince the process of acquiring computing skills as an embodied competency, and as a form of ‘practical knowledge’ that can only be ‘learned by doing’. These experiences of technology use were embedded within constructions and experiences of ageing bodies. Although the participants drew on discourses of ageing in complex ways, their coding of computer technologies in terms of the competences of youth often reproduced hierarchies between young and old bodies.

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 Safe passage of goods and self during residential relocation in later life

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 833-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID J. EKERDT ◽  
MARK LUBORSKY ◽  
CATHERINE LYSACK
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older People ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Self ◽  
Life World ◽  
Residential Relocation ◽  
Midwestern United States ◽  
Positive Adaptation ◽  
Household Relocation

ABSTRACTTechniques of possession research among older people tend to accentuate their prizing of things and their use of special dispositions to achieve the protection or ‘safe passage’ of things as they transfer to a new owner. Such efforts on behalf of possessions may also be undertaken to perpetuate the self. To study the care of things and self in a wider context, we examined older people's repertoire of disposition strategies during episodes of household relocation and downsizing. We analysed the narratives of persons in 75 households in the Midwestern United States of America. People indeed told stories about the safe passage of cherished possessions – their initiative to place things, appreciation by new owners, and attempts to project the values or memory of the giver. Such accounts of special placements, however, dotted rather than dominated recollections of the move. More commonly, large quantities of items were passed via non-specific offers of possessions to others who may volunteer to take them. This allowed people to nonetheless express satisfaction that their possessions had found appreciative owners. Even though our interviews did not disclose extensive attempts at self-transmission, whole-house downsizing may affirm the self in another way: as conscientious about the care of things. Such affirmation of the present self as accomplished and responsible can be seen as a positive adaptation to the narrowing life world.

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 Ambivalence among staff regarding ageing with intellectual disabilities: Experiences and reflections

2019 ◽  
pp. 174462951987499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Alftberg ◽  
Maria Johansson ◽  
Gerd Ahlström
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Group Homes ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

This study explores the experiences and reflections of staff in intellectual disability (ID) services concerning ageing with ID. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 staff members in group homes and daily activity centres. The findings showed that the staff were uncertain about the signs of ageing in people with intellectual disabilities; they compared the life conditions of these people with conditions in older people without intellectual disabilities. Their emphasis on an active lifestyle was very strong. The staff members also mentioned uncertainty about how to facilitate assistive devices and whether ‘ageing in place’ was the best solution. The overall theme was manifested as ambivalence where notions of older people with intellectual disabilities seemed incompatible with notions of old age in general and could be explained by the theoretical concept of age coding. The findings of this study indicate the need to provide education about ageing to staff working in ID services.

scholarly journals Living with multimorbidity? The lived experience of multiple chronic conditions in later life

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 701-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Porter ◽  
Bie Nio Ong ◽  
Tom Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Multiple Conditions

Multimorbidity is defined biomedically as the co-existence of two or more long-term conditions in an individual. Globally, the number of people living with multiple conditions is increasing, posing stark challenges both to the clinical management of patients and the organisation of health systems. Qualitative literature has begun to address how concurrency affects the self-management of chronic conditions, and the concept of illness prioritisation predominates. In this article, we adopt a phenomenological lens to show how older people with multiple conditions experience illness. This UK study was qualitative and longitudinal in design. Sampling was purposive and drew upon an existing cohort study. In total, 15 older people living with multiple conditions took part in 27 in-depth interviews. The practical stages of analysis were guided by Constructivist Grounded Theory. We argue that the concept of multimorbidity as biomedically imagined has limited relevance to lived experience, while concurrency may also be erroneous. In response, we outline a lived experience of multiple chronic conditions in later life, which highlights differences between clinical and lay assumptions and makes the latter visible.

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.

Adult Narratives of the Psychosocial Impact of Cleft in a Western Australian Cohort

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Nicholls ◽  
Martin Persson ◽  
Suzanne Robinson ◽  
Linda Selvey
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Psychosocial Impact ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
The Impact

Background: Living with a cleft condition involves many years of multidisciplinary therapy, treatment, and surgical intervention. This complex process may have both physical and psychosocial long-term impacts. There is limited evidence of the psychosocial impact of cleft on individuals in Australia. Aim: To obtain an understanding of the adult patient perception of having a cleft and explore the impact of the condition on their lives. Design: Qualitative methodologies at one case study site in Western Australia. Population of Interest: Adults with a cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) who had received treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital, the only treatment center for cleft in Western Australia. Methodology: Individual in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted and recorded and transcribed for analysis. Results: Fifteen adults with a CL/P. Two main themes were identified: lived experience (with 3 subthemes: normality, support networks, and impacts in later life) and advice to others. The majority of participants reported social rejection and isolation, which occurred mostly at school and in some instances at home, but did not often last into adulthood. The greatest protective factor was the support of family and friends, which if missing during their childhood, was desired and appreciated in adulthood. Conclusion: Adults with CL/P may require psychosocial support from their cleft team including referral to clinicians in adult services. There is also the need for earlier psychological interventions and social programs to support those with appearance-related social difficulties.

‘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.

The Lived Experience of Orchestral String Musicians with Playing Related Pain

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-204
Author(s):  
Deanna Bourne ◽  
Amy Hallaran ◽  
Jane Mackie
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
University Level ◽  
Multiple Domains ◽  
Objective Rates

OBJECTIVE: Rates of pain are high among musicians, and string musicians may be particularly at risk. The aim of the study was to investigate the lived experience of orchestral string musicians with playing-related pain. METHODS: The study used a Heideggerian phenomenological approach. Five professional and university-level string musicians were interviewed about their experience of playing-related pain, and transcriptions of their interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants engaged in a variety of types of musical performance, however they described orchestral playing as contributing the most to their pain. Pain led to increased focus on the body and less engagement in the music. They experienced a sense of loss in multiple domains of their lives, yet also described personal growth as a result of their pain. Participants were more likely to disclose their pain in student orchestras than in professional ones. CONCLUSION: Pain impacts multiple domains of musician’s lives, and therefore must be addressed holistically by healthcare providers. While musicians are finding that it is becoming more acceptable to discuss their pain, pain is still not adequately addressed. Understanding the experience of musicians with playing-related pain could help healthcare professionals to better serve this unique population.

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