Socio-spatial aspects of ageing in an urban context: an example from three Czech Republic cities

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1200-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUCIE GALČANOVÁ ◽  
DANA SÝKOROVÁ
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Everyday Interaction ◽  
Depth Interviews

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to examine how older people make sense of the changing urban environment – that is, how they experience, perceive and interpret their everyday interaction with its materiality, as well as their social ties, networks and relations. The results, based on seven focus groups and 37 individual in-depth interviews with older residents of the three most populous Czech cities, show how older people maintain the continuity of their activities, autonomy and independence within the limits of their personal resources in an active relationship with a changing urban environment and within the post-socialist context. The research supports the results of former studies that emphasise the ability of older adults to negotiate their position and actively cope with change while they age in place.

Understanding Exercise Challenges and Barriers for Older Adults with Mobility Disabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1297-1301
Author(s):  
Qiong Nie ◽  
Lyndsie M. Koon ◽  
Madina Khamzina ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Quantitative Evaluation ◽  
Exercise Barriers ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Physical Limitations ◽  
Barriers And Challenges ◽  
Depth Interviews

Interventions to address exercise challenges in older people have been the focus of recent research, given the importance of exercise for health outcomes. However, exercise challenges for older adults with mobility disabilities have received little attention. We investigated participation of exercise among older adults with mobility disabilities to understand exercise barriers and challenges experienced by this population. We conducted a needs assessment using two archival datasets: a quantitative survey with 1,137 respondents and a qualitative in-depth interview with 23 participants. The quantitative evaluation revealed low participation of walking and less engagement of vigorous activities, and significant correlates of health status and lack of energy with vigorous activities. The in-depth interviews showed exercise challenges were attributed to difficulties with physical limitations, accessibility, and environmental limitations. Individuals with mobility disabilities may face unique challenges and barriers, affordable and effective supports to promote exercise engagement for them should be adapted to such needs.

scholarly journals Developing a recovery-focused therapy for older people with bipolar disorder: a qualitative focus group study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e049829
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Tyler ◽  
Fiona Lobban ◽  
Rita Long ◽  
Steven H Jones
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Age Related Changes

ObjectivesAs awareness of bipolar disorder (BD) increases and the world experiences a rapid ageing of the population, the number of people living with BD in later life is expected to rise substantially. There is no current evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological interventions for older adults with BD. This focus group study explored a number of topics to inform the development and delivery of a recovery-focused therapy (RfT) for older adults with BD.DesignA qualitative focus group study.SettingThree focus groups were conducted at a university in the North West of England.ParticipantsEight people took part in the focus groups; six older adults with BD, one carer and one friend.ResultsParticipant’s responses clustered into six themes: (1) health-related and age-related changes in later life, (2) the experience of BD in later life, (3) managing and coping with BD in later life, (4) recovery in later life, (5) seeking helping in the future and (6) adapting RfT for older people.ConclusionsParticipants reported a range of health-related and age-related changes and strategies to manage their BD. Participants held mixed views about using the term ‘recovery’ in later life. Participants were in agreement that certain adaptations were needed for delivering RfT for older adults, based on their experience of living with BD in later life. The data collected as part of the focus groups have led to a number of recommendations for delivering RfT for older adults with BD in a randomised controlled trial (Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN13875321).

Social connectedness: what matters to older people?

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa Morgan ◽  
Janine Wiles ◽  
Hong-Jae Park ◽  
Tess Moeke-Maxwell ◽  
Ofa Dewes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
What Matters

Abstract While social connectedness is heralded as a key enabler of positive health and social outcomes for older people, rarely have they themselves had the opportunity to express their views about the concept. Working with a diverse group of Pacific, Māori, Asian and New Zealand European older adults, this paper explores what matters to older people when discussing social connectedness? We draw from individual, in-depth interviews with 44 older adults, and three group interviews comprising 32 older adults. Data were analysed using thematic and narrative analyses. The three themes identified were: getting out of the house, ability to connect and feelings of burden. Fundamental to social connectedness was participants’ desire to be recognised as resourceful agents able to foster relationships on the basis of mutual respect. Social connectedness was conceptualised as multi-levelled: relating to interpersonal relationships as much as neighbourhoods and wider society. Alongside these similarities we also discuss important differences. Participants preferred to socialise with people from similar cultural backgrounds where they shared taken-for-granted social customs and knowledges. This is in the context where racism, poverty and inequalities clearly impeded already minoritised participants’ sense of social connection. Key structural ways to improve social connectedness should focus on factors that enable cohesion between levels of connection, including stable neighbourhoods serviced with accessible public transport, liveable pensions and inclusivity of cultural diversity.

scholarly journals Lost and unfulfilled relationships behind emotional loneliness in old age

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1068-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELISA TIILIKAINEN ◽  
MARJAANA SEPPÄNEN
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Everyday Lives ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Depth Interviews

ABSTRACTUsing a qualitative approach, this article examines how the experiences of emotional loneliness are embedded in the everyday lives and relationships of older adults. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted in 2010 with older people who reported feeling lonely, often or all the time, during a cohort study in southern Finland. The research reveals the multifaceted nature of loneliness and its causes. Behind emotional loneliness, we identified lost and unfulfilled relationships, involving the loss or lack of a partner, the absence of a meaningful friendship, complex parenthood and troubling childhood experiences. Most of the interviewees have faced loneliness that only began in old age, but for some, loneliness has been present for nearly a lifetime.

Social Media Communication and Loneliness Among Older Adults: The Mediating Roles of Social Support and Social Contact

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunyu Zhang ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Nina M Silverstein ◽  
Qian Song ◽  
Jeffrey A Burr
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Media Communication ◽  
Social Media Communication

Abstract Background and Objectives Social media communication offers a medium for helping older people stay socially and emotionally connected with others. This study investigated the association between social media communication with close social ties and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults. The study also examined the mediating roles of social support and social contact. Research Design and Methods Four waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (2010/2012 and 2014/2016) were used to address the research questions (N = 7,524). A path model was estimated to examine the association between social media communication and older adults’ loneliness. We also examined whether the association between social media communication and loneliness was mediated by perceived social support from close social ties (children, other family members, and friends) and frequency of contact with social network members (phone, in-person contact, and writing letters/email). Results The results showed that frequent social media communication was associated with lower levels of loneliness, adjusting for previous levels of loneliness. The relationship between social media communication and loneliness was mediated by perceived social support and social contact. Thus, social media communication was associated with higher levels of perceived social support and social contact, which were related to lower levels of loneliness among older adults. Discussion and Implications These findings suggested that social media communication may be considered an intervention to reduce loneliness among older people by increasing levels of social support and social contact.

scholarly journals Ageing in a Gentrifying Neighbourhood: Experiences of Community Change in Later Life

Sociology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 987-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tine Buffel ◽  
Chris Phillipson
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Significant Part ◽  
Adult Lives ◽  
Depth Interviews

Debates about gentrification continue to occupy a significant part of research investigating social change within urban communities. While most gentrification studies have focused on ‘incoming’ groups or those forced to leave, there is limited knowledge about those remaining in neighbourhoods undergoing community change. This study explores the experiences of older residents who have lived much of their adult lives in the same locality but whose views have been largely ignored in gentrification research. The article presents findings from seven focus groups ( N = 58 participants) and 30 in-depth interviews with people aged 60 and over living in Chorlton, a gentrifying neighbourhood in Manchester, UK. These highlight both daily challenges and exclusionary pressures, as well as how people are active in creating a sense of belonging in a neighbourhood undergoing social change. The article concludes by discussing the need for interventions which promote the ‘age-friendliness’ of communities and ensure that older people have a space to be seen and heard in their neighbourhood.

Development of a culture sensitive prevalence study on older adults violence: qualitative methods contribution

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Gil ◽  
Ana João Santos ◽  
Irina Kislaya
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
General Population ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Prevalence Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prevalence Studies ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on how qualitative approaches can improve a prevalence study on older adults’ violence. The paper describes how qualitative data can help frame a complex and multidimensional problem, such as older adults’ violence, within the culture where it happens and therefore prevent two risks present in prevalence studies: underestimation and overestimation. Design/methodology/approach – To adequately measure violence and violent behaviours the authors first conducted four focus groups with the target population – older adults aged 60 and over – and 13 in-depth interviews with older adult victims of violence. Through content analysis of focus groups and in-depth interviews the authors sought to understand how violence is perceived, defined and limited by the general population and by victims. Findings – By employing qualitative methods the authors were able to operationalise violence, decide upon and select specific behaviours to measure, rephrase questions and develop strategies to approach the general population through telephone interviews. Research limitations/implications – The qualitative approaches helped reduce participants bias in the prevalence study and therefore to minimise the risks of underestimation and overestimation. Originality/value – The study exemplifies how assessing quantitatively to a sensitive subject requires taking into account the perspective of the target population through a qualitative approach.

Perceptions of healthy eating in transitional phases of life

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tino Bech-Larsen ◽  
Laura Kazbare
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Approach And Avoidance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Older Adulthood

Purpose – Although adolescents and older adults are often targets for nutritional change interventions, little has been done to explore how people in these transitional life phases perceive the matter themselves. The aim of this paper is to explore and compare adolescents' and older adults' own perceptions of the barriers and facilitators of a change towards healthier eating. Design/methodology/approach – This study design consisted of four focus groups that were conducted with adolescents and older adults to identify their health orientations, and their expected and experienced outcomes and self-efficacies in implementing approach and avoidance behaviours in relation to healthy eating, i.e. increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and decreasing consumption of soft drinks and red meat. Findings – The study resulted in a number of interesting insights, e.g. that older and younger participants alike: were keen not to seem “overly healthy” to their important others, had a demonstratively detached orientation towards healthy eating and felt that their diets were generally healthy (although this was generally disproved by their self-reported intake data). Originality/value – The study and findings reported in this article contribute by providing the first steps towards a better understanding of how social cognition and self-efficacy perceptions related to healthy eating develop in the transitional phases of adolescence and older adulthood. In order to complement and validate the findings of the study; and with the aim of facilitating efficient nutritional change interventions directed at adolescents and older people, further studies should be conducted.

scholarly journals The creation of age-friendly environments is especially important to frail older people

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 700-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
JANE M. CRAMM ◽  
HANNA M. VAN DIJK ◽  
ANNA P. NIEBOER
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Frail Older People ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Frailty Status ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Neighbourhood Characteristics ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTThe preference of older people when it comes to ageing in place may be modified by levels of frailty. The aim of this research is to characterise the relationship between frailty and ageing in place, and to identify differences in neighbourhood characteristics supporting ageing in place missed by frail and non-frail older people. A concurrent nested mixed-methods approach was used. For quantitative evaluation, a sample of 945 independently living older adults residing in four districts of Rotterdam were asked to complete a questionnaire in 2013 (response rate = 62%; N = 558). In addition, 32 interviews were conducted with frail and non-frail older people. Results showed that gender, age and especially frailty were related to missed neighbourhood characteristics. People displayed awareness of their increasing frailty and often acknowledged that it increased the need for neighbourhood characteristics enabling them to age in place. We can conclude that dependence on neighbourhoods varies with frailty status. This relationship is dynamic; with frailty, older people become more dependent on their neighbourhood. However, expectations regarding neighbourhood characteristics seem to dissipate with advanced age and increasing frailty.

scholarly journals Managing older people’s perceptions of alcohol-related risk: a qualitative exploration in Northern English primary care

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (701) ◽  
pp. e916-e926
Author(s):  
Bethany Kate Bareham ◽  
Eileen Kaner ◽  
Barbara Hanratty
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Primary Care Practitioners ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
People’S Perceptions

BackgroundRisk of harm from drinking increases with age as alcohol affects health conditions and medications that are common in later life. Different types of information and experiences affect older people’s perceptions of alcohol’s effects, which must be navigated when supporting healthier decisions on alcohol consumption.AimTo explore how older people understand the effects of alcohol on their health; and how these perspectives are navigated in supportive discussions in primary care to promote healthier alcohol use.Design and settingA qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with older, non-dependent drinkers and primary care practitioners in Northern England.MethodA total of 24 older adults aged ≥65 years and 35 primary care practitioners participated in interviews and focus groups. Data were analysed thematically, applying principles of constant comparison.ResultsOlder adults were motivated to make changes to their alcohol use when they experienced symptoms, and if they felt that limiting consumption would enable them to maintain their quality of life. The results of alcohol-related screening were useful in providing insights into potential effects for individuals. Primary care practitioners motivated older people to make healthier decisions by highlighting individual risks of drinking, and potential gains of limiting intake.ConclusionLater life is a time when older people may be open to making changes to their alcohol use, particularly when suggested by practitioners. Older people can struggle to recognise potential risks or perceive little gain in acting on perceived risks. Such perceptions may be challenging to navigate in supportive discussions.

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