Sexuality, aging, and dementia

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1026-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Mary Benbow ◽  
Derek Beeston
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Later Life ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackground:Sexuality in later life and its relationship to dementia is a neglected topic: greater understanding of the area has the potential to contribute to the quality of life of people with dementia, their family members, and formal carers. We review current knowledge about sexuality, aging, and dementia.Methods:We undertook a review of the recent literature to examine of the following areas: what is known about sexuality and aging, and about attitudes to sexuality and aging; what is known about the relevance of sexuality and aging to people living with dementia and their care; and the management of sexual behaviors causing concern to others.Results:Sexual activity decreases in frequency with increasing age but many older people remain sexually active; there is no age limit to sexual responsiveness; and sexuality is becoming more important to successive cohorts of older people, including people living with dementia and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered elderly people. Attitudes and beliefs toward sexuality and aging are strongly influenced by stereotypes and myths, not only among the general public but also among those working in health and social care.Conclusions:Professional bodies should include sexuality, aging, and dementia in their training curricula. More work is needed on the impact of environmental issues, particularly in group living situations, on older adults’ sexuality, and on consent issues. Ethical decision-making frameworks can be useful in practice. Organizations should investigate how to support staff in avoiding a problem-orientated approach and focus on providing holistic person-centered care.

Service-related needs of older people with dementia: perspectives of service users and their unpaid carers

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1107-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Górska ◽  
Kirsty Forsyth ◽  
Linda Irvine ◽  
Donald Maciver ◽  
Susan Prior ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diagnostic Support

ABSTRACTBackground: Dementia is a major cause of disability among older people and constitutes one of the greatest challenges currently facing families and health and social care services in the developed world. In response to trends in dementia prevalence and the impact the condition has on peoples’ lives, dementia care has been placed high on the public and political agenda in the United Kingdom. However, despite significant public resources being allocated to combat the impact of the disease, recent evidence indicates that numerous challenges in relation to service provision remain. This study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the lived experience of people with dementia regarding their service-related needs.Method: The study made use of data gathered through individual semi-structured, narrative interviews conducted with persons with experience of dementia and their unpaid carers.Results: Although participants were generally satisfied with the services they received, a number of unmet needs related to service provision were identified. In terms of diagnostic procedures the findings of this study indicate the need for early diagnosis delivered through a comprehensive assessment package. The participants also highlighted the need for well-coordinated post-diagnostic support, greater continuity of care concerning the personnel involved, and enhanced access to non-pharmacological interventions to support identity and social engagement.Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of service-related needs of people with dementia in relation to diagnostic procedures and post-diagnostic support.

Communities of place and communities of interest? An exploration of their changing role in later life

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1300-1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBIN MEANS ◽  
SIMON EVANS
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Communities Of Interest ◽  
Communities Of Place ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Changing Role

ABSTRACTSocial gerontologists have long grappled with the meaning of ‘community’ to older people. This paper lies within this tradition and focuses on the extent to which the past emphasis upon communities of place needs to be rebalanced or rethought in the light of emerging evidence for the growing engagement of older people in communities of interest linked to friendships, enthusiasms and their increasing spending power. This theoretical paper highlights the traditional emphasis on the role of community and place in later life and explores the emergence of a debate about communities of interest linked to such factors as the ‘discovery’ of ‘the Third Age’, marketisation, consumerism, the importance of social interaction in the lives of many older people, and the impact of the internet and virtual communities. This debate is placed in an international policy context in which numerous governments are concerned about the greying of the global population and the consequent desire to promote ‘ageing well’ to offset resultant health and social care costs. The paper argues for a reconceptualisation of community through a more sophisticated view of ‘place’ and ‘interest’ that avoids false dichotomies between the two and acknowledges the impact of social, economic and cultural change upon the lives of older people.

Population Aging and Globalization: The Impact of Cultural and Social Change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Phillipson
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Risk Society ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

Globalization has become an influential force in the construction of older age, notably in the framing of social and economic policies designed to manage and regulate demographic change. National institutions such as the welfare state provided a distinctive shape and associated meanings to the final phase of the life course in Western societies during the 20th century. This process was disrupted from the 1990s onward, with a combination of more intense processes of globalization and accelerated international migration. A transformed cultural context is influencing a move from a linear life course toward one in which events influencing later life are scattered across a broad spectrum of time, space, and chronological age. Globalization will undoubtedly be a major factor in shaping the lives of older people through the 21st century. The types of changes it will bring are easy to predict in some respects, much less so in others. Older people will certainly be living in a culturally and socially diverse world, increasingly aware not only of the aging of their own society but also the impact of growing old on communities across the globe. An additional change will be the influence of supranational bodies in determining policies in areas such as Social Security and health and social care, these creating the framework for resources for support for old age. Globalization—as one constituent of the “risk society”—may also generate new forms of insecurity for individuals, of which anxieties and fears about aging could represent a significant dimension.

scholarly journals Understanding the Link between Family Caregiver Quality of Life and the Care Provided to Older People With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 153-154
Author(s):  
Afeez Hazzan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Dementia is one of the most rapidly growing diseases in the United States. In 2018, the direct costs to American society of caring for older people with dementia was approximately $277 billion. Primary informal caregivers are mainly responsible for the care of older people with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers perform a myriad of duties ranging from shopping for their loved ones’ groceries, helping with medications, and managing finances. The caregiving role becomes more demanding as the disease progresses over time, and studies have shown that the quality-of-life (QoL) experienced by caregivers of older adults who have dementia is lower than the QoL of caregivers for older people who do not have dementia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no research conducted to investigate whether lower caregiver QoL affects the level or quality of care that caregivers provide to persons with dementia. In the current study, we interviewed family caregivers living in Rochester, New York to inquire about their quality of life and the care provided to older people living with dementia. Further, caregivers completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) as well as a draft questionnaire for measuring the quality of care provided to older people living with dementia. Both quantitative and qualitative findings from this study reveals important relationships between family caregiver QoL and the care provided, including the impact of social support and financial well-being. The study findings could have significant impact, particularly for the provision of much needed support for family caregivers.

scholarly journals Quality of Care Provided by Family Caregivers of Older People With Dementia: Measurement and Interpretations

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 152-152
Author(s):  
Afeez Hazzan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Primary Reason ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Family caregivers of older people living with dementia are relatives, friends, or neighbors who provide assistance related to this condition, but who are unpaid for the services they provide. Although caregiving could be personally rewarding, many caregivers report a high level of strain. Compared to caregivers of older adults who do not have dementia, family caregivers of older people living with dementia report lower quality-of-life (QoL). In a published systematic review examining the relationship between family caregiver QoL and the quality of care provided, only one study was found to be somewhat relevant. The study suggested that the primary reason for an absence of research into the link between family caregiver QoL and quality of care was the absence of a questionnaire for measuring quality of care in dementia. Therefore, any attempt to investigate the impact of caregiver QoL on the care provided to older people with dementia must first address the lack of an instrument to measure quality of care. To address this issue, we interviewed approximately 20 family caregivers in order to elicit feedback on measurements and interpretation of the quality of care provided by family caregivers of older people living with dementia. Content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that the quality of relationships with family, caregiver availability to provide or supervise care, and availability of paid or volunteer help are important for the quality of care provided. These results have important implications, particularly for the development of an instrument to measure quality of care in dementia.

scholarly journals Caregiver-Centered Care Health Workforce Competencies: Developing Consistent Support for Family Caregivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 15-15
Author(s):  
Jasneet Parmar ◽  
Sharon Anderson ◽  
Lisa Poole ◽  
Wendy Duggleby ◽  
Jayna Holyroyd-Leduc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Delphi Approach ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Centered Care

Abstract Family caregivers [FCGs] are the backbone of the health system. They provide over 80% of the care for people with dementia, chronic illnesses and impairments. Despite evidence of their contributions and consequences of caregiving, support for FCGs has not been a health system priority. Education to prepare health providers to effectively identify, engage, assess, and support FCGs throughout the care trajectory is an innovative approach in addressing inconsistent system of supports for FCGs. We report on development and validation of the Caregiver-Centered Care Competency Framework to help with curricular design and subsequent evaluation of effectiveness of care providers working within healthcare settings to engage and support FCGs. We used a three round modified Delphi approach. An expert panel of 42 international, national, and provincial stakeholders agreed to participate. In the first 2 rounds, multi-level, interdisciplinary participants, rated the indicators in terms of importance and relevance. In the 3rd round consensus meeting, participants validated the six competency domains, including indicators in small group sessions. Thirty-four experts (81%) participated in the round 1, 36 (85.7%) in round 2, and 42 people (100%) in round 3. There was stable consensus across all three rounds, 96.07% of participants rated the indicators as essential or important (Round 1, 95.81%; Round 2, 94.15; Round 3, 98.23%). FCG research has been primarily focussed on educating FCGs to provide care. These competencies will shape the design of educational curricula and interdisciplinary training programs aimed at supporting the health and social care workforce to provide caregiver-centered care.

scholarly journals Fourth Ageism: Real and Imaginary Old Age

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Paul Higgs ◽  
Chris Gilleard
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Biological Parameters ◽  
Term Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
State Responses

This paper is concerned with the issue of ageism and its salience in current debates about the COVID-19 pandemic. In it, we address the question of how best to interpret the impact that the pandemic has had on the older population. While many feel angry at what they see as discriminatory lock-down practices confining older people to their homes, others are equally concerned by the failure of state responses to protect and preserve the health of older people, especially those receiving long-term care. This contrast in framing ageist responses to the pandemic, we suggest, arises from differing social representations of later life, reflecting the selective foregrounding of third versus fourth age imaginaries. Recognising the tension between social and biological parameters of ageing and its social categorisations, we suggest, may offer a more measured, as well as a less discriminatory, approach to addressing the selective use of chronological age as a line of demarcation within society.

scholarly journals 211 - Changes to post-diagnostic dementia support in England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 13-13
Author(s):  
Alison Wheatley ◽  
Marie Poole ◽  
Louise Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Full Time ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Team Meetings ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diagnostic Support

Background:The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated widespread change across health and social care in England and Wales. A series of lockdowns and UK Government guidance designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 which emphasised social distancing and increased use of personal protective equipment led to changes such as increased use of remote consultation technologies and the closure of services deemed non-essential. This included many services for people with dementia and their families, such as day centres and dementia cafes.Objective:To explore the changes made to services during the pandemic and the impact of these changes on the delivery of good post-diagnostic dementia support.Method:Professionals who had previously been recruited to the ongoing PriDem qualitative study were approached for follow up interview. Eighteen interviews with a total of 21 professionals working in health, social care and the third sector were conducted using telephone or video conferencing.Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and checked prior to thematic analysis.Results:Key themes emerging from preliminary analysis of the data include: uncertainty about the future and the need to adapt quickly to shifting guidance; changing job roles and ways of working; the emotional and physical impact of the pandemic on staff working with people with dementia and their families; and the impact of changes made (e.g. increased PPE, remote working) on the ability to deliver post-diagnostic support. However, there were also some unintended positive outcomes of the changes. These included the ability to include family members living at a distance in remote consultations, allowing for more robust history-taking, as well as the uptake of technology to facilitate cross-sector and multidisciplinary working between professionals.Conclusion:Delivering post-diagnostic dementia support during COVID-19 was challenging and forced dementia services to make adaptations. Participants expected that some of these changes would be incorporated into post-pandemic work, for example increased use of technology for multidisciplinary team meetings or blended approaches to patient-facing services involving both virtual and face to face work as appropriate. However, most participants agreed that it was not appropriate nor desirable to provide fully remote post-diagnostic support on a full time basis.

scholarly journals ‘A lonely old man’: empirical investigations of older men and loneliness, and the ramifications for policy and practice

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Ratcliffe ◽  
Andrea Wigfield ◽  
Sarah Alden
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Implicit Assumption ◽  
Masculine Identity ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

Abstract Loneliness has become an issue of significant academic, public and policy focus. There has been much research on experiences of loneliness in later life and many accompanying interventions targeting lonely older people. However, there has been a dearth of research on the impact that loneliness can have on older men and the resulting implications for policy and practice. This paper aims to redress this by developing a theoretical framework to improve understanding of older men's constructions and experiences of loneliness. It draws on two qualitative empirical studies: the first explores older men's perceptions of masculinity and loneliness; and the second looks at the effectiveness of a service for older men which was designed to alleviate loneliness among older people more generally. The paper outlines the way in which older men often construct masculinity as an oppressive (hegemonic) requirement, but which can be reformed into ‘positive’ traits of ‘strength of mind’, ‘responsibility’, ‘caring’, ‘helping out’, ‘doing a favour’ and ‘giving something back’, with a consistent yet implicit assumption that enactment of these denotes a ‘proud’ masculine identity. Loneliness, on the other hand, is represented as a subordinate social role, both non-masculine and related to marginalising stereotypes of age. This results in the identification of two important implications for the way in which services can assist in the alleviation of loneliness in older men: that men are more likely to engage with a service that can facilitate the construction of a ‘proud’ masculine identity; and that services which deconstruct hegemonic masculinities, particularly by providing a space where men feel comfortable being emotionally tactile, are likely to be most effective at both alleviating loneliness and promoting overall wellbeing.

Socio-economic disadvantage and poverty

2020 ◽  
pp. 105-114
Author(s):  
Alisoun Milne
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Fundamental Building Block ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Uk ◽  
State Pension ◽  
The Impact

Chapter 5 is the first of three chapters exploring the impact of age related risks affecting particular sub populations of older people. Socioeconomic disadvantage in later life tends to reflect a lifecourse status. It amplifies what is already present. In 2016/17 one million older people were living in poverty; an additional 1.2 million were living just above the poverty line. These numbers are rising. Those aged 85 years or over, frail older people, older women and single older people are particularly at risk. Poor older people are also more likely to live in poor housing and be exposed to fuel poverty. Being poor - and its concomitants - compromises mental health in a number of profound ways. It undermines an older person’s capacity to make choices, retain independence, save for a crisis, maintain social contacts and be digitally included. It is linked with worry, loss of control over life and shame. Poor older people are at heightened risk of isolation and loneliness, stress, anxiety and depression. The UK has a weak policy record, compared with other developed countries, of sustainably and coherently addressing poverty in later life. One of the cornerstones of doing so is a continued commitment to the basic state pension as a fundamental building block of a secure old age. Addressing poor housing is also pivotal.

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