scholarly journals Shining Light and Creating Solutions: Health and Social Needs of Older Affordable Housing Residents

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 685-685
Author(s):  
Lori Simon-Rusinowitz ◽  
C Daniel Mullins ◽  
Karen Morales ◽  
Rodney Elliott ◽  
Constance Raab
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Community Advisory Group

Abstract Aging within a community requires access to health and social services. This project lays the groundwork for an innovative, three-part health and social services intervention intended to improve the health and well-being of older affordable housing residents in a low-income, vulnerable Baltimore neighborhood. We will report on the first part, an assessment of residents’ unmet health and social service needs and their ideas for meeting these needs. With guidance from a community advisory group of older residents (a key program component), we are conducting structured interviews with 50 elders to identify residents’ needs and interests. These findings will inform the next project segments: Part 2- exploring how the Village model (in which neighbors identify and offer needed services to help their neighbors age within a community) can be adapted for an affordable housing setting, and Part 3- adapting an evidence-based housing-plus-services model to meet older residents’ unmet needs.

scholarly journals Challenges and Supports to Aging in Place in a Gentrifying Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 873-873
Author(s):  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Laura Richman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neighborhood Change ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Age In Place

Abstract Neighborhoods play a central role in healthy aging, with changes to neighborhoods having a profound impact on older adults’ ability to age in place. Using gentrification as an indicator of neighborhood change and applying the theoretical framework of the Environmental Press model (Lawton and Nahemow, 1973), this study examined the relationship between changing environments, affordable housing, and environmental attributes that support and hinder the health and well-being of older adults. A qualitative, case-study approach was used to interview low-income, majority Black older adults in a gentrifying area of Washington DC. 32 individuals (16 in non-profit and 16 in for-profit affordable housing) aged 55 and older participated in semi-structured interviews on perceptions of gentrification, neighborhood change, and challenges and supports to aging in place. Transcripts were then analyzed using the framework method of analysis. Although participants generally reported that gentrification improved their neighborhood’s built environment, many attributed it to a decline in social capital. Affordable housing provided an ability to age in place, though participants expressed uncertainty over their long-term ability to age in the context of continuing change. These findings suggest that while the physical changes accompanying gentrification may support older adults’ ability to age in place, its detrimental impact on social capital further increases their risk for social isolation. While affordable housing may enable older adults to age in place, fostering a greater sense of permanence and well-being will require additional policies that both increase accessibility to the physical amenities provided by gentrification and preserve older adults’ social capital.

Ironies in the Pursuit of Well-Being: The Perspectives of Low-Income, Substance-Using Women on Service Institutions

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Mulia
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Barriers To Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Institutional Rules ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Provider Practices ◽  
Care Services

Interest in improving low-income, drug-using women's access to and utilization of care services tends to focus on remedies to personal, structural and gendered barriers to care. In contrast, this exploratory, qualitative study of women's perspectives illustrates how institutional rules, both within and across agencies, and informal provider practices can constrain women's use of health and social services. This paper draws attention to the ways in which low-income, drug-using women respond to obstacles and interpersonal tensions they experience in service settings. As a means of pursuing their material and social well-being, the women employ forms of resistance that are both protective and potentially harmful. This paper underscores the need to recognize how service institutions are implicated in drug users' everyday struggles for well-being.

scholarly journals “My coupons are like gold”: experiences and perceived outcomes of low-income adults participating in the British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Caron-Roy ◽  
Sayeeda Amber Sayed ◽  
Katrina Milaney ◽  
Bonnie Lashewicz ◽  
Sharlette Dunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Farmers Market

ABSTRACT Objective: The British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) provides low-income households with coupons valued at $21/week for 16 weeks to purchase healthy foods in farmers’ markets. Our objective was to explore FMNCP participants’ experiences of accessing nutritious foods, and perceived program outcomes. Design: This study used qualitative description methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with FMNCP participants during the 2019 farmers’ market season. Directed content analysis was used to analyse the data whereby the five domains of Freedman et al’s framework of nutritious food access provided the basis for an initial coding scheme. Data that did not fit within the framework’s domains were coded inductively. Setting: One urban and two rural communities in British Columbia, Canada. Participants: 28 adults who were participating in the FMNCP. Results: Three themes emerged: Autonomy and Dignity; Social Connections and Community Building; and Environmental and Programmatic Constraints. Firstly, the program promoted a sense of autonomy and dignity through financial support, increased access to high-quality produce, food-related education and skill development, and mitigating stigma and shame. Secondly, shopping in farmers’ markets increased social connections and fostered a sense of community. Finally, participants experienced limited food variety in rural farmers’ markets, lack of transportation, and challenges with redeeming coupons. Conclusions: Participation in the FMNCP facilitated access to nutritious foods and enhanced participants’ diet quality, well-being and health. Strategies such as increasing the amount and duration of subsidies, and expanding programs may help improve participants’ experiences and outcomes of farmers’ market food subsidy programs.

scholarly journals “You run out of hope:” An Exploration of Low-Income Parents’ Experiences with Food Insecurity using Photovoice

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Payge Lindow ◽  
Irene H. Yen ◽  
Mingyu Xiao ◽  
Cindy W. Leung
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Unhealthy Eating ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Objective: Using an adaption of the Photovoice method, this study explored how food insecurity affected parents’ ability to provide food for their family, their strategies for managing household food insecurity, and the impact of food insecurity on their well-being. Design: Parents submitted photos around their families’ experiences with food insecurity. Afterwards, they completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews about their photos. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for thematic content using the constant comparative method. Setting: San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Subjects: 17 parents (14 mothers and 3 fathers) were recruited from a broader qualitative study on understanding the experiences of food insecurity in low-income families. Results: Four themes were identified from the parents’ photos and interviews. First, parents described multiple aspects of their food environment that promoted unhealthy eating behaviors. Second, parents shared strategies they employed to acquire food with limited resources. Third, parents expressed feelings of shame, guilt, and distress resulting from their experience of food insecurity. And finally, parents described treating their children to special foods to cultivate a sense of normalcy. Conclusions: Parents highlighted the external contributors and internal struggles of their experiences of food insecurity. Additional research to understand the experiences of the food-insecure families may help to improve nutrition interventions targeting this structurally vulnerable population.

Team Managers in Local Social Service Departments in Israel as Bottom-Up Social Policy-Makers

2021 ◽  
pp. 324-345
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Psychosocial Services ◽  
Service Departments ◽  
New Policies

Following on Felice Perlmutter's work on the managerial role of social workers in social services, this article contributes to the still limited knowledge on the role of social workers in middle-management positions in formulating new policies `on the ground`. The study expands knowledge about policies determined by team managers in local social service departments in Israel. It occurs in the nexus between street-level bureaucracy, professionalism and managerial positions. Semi-structured interviews with 28 team managers revealed that they formulated `new` policies with regard to the provision of psychosocial services and material assistance (who gets what, when and how). This occurs when they resist official policy, when it is vague or non-existent. Most of their policy decisions are not documented and draw upon consultations with colleagues and superiors though not with clients. The team managers perceive these policies as a means for achieving balance between clients' well-being and budgetary constraints. Yet their decisions lack transparency, are decided upon without public discourse and may lead to greater inequity between clients

scholarly journals The Impact of the Sars Cov-2 Pandemic on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Seniors in Social Care Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-110
Author(s):  
Z. Budayova ◽  
L. Ludvigh Cintulova
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Open Coding ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

The research study analyses the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and identifies changes in the life satisfaction of seniors in social services facilities. The research sample consisted of 79 seniors in social services facilities, the sample consisted of ten participants, data collection took place in the period from November 2020 to April 2021, where the method of qualitative research was used in empirical research, through semi-structured interviews to determine the impact of Covid-19 on We collected the data collected by open coding and pointed to those dimensions of the lives of seniors that were most marked by pandemic measures against the spread of Covid-19.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF THE FINANCIAL PROVISION OF SOCIAL PROTECTION ОF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN UKRAINE

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergiy Kandiba ◽  
Natalia Safonik
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
The Social

The article analyses the main sources of financial provision for the social protection of persons with disabilities in Ukraine, including their own resources, budget resources at all levels and resources of enterprises of all forms of ownership; social trust funds, funds of charitable and social organizations and other sources. It is justified that socially oriented objects of expenditure are growing and account for a significant share in the structure of expenditure of the state budget. An analysis of the expenditure of local budgets on the social protection of persons with disabilities showed that expenditure in this area has been increasing since 2015, owing to the reform of decentralization. An evaluation of the activities of civil society organizations of persons with disabilities showed a decrease in the number of persons with disabilities who are employed and in the proportion of expenditures allocated to the social needs of persons with disabilities. Measures to improve the social protection and welfare of persons with disabilities in Ukraine are also financed from social welfare funds. Analysis of the provision of medical and social services by the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine shows an increase in the number of persons with disabilities as a result of an industrial accident and an increase in the cost of medical and social services. It has been established that financial provision for the social protection of persons with disabilities from charitable organizations is provided in most cases in the form of targeted charitable assistance. The structure of the recipients of charitable assistance by category showed that the proportion of people with special needs among the recipients of charitable assistance was about 10 per cent. On the basis of the study, a number of problems affecting the well-being of persons with disabilities have been identified. Priorities have been set for the development of financial provision for the social protection of persons with disabilities. These include improving the targeting of social assistance, development of locally funded social protection programs, enhancing the social and labour integration of persons with disabilities, gender mainstreaming in the financial provision of social protection for persons with disabilities.

scholarly journals Low-income parents’ perceptions of the importance of a musical training programme for their children: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Long Kwan Ho ◽  
William Ho Cheung Li ◽  
Ankie Tan Cheung ◽  
Wei Xia ◽  
Ka Yan Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Analysis Strategy ◽  
Parent Child Relationships

Abstract Background Despite clear evidence for the effectiveness of musical training in promoting psychological well-being among underprivileged children, parents’ perceptions of the importance of such training for their children remains unknown. Methods Of the parents of 171 underprivileged preschool children in Hong Kong who had participated in a free musical training programme, 25 were randomly selected and invited to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological data analysis strategy was followed for analysing the data. Results The results showed that parents identified numerous benefits of the programme for their child, including increased happiness, improved confidence, positive behavioural changes, and enhanced parent-child relationships. At the beginning of the programme, parents tended to disregard the usefulness of musical training but gradually came to recognise its importance for their children’s psychological and social well-being. However, children were limited by their parents’ financial constraints from participating in musical training after the free programme ended. Conclusions These findings imply that existing policy may overlook the psychosocial needs of underprivileged children and suggest that more resources should be allocated to facilitate the continuity and sustainability of such a free programme for this vulnerable population. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02762786, registered on May 5, 2016.

A comparison on financial literacy between welfare recipients and non-welfare recipients in Brunei

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 598-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ak Md Hasnol Alwee Pg Md Salleh
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
Welfare Recipients ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Welfare Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Logistic Regressions ◽  
Random Sampling Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights onto the level of financial literacy in Brunei, notably focussing on the findings of welfare recipient’s vis-à-vis non-welfare recipients. Design/methodology/approach – Findings are based on structured interviews with 431 heads of households (215 welfare recipients and 216 non-welfare recipients), within the realm of money management, emergency planning and investing for goals. To analyze the data, Pearson’s χ2 test and logistic regressions are undertaken. Findings – The findings underline the importance of enhancing the level of financial literacy, notably for low-income households and those in poverty, as the analysis highlighted their level of financial literacy was significantly lower than non-welfare recipients. Research limitations/implications – Future researches may want to consider a random sampling approach and/or using other districts in the country, to ascertain a representative set of findings. Practical implications – The implication of the findzings highlights the need for welfare programs to consider incorporating financial literacy programs, designed specifically for welfare recipients, distinct from non-welfare recipients. Originality/value – There is currently no known research on financial literacy related to Brunei. Further, the paper also focusses on financial literacy, as a means to assist those in welfare or poverty, in order to enhance their financial well-being.

scholarly journals Low-income housing provision: between governmental interventions and informal settlements

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Hussaen Ali Hasan Kahachi ◽  
Alison Brown
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Housing Provision ◽  
Low Cost Housing

Low-cost housing, so-called affordable housing, is an important subject as it affects many aspects of people's well-being and city planning. The urban poor, who form a respectable percentage of cities' residents in many developing countries, are the most affected segment by the availability and affordability of housing. Governments often try their best to provide affordable housing through housing interventions and programs. However, many low-income people end up in informal settlements including slums and squatter settlements. This research analyzes state-led low-cost housing initiatives compared to informal affordable housing in developing countries. The importance of this research is mainly associated with understanding how governmental housing initiatives and laws affect the housing preferences of the urban poor. The research starts by providing a brief background about the subject and its importance from the literature. The research uses mixed methods approach and a case study of Greater Cairo Region following the massive migration during the period between the 1980s and the 2000s to provide an in-depth understanding of the situation. The research then analyzes/discusses some housing initiatives, and uses both quantitative/qualitative data in order to explain potential malpractice and issues. Finally, the research will highlight the key findings and provide some recommendations for change/improvement.

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