Lifelong learning and library programming for third agers

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 39-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin M. Sabo
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Third Age ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Worth ◽  
The Third ◽  
Library Programming ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Growing Population

Purpose This study aims to examine library programming for active older (“third age”) adults and give suggestions for future improvements. In addition to covering research specific to library programming for these adults, which is limited, this review will also survey the literature on lifelong learning for this population. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes a literature review on library programming geared specifically to active, older adults and a survey of literature on lifelong learning for the “third agers”. Findings Demographics show that older adults are a growing population, not only in the USA, but worldwide. Many baby boomers have already entered or soon will be entering the “third age”. Most libraries are not providing specific programming to support these older lifelong learners. In the USA, baby boomers have the highest net worth of any generation, and as such, are an important fundraising source. Research indicates that older adults participate in lifelong learning activities and will attend library programs of interest. Topics of interest include hobbies/leisure pursuits, humanities, social/international issues, religion/philosophy, arts, technology and nutrition/health/stress management. Practical implications Libraries are missing a prime opportunity to expand services, develop library advocates and fundraise by ignoring the growing population of active older adults. Suggestions are given for how both public and academic libraries can take advantage of these opportunities. Social implications Older adults are a rapidly growing population. Providing library programming for this group benefits both older adults and libraries. Originality/value There are no known previous comprehensive literature reviews on library programming for older adults. Offering specific programming to this population has benefits for older adults, libraries and their communities.

scholarly journals The Third Age and the Baby Boomers

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Gilleard ◽  
Paul Higgs
Keyword(s):  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Baby Boom ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Third Age ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Sixties ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Media ◽  
Term Baby

This paper outlines two contrasting positions in interpreting contemporary change in later life. These are summarily represented by a cohort approach that focuses upon the baby boomers and a generational approach that focuses upon the third age. We argue that understanding the role of the sixties’ cultural revolution for the emergence of the third age offers a broader conceptual understanding of the transformation of later life than that provided by the more restrictive and restricting framework of a baby boom cohort. That many people, particularly in the USA, self identify with the term ’baby boomer’ reflects not so much the power of cohorts as structuring influences on the ’conscience collective’ as the role of the market and the media in shaping their social identities.

Four decades of Universities of the Third Age: past, present, future

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARVIN FORMOSA
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts Education ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
Third Age ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
The Third ◽  
Learning Instruction ◽  
Ethnic Biases

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the origins and development of Universities of the Third Age (U3As) whilst also forwarding suggestions for possible roles, opportunities and directions in the future. The U3A has been rightly described as both an idea and movement, as each centre has a local foundation and relatively unique features. Whilst some U3As are attached to traditional universities and colleges, others are sturdily autonomous and wholly dependent on the efforts of volunteers. One also finds a variety of ethos, ranging from the provision of a traditional type of liberal-arts education, to the organisation of interest-group activities conducted through peer learning, to showing solidarity with vulnerable sectors of the older population. Academic commentaries on the U3A movement have been both supportive and critical. Whilst U3As have been lauded for leading older learners to improved levels of physical, cognitive, social and psychological wellbeing, other reports emphasise how many centres incorporate strong gender, social class, ageist and ethnic biases. One hopes that in future years the U3A movement will continue to be relevant to incoming cohorts of older adults by embracing a broader vision of learning, improving the quality of learning, instruction and curricula, as well as a wider participation agenda that caters for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive challenges.

Utilization of a forensic accountant to investigate financial exploitation of older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-152
Author(s):  
Jason Dauenhauer ◽  
Kristin Heffernan ◽  
Karen Webber ◽  
Kari Smoker ◽  
Paul Caccamise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Financial Exploitation ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Criminal Charges ◽  
Sheer Number

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of an online program evaluation survey conducted in the USA in 2018 which was designed to understand how members of an enhanced multidisciplinary team (E-MDT) use the expertise of a forensic accountant (FA) in suspected cases of elder financial exploitation. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes responses to an online survey from 54 E-MDT members. Narrative responses to open-ended questions were analyzed by using cross-case thematic analysis. Data from demographic questions and those with nominal response options were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings Overwhelmingly, the E-MDT members described how useful the FA’s expertise and subsequent detailed reports are in helping determine whether financial exploitation is taking place and providing information needed to continue an investigation and pursue criminal charges. Practical implications The increasing longevity and sheer number of older adults present ongoing challenges in the fight to address financial exploitation. Findings suggest that FAs working with E-MDTs can help identify signs, collect evidence and help investigate cases of suspected financial abuse of older adults. The development of training programs focused on educating accountants to fill a need in a growing area of forensic accounting may be needed. Originality/value This paper adds to the growing evidence of multidisciplinary teams as an effective model for investigating cases of financial elder exploitation by focusing specifically on the expertise of an FA.

scholarly journals The Assessment of the Severity of COVID-19-Related Anxiety Symptoms in Participants of the University of the Third Age in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study among Internet Survey Respondents

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 3862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateusz Cybulski ◽  
Urszula Cwalina ◽  
Dorota Sadowska ◽  
Elżbieta Krajewska-Kułak
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Third Age ◽  
Financial Status ◽  
The Third ◽  
The University

Introduction: Fear of infection with SARS-CoV-2 has become widespread. All over the world, since the very beginning of the pandemic, older adults have been considered one of the groups at highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death due to COVID-19. The aim of the study was to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms related to COVID-19 in the older adults who are participants of the Universities of the Third Age in Poland. Material and methods: The study included participants of the University of the Third Age in Poland. A total of 296 persons were enrolled, including 258 women and 38 men. The study was a diagnostic survey, conducted with the use of the following validated psychometric scales: General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: In two scales (STAI and SHAI), the mean scores demonstrated mild symptoms indicative of anxiety disorders in the older respondents. Women and men did differ significantly in terms of the scores obtained in STAI X-1 and STAI X-2. Single respondents differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-1 scores. Moreover, widows/widowers differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-2, and GAD-7 scores. Respondents declaring their financial status as average differed significantly from those declaring their financial status as good in terms of: STAI X-1, STAI X-2, SHAI, and GAD-7 scores. Conclusions: The subjective experience of anxiety symptoms associated with fear of contracting COVID-19 was increased due to the ongoing pandemic, but was not significantly high in the analysed population of older people. COVID-19-related anxiety was significantly more common in lonely individuals and in those of worse financial status. Women and men differed significantly in terms of perceived state anxiety and trait anxiety measured by STAI. More studies addressing COVID-19-related anxiety in older people participating in the Polish Universities of the Third Age are needed to determine a more accurate distribution of this phenomenon in Poland.

Older Adults as New Learners

2011 ◽  
pp. 300-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Stein ◽  
Constance E. Wanstreet ◽  
Michelle L. Lutz ◽  
Tiffany Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Nontraditional Students ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Traditional Students ◽  
Customer Base ◽  
Marketing Model

This chapter presents a marketing model for four-year higher education institutions that may be appropriate for engaging aging Baby Boomers in lifelong learning. Baby Boomers will challenge higher education institutions to rethink their customer base and respond to a different set of needs from that exhibited by traditional students and by adult learners who are currently 65 or older. Higher education institutions have not prepared for the demands that aging Baby Boomers may place on providers of learning. The PRI2SM model suggests ways to recruit nontraditional students to traditional providers of higher education.

Older adults’ cooking trajectories: shifting skills and strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 1102-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Marie Bostic ◽  
Amanda C. McClain
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cooking Skills ◽  
Cooking Practices ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Nutritional Needs

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the cooking experiences of older adults living in the USA contributed to cooking skill development and cooking practices over their life course. Design/methodology/approach In total, 17 adults aged 60 and older living in two rural counties, who prepared at least three basic meals per week, were purposefully recruited to represent different living situations, perceived income level, and education level. Two retrospective in-depth interviews with each person collected biographical cooking narratives, analyzed using a life course perspective. Life course perspective concepts and emergent themes were identified. Timelines for each participant were prepared. Findings All participants expressed interest and pleasure in eating but they described different patterns of skills, behaviors, and feelings regarding cooking. Four cooking trajectories emerged: resilient, expanding, contracting interest, and contracting capability. Cooking skills evolved for some only during older adulthood, and supported both contracting and expanding food preparation. When cooking declined, it decreased due to shifts in personal priorities or in physical capability to carry out cooking tasks. Practical implications Recognizing the different patterns of cooking trajectories may help health care providers and the food industry better serve the diverse nutritional needs of older adults, including those not traditionally served: individuals who are actively seeking information as they increase their cooking and those who are avoiding cooking due to lack of interest. Originality/value Trajectories are a useful tool for analyzing skills and practices over time, which can facilitate understanding of food choice activities. Trajectories have not been previously used to explicitly examine cooking skills.

scholarly journals Finnish Baby Boomers and the Emergence of the Third Age

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Karisto
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Youth Culture ◽  
Baby Boom ◽  
Historical Knowledge ◽  
Third Age ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Media ◽  
Post War ◽  
The Life Course

This paper examines the lives of baby boomers in Finland, and is based on several studies previously published in Finnish. The article considers the particular characteristics of this group of baby boomers. It then discusses whether the baby boom cohorts can also be called a generation. Following this, the life course of the boomer generation is contrasted with various images that have appeared in the media and elsewhere about their lives. Boomers have been presented as a radical’ or ’selfish’ generation. This article proposes two new themes: boomers as a crossroads generation and boomers as a bridging generation. The paper also considers the emergence of the third age as approached from a generational perspective. The third age has been defined as a generational field underpinned by agency and consumption, with its roots in the youth culture of the post-war decades. This characterization is also highly relevant to the Finnish case, but needs to be elaborated by taking into account socio-historical knowledge of the distinctive life course of the boomer generation.

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