Self-determination among frail older persons – a desirable goal older persons’ conceptions of self-determination

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Ekelund ◽  
Lena Mårtensson ◽  
Kajsa Eklund
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frail Older Persons ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
People First

Purpose – Self-determination is governed by ethical and legal rights in western society. In spite of that, older people are still restricted by others in their decision-making processes. The purpose of this paper is to explore older persons’ different conceptions of self-determination. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative phenomenographic interview study on frail older persons (n=15). Findings – Three categories emerged, showing the variations of conception of self-determination as experienced by frail older people: first, self-determination changes throughout life; second, self-determination is being an agent in one's own life; and third, self-determination is conditional. In summary, while self-determination is changeable throughout life, and older persons want to be their own agents, and struggle to be that, certain conditions must be met to make it possible for them to be able to exercise self-determination. Practical implications – Suggestions for supporting and strengthening frail older persons’ self-determination, and indirectly their well-being and health: to have a person-centered approach, treat them with dignity and respect and give them opportunities to influence and to feel involved; to improve their health literacy by, for example, supporting them with enough knowledge to be able to exercise self-determination; to make them feel safe and secure in relationships, such as with family and caregivers. Originality/value – This study explores frail older persons’ own conceptions of self-determination to be able to gain knowledge of how professionals can support them so that they may experience self-determination in life.

Engagement of older people in Wales – how Cymru Older People’s Alliance is forging a new direction

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Steven George Milsom
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Financial Climate ◽  
Fresh Impetus ◽  
The Voice

Purpose The adverse impact of austerity on the available capacity of public bodies to give priority to engagement of older people means self-determination and older people representing the best interests of older people more generally – needs a fresh impetus if the voice of older people is to be heard and not marginalised. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The paper describes how a new direction for Cymru Older People’s Alliance was shaped, the engagement directly with older people that informed changes and key transitions negotiated to become a charity and form a democratically elected membership, with stronger structures and improved means to ensuring the “voice” of older people is heard. Findings Co-production, increased citizen engagement and promoting well-being are important new concepts in Welsh legislation but it is only through growing the infrastructure that enables older people to represent their own interests, that these new requirements will produce tangible results and progress can be made. Originality/value If we are to challenge ageism and recognise that older people need to be empowered and enabled to make their own decisions, then older people’s organisations need to change and adapt to the prevailing financial climate. This is not an easy pathway but it can be achieved through good planning, strong governance and effective engagement, listening carefully to older people’s views.

scholarly journals Sex with robots: A not-so-niche market for disabled and older persons

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 228-232
Author(s):  
Adamantios Koumpis ◽  
Thomas Gees
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Value System ◽  
Sex Robots ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Sex Toys

AbstractIn this article, we present our experiences from research into the healthy ageing and well-being of older people and we report on our personal opinions of robots that may help the elderly to have sex and to cope with isolation and loneliness. However, and while there is a growing industry for sex robots and other sex toys and gadgets, there is also a growing concern about the ethics of such an industry. As is the case with pornography, the concept of sex robots may be criticized, yet it has deep roots in human civilization, with erotic depictions that date back to the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Ages. So the need for an artefact that would offer sexually relevant functionality is not new at all. But what might be new and worrying is the potential for using artificial intelligence in sex robots in ways that might cause a repositioning of our entire value system. Such a threat is not related to the proliferation of sex robots per se but to the use of robots in general and in a variety of other fields of application.

When I am old I shall wear purple: a qualitative study of the effect of group poetry sessions on the well-being of older adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Seymour ◽  
Michael Murray
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Poetry Reading ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose There is increasing evidence that participation in various art forms can be beneficial for health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of participating in a poetry reading group on a group of older residents of an assisted living facility. Design/methodology/approach Six poetry sessions, each on a different theme, were conducted with a group of volunteer participants. These sessions, those of pre- and post-study focus groups and interviews with the group facilitator and staff contact were audio-recorded. The transcripts of the recordings were then subjected to a thematic analysis. Findings Overall the participants were enthused by the opportunity to participate in the project and the benefits were confirmed by the support staff. In addition, reading poetry on particular themes promoted different types of discussion. Research limitations/implications The number of participants in this study was small and the study was conducted over a short period of time. Practical implications This paper confirms the impact of poetry reading for older people. The challenge is to explore this impact in more detail and over community as well as residential settings. Originality/value This paper is the first empirical report on the value of poetry reading for older people.

Supporting creative ageing through the arts: the impacts and implementation of a creative arts programme for older people

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Chester Evans ◽  
Jennifer Bray ◽  
Claire Garabedian
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Older People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Creative Arts ◽  
Standard Format ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on an independent evaluation of a three-year “Creative Ageing” programme, focussing on the impacts for participants and factors promoting successful delivery of sessions. Design/methodology/approach Artists provided feedback through reflective journals and questionnaires, while the views of care staff and participants were also captured in a standard format at the end of each arts session. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data identified common themes. Findings Twenty-three arts projects were delivered across a range of settings and through diverse art forms including dance, drama, music, visual arts and poetry. They reached nearly 2,200 participants who recorded over 8,100 session attendances in total. Participation in high quality creative experiences improved well-being for older people, as well as increasing social interaction and reducing isolation. Several factors facilitated successful implementation and delivery of the activities, particularly the need to hold planning meetings with staff to provide guidance around participant numbers and suitability, minimising disruption of the sessions and the supportive role of staff during the sessions. Opportunities for reflection enabled artists to address potential challenges and adapt their practice to meet the needs and preferences of participants and to the complexities of diverse settings. Originality/value Previous research has largely focussed on the impact of activities in a single setting. This study supports the role of creative arts in increasing social interaction as an attempt to tackle isolation and loneliness, both for older people living in the community and for those living in a communal setting such as care homes and supported living schemes.

A self-determination theory perspective on customer participation in service development

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 511-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Engström ◽  
Mattias Elg
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Customer Participation ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lung Cancer Patients

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore what motivates patients to participate in service development and how participation may influence their well-being. Health-care providers are increasingly adopting practices of customer participation in such activities to improve their services. Design/methodology/approach – This paper builds on an analysis of data from a service development project in which lung cancer patients contributed by sharing their ideas and experiences through diaries. Out of the 86 lung cancer patients who were invited to participate, 20 agreed to participate and 14 fully completed the task. The study builds on participants’ contributions, in-depth interviews with six participants and the reasons patients gave for not participating. Findings – This paper identifies a number of motives: non-interest in participating, restitution after poor treatment, desire for contact with others, volunteerism, desire to make a contribution and the enjoyment of having a task to complete. A self-determination theory perspective was adopted to show how the need to satisfy basic human needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness determines if and how patients participate. Participation may have important benefits for patients, especially an improved sense of relatedness. Practical implications – Service providers must be prepared to meet different patient needs in service development, ranging from the need to express strong distress to expressing creativity. By understanding the dynamics of motivation and well-being, organizers may achieve better results in terms of improved services and in patient well-being. Originality/value – This study makes a significant contribution to the study of customer participation in service development, especially in relation to health care, by offering a self-determination-based typology for describing different styles of patient participation.

scholarly journals Threats to Health and Well-Being Perceived by Older People in Poland and Portugal

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria da Piedade Moreira Brandão ◽  
Laura Martins ◽  
Marlena Szewczyczak ◽  
Dorota Talarska ◽  
Ian Philp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Bodily Pain ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Health And Well Being

Introduction: According to the OECD, Portugal and Poland rank below average in several well-being measures such as income and wealth, and health status. Investigating how people perceive the threats to health in these two countries, is an important issue to address priority needs. To meet this need, the objective of this paper was to compare the perceptions of the threats to the health and well-being among the Polish and Portuguese older persons and explore differences between the countries in respect of patterns of self-rated health.Material and Methods: A Cross-sectional study with two convenience samples from primary health care services of Poland and Portugal was conducted; 480 adults aged 65 and over (247 Portuguese) were included. The EASYCare standard assessment of 2010 was applied under a joint project of both countries. The association between ‘self-rated unhealthy’ and socio-demographic and threats to health variables was examined using logistic regression.Results: In both countries about two thirds of the older persons self-rated their health as unhealthy. Having more than enough finances was associated with a significant lower odds of being unhealthy compared with those without enough finances at the end of the month (Portugal: OR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.63; Poland: OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.88). Visual problems, bodily pain, memory loss, feeling bored or lonely and reporting shortness of breath during normal activities was consistently associated with fair or poor self-rated health.Discussion: These findings provide important information regarding the health profile of older people which can help in the development of people-centred health systems where their lives and well-being can be improved. Conclusion: The unhealthy perception of older people was consistently associated with indicators of major health threats.

Features of Rural Communities in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa That Influence Well-Being of Older Persons

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 420-421
Author(s):  
Andrew Banda ◽  
Norah Keating ◽  
Jaco Hoffman ◽  
Jose Parodi ◽  
Nereide Curreri
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Older People ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract In their recent volume, Critical Rural Gerontology, Skinner et al (2021) challenge us to set aside unidimensional notions of rural communities as bypassed vs very supportive; and to identify the elements of rurality that empower or exclude older people and how these differ across cultures and settings. Covid-19 has highlighted the need for safe and inclusive communities. Given that LMIC will be home to the majority of older adults (Gonzales et al. 2015), we undertook a scoping review of features of rural communities that influence wellbeing of older people in countries across Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The review included literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, using search engines MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycInfo, SocINDEX, SciELO, AJOL (Africa Journals Online), LILACS, Redalyc, LatinIndex and Clacso. Findings illustrate diversity in how community features including remoteness, infrastructure and belonging influence material, social and subjective wellbeing of older residents.

How do social responsibility and social entrepreneurship generate value creation in pandemics?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Silva ◽  
Margarida Rodrigues ◽  
Mário Franco ◽  
Cidália Oliveira ◽  
Nuno Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
High Degree

Purpose Using self-determination theory and individual social responsibility’s (ISRs) association with pure social entrepreneurship, this study aims to answer the following question: How and why have the different actors responded to the crisis caused by the pandemic? Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research (multiple case studies) was adopted, resorting to interviewees with seven economic and non-economic actors in the Portugal context. Findings The results obtained, using MAXQDA software, show that those carrying out actions of social responsibility have a high degree of self-determination and intrinsic motivation, and are true social entrepreneurs, which lets them improve the well-being of those around them. In addition, these individuals feel good about themselves by performing these actions, as they measure their performance by the social impact of their actions on society in general. Practical implications This study suggest there is a high awareness amongst people to exercise that responsibility in a voluntary way, through humanitarian initiatives and campaigns brought about especially by an unprecedented pandemic. In practice, people joining these initiatives motivate many others towards the causes, creating the will to continue in the future and satisfy unmet needs provoked by social crises. Originality/value This study is innovative because it is related to filling the gaps identified, mainly by carrying out an empirical study about ISR, rather than that of firms, where studies are more common.

scholarly journals Older people’s involvement in healthcare education: views and experiences of older experts by experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-135
Author(s):  
Juliana Thompson ◽  
Sue Tiplady ◽  
Glenda Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Care Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Education ◽  
Professional Health

Purpose “Experts by experience' (EBE) involvement in professional health-care education programmes contributes to developing students” caring skills by supporting students’ understanding of the lived experience and reality of service-users’ situations. Also, involvement in health-care education is a beneficial experience for EBEs themselves. This study aims to explore specifically older people’s experiences and perceptions of their involvement of EBE in gerontological education to generate insight into their understanding of this experience. Design/methodology/approach In this qualitative study, EBEs contributing to delivery of health-care professional education programmes at a UK university took part in focus groups (n = 14) to discuss their views and experiences of involvement in EBE teaching. Data were analysed using open coding. Findings Four themes emerged from the data, suggesting that older EBEs’ involvement in education may be beneficial for their well-being. The four themes were “contributing to improved care”, “having a purpose”, “being included” and “feeling appreciated”. Practical implications Findings support the requirement for nurse educators to develop EBE programmes that involve older people as not only a teaching strategy for students but also a method of promoting the health and well-being of the older EBEs. Originality/value There is limited research regarding specifically older EBEs’ experiences of involvement in gerontological education. This is an important area of study because involvement in education may constitute a means of engaging in social, community and voluntary activities for older people, which recent UK health policies advocate as methods of promoting and facilitating healthy ageing.

Psychological factors of fear of crime: an empirical study of older people in Lucknow, India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Avanish Bhai Patel
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The incidents of elder victimisation and cases of victimisation, in general, are increasing fast in the society. These incidents have had negative impact on the sense of well-being and way of life of the older people. Therefore, fear of crime is being considered as a most concerning psycho-social problem amongst the older people in contemporary time. The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of crime rate on the well-being of the older people and examine the linkage between psychological factors and fear of crime amongst the older people. Design/methodology/approach The present study is based on the mixed method approach and an exploratory research designed applied to conduct the study. The field survey has been done from October 2012 to January 2013 on a sample of 220 older people of rural and urban areas of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh through purposive sampling. For the study, researcher has interviewed 137 male older people and 83 female older people through interview schedules and case studies. The data have been analysed through descriptive and narrative analysis. Findings The study finds that those older people have direct or indirect experience of victimisation, they have anxiety and feel insecurity that someone can victimise them. The study also finds that the happiness of older people is more affected due to anxiety and phobia and have higher level of feeling of fear of crime in their neighbourhood and home. The study also finds whenever anti-social elements are active in the neighbourhood and they commit crimes, fear of crime and anxiety grasp the older people to a large extent causing a fracture in their psychological well-being. Originality/value This work is the original work of researcher. This paper is related to the researcher’s PhD dissertation work. This paper talks about how the psychological well-being of older people affects due to nature of crime in neighbourhood, phobia of crime and anxiety due to criminal activities.

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