scholarly journals Job loss and lower healthcare utilisation due to COVID-19 among older adults across 27 European countries

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2021-216715
Author(s):  
Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova ◽  
Martin Bobák ◽  
Hynek Pikhart ◽  
Albert J Ksinan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Job Loss ◽  
College Education ◽  
Healthcare Utilisation ◽  
Older Age ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundOlder adults are at greater risk for becoming severely ill from COVID-19; however, the impact of the pandemic on their economic activity and non-COVID-19-related healthcare utilisation is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of COVID-19-related unemployment and healthcare utilisation in a sample of older adults across 27 European countries.MethodsWe used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe COVID-19 Survey, collected between June and August 2020. Participants (n=52 061) reported whether they lost a job, forwent medical treatment and whether their appointment was postponed due to COVID-19. Three-level models were estimated for each outcome to test the effects of individual, household and country-level characteristics.ResultsThe mean prevalence of reported job loss, and forgone and postponed medical care was 19%, 12% and 26%, respectively. Job loss was associated with female sex, lower education and household income, and older age in women. For example, the OR of job loss, comparing primary versus tertiary (college) education, was 1.89 (95% CI 1.59 to 2.26). Forgone and postponed medical care was associated with older age in men, female sex and higher education. At the country level, postponed medical care was associated with more stringent governmental anti-COVID measures.ConclusionJob loss and lower healthcare utilisation for non-COVID-19-related reasons were common among older adults and were associated with several sociodemographic characteristics. Job loss appeared to disproportionally affect already economically vulnerable individuals, raising concerns about the exacerbation of social inequalities.

scholarly journals Impact of the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Formal and Informal Care of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Cross-National Clustering of Empirical Evidence from 23 Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7277
Author(s):  
Aviad Tur-Sinai ◽  
Netta Bentur ◽  
Paolo Fabbietti ◽  
Giovanni Lamura
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Informal Help

The COVID-19 pandemic has been dramatically affecting the life of older adults with care needs and their family caregivers. This study illustrates how the initial outbreak of the pandemic changed the supply of formal and informal care to older adults in European countries and Israel and assesses the resilience of these countries in providing support to their older populations by means of a mix of both types of care. We subjected data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe COVID-19 period (SHARE-COVID-19) across 23 European countries (including Israel) to descriptive and cluster analyses. In the first wave of the outbreak, a significant proportion of older adults in European countries received informal help, with an increase in the frequency of informal help received from children, neighbors, friends, or colleagues and a decrease in that received from other relatives. In most countries, difficulties in receiving home care services from professional providers were reported. Seven clusters were identified, reflecting different combinations of changes in the formal/informal care provision. In most countries, informal care is more resilient than home care services that formal providers deliver. Since they are an essential source for sustainable care, their challenges related to care should be addressed. The impact of the pandemic does not follow the traditional characterization of welfare regimes. A clustering effort may yield more understanding of the priorities that future care policies should exhibit at the national level and may identify potential systems for policymakers to enhance sustainability of care for community-dwelling older adults.

Learning in late career stages in Europe – gendered effects of retirement policies

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Kirsti Melesk
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Older Age ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Retirement Systems ◽  
Retirement Policies

Abstract Institutional contexts shape learning participation throughout the course of life. Combining micro-data on adult education from 26 European countries with country-level indicators on retirement systems in multi-level logistic regression models, the focus is on analysis of participation in non-formal learning among people aged 50–64 and its interactions with retirement policies. The analysis makes use of the largest sample of European countries used so far for exploring the issue. For the first time, gender differences in retirement policies are considered. The results imply that for all women and highly educated men, participation in non-formal training is higher when retirement age in the country is set at 65 years or higher. However, men with less education do not profit from a higher retirement age because their training participation remains unaffected by retirement policies. In the current analysis, training participation in older age groups remains unaffected by the generosity of pensions. The results outline gender differences in learning participation in older age groups. Also, after the age of 50, men with a low education are at particular risk of labour market exclusion and unemployment because the retirement age in European countries keeps rising and technological advancements make additional demands on workers’ skills.

scholarly journals Is Living Alone “Aging Alone”? Solitary Living, Network Types, and Well-Being

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 1406-1415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Djundeva ◽  
Pearl A Dykstra ◽  
Tineke Fokkema
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Country Level

Abstract Objectives When identifying older adults who may be at risk of being without necessary supports, policy makers and scholars tend to focus on those living alone, neglecting differences within that group. We examine how their social networks contribute to subjective well-being, why some of them fare better and compare their well-being to older adults coresiding with others. Method Data are from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (N = 53,383). A network typology for older people living alone (N = 10,047) is constructed using a latent class analysis. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions, we examined differences in subjective well-being (life satisfaction, satisfaction with social network, depression) by network type, adding adults coresiding with others (N = 43,336) as comparison group. Results We find four social network types among older adults living alone. The likelihood of having “restricted” and “child-based” networks is greater in Eastern and Southern European countries, whereas the likelihood of having “friend-oriented” networks is greater in Western and Northern European countries. Across countries, only those with “restricted” networks tend to have the poorest well-being. Those with “diverse” networks have even better well-being than coresiding older adults. Discussion Our study shows the importance of drawing distinctions within the group of older adults living alone. Most (two thirds) are not vulnerable and at risk, but fare just as well or even better than peers who coreside with others. Country-level factors shape the opportunities to build satisfactory networks, but subjective well-being depends more strongly on individual resources, including social networks, than country-level factors.

Older-age care politics, policy and institutional reforms in Lithuania

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 725-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARUNAS JUSKA ◽  
GABRIELE CICIURKAITE
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Institutional Layering ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the dynamics of policy reforms pertaining to care for older adults in post-socialist Lithuania. In the Soviet era social services in Lithuania were in a rudimentary stage of development. By the early 1990s a combination of long-term demographic trends such as ageing, a decline in fertility rates and an increase in divorce rates, and the impact of radical neo-liberal reforms significantly increased the number of older individuals living alone and in poverty. In response, a number of measures were undertaken to reform older-age care, resulting in decentralisation, institutional layering and institutional recalibration of social services. It is argued that the historical legacy has proved to be especially significant in the institutional development of social services by reproducing a State-centred system, although with a growing trend towards the privatisation and marketisation of social care. The role of various organised interests and civic groups, policy makers and international organisations, as well as ideologies and broader sets of cultural values in shaping social services pertaining to the care of older adults are discussed.

scholarly journals Study protocol for TILDA COVID-19 survey. Altered lives in a time of crisis: preparing for recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Mark Ward ◽  
Niamh Clarke ◽  
Minjuan Wang ◽  
Christine A. McGarrigle ◽  
Céline De Looze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Healthcare Utilisation ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Full Effect ◽  
Ethical Approval ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Impact

Background: Older adults are the most at-risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and among the most affected by measures put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. While the full effect of the public health measures, such as social distancing and wearing masks in public spaces, implemented since March 2020 are not yet known, it is expected that they will have a severely damaging effect on physical and psychological wellbeing. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) has been researching the lives of older adults in Ireland since 2008 with data collection conducted at two-year intervals. With an established research infrastructure, TILDA was ideally placed to examine the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on older adults. The aim of this study is to document the lives of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the effect of the pandemic and public health responses on their wellbeing. Methods: Data was collected from TILDA participants via self-completion-questionnaire (SCQ). The SCQ contains ten sections that capture information on many aspects of people’s lives during the pandemic including, changes in behaviour and social interactions, physical and psychological wellbeing indicators, healthcare utilisation, and exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Ethical approval was granted by the National Research Ethics Committee (NREC). Conclusions: Research findings will be shared in a variety of formats including research reports and briefs, presentations, and academic papers. Data will be archived in the Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). As well as documenting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults, findings from this study will provide important information to policy-makers as we respond to the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Health assets in older age: a systematic review

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e013226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Claire Hornby-Turner ◽  
Nancye May Peel ◽  
Ruth Eleanor Hubbard
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Mental Wellness ◽  
Health Assets ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundFinding ways to optimise health in older age is key to reducing the impact of population ageing on health and social care systems. A salutogenic approach takes into account an individual’s health assets—internal or external strengths or accessible resources which improve and preserve physical, social and mental wellness, independence and quality of life. The aim of this narrative systematic review was to provide a summary and appraisal of the evidence for factors that act as health assets within personal, social, economic and environmental domains.MethodsSystematic searches of databases were conducted for literature published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2000 and November 2016. Selection criteria included community dwelling populations aged 65 years and over and publications written in English. Data on study population, design, measures of health status, factors within the four previously stated domains and results were extracted. Study quality was independently assessed using an appraisal instrument.ResultsTwenty-three publications, including 78 422 participants, from more than 13 different countries were identified for inclusion in this review. There was strong evidence that higher scores of self-rated health, psychological well-being and life satisfaction were associated with better health in older age. Social network and contact with family and friends, and engagement in leisure and social activities were important support mechanisms. Education and financial resources consistently proved to be key economic health assets for older adults.ConclusionsImplementing an asset-based approach to health promotion uncovers the skills, knowledge, connections and potential of the individual and the community. This approach is an ideal opportunity for government health bodies and their partners to respond to the challenges faced by global ageing.Factors are often interdependent and cumulative, suggesting the potential for an instrument to measure the accumulated effect of health assets on health status in older adults.

Age differences in everyday problem solving

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Loken Thornton ◽  
Theone S. E. Paterson ◽  
Sophie E. Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Relative Performance ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Problem Context ◽  
Everyday Problem Solving ◽  
Everyday Problem ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
The Impact

Reductions in everyday problem solving (EPS) are often reported in older age, although it has been suggested that problem context may modify this effect. We evaluated the impact of two aspects of problem context: age appropriateness (age-neutral vs. older-age content) and problem type (interpersonal vs. practical) on EPS performance in 175 adults aged 18–87. Older adults generated fewer solutions to ill-structured EPS vignettes than younger and middle-aged adults. Middle-aged adults demonstrated an advantage on practical problems. While all age groups demonstrated a relative performance advantage for interpersonal content on older age problems, older adults showed the least relative benefit in this condition. Thus older adults do not exhibit relative performance gains on EPS problems designed to be most salient and relevant to this age group.

scholarly journals The Impact of Age and Physical Activity Level on Manual Aiming Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Van Halewyck ◽  
Ann Lavrysen ◽  
Oron Levin ◽  
Digby Elliott ◽  
Werner F. Helsen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Manual Aiming ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Aiming Movements ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aiming Performance

Older adults traditionally adapt their discrete aiming movements, thereby traveling a larger proportion of the movement under closed-loop control. As the beneficial impact of a physically active lifestyle in older age has been described for several aspects of motor control, we compared the aiming performance of young controls to active and sedentary older adults. To additionally determine the contribution of visual feedback, aiming movements were executed with and without saccades. Results showed only sedentary older adults adopted the typical movement changes, highlighting the impact of a physically active lifestyle on manual aiming in older age. In an attempt to reveal the mechanism underlying the movement changes, evidence for an age-related decline in force control was found, which in turn resulted in an adapted aiming strategy. Finally, prohibiting saccades did not affect older adults’ performance to a greater extent, suggesting they do not rely more on visual feedback than young controls.

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