The changing landscape of intimacy in later life

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Bildtgård ◽  
Peter Öberg
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Comparative Data ◽  
Divorce Rates ◽  
Partner Market

The purpose of this chapter is to uncover the changing structural conditions for late-life intimacy using empirical data. The chapter shows the prolongation of the lifespan in different countries and discusses its importance for older people’s relationships and for envisioning new intimate futures. The rise of divorce culture among older people is discussed using comparative data on divorce rates in different countries and shows how this affects the partner market for older singles, by creating a ‘society of divorcees’ and potential for a ‘grey repartnering revolution’. It also shows how the gendered structure of the partner market is affected by this change. Finally, the chapter shows how new digital technologies have affected the dating arena by introducing new venues for meeting a partner.

scholarly journals Personality disorders in later life: epidemiology, presentation and management

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-218
Author(s):  
Ayesha Bangash
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Older People ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Enormous Amount ◽  
Expected Increase ◽  
Growing Population

SUMMARYDespite the enormous amount of literature on medical care of older people, personality disorders in late life have been given little attention. Clinicians tend not to assign this diagnosis to older adults in view of limited research into, and therefore limited awareness of, this topic. This article aims to promote better understanding of this subject in view of the growing population of older people and hence an expected increase in the number of personality disorder cases.

scholarly journals Management of depression and referral of older people to psychological therapies: a systematic review of qualitative studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (680) ◽  
pp. e171-e181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Frost ◽  
Angela Beattie ◽  
Cini Bhanu ◽  
Kate Walters ◽  
Yoav Ben-Shlomo
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Psychological Therapies

BackgroundDepressive symptoms are common in later life and increase both the risk of functional and cognitive decline and the use of healthcare services. Despite older people expressing preferences for talking therapies, they are less likely to be referred than younger adults, particularly when aged ≥80 years.AimTo explore how healthcare professionals (HCPs) manage older people in relation to depression and referrals to psychological therapies.Design and settingSystematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.MethodMEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Social Sciences Citation Index (inception–March 2018) were searched for studies exploring HCPs’ views regarding management of late-life depression across all settings. Studies of older people’s views or depression management across all ages were excluded.ResultsIn total, 27 studies, were included; these predominantly focused on the views of GPs and primary and community care nurses. Many HCPs felt that late-life depression was mainly attributable to social isolation and functional decline, but treatments appropriate for this were limited. Clinicians perceived depression to have associated stigma for older adults, which required time to negotiate. Limited time in consultations and the complexity of needs in later life meant physical health was often prioritised over mental health, particularly in people with frailty. Good management of late-life depression appeared to depend more on the skills and interest of individual GPs and nurses than on any structured approach.ConclusionMental ill health needs to be a more-prominent concern in the care of older adults, with greater provision of psychological services tailored to later life. This may facilitate future identification and management of depression.

scholarly journals Moving residence in later life: actively shaping place and wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manik Gopinath ◽  
Vikki Entwistle ◽  
Tim Kelly ◽  
Barbara Illsley
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Older People ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Residential Settings

Policy discourse favours the idea of “ageing in place” but many older people move home and into different kinds of residential settings. This article extends the understanding of how relocation can promote as well as diminish older people’s well-being. Using relational understandings of place and capabilities (people’s freedoms and opportunities to be and to do what they value) we explored well-being across the relocation trajectories of 21 people aged 65–91 years living in diverse residential settings in Scotland. We found that a diverse array of capabilities mattered for well-being and that relocation was often motivated by concerns to secure “at-risk” capabilities for valued activities and relationships. Moving residence impacted several other capabilities, in addition to these, both, positively and negatively. We suggest that a capability approach offers a valuable lens for understanding and supporting well-being through behavioural models of late-life relocation.

Relationship of age and gender to the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress in later life

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1009-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie E. Byles ◽  
Lucy Gallienne ◽  
Fiona M. Blyth ◽  
Emily Banks
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Older People ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Comorbid Conditions ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackground:As populations age, psychological distress in late life will become of increasing public health and social importance. This study seeks to bridge the gap in information that exists about psychological distress in late life, by exploring the prevalence of psychological distress among a very large sample of older adults to determine the impact of age and gender, and the modifying effect of these factors on the associations between measures of psychological distress and sociodemographic and comorbid conditions.Methods:We analyzed self-reported data from 236,508 men and women in the New South Wales 45 and Up Study, to determine the impact of age and gender, and the modifying effects of these factors on associations between psychological distress and sociodemographic and comorbid conditions.Results:Higher education, married status, and higher income were associated with lower risk of psychological distress. Although overall prevalence of psychological distress is lower at older ages, this increases after age 80, and is particularly associated with physical disabilities. Some older people (such as those requiring help because of disability and those with multiple comorbid health conditions) are at increased risk of psychological distress.Conclusion:These findings have implications for both healthcare providers and policy-makers in identifying and responding to the needs of older people in our aging society.

A life of relationships

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Bildtgård ◽  
Peter Öberg
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Relationship Experiences ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Historical Transition ◽  
Experiences Of Women ◽  
Prior Relationship

This chapter bridges the macro–micro gap by showing how the historical transformation of intimacy is reflected in older individuals’ relationship careers. The chapter challenges the idea that current generations of older people have normally lived their lives in single lifelong marriages ending in widowhood and shows the complexity of their relationship careers. It discusses the consequences of prior relationship experiences on interest in, and preferences for, late-life intimacy. It discusses the different implications of being widowed versus divorced for interest in repartnering. Finally, it focuses on the different biographical relationship experiences of women and men and how they impact on the interest for repartnering in later life. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the presented findings in relation to the deinstitutionalisation of the life course. Extensive biographical case descriptions are used to give the reader an understanding of what it means to have lived one’s life during the historical transition to divorce culture.

scholarly journals INEQUALITIES IN FRAILTY BY SOCIO-ECONOMIC POSITION: IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S225-S225
Author(s):  
Carol Jagger ◽  
Mark D Hayward
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Very Old Age ◽  
Economic Position ◽  
Young Old

Abstract A number of studies have found that higher socio-economic position (SEP) appears protective of becoming frail. However, not only can SEP be defined in early, mid or late life, by education, occupational status or income/material disadvantage respectively, but frailty may occur in the young old as well as the very old. Do the same measures of SEP reflect inequalities in frailty in the young old as the very old? Does it matter when in the lifecourse SEP is measured? Have inequalities in frailty between SEP groups changed across the generations of older people? We seek to answer such questions from cohorts across the spectrum of later life. The first presentation, from the 1958 British Birth Cohort Study, examines the association between early-life SEP and frailty at age 50 and whether this association is due to continued disadvantage into mid-life. The second presentation moves to very old age, examining the role of early, mid and late life disadvantage on the progression of frailty between ages 85 and 90 in the Newcastle 85+ cohort. The third presentation, based on the electronic health records of adults aged 75 years and over in England, focuses on whether SEP modifies frailty trajectories in the last year of life. The final presentation examines whether SEP inequalities in frailty have changed over different generations of older people, and utilises data from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies. Together these presentations increase understanding of which SEP groups should be targeted for interventions to reduce frailty throughout later life.

Introduction

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Bildtgård ◽  
Peter Öberg
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Case Description ◽  
Interested Reader

The chapter opens with a case description of an older cohabiting couple who met late in life. The case sets the scene for a discussion of the phenomenon of late life repartnering – its socio-historical preconditions, as well as the particularities of meeting a new intimate partner in later life in difference with other life phases – central themes of discussion in the following chapters. The chapter continues by outlining the key findings for the book’s readers, such as gerontologists, family researchers, sexologists, people working with older people, and the generally interested reader.

scholarly journals Body size throughout the life-course and incident benign prostatic hyperplasia-related outcomes and nocturia

BMC Urology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saira Khan ◽  
K. Y. Wolin ◽  
R. Pakpahan ◽  
R. L. Grubb ◽  
G. A. Colditz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Prostate Volume ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Background Existing evidence suggests that there is an association between body size and prevalent Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)-related outcomes and nocturia. However, there is limited evidence on the association between body size throughout the life-course and incident BPH-related outcomes. Methods Our study population consisted of men without histories of prostate cancer, BPH-related outcomes, or nocturia in the intervention arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) (n = 4710). Associations for body size in early- (age 20), mid- (age 50) and late-life (age ≥ 55, mean age 60.7 years) and weight change with incident BPH-related outcomes (including self-reported nocturia and physician diagnosis of BPH, digital rectal examination-estimated prostate volume ≥ 30 cc, and prostate-specific antigen [PSA] concentration > 1.4 ng/mL) were examined using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation. Results Men who were obese in late-life were 25% more likely to report nocturia (Relative Risk (RR): 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.11–1.40; p-trendfor continuous BMI < 0.0001) and men who were either overweight or obese in late-life were more likely to report a prostate volume ≥ 30 cc (RRoverweight: 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.21; RRobese: 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19; p-trendfor continuous BMI = 0.017) as compared to normal weight men. Obesity at ages 20 and 50 was similarly associated with both nocturia and prostate volume ≥ 30 cc. Considering trajectories of body size, men who were normal weight at age 20 and became overweight or obese by later-life had increased risks of nocturia (RRnormal to overweight: 1.09, 95% CI 0.98–1.22; RRnormal to obese: 1.28, 95% CI 1.10–1.47) and a prostate volume ≥ 30 cc (RRnormal to overweight: 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.20). Too few men were obese early in life to examine the independent effect of early-life body size. Later-life body size modified the association between physical activity and nocturia. Conclusions We found that later-life body size, independent of early-life body size, was associated with adverse BPH outcomes, suggesting that interventions to reduce body size even late in life can potentially reduce the burden of BPH-related outcomes and nocturia.

Using crystallization to understand loneliness in later life: integrating social science and creative narratives in sensitive qualitative research

2021 ◽  
pp. 146879412110059
Author(s):  
Barbara Barbosa Neves ◽  
Josephine Wilson ◽  
Alexandra Sanders ◽  
Renata Kokanović
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Creative Writing ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Older People ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Vulnerable Populations ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Social Phenomena

This article draws on crystallization, a qualitative framework developed by Laurel Richardson and Laura Ellingson, to show the potential of using sociological narratives and creative writing to better analyze and represent the lived experiences of loneliness among older people living in Australian care homes. Crystallization uses a multi-genre approach to study and present social phenomena. At its core is a concern for the ethics of representation, which is critical when engaging with vulnerable populations. We use two case studies from research on loneliness to illustrate an application of crystallization through different narrative types. To supplement our sociological narratives, we invited author Josephine Wilson to write creative narratives based on the case studies. Josephine was awarded the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2017 for Extinctions, a novel exploring themes such as later life and loneliness. By contrasting the two approaches—sociological and creative narratives—we discuss the implications of crystallization for qualitative research.

Understanding diversity in later life and a new culture of aging: Sociology of aging in Japan

2021 ◽  
pp. 026858092110053
Author(s):  
Daisuke Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Social Disparities ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Care Problems ◽  
Sociological Studies

This essay introduces sociological studies on aging and related topics in Japan since 2000. It argues the three following points. First, the results of sociological studies on aging, and those from related social science disciplines, have moved away from a uniform understanding of aging to reveal greater diversity in the process. Second, it has become apparent that older people face various social problems, such as social isolation, social disparities, and family care problems. Studies have argued that it is essential to support mutual aid in the community. Finally, the reflexivity of high modernity attempts to push the problem of aging towards autonomy, but a new culture of aging assumes that dependence has the potential to overcome this reflexivity.

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