Stacking the Odds: A Phenomenological Study of Non-problem Gambling in Later Life

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad Hagen ◽  
Gary Nixon ◽  
Jason Solowoniuk
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Behavioural Strategies

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this exploratory, phenomenological-hermeneutic study was to explore the experience of non-problem gambling by older adults. Twelve older gamblers were identified as non-problem gamblers using two gambling screens and participated in in-depth interviews about their experience of gambling. Two major themes emerged from the interviews: the attractions of gambling and methods to keep gambling in control. Older persons sought out gambling for a variety of reasons: social contact, the food and the excitement, chances to give to charity, chances to have an inexpensive holiday, and the need for a safe way to be “bad”. Participants also described a number of cognitive and behavioural strategies to keep their gambling from becoming a problem. The results of this small exploratory study suggest that gambling is a popular form of social entertainment for older persons, although the main attractions of gambling have little or nothing to do with gambling itself. Older persons also appear to possess numerous strategies to keep gambling from becoming a problem.

scholarly journals Using Everyday Technology Independently When Living with Forgetfulness: Experiences of Older Adults in Barcelona

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142199375
Author(s):  
Samuel Briones ◽  
Louise Meijering
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
The Capability Approach

Older adults living with forgetfulness encounter difficulties when engaging with changing and dynamic everyday technology (ET). The capability to use ET is important for independence in later life and is affected by the contextual and individual characteristics of older adults. Using the capability approach as a theoretical lens, this phenomenological study aims to explore the experiences of older adults living with forgetfulness, in order to identify contextual and individual factors that facilitate the use of ET in everyday life. A qualitative methodology was used to interview 16 community-dwelling older adults participating in memory and technology workshops at local community centres in Barcelona. Findings show that motivation and openness to learning played a facilitating role in our participants’ use of ET. The presence of social support in the form of “technology experts” and community centres offering learning opportunities were also enhancing factors that encourage independence when engaging with ET. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the importance of expanding intergenerational ET learning opportunities, through the creation of age-friendly spaces.

Ageing

2021 ◽  
pp. 240-254
Author(s):  
Wadad Kathy Tannous ◽  
Kathleen Quilty
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Emergent Technologies ◽  
The World ◽  
First Time

In 2019, the number of people in the world aged over 65 was 703 million. By 2050, this number is projected to be 1.5 billion. However, it is not only the number of older persons but the proportion that is changing. Italy was the first country to experience a demographic milestone known as the ‘Historic Reversal', reporting in 1995 that the population of people aged 65 years and older outnumbered children under the age of 15 for the first time ever. By 2050, this number is expected to reach 90 countries. This social ‘megatrend' collides with another shifting paradigm: technological advancement, accelerating every year at an extraordinary pace. While this trend of continuous technological evolution is not developing uniformly around the world, the scope of potential support that new and emergent technologies can bring to older adults is enormous. This chapter explores key areas of consideration to ensure that the promise of the digital future is realised for older people and that it is an enabling force, rather than a barrier to enjoying a longer, more supported later life.

Reciprocity in material and time support within parent–child relationships during late-life widowhood

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1668-1689 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. ISHERWOOD ◽  
M. A. LUSZCZ ◽  
D. S. KING
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Informal Support ◽  
Instrumental Support ◽  
Spousal Loss ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Parent Child

ABSTRACTThe exchange of informal support within the social network plays a vital role in enabling older adults to remain living in the community as they age. Following spousal loss in later life, the exchange of instrumental support is of particular importance in order to meet the practical and financial needs of the bereaved spouse. Adult children are typically the primary source of social contact and informal support for older widowed adults following bereavement. However, very little is known of the longitudinal changes that occur in the exchange of instrumental support with children during the transition to late-life widowhood. Trajectories and predictors of change in material and time support exchange in parent–child relationships were modelled over a 15-year period for 1,266 older adults (mean age 76.7 years). Widowed older adults received more material and time support from their children than their married peers. Proximity to children, age at spousal loss, self-rated health, cognitive functioning and income were predictive of levels of exchanged instrumental support in late-life widowhood. Short-term reciprocity appears to continue in parent–child relationships during late-life widowhood. The implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed, including the role of children in the support networks of older widowed adults and the potential difficulties faced by those who do not have access to informal avenues of support.

Mitigating the Challenges and Capitalizing on Opportunities: A Qualitative Investigation of the Public Library’s Response to an Aging Population

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Wynia Baluk ◽  
Meridith Griffin ◽  
James Gillett
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Staff Training ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Librarians ◽  
The Many ◽  
Depth Interviews

ABSTRACT Public libraries are community hubs that can both create opportunities and address challenges often associated with later life and population aging. Using a thematic analysis of 18 in-depth interviews with public librarians, this study investigates common practices and challenges experienced while developing programs for older adults. This analysis is augmented by an environmental scan of older-adult programming offered in member libraries of the Canadian Urban Library Council (CULC). Results indicate that public librarians leverage community partnerships and staff training to develop programs that foster digital, financial, language, and health literacy and create opportunities for both intergenerational and peer social connection. At the same time, they face challenges related to limited space, budgets, and staff capacity, difficulty meeting the extensive and often conflicting interests of various groups within the library, and marketing programming to older adults. Findings indicate that public libraries may be key players in mitigating challenges often associated with having an aging population, and indeed highlight the many benefits of valuing and providing services to this population.

scholarly journals Exploring Family Caregivers’ Subjective Experience of Positive Aspects in Home-Based Elder Caregiving: From Korean Family Caregivers’ Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Jung Hee Lee
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Positive Experience ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Korean Family ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Depth Interviews

Recently research has identified positive dimensions of the caregiving experience. However, there is still a dearth of research into positive aspects of home-based family caregiving for older adults in various cultural contexts. This exploratory study seeks to expand our knowledge in this area by exploring the positive experience of Korean family caregivers who cared for older adults with frailty at home and how they can transform their caregiving experience into positive one despite of many challenges. Eighteen family caregivers were explored through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Participants reported several positive aspects from their home-based elder caregiving experience. The positive aspects were categorized into three groups; relational aspects, personal aspects, and spiritual aspects. Findings indicate that Koran family caregivers of older adults in this study perceive that caregiving experience is challenging but also offers an opportunity for gains.

scholarly journals Intergenerational Effects on the Impacts of Technology Use in Later Life: Insights from an International, Multi-Site Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Freeman ◽  
Hannah R. Marston ◽  
Janna Olynick ◽  
Charles Musselwhite ◽  
Cory Kulczycki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Intergenerational Support ◽  
Use Of Technology

As the use of technology becomes further integrated into the daily lives of all persons, including older adults, it is important to investigate how the perceptions and use of technology intersect with intergenerational relationships. Based on the international multi-centered study Technology In Later Life (TILL), this paper emphasizes the perceptions of older adults and the interconnection between technology and intergenerational relationships are integral to social connectedness with others. Participants from rural and urban sites in Canada and the UK (n = 37) completed an online survey and attended a focus group. Descriptive and thematic analyses suggest that older adults are not technologically adverse and leverage intergenerational relationships with family and friends to adjust to new technologies and to remain connected to adult children and grandchildren, especially when there is high geographic separation between them. Participants referenced younger family members as having introduced them to, and having taught them how to use, technologies such as digital devices, computers, and social networking sites. The intergenerational support in the adoption of new technologies has important implications for helping older persons to remain independent and to age in place, in both age-friendly cities and in rural communities. The findings contribute to the growing literature in the fields of gerontology and gerontechnology on intergenerational influences and the impacts of technology use in later life and suggest the flexibility and willingness of older persons to adopt to new technologies as well as the value of intergenerational relationships for overcoming barriers to technology adoption.

scholarly journals Group therapy for women problem gamblers: A space of their own

2008 ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noëlla Piquette-Tomei ◽  
Erika Norman ◽  
Sonya Corbin Dwyer ◽  
Evelyn McCaslin
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Group Counselling ◽  
Theory Analysis ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Gambling Treatment ◽  
Gender Specific

This report presents the results of a grounded theory analysis produced from in-depth interviews with 14 women participating in group counselling for problem gambling. Themes emerged from this analysis that provided insights into effective counselling practices for women problem gamblers. The results explore the impact of a group therapy approach in addressing the needs of these women. Participants indicated that perceived effectiveness of counselling groups was situated in accessibility, gender-specific clusters, and following specific treatment formats in group meetings designed for gamblers. This paper outlines implications for improving problem gambling treatment within the context of the experiences of the women in this study.

Affiliates and Non-Affiliates in Later Life

2021 ◽  
pp. 106-132
Author(s):  
Vern Bengtson ◽  
Gabrielle Gonzales ◽  
Camille Endacott ◽  
Samantha L. C. Kang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Bible Study ◽  
Spiritual Practices ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Corporate Worship ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Depth Interviews

The purpose of this study was to examine the types, meanings, and benefits of spiritual practices among older adults and to discuss their implications for well-being. In-depth interviews were conducted with 122 individuals, with an average age of 77. Of these, 102 were highly involved in churches or synagogues, and 20 were atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, or religiously indifferent. The chapter’s authors found a wide array of activities identified by respondents as spiritual practices, ranging from the anticipated (prayer, participating in corporate worship, reading) to the more novel (attending long-distance Bible study groups via Skype, watercolor painting). They also found an overlap between the religious and the nonreligious older adults in many spiritual practices. Most respondents reported that their spiritual practices had increased with age. Respondents perceived significant benefits from their spiritual practices. Too often, health practitioners have not been sensitive to the benefits of spiritual practices in the lives of older adults.

Factors associated with sexuality in later life: An exploratory study in a group of Greek married older adults

2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Papaharitou ◽  
E. Nakopoulou ◽  
P. Kirana ◽  
G. Giaglis ◽  
M. Moraitou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Factors Associated

scholarly journals The interweaving of repartnered older adults' lives with their children and siblings

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNY DE JONG GIERVELD ◽  
ANNEMARIE PEETERS
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Stressful Life Event ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Living Apart Together ◽  
Longitudinal Survey Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Unmarried Cohabitation ◽  
Depth Interviews

This paper examines the consequences of repartnering upon the social embeddedness of older adults' lives. The starting hypotheses, that repartnering is a stressful life event and is incompletely institutionalised, are examined using the NESTOR longitudinal survey data from The Netherlands on 4,449 respondents aged 55–89 years, together with in-depth interviews of 46 adults aged 50 or more years who had repartnered in later life. The results indicate that more repartnered older adults choose unmarried cohabitation and to ‘live apart together’ than remarriage. It was also found that when two partners come together, while not surprisingly their social networks become larger than those of separated older adults who do not enter a new relationship, less positively the quality of the subjects' relationships with their children was negatively affected. The older adults who opted for unmarried cohabitation and ‘living apart together’ relationships tended to have the weakest bonds with their children, principally for reasons associated with stress and (financial) insecurity.

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