scholarly journals Attendants’ experience with the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagnon ◽  
Mélanie Levasseur

Abstract Background: To promote healthy aging, the social participation needs of older adults must be better met. Previous studies have shown the benefits of the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC), but few explored its influence on attendants. This study explored the assistance experience of attendants in providing the APIC to older adults with disabilities.Methods: A qualitative design inspired by a phenomenological approach was used with six female attendants who participated in individual interviews.Results: The APIC attendants felt useful, developed meaningful relationships with their older adults, and improved their self-knowledge. Attendants had the opportunity to reflect on their lives and self-aging. They contributed to older adults’ functional independence, motivation, and participation in social activities. Attendants encountered challenges related to withdrawn behavior in older adults, such as refusing to participate in activities.Conclusions: Considering the identified benefits of the APIC for attendants, further studies should explore personalized assistance to preserve older adults’ health.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagnon ◽  
Mélanie Levasseur

Abstract Background: To promote healthy aging, the social participation needs of older adults must be better met. Previous studies have shown the benefits of the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC), but few explored its influence on attendants. This study explored the assistance experience of attendants in providing the APIC to older adults with disabilities.Methods: A qualitative design inspired by a phenomenological approach was used with six female attendants who participated in individual interviews.Results: The APIC attendants felt useful, developed meaningful relationships with their older adults, and improved their self-knowledge. Attendants had the opportunity to reflect on their lives and self-aging. They contributed to older adults’ functional independence, motivation, and participation in social activities. Attendants encountered challenges related to withdrawn behavior in older adults, such as refusing to participate in activities.Conclusions: Considering the identified benefits of the APIC for attendants, further studies should explore personalized assistance to preserve older adults’ health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagnon ◽  
Mélanie Levasseur

Abstract Background To promote healthy aging, the social participation needs of older adults must be better met. Previous studies have shown the benefits of the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC), but few explored its influence on attendants. This study explored the assistance experience of attendants when providing the APIC to older adults with disabilities. Methods A qualitative design inspired by a phenomenological approach was used with six female attendants who participated in individual interviews. Results The APIC attendants felt useful, developed meaningful relationships with their older adults, and improved their self-knowledge. Attendants had the opportunity to reflect on their lives and self-aging. They contributed to older adults’ functional independence, motivation, and participation in social activities. Attendants encountered challenges related to withdrawn behavior in older adults, such as refusing to participate in activities. Conclusions Considering the identified benefits of the APIC for attendants, further studies should explore personalized assistance to preserve older adults’ health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagnon ◽  
Mélanie Levasseur

Abstract Background To promote healthy aging, the social participation needs of older adults must be better met. Previous studies have shown the benefits of the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC), but few explored its influence on attendants. This study explored the assistance experience of attendants in providing the APIC to older adults with disabilities. Methods A qualitative design inspired by a phenomenological approach was used with six female attendants who participated in individual interviews. Results The APIC attendants felt useful, developed meaningful relationships with their older adults, and improved their self-knowledge. Attendants had the opportunity to reflect on their lives and self-aging. They contributed to older adults’ functional independence, motivation, and participation in social activities. Attendants encountered challenges related to withdrawn behavior in older adults, such as refusing to participate in activities. Conclusions Considering the identified benefits of the APIC for attendants, further studies should explore personalized assistance to preserve older adults’ health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagnon ◽  
Mélanie Levasseur

Abstract Background: To promote healthy aging, the social participation needs of older adults must be better met. Previous studies have shown the benefits of the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC), but few explored its influence on attendants. This study explored the assistance experience of attendants in providing the APIC to older adults with disabilities. Methods: A qualitative design inspired by a phenomenological approach was used with six female attendants who participated in individual interviews. Results: The APIC attendants felt useful, developed meaningful relationships with their older adults, and improved their self-knowledge. Attendants had the opportunity to reflect on their lives and self-aging. They contributed to older adults’ functional independence, motivation, and participation in social activities. Attendants encountered challenges related to withdrawn behavior in older adults, such as refusing to participate in activities. Conclusions: Considering the identified benefits of the APIC for attendants, further studies should explore personalized assistance to preserve older adults’ health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagnon ◽  
Mélanie Levasseur

Abstract Abstract Background : To promote healthy aging, the social participation needs of older adults must be better met. Previous studies have shown the benefits of the Personalized citizen assistance for social participation (APIC), but few explored its influence on attendants. This study explored the assistance experience of attendants when providing the APIC to older adults with disabilities. Methods : A qualitative design inspired by a phenomenological approach was used with six female attendants who participated in individual interviews. Results : The APIC attendants felt useful, developed meaningful relationships with their older adults, and improved their self-knowledge. Attendants had the opportunity to reflect on their lives and self-aging. They contributed to older adults’ functional independence, motivation, and participation in social activities. Attendants encountered challenges related to withdrawn behavior in older adults, such as refusing to participate in activities. Conclusions : Considering the identified benefits of the APIC for attendants, further studies should explore personalized assistance to preserve older adults’ health. Keywords: Community participation, individualized assistance, aging, community integration, health promotion


Author(s):  
Jongnam Hwang ◽  
Sangmin Park ◽  
Sujin Kim

Cognitive function is a critical health issue in later life, the decline of which disrupts well-being and daily life function. Cognitive decline in older ages can also be understood in the context of the social environment such as social connectedness and engagement in personal life. This study aimed to examine: (1) whether participation in social activities contributes to preventing cognitive decline, and (2) what type of social activities are beneficial to maintaining cognitive function. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) 2006–2014, a longitudinal survey of the household-dwelling population aged 45 and older in Korea were used. The results revealed that Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores decreased with increasing age, at a rate of approximately 0.18 units across all age-gender groups, and the decrease was steeper for adults aged 65 and over. Participation in social gatherings was likely to delay the decline in cognitive function after the age of 65. In a gender-stratified model, social activity may not have an impact on the decline of cognitive function for men, whereas participation in social gatherings was negatively related to the decline of MMSE scores in women. This study suggests the need for a gender-stratified policy for preventing the decline of cognitive function while promoting engagement in social activities in Korean older adults.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello Ienca ◽  
Christophe Schneble ◽  
Reto Kressig ◽  
Tenzin Wangmo

Abstract BackgroundDigital health technologies are being increasingly developed with the aim of allowing older adults to maintain functional independence throughout the old age, a process known as healthy ageing. Such digital health technologies for healthy ageing are expected to mitigate the socio-economic effects of population ageing and improve the quality of life of older people. However, little is known regarding the views and needs of older people regarding these technologies. AimThe aim of this study is to explore the views, needs and perceptions of community-dwelling older adults regarding the use of digital health technologies for healthy ageing. MethodFace-to-face, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with community-dwelling older adults (median age 79.6 years). The interview process involved both abstract reflections and practical demonstrations. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed according to inductive content analysis. ResultsThree main themes and twelve sub-themes emerged. The three main themes revolved around the following thematic areas: favorable views and perceptions on technology-assisted living, usability evaluations and ethical considerations. ConclusionsOur study reveals a generally positive attitude towards digital health technologies as participants believed digital tools could positively contribute to improving their overall wellbeing, especially if designed in a patient-centered manner. Safety concerns and ethical issues related to privacy, empowerment and lack of human contact also emerged as key considerations.


2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
A. BARUSCH ◽  
D.L. WATERS

Background:Social isolation is a significant problem for frail older adults and the determinants ofsocial engagement are poorly understood. Objectives:This study explored the social engagement of frail eldersto identify personal attributes associated with social engagement. Design, Setting and Participants:A cross-sectional sample of seventy-three people receiving home-based care in one town on the South Island of NewZealand (mean age 82 (7.2) yrs, n=51 Females, 21 Males). Measurements:Face-to-face semi-structuredinterviews and questionnaires. Functional independence was measured using Nottingham Extended Activities ofDaily Living (EADL), self-efficacy by General Self Efficacy Scale, and 2 open-ended questions were piloted onsocial activities and helping others. Results:Regression models identified two statistically associatedcomponents of social engagement: social activities and civic involvement. Contributions to families andcommunity organizations and exercise were important social activities. Personal attributes included perceivedfunctional independence and self-efficacy. Conclusions:In frail older adults, a measurement of socialengagement should address activities older adults identify as important, including exercise. Independence, self -efficacy, and social engagement may interact in reinforcing cycles of empowerment and could play a role indeveloping interventions to retain and maintain function in frail older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S630-S630
Author(s):  
Chenxin Tan ◽  
Yun Zhou

Abstract Social participation is of great significance in healthy aging. While studies on social participation among Chinese elderly are growing, there is a lack of understanding the changes over time of the participation. Using datasets from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this paper presents a comprehensive analysis on a decade’s trend of social participation among Chinese older adults. First, we use the method of Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify types of social participation; in this study, we concluded three types, no participation, the family-centered, and the society-oriented. Second, we examine the characteristics of the elderly by types of participation in terms of demographic, socioeconomic and health condition and analyze the changes in the characteristics over time. And third, we interpret the trend of social participation with broader social environment, or the fluctuant structural and institutional differences under the context of China’s unique social system. Our general conclusion is that while the overall level of participation holds relatively steady, there is a dynamic micro progress and complex mechanisms in this long period. In addition, although both the family-centered participants and the society-oriented possess broader scopes of social participation, the related attributes are different across time. This paper contributes to our knowledge of life of the elderly under the circumstances of fast aging process in China.


2008 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Zettel-Watson ◽  
Michael Britton

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