Study on the relationship between active ageing activities and the degree of satisfaction in older adults during Covid-19 (Estudio sobre la relación entre las actividades de envejecimiento activo y el grado de satisfacción en los adultos mayores durante e

This research aimed to study the relationship between the frequency of participation of older adults in active ageing programs and the satisfaction they obtain from this experience. The research was quantitative, cross-sectional, and relational; and an intentional non-probability sampling was applied to select 800 persons over 65, corresponding to users of various senior centres located in four districts of Madrid, Spain. The data collection instrument consisted of 29 easy-to-understand questions grouped into six dimensions. Results of the questionnaire indicate that users are satisfied with the activities and services offered by the centres since they manage to establish new relationships and learn new skills through group workshops that contribute to their personal enrichment. According to 78% of the respondents, participation in workshops and other group activities contribute to a better quality of life in the elderly, and no statistically significant differences were found between the users’ degree of satisfaction and gender. This research provides possible improvements in areas that will contribute to preventing dependence; for example, those in which there is a greater demand from users. As proposals for improvement, we suggest designing specific strategies to obtain more male participation in senior centre workshops. Resumen. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo estudiar la relación entre la frecuencia de participación de los adultos mayores en programas de envejecimiento activo y la satisfacción que obtienen de esta experiencia. La investigación fue cuantitativa, transversal y relacional; y se aplicó un muestreo no probabilístico intencional para seleccionar a 800 personas mayores de 65 años, correspondientes a usuarios de varios centros de mayores ubicados en cuatro distritos de Madrid, España. El instrumento de recogida de datos consistió en 29 preguntas de fácil comprensión agrupadas en seis dimensiones. Los resultados del cuestionario indican que los usuarios están satisfechos con las actividades y servicios que ofrecen los centros ya que consiguen establecer nuevas relaciones y aprender nuevas habilidades a través de talleres grupales que contribuyen a su enriquecimiento personal. Según el 78% de los encuestados, la participación en talleres y otras actividades grupales contribuyen a mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores, y no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios y el género. Esta investigación aporta posibles mejoras en áreas que contribuirán a prevenir la dependencia; por ejemplo, aquellas en las que existe una mayor demanda por parte de los usuarios. Como propuestas de mejora, se sugiere diseñar estrategias específicas para conseguir una mayor participación masculina en los talleres de los centros de mayores.

Older, How? The Importance of Practising Educative and Healthy Activities

This research aims to study active ageing by participation in educative and healthy activities (PE&HA) at centres that provide active ageing programmes. An exploratory quantitative study was undertaken, envisaging to explore the relationship between certain variables (age, sex, attendance and type of activity) and the degree of satisfaction with PE&HA. An intentional non-probabilistic sampling was applied to select 800 persons over 55, corresponding to users of various senior centres located in four districts of Madrid, Spain. The data collection instrument consisted of 29 easy-to-understand questions grouped into six dimensions. Results of the questionnaire indicate that users are satisfied with PE&HA offered by the centres. According to 78% of the respondents, the participation in workshops and other group activities contribute to a better quality of life in the elderly, and no statistically significant differences were found between the users’ degree of satisfaction and gender. This research provides possible improvements in areas that will contribute to preventing dependence; for example, those in which there is a greater demand from users. As proposals for improvement, we suggest designing specific strategies to obtain more male participation in senior centre workshops.

Therapeutic teaching artistry: Towards a wellness model for enhancing vitality in older adults

This qualitative case study examined how the therapeutic aspects of drama teaching artistry was conceptualized at an urban lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) senior centre by observing and/or participating in 31 creative arts education sessions and conducting two focus groups with the centre’s older adult members. Additionally, 34 semi-structured interviews were held with the centre’s teaching artists (TAs), older adults and administrators. Using constructivist grounded theory, emergent themes led to two primary findings: (1) the conceptual category therapeutic teaching artistry articulated how TAs’ practices promoted health and wellness; and (2) a provisional major concept Being Alive captured how members’ quality of life were perceived to be enhanced by the creative arts education programming. Beyond facilitating reminiscence, preventing decline or merely stimulating older adults, TAs helped older adults internalize a greater sense of agency, affirm their own humanity and improve vitality without unethically conducting creative arts therapy.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IF-MADM (INTUITIONISTIC-FUZZY MULTI-ATTRIBUTE DECISION-MAKING) FOR GROUP DECISIONS: METHODS AND AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE SELECTION OF A SENIOR CENTRE

This study determines the effectiveness of intuitionistic-fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making (IF-MADM) for making group decisions in practice. The effectiveness of the method is measured in terms of four dimensions: applicability, efficacy, efficiency and informativeness. To measure the efficacy, an IF-MADM model that has been recently proposed, AHP and the TOPSIS approach, which are compensatory models for group MADM, are used to model and solve the same collective decision. Using non-parametric statistical tests for data analytics, a ‘similarity confirmation method’ is proposed for a pair-wise test. This is to determine whether the score vectors are similar. Score vectors are used to determine the final ordinal ranks and whose scales differ greatly for different MADM methods. Since the latter two MADM models are both trustworthy with a known range of applications, any similarity in the results verifies the efficacy of IF-MADM. Using this process, the applicability of IF-MADM modelling is demonstrated. The efficiency and informativeness are also benchmarked and justified in terms of the model’s ability to produce a more informed decision. These results are of interest to practitioners for the selection and application of MADM models. Finally, the selection of a senior centre, which is a real group decision problem, is used to illustrate these. This extends the empirical application of IF-MADM, as relatively few studies practically compare issues for IF-MADM with those for other MADM models. The study also supports a rarely studied non-clinical healthcare decision that is relevant because there are many aging societies.

How cooks navigate nutrition, hunger and care in public-sector foodservice settings

ObjectiveTo examine the perspectives and practices of cooks responsible for carrying out healthy meal programmes in publicly funded foodservice, in order to better understand what they consider to be ‘good’ food and where nutrition and nutritional standards fit into this conceptualization.DesignA qualitative, exploratory study involving in-depth interviews that were conducted with cooks and their supervisors about their work practices and perspectives on providing healthy food for clients.SettingParticipants were recruited from child-care, after-school, senior-centre and shelter settings that had participated in healthy menu training in New York City, USA.SubjectsEighteen cooks and nine supervisors working in the aforementioned settings.ResultsThe views and practices of both cooks and supervisors about what constitutes ‘good’ food extend beyond a purely nutritional view of goodness to include the importance of addressing hunger and clients’ food preferences, among other factors. Cooks address these by interacting with clients and altering recipes and menus in a range of ways to maximize the likelihood of food consumption and enjoyment. These approaches are often, but not always, compatible with setting-specific nutritional guidelines that may be set at the national, state, local or organizational level.ConclusionsCooks play a key role in translating nutritional guidelines into what is served. In doing so, they engage in skilled labour and forms of care that increase the ability of public-sector foodservice to address food security and other goals, but these aspects of their work are not widely recognized.

Characteristics of senior centre users – and the impact of a group programme on social support and late-life depression

<p><em><strong>Background:</strong></em> Senior centres are described as arenas for prevention. However, few studies have addressed this subject. The main aims of the present study were to evaluate the impact of a senior centre programme on depression and social support, to gain knowledge about the socio-demographic, psychosocial and health characteristics of users of the senior centres in relation to non-users, and to investigate the associations between psychological distress and social support and somatic and socio-demographic factors.</p><p><em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> Data were obtained from the Norwegian Population Register for two municipal districts in Oslo. A random sample was drawn limited to 4,000 of the total number of residents over 65 years living at home. Self-report questionnaires were sent by post. The response rate was 64% and n=2,387. Psychological distress was assessed using Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10) and social support with Oslo-3 Social Support Scale. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was an outcome measure in addition to scales of health and life satisfaction. In total 415 persons fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the RCT and 92 completed the study.</p><p><em><strong>Findings:</strong></em> High age and specific health problems were associated with increased use of the senior centre. Single women used the senior centres more than married women whereas single men used the senior centres less than married men. Lack of social support and somatic health problems increased psychological distress. Physical impairments and hearing in particular was associated with low levels of social support which again was associated with psychological distress. There were no significant effects on depression of the group programme. However, based on data from one year follow-up, the programme may have a delayed effect due to a general age-dependent increase in depression. This means that the intervention does not make any significant difference to persons with an already manifest depression, but likely prevents worsening for those with milder symptoms. Social support and quality of life were moderately improved.</p><p><em><strong>Conclusion</strong></em>: The findings document a public health problem since the prevalence of physical impairments is high and loneliness is quite common and might lead to increased psychological distress. A further evaluation of these programmes is necessary to capture the effectiveness of the specific parts of the programme’s content.</p>