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Since the 1950s retirement has evolved from what was a brief, final period of decline to what is now a full-blown dynamic stage in the life cycle. Recent clinical studies focusing on the variables that affect the quality of life as a retiree confirm many assumptions, like the benefits of financial security and stable marriage relationships, while shedding new light onto others, such as the impact of gender and postretirement employment. Thoughtful preparation for the psychological and social aspects of retirement may be as important as financial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Old age usually comes with frailty and withdrawal resulting to dependence on various support systems for assistance. However, studies have shown that social support available for older adults from these support systems especially in south-east Nigeria is inadequate. This study therefore depicts some cultural activities as a form of social support system for older adults. Data and methods: Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 older adults and their caregivers. Thematic analytic approach was adopted to analyse the data. Findings: Some of the prevailing cultural activities including village meetings, marriage ceremonies, child naming or dedications, funerals, postpartum care serve as veritable means of support to older adults. Conclusion: This study therefore suggests that older adults should be encouraged to participate in some of these activities in order to ensure satisfactory support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Intercathedra is the property of Poznan University of Life Sciences Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a growing body of literature regarding living labs, which are seen as an effective way to develop and evaluate research for novel products and services with the actual end users. With growth in the living labs model, there is an increasing need for guidelines to steer and support the set-up and maintenance of initiatives, and to facilitate relationships and engagement with stakeholders and users in this context. This study seeks to address this need, in part, by exploring the needs, expectations, and motivations that older adults have in relation to research participation in an emerging living lab. This work is part of a wider research project to develop an integrated framework to guide emerging living labs. Eight semi-structured interviews were undertaken with six residents and two family members from two residential settings for older adults that were collaborating to establish a living lab environment. A concept-driven coding frame supported the coding and analysis of the interview transcripts. The results provide insights in relation to participant motivation to take part in research, and they identify some issues of concern for participants, both residents and family members, related to living lab initiatives. As a first step in developing a successful living lab culture of collaborative research, this study has demonstrated that open discussion with residents and their families should continue to guide processes and research design as the emerging living lab initiative continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respect for the elderly and hence the associated rights support a generational contract. Nevertheless, the case of the recent debate on the universal retirement scheme in Hong Kong has raised concerns about its strength. We identify relevant items from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey to explore the orientations of different generations toward others. The analysis shows differences between younger and older generations. Regression analyses show that values are not significant in explaining the differences, but various positions, including sex, marital status, and education, and perceptions of the elderly are relevant. Such differences across generations might weaken the generational contract and potentially engender conflicts as shown in the recent debate about the retirement scheme. We suggest short‐ and long‐term interest calculations, informed by their positions, play a more significant role in policy discussions and decisions, rather than simply appealing to values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to find out experiences of social connectedness with children and relatives, emotional health and cognitive well-being of 427 elderly (female=270 and male=157), age varying from 60 years and above. These subjects were administered individually a questionnaire, Montreal Cognitive Assesment scale (Marathi translation) and a test to measure symptoms of depression, anxiety and coping. The findings revealed the complex nature of relationship between social contact, cognitive and psychological wellbeing. Results may help establish the utility of social support setting apart socially connected cohorts from others, and underline possible cultural factors operating in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Age differences have been noted in the discrepancies between crystallized and fluid ability (Gc-Gf). Larger Gc-Gf discrepancies have also been shown to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and clinical severity. However, little is known regarding the relationship between Gc-Gf discrepancies in normal aging and functional outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine this. Method: Data from 104 adults (Mage = 71.70 years, SD = 9.016) were included in the present study. Measures from the NIH toolbox were used to form the discrepancy scores. Physical, cognitive, and social activities were identified using the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors activity questionnaire. Linear regression analyses, controlling for age, education, gender, health, and depressive symptoms, were used to examine the association between social, cognitive, and physical activities on Gc-Gf discrepancies. Results: Results showed that social and physical activity were significantly associated with greater discrepancies between crystallized and fluid ability, independent of covariates. There was no association between cognitive activity and Gc-Gf discrepancies. Conclusions: Larger discrepancies between crystallized and fluid ability are related to frequency of social and physical activity. The findings support previous research that discrepancy scores may serve as a marker of cognitive decline. In more highly educated older individuals, Gc-Gf discrepancies may be a more accurate indicator of actual cognitive status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant demand-perspective social tourism studies have generally focused on children, families and the disabled whilst older people remain an under-researched group in relation to the personal and social benefits of social tourism initiatives. This study discusses the lack of research on social tourism and older people and takes a demand-side perspective to examine one of the world’s most developed and large-scale social tourism schemes for older people, the Spanish Government’s IMSERSO programme. A qualitative approach explores the nature of older people’s engagement with the scheme and its impact on their wellbeing, through individual in-depth interviews with twenty-seven IMSERSO participants in Benidorm, Spain - a popular IMSERSO destination. The thematic analysis is structured around five themes: social connectivity, the impact of caring responsibilities, a new beginning, escape and practical support. The findings for these IMSERSO participants suggest that, as factors such as caring obligations and hardship experienced in early life are reduced in later life, they have the capacity for increased holiday-taking and social activity and consequently for participation in the IMSERSO scheme. The scheme is found to have a positive impact on their wellbeing by providing opportunities for meeting and interacting with new people, acting as a distraction from ill-health and thus reducing stress, depression and anxiety. However, the article raises questions over the ability of those without strong social networks, including no partner, and those with ongoing caring responsibilities (those who, it could be argued, are most in need of a holiday) to participate in the scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature pertaining to the effects of age differences indicates that elderly individuals and younger adults process information differently. Age differences result in a complex set of changes in individuals' sources of information, ability to learn, and susceptibility to social influence. The implications of these changes are discussed in terms of marketing practice, theory, and methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Determining social vulnerability of elderly people is a prerequisite for risk analysis in natural disasters. Understanding and comprehension of different dimensions of elderly social vulnerability by using international experiences is a must to determine and ultimately measure this phenomenon. In this study, we tried to understand the dimensions of elderly social vulnerability in natural disasters based on international experiences. Materials and Methods: An integrative review of literature was conducted to clarify the elderly social vulnerability concept in natural disasters. We used keywords such as "elderly", "social vulnerability", and "natural disasters" in texts and titles in electronic databases of Medlib Iran Medex, Magiran, SID, Irandoc, Web of Science, Google Scholar CINAHL, ProQuest, Ovid, Ageline, Scopus, Embase, and Pub Med. At last 25 articles were found issued from 1986 to 2018. Their inclusion criteria were written in Persian or English language and had search keywords in their texts, titles, or and keywords. Commentary or editor letters were excluded. Each article was examined according to subjects, definition of social vulnerability, theoretical aspects, outcomes and antecedents of social vulnerability. For analyzing, controversial content analyses was used. Results: The results of the concept analysis showed that social vulnerability is a complex, dynamic, challenging, multi-dimensional and pre-existing condition that is dependent on individual characteristics as well as economic status. It is influenced by the culture and elderly people's place of living. Conclusion: Reducing social vulnerability of older adults in natural disasters is not possible without paying enough attention to this issue and increasing their empowerment. Therefore, extensive research to identify this concept in related contexts and carry out qualitative research will be very effective in defining this concept and providing the appropriate tools for its measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on cultural exclusion has not kept apace with transformations to rural populations, economy, family structures and community relationships. Cultural exclusion refers to the extent to which people are able or willing to conform to cultural norms and values. We theorise cultural exclusion using the critical human ecological framework and social comparison theory, taking into account period effects, area effects and cohort and/or lifecourse effects. Qualitative case studies in three rural areas of South Wales (United Kingdom) synthesise data from life-history interviews, life-history calendars, documentary sources and focus groups (n = 56). Our findings suggest that cultural exclusion is an issue for rural-dwelling older people, which they describe by temporal self-comparison and group comparisons. The critical human ecological framework provides new insight into the drivers (industrial decline, policy and population change, a shift from collectivism to individualism), and outcomes (sense of belonging, community cohesion) of cultural exclusion experienced by rural-dwelling older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing older people's social exclusion is a major challenge for contemporary societies. However, policies designed to address it have tended to focus on poverty and unemployment. This paper explores the relationship between social exclusion and political participation from the perspective of those already holding responsible roles within seniors' organisations. We aim to highlight the impact of later-life social exclusion in relation to politically active older individuals from two diverse socio-political contexts, Australia and Spain. Participants perceived a range of potential barriers for the inclusion of new members and their own continued involvement. These related to practical and resource issues, beliefs and attitudes towards participation, and organisational and contextual issues. Members' views of retention of existing members as well as the recruitment of new members highlight the complexity associated with building the diversity and representativeness that organisations need if they are to represent seniors' views in the policy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerontology has a longstanding tradition of researching the relationship between older adults and their socio-spatial environments. However, environmental gerontology often shares a positivistic understanding of space as either a "prosthetic" or a stressor and consequently searches for the "best fit" between a person and their environment. In this article, we argue for a stronger theoretical corpus on social and territorial exclusion in later life by exploring concepts from urban and environmental sociology, as well as examining the usefulness of these concepts for gerontological thinking. In doing so, we discuss trans-European research traditions beyond the hegemonic body of Anglo-Saxon literature. In conclusion, we discuss how gerontology and sociology might exchange ideas in order to build a stronger theoretical background on the relations between age, space and exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explain why Hong Kong youth have become unhappier than older people in recent years. We test in this connection six hypotheses, using random effects ordinal logistic regressions with a combined macro-micro dataset from official statistics and a longitudinal opinion survey project from 2000 to 2014. The results show that the decline in the happiness level in recent years is more significant for Hong Kong youth than for older people. We also find evidence of age heterogeneity in the impacts of both macroeconomic conditions and the housing price on happiness. GDP per capita has a weaker positive effect on youth’s happiness than it does on older people. The positive correlation between housing price and happiness is valid for older people only. Rapid economic growth and the rise in the price of housing have made older people happier than youth since the early 2010s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our present society in the West, we witness significant change and loss on multiple levels for our diverse older population. It is in this context, as well as that of our increased longevity, that I examine the role of ritual in late life transcendence. Are there rituals performed alone or in relationship, in addition to traditional religious rituals, that increase our sense of aliveness, purpose, and are potentially transformational in our later years? Ritual, in this sense, would be a form of connection that is revisited for its whole-making. I affirm the inner Presence, which supports an organic emergence of ritual that is strengthened by the energy and witness of community. This article includes several examples of this person-centered process at different stages in the late life process and among diverse elders. It includes a description of the Croning Ceremony which I co-led with Patricia Thorne at the 2015 International Conference on Spirituality and Ageing. Drawing on our natural environment together with the work and lived experience of anthropologists, gerontologists, ethnogerontologists, Jungian therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, theologians, ministers, nurses, and family and diverse community members, I seek a holistic perspective on ritual and its role in our transcendence. The article closes with questions that can serve as stepping stones in preparing us to serve as companions and facilitators for our elders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As individuals age, their spiritual and religious needs may change. What are churches doing for their senior members? What do seniors feel they should do? In this study we asked both older church members and their clergy leaders about programs directed toward seniors in their congregations. The sample consisted of ministers, priests, and rabbis (n = 25) who then gave us names of senior members of their congregations for interview (n = 45, average age 78.5). Data, collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, showed that many congregations had provisions for older members, but most were focused on frail elders and their transportation needs. A majority of seniors, however, wanted more programs and groups tailored to their more active interests and needs. A number of the priests, rabbis, and pastors also saw the need for such programs but didn’t know how to go about forming them. Many churches appeared to equate being older with frailty and there appeared to be suggestions of ageism on the part of clergy. We conclude that the 75 million baby boomers who are now moving into their retirement years represent a challenge as well as a potential resource for churches and synagogues in America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative research examines the perceived walkability of different neighbourhood built-form patterns and their implications for the social life of older people. The findings suggest that both transport and leisure/exercise walking are more frequent within master-planned communities (MPC) as opposed to conventional suburbs. The main reasons for this are the proximity of destinations, the provision of aesthetically attractive areas, and residents’ feelings of being safe from crime and risk of injury within MPCs. The research reveals that walking within MPCs significantly contributes to more frequent social interactions and the establishment of weak and absent ties among older age residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely acknowledged that informal social ties provide older persons with many resources that serve to protect and improve their levels of health and well-being. Most studies on this topic, however, ignore the month or season of the year during which data was accumulated. This study proposes two hypotheses to explain seniors' social network resources over the calendar year: the “fluctuation hypothesis”, which proposes that seasonal variation, in the form of weather fluctuations, institutional calendars, and holidays, might influence the social lives and resources of older persons, and the “network stability” perspective, which, informed by tenets of convoy theory and socioemotional selectivity theory, emphasizes the increasing importance of close network ties as individuals age and the stability of these ties. Using two waves (2005–2006 and 2010–2011) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults aged 57–85 in the United States, we examine a diverse set of nine social connectedness outcomes. Results, overall, support the network stability perspective, as the only social connectedness outcome found to significantly vary by month of year was average closeness with network members. We conclude by suggesting some methodological considerations for survey research and by noting how these findings complement the growing literature on inter-year fluctuation in social networks and social support. Changes in older adults’ networks, while frequently observable over the course of years, do not seem to be seasonally patterned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Research suggests that college students are an especially vulnerable subset of the population for substance use and misuse. However, despite evidence of the high prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) among students and the link between family-based ACE and substance use among older adults, this relationship remains understudied in college populations. Moreover, whether ACE represents a shared risk across substance use behaviors and ethnic groups is unknown. Methods Data are student responses ( n = 2953) on the 2015 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II) administered at one of the largest, most diverse public universities in California. Multivariable logistic and negative binomial regression models tested the association between individual and accumulated ACE and past 30-day alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and illicit drug use, past 12-month prescription medication misuse and polysubstance use. Results Between 50% and 75% of students involved in substance use were ACE exposed. There was a significant dose-response relationship between ACE and substance use and polysubstance use. Although accumulated ACE increased risk for substance use, there was considerable ethnic variability in these associations. Conclusions The graded effects of ACE for substance use underscore the link between family-based stressors and these behaviors in emergent adult college students. Our findings make a compelling case for investing in health initiatives that prioritize ACE screening and access to trauma-informed care in campus communities. Continued research with college populations is needed to replicate findings and clarify the role of ethnicity and culture in trauma response and help seeking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the effects of age identity and innovativeness on parasocial interaction (PSI), and the moderating effect of parent-children proximity between age identity and PSI, and to examine the causal relationships between PSI, well-being and word-of-mouth (WOM). A sample of 271 U.S. residents aged 50 and older were recruited through an online survey company. The conceptual model was developed and tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The results found that psychological and physical age have positive effects on PSI, whereas social age has a negative one. Importantly, innovativeness had a negative impact on PSI regardless of the age identity. The psychological and social age induced PSI to a stronger extent when the children lived out of state. Finally, PSI was found to lead to well-being and WOM, whilst well-being itself had a positive effect on WOM. The managerial implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Preserved social functioning is of utmost importance for older individuals living in the community to maintain independency. However, in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, it remains unclear which factors influence social functioning in later life.Methods: In a catchment area-based study in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 120 older (>60 years) community-living patients with schizophrenia (n = 73) and with bipolar disorder (n = 47) were included. Clinical interviews on social functioning and psychometric measurements were applied.Results: Patients with schizophrenia scored lower on all social measures (social functioning, social participation, network size, availability of confidants) compared with their peers with bipolar disorder. In patients with schizophrenia, lower social functioning was associated with having more negative symptoms and depressive symptoms. Age of onset was also associated with social functioning in schizophrenia, with higher scores in very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis. Unfavourable social functioning in patients with bipolar disorder was associated with lower cognitive functioning. Furthermore, in both groups, social functioning was not related to age, having offspring or the presence of a partner.Conclusions: In community-living older patients, schizophrenia has a more disruptive effect on social functioning than bipolar disorder, except in those with a very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis. Minimizing residual depressive symptoms and optimizing cognitive functioning may be targets for improving social functioning and independent-living in older patients with severe mental illness. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many studies have suggested social participation (SP) has beneficial effects on elderly people's health, most of them failed to deal with paid work. Additionally, few studies have focused on the age effect between SP and older people's health. To investigate whether the association between SP, including paid work, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), exhibits not only in gender, but also in age among community-dwelling older adults.Methods: In 2014, we distributed self-administered questionnaires to all community-dwelling elderly aged ≥65 in two medium-sized cities in Nara Prefecture, Japan (n = 32,825). 22,845 residents submitted the questionnaire (response rate, 69.6%). Analyzed subjects were limited to 17,680 persons who had neither dependency in basic ADL nor missing data for required items. SP was assessed based on participation frequency in seven types of social activities: volunteer groups, sports groups, hobby groups, cultural groups, senior citizens' clubs, neighborhood community associations, and paid work. Using Poisson regression models, prevalence ratio for poor IADL was calculated. To examine age and gender differences in the association between SP and IADL, we performed stratified analyses by age and gender group; male young-old (aged 65-74), male old-old (aged ≥75), female young-old, and female old-old.Results: Prevalence of those with poor IADL was 17.1% in males and 4.5% in females, showing a significant gender difference. After adjustment for relevant covariates, volunteer groups were inversely associated with poor IADL only in males and the relationship was stronger in the old-old group than in the young-old group. Conversely, only females had a significant inverse association between paid work and poor IADL, and the association was not reliant on their ages but only those who participated infrequently had a favorable effect. Influence of age in the beneficial association between SP and IADL was generally larger in the old-old group than in the young-old group, but hobby groups were inversely associated with poor IADL, regardless of age, gender, and frequency.Conclusions: Our results suggest that SP in older age is positively associated with IADL, however, the association seems to differ depending on the type of activities participated in, the participants' gender, and their age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management / Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie is the property of Silesian Technical University, Organisation & Management Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Trust is often cited as a necessary predecessor of social engagement, and a public-health good. We question those suppositions through analysis of the life histories of lower-income older adults aging in place in Baltimore. These people desired to continue living independently, but also expressed a complex mix of trust and mistrust in their neighbors, neighborhoods, and broader environments. This was the product of interrelated processes of multilevel physical and social changes over time and space - and, we argue, often featured a "healthy mistrust" that pushed participants to pursue personally meaningful forms of social engagement, whether new or continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skeletal muscle capillary rarefaction limits the transcapillary transport of nutrients and oxygen to muscle and may contribute to sarcopenia and functional impairment in older adults. We tested the hypothesis that skeletal muscle capillarization and exercise capacity (VO2max) are lower in sarcopenic than in nonsarcopenic older adults and that the degree of sarcopenia is related to lower skeletal muscle capillarization.Methods: Body composition, VO2max, and vastus lateralis capillarization were determined in 76 middle-aged and older men and women (age = 61±1 years, body mass index [BMI] = 30.7±0.5kg/m(2) [mean ± SEM]). Participants were classified as sarcopenic if appendicular lean mass divided by BMI (ALMBMI) was less than 0.789 for men or less than 0.512 for women.Results: Sarcopenic subjects (ALMBMI = 0.65±0.04, n = 16) had 20% lower capillary-to-fiber ratio, as well as 13% and 15% lower VO2max expressed as mL/kg/min or L/min, respectively, compared with sex-, race-, and age-matched participants without sarcopenia (ALMBMI = 0.81±0.05, n = 16; p < .05). In all 76 subjects, ALMBMI, thigh muscle cross-sectional area, and VO2max correlated directly with capillarization (r = .30-.37, p ≤ .05), after accounting for age, sex, and race.Conclusions: These findings suggest that low skeletal muscle capillarization is one factor that may contribute to sarcopenia and reduced exercise capacity in older adults by limiting diffusion of substrates, oxygen, hormones, and nutrients. Strategies to prevent the aging-related decline in skeletal muscle capillarization may help to prevent or slow the progression of sarcopenia and its associated functional declines in generally healthy older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern biology, theories of aging fall mainly into two groups: damage theories and programed theories. If programed theories are true, the probability that human beings live beyond a specific age will be zero. In contrast, if damage theories are true, such an age does not exist, and a longevity record will be eventually destroyed. In this article, for examining real state, a special type of binomial model based on the generalized Pareto distribution has been applied to data of Japanese centenarians. From the results, it is concluded that the upper limit of lifetime probability distribution in the Japanese population has been estimated 123 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Difficulty turning is a major contributor to mobility disability, falls, and reduced quality of life in older people because it requires dynamic balance control that worsens with age. However, no study has quantified the quality and quantity of turning during normal daily activities in older people. The objective of this pilot study was to determine if quality of turning during daily activities is associated with falls and/or cognitive function.Methods: Thirty-five elderly participants (85 ± 8 years) wore three Opal inertial sensors. Turning and activity rate were measured. Based on retrospective falls, participants were grouped into nonfallers (N = 16), single fallers (N = 12), and recurrent fallers (N = 7). We also determined which turning characteristic predicted falls in the 6 months following the week of monitoring.Results: Quality of turning was significantly compromised in recurrent fallers compared with nonfallers (p < .05). In contrast, activity rate and mean number of turns per hour were similar across the three groups. Also, quality of turning during a prescribed test was similar across the three groups. Visuospatial and memory functions and the Tinetti Balance Scores were associated with quality of turning. Future falls were related to an increased variability of number of steps to turn.Conclusions: Continuous monitoring of turning characteristics, while walking during daily activities, is feasible in older people. Turning characteristics during daily life appear to be more sensitive to fall risk than prescribed turning tasks. These findings suggest a slower, less variable, cautious turning strategy in elderly volunteers with a history of falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study employed a quantitative approach to measure the social function of the older people. From a questionnaire survey in a Shanghai community, we found that participants’ party affiliation, education, age group, functional capacity (IADL) and occupational status were the major factors affecting older people’s social function. The older people participated more actively, tended to trust others more and enjoyed better social function in the community. These findings lead to implications for social work practices and policymaking procedures on active ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a serious condition for people of all ages, but for older people depression is often associated with other co-morbid conditions, such as physical disability, dementia and anxiety that exacerbate the distress experienced by older people and their carers and studies also revealed that geriatric depression is prevalent in rural south India. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the depression and suicidal ideations among institutionalized elders. Method: For the purpose the study which consists of 40 elders who are institutionalized at Warangal. The age range of the elders is 60 to 80 years and the informed consent was taken from the participants. The tools used are Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and The Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation. Results: The institutionalized elders, 50% of them are having mild level of depression and 47.5% elders are having moderate level of depression. The single elders are having significant depression and suicidal ideation than coupled elders. Male and female elders are having same level of depression in the institutionalized elders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the old age security as an obligatory social maintenance with respect and a feel of inclusiveness and belongingness. Topics discussed include urbanization and the mass production as chief reasons for isolation of the aged people; industrial revolutions which has reduced rural populations with reduced older people; and employees purchasing pensions for old aged population.

The article focuses on relationship between ageing and insurance. Topics discussed include senior citizens and fast ageing population that has significant impact on global community; India which has an advantage with younger populations; increase in insurance due to increase in homeostatic imbalance, failing immunity and greater risk of disease; and economic, psychological and biological dimensions of old age.

This article explores civic development and its roles in the lives of emerging adults, and the ways in which college contexts—particularly Christian colleges and universities—may foster adaptive civic development. First, the article presents an argument for the importance of fostering civic development as rooted in historic truths of the Christian faith and integrated with a Christian worldview. Second, several exemplary programs at Christian colleges and universities that are successfully engaged in promoting civic development among students are described. Finally, a number of specific practical suggestions for Christian higher educational professionals who work with emerging adult students and who are concerned with encouraging positive civic formation are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a qualitative interview study with people of different professions working with lonely elderly people. The rationale of the study was to examine how these respondents explain loneliness among the elderly. The present article focuses on the social explanations, i.e. explanations that identify causes of loneliness in the structure of modern society. We found that many of the social explanations given are aspects of a more encompassing and general pattern underlying all the reasoning about loneliness among the elderly. This pattern is the expression of two contrasting images of society which the classical sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies termed Gemeinschaft (community) and Gesellschaft (society). The former refers to traditional or small-size rural communities characterized by high degrees of social cohesion, integration, solidarity, proximity and familiarity, whereas the latter refers to functional differentiation, distance, individualization, exchanged-based social relations and anonymity. Loneliness among the elderly is explained by the lack of Gemeinschaft and its characteristics in contemporary society. This explanatory pattern goes hand in hand with a critical view of contemporary society and a nostalgic yearning for the lost communities of past societies, where inhabitants find their staked-out place and sense of belonging, and thus loneliness hardly seems to occur. We summarized this view under the label the “lost Gemeinschaft ”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde is the property of Revista Brasileira em Promocao da Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses findings of a study which explores the factors towards the development of social indifference among older people and outlines the impacts of educational achivements of an individual in developing social indifference.

Introduction: Loneliness among older adults is a major public health problem that may be associated with processes of social participation and identity. This study therefore sought to examine the relationship between social participation and identity in a sample of lonely older adults living independently in London, England. Method: An inductive qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, was employed. Results: Participants commonly spoke of barriers to social participation that have been reported elsewhere, including illness/disability, loss of contact with friends/relatives, lack of a supportive community, and lack of acceptable social opportunities. However, novel findings were also derived. In particular, participants commonly minimised the difficulties they faced alone, and described attempts to avoid social opportunities. These behaviours were linked to fears about engaging in social participation opportunities, including fears of social rejection and/or exploitation, and fears of losing valued aspects of identity. Discussion: It is concluded that social participation amongst lonely older people will not improve through the removal of previously reported barriers alone; instead, older peoples’ beliefs, fears and identities must be addressed. Suggestions for implementing these findings within community organisations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social relationships and connectedness play a vital role in a resident's quality of life and sense of feeling "at home" in an age-qualified community. A recent study of independent living residents revealed that one of the primary drivers determining to what extent they felt "at home" in their community was their ability to make friends and form close relationships with other residents. The stronger the independent living residents' sense of camaraderie with others in their community the more positive they were about living in the community. Age-qualified, service-enriched communities are charged with the task of helping their residents live longer and better by providing them with the opportunities, circumstances, and environments necessary for forming close, meaningful friendships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study explores rural elderly preferences for support across a multi-dimensional measure of elderly care needs. Applying a framework developed in the U.S. to Thailand for the first time, five diverse types of support are considered: meal preparation, personal care, transportation, financial support, and emotional support. The emphasis is on preferences for care and not actual care received. The data are from focus group discussions conducted in seven villages in Nang Rong district, northeastern Thailand. Thailand and the study site represent the social and economic conditions faced by many rapidly industrializing places—where there has been a dramatic demographic transition (lowered fertility and substantial out-migration), growing numbers of older persons remaining in rural settings, and limited publically-financed elderly care or market-based elder care available for purchase. For this study, in each village, male and female older persons aged 60 and over participated in the focus group discussions. As part of the discussion, focus group participants were asked to rank their first four preferences by type of support. Male and female older persons' preferences were slightly different for genderized tasks. In addition, social closeness and geographical proximity mattered. Traditional matrilocal residence patterns contributed to the perceptions of the older persons. Neighbors were preferred when kin were not available. Preferences inform strategic choices by older persons given the context of available resources. Understanding preferences and strategic choices among the older persons can help policy makers tailor programs more effectively and efficiently, without jeopardizing elderly well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local authorities spend considerable resources on social care at home for older adults. Given the expected growth in the population of older adults and budget cuts on local government, it is important to find efficient ways of maintaining and improving the quality of life of older adults. The ageing in place literature suggests that policies in other functions of local authorities may have a significant role to play. This study aims to examine the associations between social care-related quality of life (SCRQoL) in older adults and three potential policy targets for local authorities: (i) accessibility of information and advice, (ii) design of the home and (iii) accessibility of the local area. We used cross-sectional data from the English national Adult Social Care Survey (ASCS) 2010/2011 on service users aged 65 years and older and living at home (N=29,935). To examine the association between SCRQoL, as measured by the ASCOT, and three single-item questions about accessibility of information, design of the home and accessibility of the local area, we estimate linear and quantile regression models. After adjusting for physical and mental health factors and other confounders our findings indicate that SCRQoL is significantly lower for older adults who find it more difficult to find information and advice, for those who report that their home design is inappropriate for their needs and for those who find it more difficult to get around their local area. In addition, these three variables are as strongly associated with SCRQoL as physical and mental health factors. We conclude that in seeking to find ways to maintain and improve the quality of life of social care users living at home, local authorities could look more broadly across their responsibilities. Further research is required to explore the cost-effectiveness of these options compared to standard social care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to explore how the sociological imagination may generate new insights regarding the dangers and possibilities that arise when an old order disintegrates and a new one has to be created. The new order is theorized as the "aged society". The aged society is demarcated by radical population aging that also constitutes our main challenge, especially when coupled with globalization and new technological developments. In this article, the questions and challenges of the aged society, as an emergent world, are not perceived as purely financial, neuroscientific, biological, or technological ones, but as issues of freedom and reason. Contemplating the aged society, however tentative it might be since it regards social realities that are still becoming, might enable us to reconsider and reassess presuppositions of most current aging studies in terms of these values at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]