Social inclusion through ageing-in-place with care?

The onset of ill-health and frailty in later life, within the context of the policy of ageing-in-place, is increasingly being responded to through the provision of home care. In the philosophy of ageing-in-place, the home provides for continuity of living environment, maintenance of independence in the community and social inclusion. The provision of assistance to remain at home assumes continuity in the living environment and independence in the organisation of daily life and social contact. This paper explores the changes that occur as a result of becoming a care recipient within the home and concludes that the transition into receiving care is characterised by discontinuity and upheaval which tends to reinforce social exclusion. We draw on the rites of passage framework, which highlights social processes of separation, liminality and reconnection, in analysing this transition to enhance understanding of the experience and gain insights to improve the policy and practice of home care. Separation from independent living leads to a state of liminality. The final stage in the rites of passage framework draws attention to reconnections, but reconnection is not inevitable. Reconnection is, however, an appropriate goal for the care sector when supporting frail or disabled older people through the transition into becoming a home-care recipient

Performance auditing-addressing real or perceived expectation gaps in the public sector

The growth of performance auditing in Australia (and in many other countries) has led to a range of seemingly conflicting observations about their contribution to better public administration, which basically reflect differing political and public expectations of such audits. Confusion also revolves around the question of just what value is being assessed, reflecting differing perceptions of assurance and performance and of the coverage of administrative and policy effectiveness. A better understanding of what needs to be achieved by those responsible and acceptance of accountability for the required results would improve confidence in public administration and in the value that it delivers

The living environments of community-dwelling older people who become frail: another look at the living standards of older New Zealanders survey.

Efforts to support older people who live in the community and who become frail will be enhanced by a better appreciation of the shared characteristics of this group. This paper reports indicative findings from a re-analysis of the Living Standards of Older New Zealanders survey (Fergusson et al. 2001) about the living conditions of this group in terms of their household arrangements, their income and standard of living, their housing situation, issues they face in terms of mobility and transport, and their social connectedness. Findings suggest a higher prevalence of frailty among older people with lower income levels and wealth, less secure housing, limitations to mobility, and with less frequent social contact. Disadvantage in these areas reduces the ability of the older person to adjust to their living environment, affecting the potential for recovery and the maintenance of wellbeing. Such disadvantage may well be amenable to social policy amelioration and is worthy of consideration by policy makers

V3885 Sagittarius: a Comparison with a Range of Standard Model Accretion Disks

A $\widetilde{\chi}^2$ analysis of standard model accretion disk synthetic spectrum fits to combined $FUSE$ and STIS spectra of V3885 Sagittarius, on an absolute flux basis, selects a model that accurately represents the observed SED. Calculation of the synthetic spectrum requires the following system parameters. The cataclysmic variable secondary star period-mass relation calibrated by Knigge in 2007 sets the secondary component mass. A mean white dwarf (WD) mass from the same study, that is consistent with an observationally-determined mass ratio, sets the adopted WD mass of $0.7M_{\odot}$, and the WD radius follows from standard theoretical models. The adopted inclination, i=65{\arcdeg}, is a literature consensus, and is subsequently supported by $\widetilde{\chi}^2$ analysis. The mass transfer rate is the remaining parameter to set the accretion disk $T_{\rm eff}$ profile, and the $Hipparcos$ parallax constrains that parameter to $\dot{M}=5.0{\pm}2.0{\times}10^{-9} M_{\odot} {\rm yr}^{-1}$ by a comparison with observed spectra. The fit to the observed spectra adopts the contribution of a $57,000{\pm}5000$K WD. The model thus provides realistic constraints on $\dot{M}$ and $T_{\rm eff}$ for a large $\dot{M}$ system above the period gap.Comment: 41 pages, 7 figures, 9 tables. Astrophysical Journal (accepted

Contemporary pressures on school-based research: A cautionary tale for school leaders

School-based research has historically played an important role within the education system contributing to our understanding of the organisation and practice of formal education. Supported by relevant literature, this article reports on current challenges in conducting school-based research in Aotearoa New Zealand as experienced by one researcher. It suggests that conducting school-based research is becoming increasingly difficult, with possible explanations for this being the divergent workflows of researcher and school-based participant(s), the volume of demands on teachers and schools, and restricted roles for teachers and parents, which increase the risk of research fatigue. The article argues that although school-based research is rarely an immediate priority for school leaders, it is imperative that they support it if they want to be informed by its insights for policy and practice

Demographics and Physical Activity Levels of eSports Athletes at The University of Akron

Esports is rapidly growing and gaining popularity, however there is a lack of research regarding physical activity levels of eSport athletes, especially those at the collegiate level. This study summarizes the current research and findings related to exercise, overall health, and video game performance. All varsity eSport athletes for The University of Akron varsity team were “participants” in this study. A survey tool was designed through Qualtrics (Qualtrics 2020© Provo, UT), an online survey instrument, to assess current physical activity levels, preferences and tolerance for exercise intensity, and perceptions about how physical activity affects gaming performance. This survey was distributed to The University of Akron eSports varsity team. However, due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the results were unable to be collected and analyzed. This survey instrument can serve as a baseline for further research on this topic, particularly concerning eSports training programs

Patient Understanding of Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives to Screening Colonoscopy

While several tests and strategies are recommended for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, studies suggest that primary care providers often recommend colonoscopy without providing information about its risks or alternatives. These observations raise concerns about the quality of informed consent for screening colonoscopy