The positive and negative impact of an intergenerational digital technology education programme on younger people’s perceptions of older adults

In order to meet the technological needs of older adults, and ensure digital inclusion, it is important for digital technology designers to accurately assess and understand older adults’ needs and requirements, free from the influence of societal assumptions of their capabilities. This study evaluated the impact of an intergenerational digital technology education programme on younger adults’ stereotypes of older people. Using an experimental design, results show that compared to a control group, students taking part in the programme subsequently rated older adults as more friendly but less competent. Practical implications for developing intergenerational education programmes are discussed

Indicators of job quality in the Australian aged care workforce: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: As governments grapple with ageing populations, there is a need to understand more about the aged care workforce and how it is managed. METHODS: We undertook a scoping review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Scopus and PubMed were used to identify papers published between 2010 and 2020. We mapped the breadth and scale of the evidence base according to the QuInnE indicators of job quality. RESULTS: Out of 642 titles and abstracts that were screened, 122 were selected. Outcomes were measured across a range of domains, including wages, employment quality, education and training, working conditions, work/life balance and consultative participation and collective representation. These were distributed unevenly, revealing evidence gaps. CONCLUSIONS: We identified significant knowledge gaps regarding Australia's aged care workforce at a time when the sector is coming under fresh scrutiny and projections indicate that it will face critical labour shortfalls going forward

Nursing recruiters' attitudes toward older nurses: a quantitative cross-institutional investigation

Aim: To investigate nursing recruiters' attitudes toward mature aged nurses in Western Australia.\ud \ud Method: One hundred and sixty three nursing recruiters', from various sectors, such as hospitals, aged care facilities and nursing agencies, completed questionnaires measuring stereotypes toward older nurses. There were 143 females and 19 males ranging in age from 25 to 67. The state-wide sample comprised 23.30% rural and regional and 76.7% from the Perth metropolitan area. More than 80% of respondents were educated at a tertiary level. There were three dependent variables: the sum of scale for age stereotypes; ratings of how relevant age was in making hiring decisions; and ratings of how likely respondents were to hire older nurses.\ud \ud Results: Analyses showed clear evidence of negative stereotyping of older nurses compared to younger ones, as well as several positive stereotypes. Whilst previous research (Gringart, Helmes & Speelman, 2005; 2007) which employed samples of employers across industries, found that employers were less than likely to hire older workers, nursing recruiters indicated that they would be more than likely to hire older nurses. Nursing recruiters also stated that age was less relevant in making hiring decisions than did general employers. More positive overall attitudes, however, have been expressed by general employers compared to nursing recruiters.\ud \ud Conclusion: These findings are important because they suggest that whilst availability and industry-specific pressures can enhance the employability of older workers it does not change ageist attitudes. This is relevant to policy formulation, attitude change interventions, and the well being of older workers

Negative stereotyping of older nurses despite contact and mere exposure: The case of nursing recruiters in Western Australia

Ageist attitudes have been identified across different industries. The nursing profession has a high proportion of older workers. As this facilitates regular contact with, as well as exposure to, older nurses, it may be expected to show less ageism. This study investigated 163 Western Australian nursing recruiters' attitudes toward older nurses. Results showed clear evidence of both negative and positive stereotyping of older nurses. Nursing recruiters indicated that they would be more than likely to hire older nurses and that age was less relevant in making hiring decisions. These findings suggest that enhancing the employability of older workers does not necessarily change ageist attitudes. This is relevant to policy formulation, attitude change interventions, and the well-being of older workers

Death contested: morphogenesis and conflicts of interpretation

This chapter lays the groundwork for a realist analysis of the disappearance or ‘death’ of social forms. How social forms disappear is particularly relevant in societies experiencing intensified social transformation. Yet, whilst the notion of morphogenesis can account both for the acceleration of change and for the multiplication of coexisting social forms (Al-Amoudi 2014), it does not allow us, on its own, to theorise their disappearance. of social entities . Addressing this gap in the theory of morphogenesis opens interesting avenues for the philosophical study of society. Our contribution is organised around three related questions. Firstly, how should we conceptualise the disappearance of social forms and how can this conceptualisation draw from the biological conception of death? Secondly, how do concept-dependence and reflexivity differentiate social death from biological death? Thirdly, how can we observe and interpret the agonies that accompany the death of social forms? We conclude by providing an illustration of how the theory might be applied to a case with significant current socio-economic ramifications: the disappearance of life-long employment in developed capitalist economies