Evidence review of intergenerational relationships: Experiences and attitudes in the new millennium

Report to the UK Government’s Foresight Future of an Ageing Population: Evidence Review for the Foresight programme, Government Office for Science Changes in societal and family generations are potential drivers of societal change. Evidence presented in this review explores the current experiences and attitudes towards societal generational relationships, current family experiences, obligations and behaviour towards older family generations, and these vary within and between generations. The concept of generation is central to this Evidence Review. Evidence about societal level of intergenerational relationships, is attributable to life course stage and differences in cohort experiences including within-cohort inequalities. The rhetoric around the existence of intergenerational conflict remains largely unsupported. Family generational research shows mixed findings on whether families continue to be the safe haven in which resources are exchanged and members supported

Trajectories of family care over the lifecourse: evidence from Canada

In the midst of a ‘care crisis’, attention has turned again to families who are viewed both as untapped care resources and as disappearing ones. Within this apparent policy/demographicimpasse, we test empirically theorised trajectories of family care, creating evidence of diverse patterns of care across the lifecourse. The study sample, drawn from a Statistics Canada national survey of family care, comprised all Canadians aged 65 and older who had ever provided care (N = 3,299). Latent Profile Analysis yielded five distinct care trajectories: compressed generational, broad generational, intensive parent care, careercare and serial care. They differed in age of first care experience, number of care episodes, total years of care and amount of overlap among episodes. Trajectories generally corresponded to previously hypothesised patterns but with additional characteristics that added to our understanding of diversity in lifecourse patterns of care. The five trajectoriesidentified provide the basis for further understanding how time and events unfold in various ways across lifecourses of care. A gap remains in understanding how relationships with family and social network members evolve in the context of care. A challenge is presented to policy makers to temper a ‘families by stealth’ policy approach with one that supports family carers who are integral to health and social care systems

A research framework for the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)

The mission of UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020–2030) is to improve the lives of older people, their families and their communities. In this paper, we create a conceptual framework and research agenda for researchers to knowledge to address the Decade action items. The framework builds on the main components of healthy ageing: Environments (highlighting society and community) across life courses (of work and family) toward wellbeing (of individuals, family members and communities). Knowledge gaps are identified within each area as priority research actions. Within societal environments, interrogating beliefs about ageism and about familism are proposed as a way to illustrate how macro approaches to older people influence their experiences. We need to interrogate the extent to which communities are good places to grow old; and whether they have sufficient resources to be supportive to older residents. Further articulation of trajectories and turning points across the full span of work and of family life courses is proposed to better understand their diversities and the extent to which they lead to adequate financial and social resources in later life. Components of wellbeing are proposed to monitor improvement in the lives of older people, their families and communities. Researcher priorities can be informed by regional and national strategies reflecting Decade actions

Neighborhood environments and intrinsic capacity interact to affect the health-related quality of life of older people in New Zealand

ObjectivesFollowing the WHO 2015 policy framework, we tested the effects of older people’s intrinsic capacity and their perceptions of their neighborhood environments on mental and physical health-related quality of life (QoL) outcomes across two years.Study designParticipants (mean age = 66) were drawn from two waves of a longitudinal study of aging (n = 2910) in 2016 and 2018. Regression analyses tested the main and interaction effects of intrinsic capacity and neighborhood factors on health-related QoL at T2 (controlling for T1).Main outcome measuresIntrinsic capacity was assessed with number of chronic conditions. Neighborhood perceptions was assessed with measures of housing suitability, neighborhood satisfaction, and neighborhood social cohesion. Health-related QoL was assessed with SF12 physical and mental health component scores.ResultsPerceptions of greater neighborhood accessibility and more trust among neighbours were associated with better mental health-related QoL two years later, but not to changes in physical health-related QoL. A significant interaction between intrinsic capacity and neighborhood access to facilities on physical health-related QoL over time showed that those reporting lower neighborhood access experienced a stronger impact of intrinsic capacity on physical health-related QoL.ConclusionsThe neighborhood environment is important to the wellbeing of older people and is amenable to policy interventions. We need more work on the aspects of the immediate environment that support QoL in older age. This study points to the need for accessible facilities and cohesive neighborhoods to support health

Global contexts of rural ageing: Informing Critical Human Ecology Theory

The relevance of global contexts in shaping the experiences of older people living in rural areas has been inadequately explored, theoretically and empirically. The purpose of this chapter is to address this theoretical gap through incorporating global environments into existing Critical Human Ecology Theory and illustrating their relevance through case studies from countries in diverse world regions: Malawi, India, Mexico and Israel. The addition of theoretical constructs from social exclusion and life course theories of cumulative advantage/disadvantage of rural individuals places rural ageing as processes of change over time in rural people and communities and demonstrates the differential impact of global influences on local areas

Age-friendly environments and their role in supporting Healthy Ageing

This chapter explores the role of age-friendly environments in supporting healthy ageing. Environments are important determinants of the trajectories of intrinsic capacity and functional ability over a person’s life course and into older age. Several domains of functional ability are particularly important in later life. We explore the importance of environments in enhancing three domains of functional ability: the ability to meet basic needs, to be mobile, and to build and maintain relationships. The chapter concludes with implications of an environmental approach to Healthy Ageing for geriatric medicine. These are new perspectives on holistic views of older persons in their environment, on making health services more age-friendly and on working collaboratively to achieve better outcomes

Life course trajectories of family care

More than 30 years ago, Elder theorised multiple life-course trajectories in domains such as familyand work, punctuated by transitions that create the structure and rhythm of individual lives. Weargue that in the context of population ageing, family care should be added as a life-course domain.We conceptualise life courses of family care with core elements of ‘care as doing’ and ‘care asbeing in relationship’, creating hypothetical family care trajectories to illustrate the diversity oflife-course patterns of care. The framework provides a basis for considering influences of care oncumulative advantage/disadvantage for family carers