Work Activities of Older People: Beyond Paid Employment

In recent years much has been made of active and productive ageing policies, with the attempt to promote a more positive image of ageing. Despite this, negative representations of ageing and conceptualisations of older people as a ‘burden’ persist. This thesis presents an argument that these negative images are intertwined with common understandings of work, the frequent equating of this to paid employment within the field of social gerontology, and the reliance upon cessation of work in determining the beginning of old age. With reference to the wider literature in the sociology of work, an argument is presented that determines why it is essential to challenge those taken-for-granted assumptions about older people and work. Reflecting upon the findings from an exploratory and qualitative research project, which focuses upon the perspective of the older people themselves, attention is given to the detail of what should be encapsulated into new understandings of work. Within the thesis it is argued that there are many activities undertaken by the older person, which should be thought of as work, including (but not limited to) paid employment, volunteering, care, attendance at social clubs, undertaking sport and physical activity. Some of these activities might more intuitively be thought of as acts of leisure. However, it is evidenced within this thesis that there are fuzzy and blurred boundaries between leisure and work - older people leisure at work and work at leisure. The recognition of these blurring boundaries is one aspect that must be incorporated into re-conceptualisations of work. The thesis demonstrates how the work of older people transcends different socio-economic spheres and there are multiple interrelations existing between different activities. Whilst this last point resonates with the approach of some authors in the sociology of work, they have never been incorporated within the field of social gerontology. Through this analysis, and promoting a new way through which the activities of older people might be incorporated within the rubric of work, it is hoped that ageism might be challenged in a similar vein to the way in which feminist researchers once challenged sexism in relation to work and housework. This thesis reflects upon how we need to identify and conceptualise the third age in light of the findings. It highlights how the working lives of older people are shaped through a process of negotiation between social expectations within current political and economic contexts, influences from key historical events and social changes, and the desire for freedom, autonomy and choice. Age period cohort is crucial in determining the world of work, and more generally how ageing might be experienced. Through its unique approach, and the lessons learnt within this thesis, a theoretical framework is provided to assist in future comprehensive studies of both work and ageing. Overall, this thesis makes significant contributions to understandings of work and ageing following the consideration of two schools of thought (i.e. sociology of work and social gerontology), which previously have been infrequent companions

The legacy of the Right to Buy and the differentiation of older home owners

This paper explores older owner occupiers in lower value properties who, having acquired their home through the Right to Buy (RTB) in the 1980s, are now experiencing housing-related challenges in older age. This paper outlines the views and perceptions of older owner occupiers, social landlords, voluntary groups and housing organisations to explore the legacy of the RTB. Current and future policy challenges in the area include the differentiation of home owners, difficulties of selling property with low equity in older age and the relationship between health and housing. This paper calls to widen the analysis of the long-term impact of the RTB to owner occupiers in lower value properties and notes that ‘ageing in place’ goes beyond looking at people’s current house to the linked housing choices available to them. We recommend that policy support be extended to older home owners to increase housing choice in older age

Understanding the Housing Needs of Older Owner- Occupiers

First paragraph: This research has its origins in the recognition of population ageing, where around a third of all households in the UK contain at least one person of pensionable age, and the propensity of older person households to be in home ownership - seventy-six percent of older people in the UK are owner-occupiers, with most owning their property outright (Pannell et al. 2012a, b). Furthermore, nationally attention has increasingly focused on the housing needs of older people in relation to care as over 96% of people aged 65 and over are living at home in Scotland (Scottish Government 2011: 12)

Literature review: the cost effectiveness of assistive technology in supporting people with dementia

Despite much emphasis on the potential of assistive technologies of many varieties to deliver cost effective ways of supporting people with dementia, and clear indications of this potential, rigorous cost-effectiveness studies of these technologies for this group remain largely absent. The review includes consideration of the indicative evidence. This report describes the process and results of the literature review. Extensive searches identified a large literature, of which 59 items were systematically reviewed and quality assessed.We are indebted to the Dementia Services Development Trust who funded the study as part of the work of the Dementia Services Development Centre in Northern Ireland. This work is supported by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Northern Ireland DHSSPH

Developing best practice guidelines for designing living environments for people with dementia and sight loss

The paper considers a process of developing evidence-based design guidelines to be used in environments where people with dementia and sight loss are living. The research involved a systematically conducted literature review and a series of consultations with people affected by dementia and/or sight loss who lived or worked in care homes or in domestic settings. Findings from the literature and the consultations were used in an iterative process to develop the guidelines. The process is outlined, providing examples from the guidelines about lighting and colour and contrast. In discussing the research findings and the development process, the authors consider implications of the work including the weakness of the evidence base, the challenges of improving this and the need for innovative approaches to understanding the complexities of design for people with dementia and sight loss. They highlight the emphasis in the literature on independence for people with sight loss and the focus on control of people with dementia, arguing that this falls short of a genuinely person-centred approach, which recognises the active participation of people with dementia and sight loss

A Good Life in Later Years: A Co-Produced Research Project

The ‘A Good Life Project’ evolved as a co-production study looking at quality of life in later years. Funded by the Life Changes Trust, and in partnership with Age Scotland, researchers from the University of Stirling worked hand in hand with community researchers all over Scotland to explore what really matters to people as they grow older

Design of residential environments for people with dementia and sight loss: a structured literature review

A structured literature review concerning the design of living environments for people with dementia and sight loss was conducted. Following systematic searching, thirty three items were included and quality assessed. Findings are described covering colour and contrast, lighting, fixtures and fittings, entrances and exits, gardens and outdoors. The discussion highlights the poor quality of evidence, combined nevertheless with useful suggestions for design; the tendency for literature to be fragmented; and the need for improvements in terms of study focus, study quality and an emphasis on independence and individual needs. The review was subsequently used to inform the development of design guidelines

Expert opinion on the management of pain in hospitalised older patients with cognitive impairment: A mixed methods analysis of a national survey

Background: Hospitalised older patients are complex. Comorbidity and polypharmacy complicate frailty. Significant numbers have dementia and/or cognitive impairment. Pain is highly prevalent. The evidence base for pain management in cognitively impaired individuals is sparse due to methodological issues. A wealth of expert opinion is recognised potentially providing a useful evidence base for guiding clinical practice. The study aimed to gather expert opinion on pain management in cognitively impaired hospitalised older people. Methods: Consultant Geriatricians listed as dementia leads in the National Dementia Audit were contacted electronically and invited to respond. The questionnaire sought information on their role, confidence and approach to pain management in cognitively impaired hospitalised patients. Responses were analysed using a mixed methods approach. Results: Respondents considered themselves very confident in the clinical field. Awareness of potential to do harm was highly evident. Unequivocally responses suggested paracetamol is safe and should be first choice analgesic, newer opiates should be used preferentially in renal impairment and nefopam is unsafe. A grading of the safety profile of specific medications became apparent, prompting requirement for further evaluation and holistic assessment. Conclusion: The lack of consensus reached highlights the complexity of this clinical field. The use of paracetamol first line, newer opiates in renal impairment and avoidance of nefopam are immediately transferrable to clinical practice. Further review, evaluation and comparison of the risks associated with other specific analgesics are necessary before a comprehensive clinical guideline can be produced

Negotiating safety and vulnerability in everyday life: perspectives of UK older people from participative research

This article reports on a participative study that began to explore what safety and vulnerability mean to older people and the resources they draw on to keep themselves safe. The methodology was designed in collaboration with an independent advocacy organisation and ten of its older members, who were also research participants. It involved focus groups and repeated visits to five participants to discuss their daily lives. The findings indicate that "safety" and "vulnerability" have subjective, experiential dimensions, which are situated in particular relationships, environments and experiences over time. Participants reported drawing on their own strengths and the strengths of others in their families, communities and local services to achieve an acceptable level of felt safety for themselves. However, this sense of safety could not be disentangled from, nor always prioritised over, wider aspects of living well including maintaining reciprocal relationships, preserving self-identity, and contributing to the well-being of families and other social groups of which they felt themselves a part. Implications are considered in light of UK and wider European policy aspirations to support both autonomy and safety: specifically, the need to foster supportive communities, to offer low-level support and to pay attention to what safety means to each individual

Feeling Safe? Feeling Vulnerable? Exploring Older People's Views and Experiences of Safety and Vulnerability in Everyday Life

The Feeling Safe project was a collaborative study conducted by researchers at the University of Stirling, in collaboration with Ceartas Advocacy and some of their members who are older people. It was prompted by gaps in our knowledge of older people’s own priorities, meanings and experiences of keeping safe, despite developments in adult protection procedures, policy, legislation and research over the previous two decades. The research questions for the study were: - What do ‘safety’ and ‘vulnerability’ mean to older people living in the community who are supported by health and social care services? How important is safety in their lives? - What resources/sources of support do older people draw on to manage vulnerability and secure safety? What other factors impact on their safety/vulnerability? - How might improvements be made in the ways that older people in the community are able to keep and feel safe? - What might be the best methods of capturing this knowledge