A Practical Guide to Promoting Social Participation in Seniors


Book Description

This volume represents an instruction manual for community workers and academic researchers wishing to conduct community-based participatory action research. The principles and experience described here will also be useful for any individual from charitable bodies, government agencies, and academic institutions desiring to work with older communities in ensuring that they are able to start on the right footing. The contents of this book are applicable to all countries worldwide, while also providing much-needed contributions to such work in older communities in lower-to-middle income countries.




Senior Services Today


Book Description

Senior citizens (frequently referred to by the more inclusive term “older adults”) are one of the largest and fastest growing demographics in the world. Public libraries have a duty to serve these individuals with the same level of care and opportunity for participation that is afforded to younger generations. This book explores older adults’ values and needs and describes the many ways libraries can serve them in effective ways. Senior Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians is a comprehensive guide to library services for this important community. Chapters cover these critical areas: Engaging Older Adults in Library Programs and Services Understanding Demographic Differences Marketing to Older Adults: Strategies Programming Ideas for Older Adults in the Modern Age Enhancing Technology Accessibility for Older Adults Community Outreach: Serving Outside the Library Specialty Collections Items Continuing the Library’s Relationship with an Aging Population While many times libraries tend to allocate budget and funding to flashier, brighter programs aimed at a more youthful audiences, this book shows how and why that same enthusiasm should be applied to crafting an engaging senior services plan. Gone are the conventional days of bingo and knitting circles; while those programs certainly have their place, this books aims to show that seniors also crave fun experiences alongside opportunities to make their own lives easier and more stress free-- and to illuminates how libraries can strike this balance by offering an enriching senior services roster.




Growing Old Gracefully


Book Description

Welcome to "Growing Old Gracefully: A Practical Guide to Aging," the ultimate handbook to navigate and embrace the golden years of your life with grace, resilience, and optimism. This comprehensive guide helps you to understand the various challenges of aging, including identifying age-related changes and accepting mental and physical decline. Whether you're dealing with chronic illness, navigating the complexities of insurance and benefits, or grappling with the emotional toll of loss and grief, "Growing Old Gracefully" offers you practical and effective strategies.This book emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and regular exercise, alongside the significance of a robust social network, strong family ties, and community participation. It guides you to strike the right balance between independence and assistance, outlining when to seek help, whether it be professional caregiving options or extended family.In this practical guide, you'll also find insightful advice on: coping with dementia and Alzheimer's, enhancing emotional health, planning for the future, exploring housing options, and fostering a positive attitude towards aging. We delve into the importance of leisure, recreation, and continuous learning while also enlightening you on how to use technology to stay connected and safeguard yourself online.No stone is left unturned when it comes to your financial health, as well; learn the ins and outs of financial planning for seniors and understand the nuances of insurance and benefits.Ultimately, "Growing Old Gracefully" aims to cultivate resilience and optimism while helping you embrace the aging process wholeheartedly.Whether you're a senior yourself, a loved one, a caregiver, or a professional working with seniors, this book can make the journey of aging less daunting and more enriching. It's time to celebrate aging, equip yourself with this resource, and step into your golden years with confidence, wisdom, and grace.




Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults


Book Description

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.




Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases


Book Description

Orphan drugs are designated drug substances that are intended to treat rare or ‘orphan’ diseases. More than 7000 rare diseases are known that collectively affect some 6-7% of the developed world’s population; however, individually, any single, rare disease may only affect a handful of people making them commercially unattractive for the biopharmaceutical industry to target. Ground breaking legislation, starting with the Orphan Drug Act that was passed in the US in 1983 to provide financial incentives for companies to develop orphan drugs, has sparked ever increasing interest from biopharmaceutical companies to tackle rare diseases. These developments have made rare diseases, and the orphan drugs that treat them, sufficiently attractive to pharmaceutical development and many pharmaceutical companies now have research units dedicated to this area of research. It is therefore timely to review the area of orphan drugs and some of the basic science, drug discovery and regulatory factors that underpin this important, and growing, area of biomedical research. Written by a combination of academic and industry experts working in the field, this text brings together expert authors in the regulatory, drug development, genetics, biochemistry, patient advocacy group, medicinal chemistry and commercial domains to create a unique and timely reference for all biomedical researchers interested in finding out more about orphan drugs and the rare diseases they treat. Providing an up-to-date monograph, this book covers the basic science, drug discovery and regulatory elements behind orphan drugs and will appeal to medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists, biochemists and anyone working within the fields of rare disease research and drug development or pharmaceuticals in industry or academia.




Global Age-friendly Cities


Book Description

The guide is aimed primarily at urban planners, but older citizens can use it to monitor progress towards more age-friendly cities. At its heart is a checklist of age-friendly features. For example, an age-friendly city has sufficient public benches that are well-situated, well-maintained and safe, as well as sufficient public toilets that are clean, secure, accessible by people with disabilities and well-indicated. Other key features of an age-friendly city include: well-maintained and well-lit sidewalks; public buildings that are fully accessible to people with disabilities; city bus drivers who wait until older people are seated before starting off and priority seating on buses; enough reserved parking spots for people with disabilities; housing integrated in the community that accommodates changing needs and abilities as people grow older; friendly, personalized service and information instead of automated answering services; easy-to-read written information in plain language; public and commercial services and stores in neighbourhoods close to where people live, rather than concentrated outside the city; and a civic culture that respects and includes older persons.




Social Work Practice With Older Adults


Book Description

This book presents a contemporary framework based on the World Health Organization′s active aging policy that allows students to focus on client strengths and resources when working with the elderly. Covering micro, mezzo, and macro practice domains, the text examines all aspects of working with aging populations, from assessment through termination.




Community-Based Integrated Care for Older Adults


Book Description

Community-based integrated care (CBIC) is designed to keep older adults where they want to be – at home and out of hospitals and nursing homes. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is an example of successful CBIC, established in 1985 as an innovative solution to pervasive issue: how to provide integrated care to a high-risk population of older adults that promotes community living (not a nursing home) in a cost-effective manner. This unique guide provides readers with a concise yet informative base of understanding of PACE as well as a “deep dive” into the components and job roles that will serve as a reference for existing PACE providers and will inform those who are considering the possibility of developing a new PACE program. Chapters are organized into five thematic sections. Part one presents both domestic and international perspectives on CBIC, with part two delving deeper into the US PACE model, including its history, policy evolution and effectiveness. Specifics regarding the organization and management of PACE and the essential roles and positions comprise parts three and four, respectively, from leadership and the involvement of the state to the roles of the social worker, nurse, nutritionist, rehabilitation specialist, and more. Care planning, coordination and end of life care round out part five. In addition to geriatricians and other clinical practitioners involved with the care of older patients, Community-Based Integrated Care for Older Adults is also a resource for scholars, policy makers and the general public who are interested in innovations in long-term care that provide older adults with alternatives to nursing homes.




Healthy Aging in Sociocultural Context


Book Description

Healthy Aging in Sociocultural Context examines conceptual models and realities of healthy aging in three countries - the United States, Sweden, and Japan - that are at the forefront of population aging and diversity, considering how healthy aging reflects the intersection of individual and societal factors, including immigration and labor force participation. This examination results in an integrated conceptual model of healthy aging, which serves as the basis for policies and programs - including intergenerational and intercultural programs, policies, and socialization opportunities designed to promote healthy aging education - that have worldwide implications.




Interprofessional Perspectives for Community Practice


Book Description

Now more than ever health care professionals play an increased role in the promotion of health to populations. Unique and innovative, Interprofessional Perspectives for Community Practice: Promoting Health, Well-being and Quality of Life weaves everyday care into prevention, community, and population health, creating a new and more expansive vision of health for all without compromising traditional practices. Authors and editors Drs. Pizzi and Amir discuss and illustrate a client-centered preventive and health, well-being and quality of life approach rooted in best practice principles from interprofessional literature and firsthand experience. The text illustrates how allied health professionals implement those principles in their everyday and traditional practices with an emphasis on exploring health and well-being issues. Interprofessional Perspectives for Community Practice provides detailed guidance in program development and implementation. What’s included in Interprofessional Perspectives for Community: Clinical anecdotes on successful community practices A focus on primary and secondary prevention Assessments, interventions, and community practice examples Descriptions of community-based practice settings such as adult day care, independent living programs, hospice, and home health care Health and wellness across the lifespan Bonus chapters available online as PDFs for readers The first text of its kind to weave interprofessionalism, community practice, and health, well-being, and quality of life, Interprofessional Perspectives for Community Practice: Promoting Health, Well-being and Quality of Life is for all health care workers and students who wish to transfer practice skills from the clinical setting to a population-based program development model.