Quality of Life and Person-Centered Care for Older People


Book Description

This book explores the meaning of quality of life in care for older persons and introduces the reader to their main concerns when receiving care. Based on qualitative research, it pays particular attention to the needs and requirements of older people, considering their individual family situations, social circumstances, values and lifestyles. Person-centred care is a way of providing nursing care that puts older people and their families at the core of all decisions, seeing each person as an individual, and working together to develop appropriate solutions. Following an introduction to the concept of quality of life in old age, the book reviews essential findings from worldwide research into the experiences of older people with regard to nursing care and the impact of these experiences on their quality of life. It investigates health promotion, care provided in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and palliative care. Each chapter includes a brief introduction to the respective field of nursing care and the problems it has to deal with, concluding with a discussion of their implications for nursing practice in the respective field of care. In closing, the evidence from qualitative research is discussed in relation to current gerontological theories.




EBOOK: Quality of Life and Older People


Book Description

·What is quality of life? ·How should we assess quality of life for older people? ·What are the personal and external influences on quality of life for older people? Quality of Life and Older People provides a critical approach to the conceptualization and measurement of quality of life in social gerontology and health and social care research. The book re-examines what we mean by 'quality of life' in a post-modern world, and examines the impact of continuous personal and social changes on the lives of older people. The book explores ideas about quality of life in social gerontological literature, and describes the experiences of older people through both their own personal accounts and representations in everyday life, popular culture and scientific research. In this way, the book is unique, since it reviews the way that older people talk about their quality of life and how this differs from the ways that younger people, researchers and scientists, policy makers and professionals discuss it. The book draws on a range of behavioural and social science knowledge to present a new way of thinking about and understanding quality of life and older people. While the book provides a critique of existing social science theories underpinning conceptions of quality of life it also addresses operational issues for the use of quality of life in social gerontological research. Quality of Life and Older People is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in gerontology, medicine, nursing, social work and social sciences. It is also of interest to social gerontologists and health and social care researchers, as well as to those involved in the planning and delivery of services to older adults.




Quality of Life in Old Age


Book Description

This volume brings together leading researchers on quality of life in old age to focus on one of the most important issues in both gerontology and quality of life studies. There are very few texts available on this topic and none of an international and multi-disciplinary nature. For these reasons and the high quality of the authors we have assembled, this will be a seminal text for both gerontology and quality of life researchers.




EBOOK: Understanding Quality of Life in Old Age


Book Description

What constitutes quality of life for older people? How can quality of life be measured? How might policy makers improve quality of life for older people? This book considers key findings from the Growing Older research programme and presents them in a lively thematic format. It discusses essential topics such as environment, family, bereavement, identity, and social interaction and describes key concepts and measures. Using data drawn from a range of different research projects, the book illustrates considerable methodological diversity to capture a broad picture of quality of life. Key implications for future research on quality of life in older age are also proposed. The book is a companion volume to Growing Older: Quality of Life in Old Age edited by Alan Walker and Catherine Hagan Hennessy and is key reading on a range of undergraduate and Masters level courses including social gerontology, social work, sociology and social policy. Contributors: Sara Arber, John Baldock, Kate M. Bennett, David Blane, Ann Bowling, Elizabeth Breeze, Jabeer Butt, Lynda Clarke, Peter Coleman, Kate Davidson, Murna Downs, Maria Evandrou, Ken Gilhooly, Mary Gilhooly, Jane Gow, Jan Hadlow, Catherine Hagan Hennessy, Paul Higgs, Caroline Holland, Georgina M. Hughes, Martin Hyde, Leonie Kellaher, Mary Maynard, Kevin McKee, F. McKiernan, Christopher McKevitt, Marie Mills, Jo Moriarty, James Nazroo, Sheila Peace, Thomas Scharf, Philip T. Smith, Peter Speck, Susan Tester, Christina Victor, Alan Walker, Peter Warr, Lorna Warren, Dick Wiggins, Fiona Wilson.




The Concept and Measurement of Quality of Life in the Frail Elderly


Book Description

This work presents the first serious attempt to impose rigor on the definition and measurement of quality of life among the elderly. The book uses a conference to develop background but goes well beyond the meeting in terms of depth of reviews of the literature and of integration among the chapters. This book is intended for use by researchers in the many disciplines which focus on the mental and physical well-being of the elderly, including those in medicine, nursing, psychiatry, psychology, rehabilitation, sociology and social work, among others. In addition, this book provides important background information for professionals and policy makers interested in ensuring quality of life in the later years.




Aging and the Digital Life Course


Book Description

Across the life course, new forms of community, ways of keeping in contact, and practices for engaging in work, healthcare, retail, learning and leisure are evolving rapidly. This book examines how developments in smart phones, the Internet, cloud computing, and online social networking are redefining experiences and expectations around growing older in the twenty-first century. Drawing on contributions from leading commentators and researchers across the world, this book explores key themes such as caregiving, the use of social media, robotics, chronic disease and dementia management, gaming, migration, and data inheritance, to name a few.




Active Ageing and Healthy Living


Book Description

Increased life expectancy and the ageing of the population have been the subject of attention in Western countries, and particularly in Europe, for some years now. The challenge of 'squaring the circle' between ends and means – as well as between personal aspirations and systemic constraints – in health and social care continues to be a major concern for policymakers and all those involved in the delivery of services. This book, Active Ageing and Healthy Living: A Human Centered Approach in Research and Innovation as Source of Quality of Life, presents the results of a number of research projects from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - the largest private university in Italy and in Europe - with a strong commitment to the areas of medicine and health sciences, economics, business, international relations, political science, psychology and communications. Visions and research directions for the future are also presented and discussed. The introduction to the book addresses the challenges posed by an increasingly ageing population and the way in which multidisciplinary research can contribute to positive outcomes. The remainder of the book is divided into two sections. The first proposes promising research directions for future focus, and includes papers on demographic change; frailty in the elderly; the role of diet in healthy ageing; active ageing; and positive technology. The second section deals with recent developments in research into active ageing and healthy living (AA&HL). It addresses numerous topics, including: mechanisms to shift the balance from unhealthy to healthy ageing; nutrition; the role of ICTs for older people; work, retirement and health; and empowering skills for AA&HL.




EBOOK: Growing Older: Quality of Life in Old Age


Book Description

This volume introduces the work of the Economic and Social Reseach Council (ESRC) funded Growing Older Programme (1999-2004) and provides a showcase for the other volumes in the series. It focuses on ways in which quality of life can be extended for older people and offers short research-based summaries of key findings on a variety of core topics with a major emphasis on the views of older people themselves. Many of the leading names in social gerontology in the United Kingdom have contributed their findings, providing the most up-to-date and broad-ranging information available on quality of life in old age. Topics discussed include: ·Defining and measuring quality of life ·Inequalities in quality of life ·Technology and the built environment ·Healthy and active ageing ·Family and support networks ·Participation and grandparenthood Growing Older is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of social gerontology, sociology and social policy. It is of interest to professionals working with older people, including social workers, gerontology nurses and community support workers. There are also important findings for policy-makers. Contributors: Sara Arber; Madhavi Bajekal; David Blane; John Bond; Ann Bowling; Jabeer Butt; Lynda Clarke; Joanne Cook; Kate Davidson; Murna Downs; Zahava Gabriel; Ini Grewal; Catherine Hagan Hennessey; Caroline Holland; Gill Hubbard; Leonie Kellaher; Charlotte MacDonald; Tony Maltby; Jo Moriarty; Joan Murphy; James Nazroo; Sheila M. Peace; Chris Phillipson; Ceridwen Roberts; Sasha Scambler; Thomas Scharf; Allison Smith; Susan Tester; Christina Victor; Alan Walker; Lorna Warren.




Connecting the Quality of Life Theory to Health, Well-being and Education


Book Description

This volume connects aspects of personal health, overall well-being, and education to quality of life. It includes discussions of Galen’s and Harvey’s views of the movement of blood in human bodies, and differences in the research traditions of social indicators research and health-related quality of life research. It examines determinants of health and quality of life in a variety of populations, including the residents of the Bella Coola Valley of British Columbia, aboriginal residential school survivors in Canada, and diabetics versus non-diabetics. It describes relations between health survey and patients’ medical chart reviews, the health and quality of life of older people, and the difference between good health and a good life. Other topics explored are student quality of life, comparisons of the quality of life of students, aboriginal and unemployed people, the impact of education on happiness and well-being, and liberal education. In addition, the volume presents Einstein’s views of ethics and science, and unacknowledged authorship in scholarly publications. The final chapter gives a historical review of quality of life research in Canada over the past fifty years.




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.