Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Older people Australia Psychology'
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1
Cuevas, Marianela. "Perceptions of elder abuse among Australian elderly individuals and general practitioners." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/994.
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Research available on elder abuse is limited. There continues to be a lack of uniformity in how to define and identify the problem, as well as how to intervene. One group which continues to be excluded from the process of gaining knowledge on the issue of elder abuse is the elderly themselves. As general practitioners are the primary source of health care for older people, their perspectives on elder mistreatment should be explored as well. The first objective of this study was to examine whether differences existed in the perceived severity of potentially abusive situations between three groups of older people and general practitioners. The second objective was to determine if gender differences existed in perceptions of severity of abuse. The sample consisted of 48 general practitioners, 40 independent elderly, 38 elderly caregivers and 36 elderly care-receivers. The participants' perceptions of elder abuse were assessed using a modified version of a questionnaire developed by Moon and Williams (1993). The questionnaire described 10 potential elder abuse scenarios which covered five categories of abuse: physical, psychological, sexual, financial and neglect. Participants were asked to indicate whether or not they perceived each situation to represent an example of elder abuse and, if they answered affirmatively, to rate the severity of the abusive behaviour and identify which aspect of the scenario they considered abusive. Data were analysed using split-plot analysis of variance, as well as contingency tables. The results suggested that significant differences existed in the perceptions of severity of elder abuse scenarios across groups and gender. General practitioners tended to view the scenarios as less severe examples of elder abuse than the older-aged groups. There were similarities within the elderly groups in that all groups perceived the sexual abuse scenarios as examples of more severe forms of abuse than the financial abuse scenarios. Within the elderly groups, caregivers generally perceived the scenarios as less abusive. With regard to gender differences, females generally perceived the sexual abuse scenarios as more severe than males. This was particularly so for female independent elders and female care-receivers. Both the symbolic interaction theory and social exchange theory were adopted to explain why there were differences in the perceived severity of the scenarios. It was argued that how the participants viewed the interactions between the characters in the scenarios, and whether they perceived the interactions as being rewarding or unrewarding for particular characters, would affect participants' perceptions of severity. To conclude, with such differences in views found, the development of effective assessment and intervention strategies will be difficult. However, both the public and professionals alike need to increase their understanding on the topic of elder abuse, lest the abuse continues.
2
Petz, Christina M. "What sexuality? : An exploratory study examining sexual activity and affectionate sexual expression in a Western Australian sample of older adults." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1999. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1206.
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Sexuality later in life has been receiving increased research interest, however, a large majority of research investigates a narrow range of sexual behaviours, primarily frequency of sexual intercourse. There is limited information regarding other forms of sexual expression, specifically affectionate sexual expression that are relevant to older adults. The present day study explores what affectionate sexual behaviours constitute affectionate sexual expression and compares sexual intercourse with affectionate expression. The sample consisted of 77 married men (n=35) and women (n=42) aged 60-89 years who came from various senior groups and organisations in the Perth metropolitan area. A survey was developed that investigated what constituted affectionate expression, and interest and changes in affectionate sexual expression and sexual intercourse.
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Stewart, Alastair. "Self-determination theory in motivation to adopt physical activity in older adults: A community based approach." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2009. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/164.
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Australia has an increasingly aging population with increasing levels of physical inactivity. The potential detrimental effects of these two factors on the health of the community highlight the need to investigate methods to increase physical activity in older Australian adults. The study reported in this thesis formed part of the PATH (Physical Activity Time for Health) Project, a community-based research trial that compared two strategies to increase physical activity in underactive, 60-80 year old men (n = 66) and women (n = 188). Twelve recreation centres were randomised to either a supervised group based walking intervention with behavioural change components, or a self-managed/usual care intervention. Participants in behavioural intervention centres were asked to complete 150mins/week of moderate intensity physical activity as a supervised walking program, organised as 3 sessions/week for the first 3-months and then 1 supervised and 2 unsupervised walk sessions/week for the second 3-months. Participants in self-managed centres were asked to complete 3 sessions of moderate intensity physical activity (150mins/week) for 6 months. In this thesis I have investigated the efficacy of Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci, 1980) to explain motivation of older adults to adopt physical activity. There were three sub-purposes. First, to determine the effect of the behavioural intervention compared with the self-managed approach on psychosocial, physiological, and physical activity outcomes. Second, to investigate the contributions of psychosocial predictors to adherence and physical activity level across the self-managed and behavioural intervention strategies. Third, to estimate the directional relationships between self-determination constructs and adherence using path analysis. The physical activity outcomes measured in this study were retention, adherence and total physical activity level. Retention was defined as the number of participants in the study after 6 months. Adherence was defined as the number of exercise sessions completed over the 6 months. Total physical activity level was measured using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE; Washburn, Smith Jette, & Janney, 1993). At baseline the behavioural intervention program had 138 participants, compared to 116 participants in the self-managed condition. After 6 months the behavioural intervention program had retained 84% of these participants, compared to 67% in the self-managed condition. With respect to adherence there was no significant difference between participants in the behavioural intervention compared to those in the self-managed condition (67.7% and 59% of sessions, respectively). The total physical activity level (related closely to the adherence score) also did not differ between conditions (114.69 and 115.87 for the behavioural intervention and self-managed groups, respectively). The major and novel finding of this study was that social connectedness was a significant factor in the engagement of older adults in physical activity. This was evidenced by the increases in social connectedness in the behavioural intervention group, compared to decreases in social connectedness reported in the self-managed group. Furthermore, structural equation modelling demonstrated that social connectedness, compared to physical self-perceptions and autonomy, was the only significant predictor of adherence. This study also found that self-perceptions outside the physical domain can have as important a role in exercise behaviour as physical self-perceptions. Structural equation modelling provided further support for this proposition showing adherence was more strongly related to social self-perceptions than physical or cognitive selfperceptions after the intervention. Also, lower perceptions of physical appearance and higher perceptions of nurturance were associated with higher total physical activity levels at 6-months This study confirms previous research and contributes novel findings demonstrating the importance of social connectedness in physical activity behaviour in older adults. Further it provides strong evidence for the ability of physical activity to influence multiple aspects of the lives of older adults. These findings have implications for health practitioners and development of policy and programs to increase physical activity. Employing Self-Determination Theory has further elucidated motivation for exercise in older adults and provided novel findings to support inclusion of socially based components into physical activity promotion campaigns for older adults.
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Turner, Jayne University of Ballarat. "Mental health of older adults : the development and testing of a model." University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/12778.
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The high rates of depression and suicide among older adults have given rise to research which aims to identify factors that protect older people from mental illness. Recently, Bailey and McLaren (2005) developed and tested a model which investigated the relationships between engagement in various leisure activities performed alone or with others, sense of belonging, depression, and suicidal ideation. The present study examined an extended version of the mental health model, incorporating the additional variables of perceived freedom in leisure and physical health status. A sample of Australian males and females (N = 379) aged 65 years and over (M age = 77.23, SD = 7.48) completed the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Questionnaire, the Yale Physical Activity Survey,the Duke Health Profile, the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Scale, and the Suicide Subscale of the General Health Questionnaire. Results indicated that the model was invariant for gender, and accounted for 56% of the variance in suicidal ideation. The model indicated that physical health had direct relationships with each variable in the model. Perceived freedom in leisure predicted engagement in physical activity, sense of belonging-antecedent, and depression, whereas sense of belonging psychological state predicted depression and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that interventions aimed at improving older adults’ perceptions of freedom and personal choice with regard to their leisure experiences, maintaining optimal health, and increasing opportunities to foster feelings of belonging and relatedness with others, should protect against the development of mental ill health.Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)
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Turner, Jayne. "Mental health of older adults : the development and testing of a model." University of Ballarat, 2006. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/15389.
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The high rates of depression and suicide among older adults have given rise to research which aims to identify factors that protect older people from mental illness. Recently, Bailey and McLaren (2005) developed and tested a model which investigated the relationships between engagement in various leisure activities performed alone or with others, sense of belonging, depression, and suicidal ideation. The present study examined an extended version of the mental health model, incorporating the additional variables of perceived freedom in leisure and physical health status. A sample of Australian males and females (N = 379) aged 65 years and over (M age = 77.23, SD = 7.48) completed the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Questionnaire, the Yale Physical Activity Survey,the Duke Health Profile, the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Scale, and the Suicide Subscale of the General Health Questionnaire. Results indicated that the model was invariant for gender, and accounted for 56% of the variance in suicidal ideation. The model indicated that physical health had direct relationships with each variable in the model. Perceived freedom in leisure predicted engagement in physical activity, sense of belonging-antecedent, and depression, whereas sense of belonging psychological state predicted depression and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that interventions aimed at improving older adults’ perceptions of freedom and personal choice with regard to their leisure experiences, maintaining optimal health, and increasing opportunities to foster feelings of belonging and relatedness with others, should protect against the development of mental ill health.Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)
6
Hall, Jane. "Television and positive ageing in Australia." Thesis, Hall, Jane (2005) Television and positive ageing in Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2005. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/92/.
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As a means to engage with others, television offers the viewer a great deal. In Australia commercial TV is particularly popular, and many turn daily to this cultural arena which graphically portrays our shared concerns and values. Viewers are kept informed and entertained, advertisements display the luxuries and necessities that direct lifestyle choices,and local and global stories are presented for mutual consideration. Audiences are connected not only with products,personalities and newsmakers, but also with fellow viewers who are sharing the experience. Retired people take particular advantage of this multi-faceted link with the outside world, when additional leisure time and reduced social and physical mobility create spaces that can be filled with the narratives and 'para-social' connections of a medium that transports the world to the viewer. Yet one definitive statement that can be made about popular television is that older people are rarely acknowledged and often ridiculed. An easily accessible and valuable communications medium marginalises those most dependent upon it - for information and entertainment, but also, I would argue, dependent upon it to help facilitate key recommendations of the 'successful ageing' formula.
Authoritative prescriptions for ageing well emphasise the benefits of social engagement, with television helping to facilitate this by involving the viewer with local concerns and wider accounts of human enterprise. Yet the popular media often presume that older people are no longer viable consumers or citizens, thus alienating them from mediated stories and populations. 'Success', according to commercial media sensibilities, is equated with youthfulness and economic means - twin attributes rarely associated with retired people. As a result, advertising is directed primarily at young, middle-class audiences, and the TV programmes to hook their attention are often typecast with similarly youthful protagonists. Older viewers are taken for granted and rarely acknowledged, and more disconcertingly, stereotyped and ridiculed to empower younger viewers. This dissertation seeks to explore these issues from a sociological perspective, primarily within the Australian context. Research strategies include a detailed analysis of the role of television in older people's lives and how they are portrayed, with results aligned with 'successful ageing' guidelines. Included in this approach is a study of how older people are portrayed on commercial TV in Australia, and a discussion of findings. The final section includes a chapter which consists of an examination of negative media portrayals from a political and human rights perspective, and the final chapter which asks how the oldest and frailest may by impacted by the cultural devaluation of old age.
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Hall, Jane. "Television and positive ageing in Australia." Hall, Jane (2005) Television and positive ageing in Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2005. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/92/.
Full textAbstract:
As a means to engage with others, television offers the viewer a great deal. In Australia commercial TV is particularly popular, and many turn daily to this cultural arena which graphically portrays our shared concerns and values. Viewers are kept informed and entertained, advertisements display the luxuries and necessities that direct lifestyle choices,and local and global stories are presented for mutual consideration. Audiences are connected not only with products,personalities and newsmakers, but also with fellow viewers who are sharing the experience. Retired people take particular advantage of this multi-faceted link with the outside world, when additional leisure time and reduced social and physical mobility create spaces that can be filled with the narratives and 'para-social' connections of a medium that transports the world to the viewer. Yet one definitive statement that can be made about popular television is that older people are rarely acknowledged and often ridiculed. An easily accessible and valuable communications medium marginalises those most dependent upon it - for information and entertainment, but also, I would argue, dependent upon it to help facilitate key recommendations of the 'successful ageing' formula.
Authoritative prescriptions for ageing well emphasise the benefits of social engagement, with television helping to facilitate this by involving the viewer with local concerns and wider accounts of human enterprise. Yet the popular media often presume that older people are no longer viable consumers or citizens, thus alienating them from mediated stories and populations. 'Success', according to commercial media sensibilities, is equated with youthfulness and economic means - twin attributes rarely associated with retired people. As a result, advertising is directed primarily at young, middle-class audiences, and the TV programmes to hook their attention are often typecast with similarly youthful protagonists. Older viewers are taken for granted and rarely acknowledged, and more disconcertingly, stereotyped and ridiculed to empower younger viewers. This dissertation seeks to explore these issues from a sociological perspective, primarily within the Australian context. Research strategies include a detailed analysis of the role of television in older people's lives and how they are portrayed, with results aligned with 'successful ageing' guidelines. Included in this approach is a study of how older people are portrayed on commercial TV in Australia, and a discussion of findings. The final section includes a chapter which consists of an examination of negative media portrayals from a political and human rights perspective, and the final chapter which asks how the oldest and frailest may by impacted by the cultural devaluation of old age.
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Loh, Poh Kooi. "Innovations in health for older people in Western Australia." University of Western Australia. School of Medicine and Pharmacology, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2010.0051.
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Australia and many other developed communities are ageing rapidly, placing a strain on the delivery of health services. This thesis examines the use of innovative health services management coupled with information and communication technology (ICT) to more efficiently deliver services to disabled older people in the hospital, community and residential care. The hypothesis explored is that ICT can provide clinical services to older people in poorly serviced communities and groups, thus extending the influence and capabilities of specialist health care professionals. The relevance of these studies is predominantly for those people who live outside the metropolitan regions, particularly in remote and rural communities, and also for those frail older people, who because of disability, are unable to travel to specialist health services. There are a series of studies presented in this thesis which have all been published. They have demonstrated that in a community and rural setting, ICT use in the assessment and management of geriatric syndromes such as dementia is valid and practical. This included the validation of commonly used assessment tools via Telehealth. A Telehealth protocol for assessment of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) was developed and published. The use of ICT to link health services clinical and administrative data for determining stroke outcomes and disability has been evaluated and a resource utilization prediction model developed. Finally, in residential care a survey and a qualitative study of poor uptake of ICT services in hostels and nursing homes revealed insights into ICT perception by the older people in care facilities and their professional staff. The implications and future development of these studies have been discussed, especially barriers to increased uptake of ICT, cost comparisons and the potential of future technologies such as video conferencing mobile phones.
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Ong, Rachel Kien Ling. "Ageing in Australia : financial independence and work disincentive issues /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20050526.150529.
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Fleming, Brian James. "The social gradient in health : trends in C20th ideas, Australian Health Policy 1970-1998, and a health equity policy evaluation of Australian aged care planning /." Title page, abstract and table of contents only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phf5971.pdf.
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Kingsley, Elizabeth J. S. "Articulating and ameliorating elder abuse in Australia." Thesis, Curtin University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1753.
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The abuse of older people is a largely unrecognised and under acknowledged social problem in Australia. My major objective in undertaking the work, which is represented by the original published articles that comprise the thesis, was to make a scholarly and practical contribution toward the minimisation of 'elder abuse. This objective was achieved with the development and implementation of a series of studies that articulated and ameliorated elder abuse in Australia.The thesis provides an erudite synthesis of these studies, which fall into four themes that illustrate the nature and scope of my theoretical and professional work in elder abuse. Much of the work was guided by a conceptual framework of ways of knowing in nursing, and was underpinned by the principles and practice of community development and participatory community-based action processes.The outcomes of these studies include work with three stakeholder groups: professionals who deal with elder abuse, older people who are victims or potential victims of abuse, and those who perpetrate abuse on an older person. The work, illustrated in the four themes, includesthe articulation of elder abuse issues with West Australian aged care workersthe development of elder abuse protocols, policy guidelines and ethical principles, to guide professional practice in abuse prevention and interventionthe design and implementation of participative community programs to empower older people, and their carers, to resist being abused or abusing and to assist perpetrators stop their abusethe amelioration of abuse of nursing home residents by staff.The thesis situates my conceptual and clinical effort within the wider corpus of Australian knowledge and practice on elder abuse and contributes to addressing the social problem of elder abuse within the context of Australian aged care.
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Simpson-Young, Virginia. "Meat trays, marginalisation and the mechanisms of social capital creation an ethnographic study of a licensed social club and its older users /." Faculty of Health Sciences, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/4049.
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Doctor of Philosophy(PhD)Alongside informal networks of friends and family, formal social groupings such as voluntary associations are valued by older people as opportunities for engagement. In Australia, one such grouping is the licensed social (or ‘registered’) club. Approximately 20 per cent of all older Australians, and 80 per cent of older residents of the state of New South Wales, actively participate in such clubs. Despite this, older people’s registered club participation has received little scholarly attention. This ethnographic study of one particular registered club aimed to discover the nature, meaning and role of club participation for its older members. Social capital existing in club-based networks emerged as a further investigative focus, and its mechanisms and outcomes were examined. Participant observation and in-depth interviewing were the main data collection methods used. Data analysis procedures included thematic analysis (based loosely on grounded theory methodology), as well as the more contextsensitive narrative analysis and key-words-in-context analysis. The study found that club participation enabled older members to maintain valued social networks, self-reliance and a sense of autonomy. Social networks were characterised by social capital of the bonding type, being largely homogeneous with respect to age, gender, (working) class and cultural background. Strong cohesive bonds were characterised by intimacy and reciprocity, and possessed norms including equality and the norm of tolerance and inclusiveness. These helped to minimise conflict and build cohesiveness, while protecting older club-goers from increasing marginalisation within the club. Peer grouping within this mainstream setting may have shielded the older club-goers from stigma associated with participation in old-age specific groups. The nature and scale of registered club participation amongst older Australians points to their unique and important role. The findings of this research indicate that – for at least this group of older men and women - club use is a major contributor to maintaining social connectedness and a sense of self as self-reliant, autonomous and capable. In the context of an ageing population, Australia’s registered clubs feature in the mosaic of resources available to older people, and their communities, for the creation of social capital.
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Kingsley, Elizabeth J. S. "Articulating and ameliorating elder abuse in Australia." Curtin University of Technology, School of Nursing, 2002. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=13966.
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The abuse of older people is a largely unrecognised and under acknowledged social problem in Australia. My major objective in undertaking the work, which is represented by the original published articles that comprise the thesis, was to make a scholarly and practical contribution toward the minimisation of 'elder abuse. This objective was achieved with the development and implementation of a series of studies that articulated and ameliorated elder abuse in Australia.The thesis provides an erudite synthesis of these studies, which fall into four themes that illustrate the nature and scope of my theoretical and professional work in elder abuse. Much of the work was guided by a conceptual framework of ways of knowing in nursing, and was underpinned by the principles and practice of community development and participatory community-based action processes.The outcomes of these studies include work with three stakeholder groups: professionals who deal with elder abuse, older people who are victims or potential victims of abuse, and those who perpetrate abuse on an older person. The work, illustrated in the four themes, includesthe articulation of elder abuse issues with West Australian aged care workersthe development of elder abuse protocols, policy guidelines and ethical principles, to guide professional practice in abuse prevention and interventionthe design and implementation of participative community programs to empower older people, and their carers, to resist being abused or abusing and to assist perpetrators stop their abusethe amelioration of abuse of nursing home residents by staff.The thesis situates my conceptual and clinical effort within the wider corpus of Australian knowledge and practice on elder abuse and contributes to addressing the social problem of elder abuse within the context of Australian aged care.
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Cockburn, Janet M. "An investigation into everyday memory ability among older people." Thesis, University of Reading, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.238649.
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Paull, Megan. "Sensemaking and the management of older volunteers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2007. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/287.
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This study explores the experiences of older volunteers and their managers in particular when a change in the perfonnance of the volunteer is noticed by the manager. The impetus for this study was an expressed concern of the managers of volunteers which classified the management of 'older volunteers" as being somehow different from their younger counterparts. Conducted within an interpretivist framework this study employed a two-phase methodology comprising a context setting descriptive quantitative study followed by an in-depth qualitative grounded theory approach. The importance of the in-depth examination revealed the importance of context to the management process.
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Radbourne, Emma Louise. "Positive experiences in older people with early stage dementia." Thesis, University of Hull, 2008. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:1374.
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This thesis is divided into 3 parts:Part 1 is a systematic literature review entitled ‘Living Positively with Dementia’. The notion that people living with dementia can have positive experiences in spite of - or even because of - their illness remains widely disputed. In light of this controversy and the potential conceptual and clinical importance of documenting the subjective experience of dementia in all its variations, this review examines the current research evidence relating to positive lived experience in dementia. The review uncovered 63 studies containing evidence of positive experiences reported by people living with dementia. The methodological quality of the studies is evaluated along with consideration of how researchers have managed such reports. The findings of the review suggest that people with dementia are capable of experiencing positive emotions, and furthermore that dementia can uncover strengths in people, such as hope; faith; resilience; wisdom; altruism; humor; optimism; perseverance; and courage.Part 2 is an empirical study which investigates one of the positive constructs highlighted by the review - hope. The paper examines the subjective experience of hope in older people with early-stage dementia and explores factors that facilitate or hinder hopefulness in this population. Ten participants were each interviewed and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes within their accounts. The study considers how hopefulness in dementia compares with existing definitions of hope and the existing literature on age; dependency; and coping, in order to provide a thematic framework for understanding how hope may support individuals with dementia to maintain their quality of life, and to consider the scope for hope-fostering strategies.Part 3 consists of the appendixes relating to the research, including a reflective statement on the process of carrying out the research. The statement includes reflection on all aspects of research from planning to carrying out the research project.
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Chalmers, Jane. "The oral health of older adults with dementia." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2001. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phc438.pdf.
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Bibliography: leaves 347-361. Presents results of 2 longitudinal studies investigating the oral health of older adults with dementia, using questionnaires and clinical inspections at baseline and one year. Groups studied were nursing home residents and those living in the community, with moderate to severe dementia or no dementia diagnosis. Caries experience was related to dementias severity and not to specific dementia diagnoses. Coronal and root caries experience was higher in dementia participants with moderate-severe dementia, the socio-economically disadvantaged, more functionally dependent, taking neuroleptic medications with high anticholinergic adverse effects, with eating and swallowing problems, were not attending the dentist, who needed assistance and were behaviourally difficult during oral hygiene care and whose carers were burdened.
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Campbell, Kathleen J. "People over 85 years say I'd rather go under a train than go into a nursing home." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/202.
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This study uses a qualitative in-depth research design to explore the attitudes that community living people over 85 years of age (n=lO) hold towards relocating to an aged care facility. Aged care facilities are supported accommodation options for the elderly that were previously known as nursing homes or hostels (Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, 1997). This type of accommodation currently houses 31 % of the total population of people over 85 years of age (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004-2005). Attitudes towards new environments are associated with relocation adjustment, and a review of the literature reveals negative perceptions by younger elderly people towards aged care facilities. Demographic trends indicate a rapid increase in the number of very-old people who are in the high-risk group for admission to aged care facilities; however there is a paucity of research regarding their attitudes towards such relocation. There are many implications for aged care service providers as a result of these demographic trends, but particularly in relation to accommodation options for the elderly. This research examines the attitudes that the very-old hold about going into residential care. It also explores the emotions underpinning that attitude. The main areas that emerged included concerns over media representation, perceived lack of control and fear of a loss of independence. There were very negative attitudes toward the loss of the home itself followed by concerns over loss of personal possessions. The very-old have such rich histories embedded in their home and possessions that these things become a part of their identity and culture (Moore, 2000) rather that a separate entity, and therefore the loss of these possessions could ultimately lead to the loss of self. The results have proven to be generally negative toward relocation to an aged care facility and combined with an assumption by the participants that there is no opportunity for future planning once in care, some expressed they would choose death rather than relocation. The implications of allowing these negative attitudes to continue without interventions based on further research and community consultation, will only add to the relocation stress syndrome already being experienced by many of very senior members of society (Capezuti, Boltz, & Renz, 2004).
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Marquis, Ruth. "The meaning of quality in living service environments: An analysis of the experiences of people with disabilities, elderly people and service workers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/976.
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The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of both people with disabilities and elderly people and to identify their perceptions of quality as it relates to living in a service or being supported by a service to live in the community. The study was naturalistic in design and used a phenomenological approach and inductive analysis. It involved immersion in living services for a two year period, in-depth interviews with people living and working in services and participant observation. Fifty service users between the ages of twenty-one and ninety-six, and twenty-six service workers between the ages of twenty-six and fifty-four were informants in the study. The study comprised of three phases, the first phase involved repeated in-depth interviews with service users in two disability and two aged care living services to examine the experiences of people living in services and their perceptions of quality. As a result of the consistency with which relationships with key staff members emerged in the context of quality experiences, selected service workers who were named by service users were also interviewed. The findings in this phase indicated that relationships experienced by service users in their encounters with service workers were more significant in service users' evaluation of quality than tangible acts of physical and environmental care. Relational experiences of people living in services were variable. Some informants experienced consistent validation and socio-emotional support, whilst others experienced role distancing and negative communication experiences. Service workers who were interviewed as a result of being identified by service users in the context of quality, attached importance to the relational domain in the acts and behaviours of providing a service. They also attached personal meaning to their roles as service workers and shared the view that their role as service worker was underpinned by an ethos of communality. The second phase of the study involved accessing another five disability and five aged care services to collect further data to support or refute the findings from phase one. As a result a large data bank was established to confirm the consistency with which relational experiences in living services were linked to perceptions of quality by both service users and service providers. Acts and behaviours which were consistently present in the context of quality were also identified and the need for emotional support in the living context was further confirmed. The third phase of the study involved an in-depth analysis and identification of commonly experienced categories of relationships between service users and workers. Relationships were categorised into ethical and technical living service experiences and exemplars used to illustrate findings. Data analysis indicated that service experiences lie on a continuum, with mutually supportive relationships between service users and workers at one end, and physical and psychological abuse at the other. Experiences were variable in singular service contexts. This highlighted the individual nature of service relationships between service users and workers and the need to articulate human service as relationship. It also highlighted the inadequacies of using standard measures to evaluate quality in living services.
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Hawthorne, Oliver. "Understanding the social support of older lesbian and gay people." Thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2017. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/16425/.
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Lesbian and gay people are more likely to experience long-term health problems and less likely to have relationships that typically provide informal care. Whilst some researchers have suggested that care is provided by family-of-choice relationships (i.e. a network of very close friendships), there has been no research looking at what determines the organisation of care. Grounded theory was used to explore what determines the organisation of informal care for older lesbian and gay people with health problems. Fourteen mid-later life lesbian and gay people were interviewed who had experience of providing/receiving care, or running groups for these populations. Findings suggest that this population experience losses to their network related to their sexuality as well as due to ageing and the impact of their health problem. This means that except for those living with others (partners, ex-partners or housemates), people often experience their care needs being “left to” them. In response, people seek connections or alternatives to support. Support arrangements developed for those living alone tends to be distributed across multiple people. Strategies and attitudes developed from managing being lesbian or gay influence choices and resiliencies in navigating these challenges. The results suggest that older lesbian and gay people have unique strengths and challenges in accessing care in the context of long-term conditions. Recommendations for research and practice are made, including the need for developing ways of working with distributed care networks and suggestions for supporting clients to use resiliencies developed from experiences of being lesbian and gay.
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Horwath, Caroline Christine. "A random population study of the dietary habits of elderly people." Title page, contents and synopsis only, 1987. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phh824.pdf.
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McCarty, Lisa. "Evaluating the quality of care within residential services for older people." Thesis, University of Hull, 2001. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:8429.
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The quality of care within residential services for older people has been a source of concern within health and social care for some time. Several attempts have been made to develop a means of assessing the quality of care; however, the nature and quality of these varies enormously. The Quest process of evaluation, which was designed as a means of assessing service quality according to the structure and process of care, is presented as a possible means of improving upon current practice. The Quest system incorporates four measures: the Service Profile, the Support Questionnaire, the Observation Profile and the Occupational Stress Indicator. The Service Profile is essentially descriptive in nature, and the Occupational Stress Indicator is a published, standardised measure. The remaining Quest measures, however, were only recently developed and therefore lack evidence in support of their psychometric properties. The present study was designed to assess the validity and reliability of the Quest system within residential services for older people. The exploration of validity and reliability took several forms, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The overall findings of the discussion group and assessment of face validity advocated the credibility of the dimensions of support that underpin the Quest system. With regards to reliability, the findings supported the reliability of the Observation Profile but identified that further work was needed to ascertain the reliability of the Support Questionnaire. Issues relevant to the interpretation of the results were discussed along with the reasons why a number of formal assessments of validity could not be made. Further work to explore the psychometric properties of the Quest system was recommended before it can be confidently applied to residential services for older people.
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Wilson, Philippa Mary Ayley. "Anxiety in older people with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.390718.
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Lai, Ching-man. "Life satisfaction in old age: a study of the experience of elderly hostel residents." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B2969730X.
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Miles, Julie Ann. "Attitudes toward old people and beliefs about aging: A generational study." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1009.
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Attitudes toward the elderly were examined in three generations through analysis of media use, gender, contact with elderly, age, factual knowledge about aging, and parental influence on attitude formation. The results revealed that age, factual knowledge, perceived ageism in mass media and parental influence were significantly related to attitude toward the elderly.
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Ruler, Amanda Jane. "Culture of nursing homes : an ethnomethodological study /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phr935.pdf.
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Jackson, Joan. "Is it 'too bloody late'? : Older people's attitudes to physical activity and to the recommendations in the National Physical Activity Guidelines." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1321.
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Participation in physical activity confers many health benefits by reducing the risk factor for a number of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. Other benefits include improved mental and physical well-being. For older people the benefits are even more important; engagement in physical activity extends to such health benefits as reduction in the risk of falls and related potential injuries. However the most significant benefit to older people is that physical activity enables older people to live independently for longer and with a greater sense of well-being. This study explores, through qualitative research, older people's attitudes to physical activity in general and to the recommendations in the National Physical Activity Guidelines (NPAGs) in particular with the aim of developing recommendations for social marketing practitioners when designing messages about physical activity targeted at older people. Eight focus groups were conducted with male and female, blue and white collar, 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' older people, 65-85 years of age. Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) Theory of Reasoned Action was the theoretical framework for the study. The study aimed to establish participants' affective, cognitive, and behavioural responses to the recommendations contained in the NPAGs. This theory distinguishes between the person's beliefs relating to the object or issue and the person's perceptions of how they believe other people will react to the same object or issue. That is, social norms influence attitudes and behaviour. There were four major findings from this study. Firstly, it emerged that many of the participants thought that engagement in physical activity meant doing something 'extra' to a normally physically active day; thus the message that incidental activity is beneficial to health needs to be effectively disseminated amongst older people. Secondly, the message relating to the accumulation of short bouts of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the day had not reached all participants, also suggesting that effective dissemination of this message is warranted. Thirdly, some participants stated that by engaging in physical activity they enjoyed a better night's sleep. Lastly, it emerged that source credibility was an issue for some participants. There was a specific concern that someone 'young' was telling them what to do. Social marketing practitioners could incorporate these findings into a physical activity campaign directed at older people. In addition, it is suggested that an appropriate marketing 'place' strategy would be the use of shopping centres as this would reduce perceived effort and inconvenience as well as reducing psychological costs related to fear of falling, fear of uncontrolled dogs, and fear of crime.
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Hanson, Christine Dawn. "Memory appraisals by older people : associated factors and spousal relationship quality." Thesis, University of Hull, 2010. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:3476.
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Buggins, Sarah-Louise. "The experience of resilience in older people living with chronic illness." Thesis, University of Hull, 2016. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:14087.
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This portfolio thesis consists of three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical paper and a set of appendices. Part one is a systematic literature review which synthesises the published qualitative literature investigating resilience in older people living with chronic illness. The review aims to explore the role that resilience plays in ageing with a chronic physical illness, and how resilience is experienced by this group of people. The synthesis resulted in eight sub-themes subsumed under three super-ordinate themes. Super-ordinate themes are ‘the resilient mindset’, ‘engaging with others’ and ‘continuity in life’. The strength of the empirical evidence is evaluated, and findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and clinical practice. Part two is an empirical paper investigating narratives of resilience in older people who are living with a diagnosis of dementia. This qualitative study utilised a narrative approach to collect and analyse stories from eight older people around how they have responded to changes and challenges since receiving their dementia diagnosis. The stories contained a number of phases, and resilience emerged as an on-going process stimulated by people’s sense of identity, agency, connection and positive outlook on life. Clinical and research implications are discussed. Part three consists of a set of appendices which relate to both the systematic literature review and the empirical paper. This also includes a reflective account of the research process and an epistemological statement.
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Mills, Marie Annette. "Narrative identity and dementia : narrative and emotion in older people with dementia." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.261749.
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Barnett, Zoe L. "Doddering but dear? : investigating the applicability of the stereotype content model (SCM) for aged exemplars in Australia /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2006. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe19762.pdf.
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馮美珍 and Mei-chun Fung. "Study on the psychological well-being and housemate relationship of the elderly people." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31977327.
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Danely, Jason Allen. "Departure and return abandonment, memorial and aging in Japan /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2008. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3324442.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008.Title from first page of PDF file (viewed October 3, 2008). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 364-391).
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Iwasaki, Michiko. "Attitudes toward older adults : a multidimensional scale." Virtual Press, 2006. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1343470.
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The present study examined the psychometric properties of a new instrument, the Multidimensional Attitude Toward Older Adults Scale (MATOAS), administered to a total of 787 undergraduate students at a Midwestern university. Factor structure of the MATOAS was investigated with a split-sampling approach in order to cross validate the findings between exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). EFA suggested a four-factor structure with 25 items. These factors were named Respect and Appreciation (R-A), Irritation and Intolerance (I-I), Work Interests (W-I), and Social Connectedness (S-C). The results of CFA testing of the higher-order four-factor model showed significant improvement in various fit indices from the previously tested tripartite attitudes model (Rosenberg & Hovland, 1960) and the uni-dimensional model.The MATOAS demonstrated fairly high internal consistency reliability (α = .88) and high test-retest reliability over a one week period (r =.89, p < .001). Convergent validity of the MATOAS with the refined version of the Aging Semantic Differential Scale (Polizzi & Millikin, 2002) and divergent validity with the 13-item Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Reynolds, 1982) also were promising. The present study provides extensive reviews of the Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People scale (Kogan, 1961 a) and the Aging Semantic Differential (Rosencranz & McNeivin, 1969) as well as established and contemporary guidelines for scale development work.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
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Inbinder, Francine C. "A descriptive study of the relationship between mental health and sexual functioning in the older adult." Click here for text online. The Institute of Clinical Social Work Dissertations website, 1993. http://www.icsw.edu/_dissertations/inbinder_1993.pdf.
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Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- The Institute for Clinical Social Work, 1993.A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Institute of Clinical Social Work in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
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Allen, Philip Andrew. "Secondary memory deficits as a function of increased processing variability in older adults /." The Ohio State University, 1987. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487326511714199.
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Perry, Lisa Ann. "Clothing satisfaction and self-concept of older women." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104536.
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Ng, Yuk-ming, and 吳煜明. "A study on the relationship among stressful life event, salient role, social support, and psychological well-being of the elderly people." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1994. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31977753.
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Zachariades, Fotini Katerina. "Coping with health-related problems and psychological distress amongst older adult hospital patients." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1392.
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This study addresses the extent to which coping strategies can predict emotional status amongst a sample of older adult hospital patients in Perth, Western Australia. Older people are frequently in hospitals because of the large number of serious health problems that are more common in this age group. Older people vary in how well they deal with illness, and negative emotional reactions can complicate medical care. The emotional states of depression, anxiety and somatic complaints were assessed in a group of 120 older adults from two Perth hospitals. Two questionnaires were administered: the Depression, Anxiety and Somatic Complaints subscales from the Personality Assessment Inventory and the Coping With Health Injuries and Problems Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses were the main technique employed to analyse the data. Results indicate that Negative Emotion Coping was a consistent and statistically significant predictor of all three psychological distress variables (ρ < .01). Furthermore, it was found that the coping predictors contributed the greatest proportion of the variance towards firstly depression (36.8%), secondly anxiety (30%) and thirdly somatic complaints (25.1%). Therefore coping strategies predict depression, anxiety and somatic complaints nevertheless, an exploratory perspective is assumed in this study. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed with regard to the interaction between physical and mental health status within the process of adjusting to illness, and various psychotherapeutic interventions addressing the psychological aspects of physical illness.
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Reed, Christian E. "The motives underlying senior athletes' participation in sports and physical actvitiy /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3060135.
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Finello, Christina M. Heilbrun Kirk. "Testamentary competence : defining functional abilities /." Philadelphia, Pa. : Drexel University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3033.
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Mullins, Beth Young. "Examining aspects of motivation associated with exercise in older adults." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1605135201&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Todd, Carolyn. "Exploring the role of museums for socially isolated older people." Thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2017. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/16278/.
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Research suggests that social prescribing schemes can offer health and psychological wellbeing benefits to older people across a range of interventions. The present study sought to understand how museum programmes, designed to support socially isolated older adults, created opportunities to enhance wellbeing and change experiences of social isolation. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse initial interviews, 3-month follow-up interviews, and participant diaries, from 12 participants who took part in 10-week programmes across six different museums in London and Kent. A theoretical model was developed showing elements of museum programmes, such as the role of the facilitator, activities and physical space, that enabled both individual journeys and relational processes. In addition, individual journeys and relational processes influenced each other, enhancing the experience. These components operated within an interacting social context that was enriched by the museum programme. The theoretical model links with psychological concepts of attachment theory and self-esteem to explain how cultural group programmes could provide opportunities for change in older people. Limitations of the research, implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.
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McCartney, Sherry Gates. "The lived experience of quality of life in an elderly population : a Heideggerian hermeneutical study." Virtual Press, 1993. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/879846.
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The purpose of this Heideggerian hermeneutical study was to explore and uncover the hidden meaning of quality of life as experienced by a population of individuals 65 years of age and beyond. Five participants were interviewed and asked to describe quality of life as these individuals experienced it. Consistent with the method, purposive sampling was used in order to gain an understanding from subjects who have experienced the phenomenon and could articulate experiences. A group of retirees who meet monthly at a church were asked to participate. Interviews were audiotaped and the data was transcribed by this researcher. Audio tapes were destroyed when the study was completed. Transcribed data was shared with other researchers who are familiar with Heideggerian hermeneutics for the purpose of gaining insight into interpretation. When data was shared, names of participants and other identifying information was removed. Sharing of data for the purpose of interpretation is inherent in the Heideggerian method as described by Diekelmann, Allen and Tanner (1989). Participants were guaranteed confidentiality and were free to withdraw from the study without prejudice at any time. Data was analyzed in seven stages as described by Diekelmann, Allen and Tanner (1989). Findings included a constitutive pattern of quality of life and integrity as one experience. These two ways of being allowed the elderly to experience a sense of unity and completeness as well as a sense of fulfilling one's own destiny. The main theme supporting the constitutive patter was a strong belief and connectedness to a higher power. This faith allowed the elderly to connect to family, friends, church groups and memories. Anticipation of loss and change was a daily experience of being elderly, yet it allowed them to appreciate each day as it was lived without fear or loss of hope. Health promotion was significant because the elderly knew maintaining health was a way to maintain connectedness to that which was valued. The study was significant in contributing an understanding to the experience of quality of life in the elderly population.School of Nursing
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Blommer, Susan Elaine Witzeman 1948. "SOCIOECONOMIC AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AFFECTING PARTICIPATION IN GROUP FITNESS ACTIVITY BY RETIRED PERSONS IN TUCSON, ARIZONA." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276604.
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Dionigi, Rylee Ann. "Competing for Life: Older People and Competitive Sport." Thesis, Connect to this title online, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/24895.
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In Western society competing in physically demanding sport is not considered the domain of older people. For the majority of the twentieth century older people were stereotyped as frail, socially withdrawn and dependent on health and social welfare systems. Competitive athletes on the other hand are commonly viewed as being young, strong, aggressive, physically competent and independent. Although today’s older generation are encouraged to be physically active, society does not recognise serious competition or physically intense sports as age-appropriate activities for them. If older people choose to participate in sport they are expected to be doing it to have fun, make friends and keep fit. The growing leisure phenomenon of older athletes who compete to win, achieve a personal best, break world records or push their bodies to the limit presents a challenge to these orthodoxies. The purpose of this thesis is to explain why competing in physically demanding sport is significant to some older people given the accepted view that it is not their domain. In particular, the thesis explores the multiple ways in which a group of older people negotiate conflicting discourses of both sport and ageing, as well as the contradiction between their identity as an athlete and their ageing bodies, as they talk about and experience competing in physically strenuous individual and team sports. The key themes through which this negotiation process is played out relate to friendship and fun, competition, youthfulness, and the ageing body. It is revealed that the process of competing in sport can be simultaneously empowering and problematic at both the individual and social levels. The thesis draws on insights from post-structural theories of resistance and empowerment, traditional and postmodern understandings of identity management in later life, and life-stage theories to interpret the phenomenon of older people competing in physically demanding sport. To achieve the above aims, a qualitative study exploring the experiences of a group of Masters athletes aged over 55 years who regularly compete in physically strenuous individual or team sports was undertaken. It was found that despite age-appropriate norms, competition is significant to many of the participants. Study participants embrace the ideologies and practices of competitive sport and use them to define ageing in terms of youthfulness, physical ability and personal empowerment. Simultaneously however, a denial of, or desperate resistance to, the physical ageing process accompanies this feeling of empowerment. The participants in this study were not only competing in sport, but also "competing for life". It is argued that a multi-faceted and conflicting interplay of resistance and conformity, empowerment and denial, identity and the ageing body is embedded in the phenomenon of older people competing in physically demanding sport. These contradictory findings expose alternative ways of understanding sport, competition, ageing and older people in the West and raise many questions requiring further investigation. The study also points to potential applications of these findings to policy-making and provision of leisure services for older people.PhD Doctorate
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Dionigi, Rylee Ann. "Competing for Life: Older People and Competitive Sport." Diss., Connect to this title online, 2004. http://www.newcastle.edu.au/services/library/adt/public/adt-NNCU20041203.213850/index.html.
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McGregor, Katherine DeWinter. "Reminiscence, life satisfaction, depression, and perceived health in elderly women a descriptive study." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1988. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/247.
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Paul, Myrene Ellen. "Geriatric normative data for the Rorschach for a community-living sample." Virtual Press, 1987. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/536298.
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The purpose of the present investigation was to gather data on the performance of nonpatient elderly subjects on the Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Test. The Comprehensive System (Exner, 1985, 1986) was used for administering, scoring, and interpreting the Rorschach because it is a research-based form with demonstrated reliability and validity and it has become the most widely used approach to the Rorschach in the past 13 years. However, the norms were based upon an adult sample, ages 18 to 64. Therefore, the present study addressed the following problems: What are the normative data for the Rorschach of a nonpatient group of elderly? How do these normative data of the elderly compare with the normative data for younger adults?Method The study used 60 men and women, ages 65 to 94, all active, nonpatient volunteers with no psychiatric history. They lived independently of any institutional supervision or care.Results Means of Rorschach variables for elderly subjects were compared with the means for a younger adult population. The elderly had significantly lower means for R, P, W, D, S, DQ+, DQ v/+, FQo, M, Ma, Mp, a (active), FC, CF, Wgt Sum C, FC'+C'F+C', FY+YF+Y, Sum Shading, (2), FD, Zd, EA, D score, ADJ D, Blends, Col-Sh B1, X+%, F+%, Pure H, ALL H Cont, DV, DR, INCOM, SUM6 SP SC, and SUM 6 SP SC.The aged subjects produced significantly higher means for the following indices: Dd, FQ-, M-, FM, C+Cn, Lambda, Z-%, S-Constell, SCZI, DEPRI, PER, and PSV.The older adults performed neither significantly higher or lower for these variables: DQo, DQv, FQ+, FQu, m, p (passive), FT+TF+T, FV+VF+V, Fr + rF, F, Zf, es, 3r+(2)/R, FABCOM, ALOG, CONTAM, AG, CONFAB, CP, and MOR.These results indicate that the elderly in this study give responses which are less embellished, complex, synthesized, and conventional and to have percepts that are of poorer quality and are more distorted than those of younger adults.The following nine percentages for the elderly group were significantly higher than for the younger adult group with whom they were compared: M - WSUM C = +1.5 to -1.5, D SCORE < 0, ADJ D SCORE < 0, Zd SCORE < -3.0, X+% < .70, F+% < .70, X-% > .15, Afr < .55, and Pure H < 2.These percentages show that the aged had no preferred problem-solving style, had more stressors than skills to cope with them, are somewhat negligent and less accurate in processing information, avoid emotion, and have less interest in the social environment.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
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Stehlik, Daniela Anna. "Making the invisible visable : an analysis of the Home and Community Care Program : a socialist-feminist perspective." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1991. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1118.
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As the population of Australia ages, social policy and human service practice in the field of aged care is increasingly important and relevant. The Home and community Care (H.A.C.C.) Program was established in 1985 by the Labor Government as a response to a demand for more community services for the frail aged and was designed to reduce the incidence of institutionalisation by increasing home care services. In this way the Home and Community Care Program is seen as linchpin in the Federal Government's initiative to create an efficient and cost-effective aged care policy to contend with the future growth of Australia's ageing population. This thesis argues that there are several assumptions intrinsic to the H.AC.C. Program that are potentially jeopardising and undermining its usefulness. These assumptions are based on familial ideology and nostalgic conceptualizations of 'the community’ and 'the family'. In addition, these assumptions also involve stereotypic attitudes to women as primary carers and nurturers that ignore, to a great degree, the needs of women themselves. These assumptions, combined with an increasingly neo-conservative view about a reduction in the role of the State and a corresponding increase in family responsibility in welfare, have major implications for Australian women. This socialist-feminist analysis argues that women who are providing care for aged spouses or relatives are doing essential, hard and stressful work, work which is unpaid and often unacknowledged, and that the Australian welfare system is now structured around the invisible labour of such women. Consequentially, the assumption that a social policy program such as H.A.C.C. makes, that is, that there will always be women who care, requires further analysis. This research has revealed that such assumptions have implications for the future development of social policy for the aged in Australia and on the future roles of women in this country. Particular questions which this thesis addresses include, firstly, who actually provides care? Empirical research indicates that the majority of care is provided by one individual, usually the spouse, daughter or daughter-in law. Secondly, what are the assumptions underlying the development and implementation of Home and Community Care social policy in relation to the social construction of caring? Such assumptions are found to include, that the H.A.C.C. Program is premised upon an erroneous concept of the 'community' and consequentially 'community care' and that traditional 'family' and familial values are a precondition to H.A.C.C. service delivery. A socialist-feminist critique offers a deeper analysis of such assumptions by disclosing that the Home and Community Care policies assume that service delivery can be best undertaken by extending the traditional domestic role of women, thus utilising them as an unpaid, or poorly paid, labour force. This analysis also discloses the explicit rejection of the informal service system as having any real economic significance but rather being viewed as ‘complementary’ to the formal service system. Finally, there are future implications of such assumptions for women as primary carers, services users or paid staff within the H.A.C.C. Program which require urgent cognisance in order to develop a future aged care policy in Australia that avoids exploitation of women.