Local Housing and Service Decisions

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify factors associated with local housing and service decisions that support aging adults in rural communities. These decisions represent de factostrategies that affect the quality of life of older residents and their ability to age in place. Data were collected from 951 informants in 134 Midwest rural communities. Analyses were undertaken to identify the role of community characteristics in predicting the availability of a group of housing options and support services. Findings support the notion that the community context is important to the delivery of key housing and service needs. Population size, proportion of community residents 65 years and older, and housing planning processes promoted gains in housing and services.     

Evaluating Potential Environmental Variables and Active Aging in Older Adults for Age-Friendly Neighborhoods in Malaysia

As Malaysia's population is aging rapidly, and since there is no specific housing policy for the elderly, it is vital that neighborhoods meet the different needs of elderly for active aging to maintain their quality of life. This study aims to investigate the neighborhood environmental variables, the outcome active aging, and potential variables that inhibit active aging in the elderly that lead to their quality of life. It examined quality-of-life determinants that are influenced by the existence of certain neighborhood characteristics. In the study, 385 older adults aged 60+ years residing in two different cities in Malaysia were surveyed. Multiple regression was used to explore how much variance in active aging variables the neighborhood environmental factors explained as a group. The results showed that permeability, accessibility, and facilitators to walking are key determinants of active aging. There is a need to improve the physical design of the neighborhoods with regard to these three factors.     

Social and Health Factors Affecting Community Service Use by Vulnerable Older People

Abstract

This article reports on Outcomes for older people with complex or chronic care needs, a study undertaken by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and La Trobe University, examining older Victorians’ use of community services following Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) recommendations that they remain living at home. The paper reports on interviews with older people and carers undertaken at three-monthly intervals, over 12 months. This paper contributes to understanding the factors that impede or facilitate uptake of community aged care services that are critical to meeting the needs of older people and their carers. The study found that among other factors social isolation, high carer burden, and the older person reporting low mood were important barriers to service uptake. Cost, waiting lists, and service satisfaction were also identified in qualitative data as influencing factors. The study concludes there is a need for better means of identifying and supporting older people and carers at risk to improve community service uptake.     

Homes of Choice

Abstract

State policymakers increasingly recognize that housing is not only an important shelter resource for older persons, but also a key element of community-based care. Over the last two decades, significant state and local activity has led to an increase in service-enriched housing for older persons. Service-enriched housing refers to living arrangements that include health and/or social services in an accessible, supportive environment. Emerging forces are leading to increased pressure for the expansion of service-enriched housing. These forces include: a growing and diverse population of older renters; older adults' preferences to age in place; the increasing frailty of subsidized housing residents; the development of assisted living (AL); the enactment of Medicaid waivers; and implementation of the Olmstead decision. Although studies have not included cost-analysis, available research demonstrates that service-enriched housing promotes resident satisfaction, successfully provides services to frail populations, and supports aging in place.

Given both limited resources and research, this article addresses how states can adequately respond to and capitalize on these forces in order to best meet the long-term needs of older adults.     

Sustaining an intimate and sexually fulfilled marriage or partnership in older adulthood with a disability: Perspectives of social workers

ABSTRACT

The American portrayal of sex is often left for only the young, attractive, and able-bodied. In contrast many studies have found that older adults with disabilities in marriages and intimate partnerships have sexual desire and sexually active lives. Social workers are often burdened with balancing the sexual intimacy desires of their older adult clients with disabilities, alongside the need to protect them from sexual abuse and exploitation, particularly among those who may lack the capacity to consent due to cognitive impairment. This phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived professional experience of social workers (N = 5) in supporting married and intimately partnered couples in which at least one person was an older adult with a disability to understand the clients’ needs and common social work practice methods used to address their needs. Inductive coding was used to identify themes and subthemes. Their role included helping their clients to learn about their ability to have sex, consenting to sex, negotiating accommodations for intimacy and sex with their spouses, and counseling those who took on caregiver roles for their spouses. Social workers reported that individual diagnosis, such as dementia, should not alone determine one’s ability to consent to sex.     

Service Learning with Rural Older Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the effects of a service-learning project with rural older adults on social work students' choice of working professionally with older adults upon graduation. Service learning is a course-based community service experience designed to enhance students' understanding of course content while meeting an identified community need at the same time. The service-learning intergenerational project consisted of ten hours of face-to-face interaction between a BSW student and an older adult living in rural South West Virginia and the city of Charleston. Twenty-one undergraduate social work students attending the Micro Practice course participated in the study. Data collection consisted of face-to-face interviews guided by a set of open-ended questions. Data analysis revealed that participation in the intergenerational project did not change a students' choice of major but it increased their desire to explore the field of aging.     

Everyday Meaning of Neighboring in Old Age in an Urban District

ABSTRACT

Contact and assistance between neighbors are prominent forms of social exchange in a spatial context. For older adults, the neighborhood gains in importance when mobility disabilities increase. This explorative study, therefore, aimed to investigate given and received neighborhood help and the everyday meaning of neighboring among older adults in an urban district. Study participants were aged 60 years and older (N = 100) living in an urban district of Zurich, Switzerland. Results highlight that older adults reported vivid interactions with their neighbors and that reciprocity exists between given and received neighborhood help. Besides that, daily contact and neighborhood help affect the perceived feeling of neighboring. Data indicate that neighboring is a meaningful resource for coping with everyday life situations in old age in an urban context.     

Natural neighborhood networks — Important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place

Neighborhoods are important places of aging and meaningful contexts of life for many older people. The overall aim of this study was to explore the public life of older people aging in place in order to understand neighborhoods as the material places where public life occurs, networks as the social places of public life, and to examine how these neighborhoods and networks influence the experience of aging and wellbeing. Adopting a friendly visiting methodology, data was collected over an 8-month period using participant observation, visual methods and an innovative interview technique called the “go along method”. Data were analyzed using grounded theory and a coding strategy that integrated textual, visual, and auditory data. Results provide insights into the micro-territorial functioning of neighborhoods and highlight third places and transitory zones as significant sites for older residents. Embedded within these places is a natural neighborhood network — a web of informal relationships and interactions that enhance well being and shape the everyday social world of older adults aging in place.     

Refashioning one's place in time: Stories of household downsizing in later life

Older adults face a daunting task: while continuing engagements in multiple relationships, investment in their own and others' futures, and developing life interests and capacities, they also reexamine and sometimes reconfigure the place where their social lives and objects are housed. Some relocate, downsize, to a new smaller place and reducing possessions to ensure an environment supportive of their capacities and desired daily activities. This article examines how key contours of the experiences of place during residential downsizing are infused with unexpectedly heightened awareness and cultivation of one's sense of place in multiple timeframes. In a discovery mode, the downsizing stories of 40 older adults in southeast Michigan are examined. Findings indicate conflicting temporalities and the natures of cognitions related to decision-making and thinking about being leave-taking and being in place. Findings also highlight in particular how making sense of one's place is predicated on notions of its time, of being on time and downsizing on time. Further, these characterizations of the lived worlds of older adults' modes of conceptualizing the nature of downsizing show how an understanding of the meaningfulness of place in later life relocations requires a layered sense of home as places-in multiple timelines.     

Graduate Social Work Students' Interest in Working with Older Adults

This study examined Master's in Social Work students' (N = 304) interest in working with older adults following the use of case studies to infuse aging content into the foundation social work curriculum. Faculty members were provided with extensive materials to support their use of the cases with aging content in class. Compared to an earlier study, students were significantly more interested in working with older adults after they were exposed to the cases. Factors that predicted students' interest include age and attitude towards aging, specifically seeing older adults as having vitality. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Policymaking for Diversity Among the Aged in India

Abstract

Population aging is occurring rapidly in India, and the implications of an aging society are likely to be experienced in an adverse manner unless immediate steps are taken to provide social security for all of India's older population. Current provision by central and state governments is grossly inadequate. This article analyzes the major Indian states across three income groups and describes the differences and inequalities across states and rural/urban areas with regard to income, living arrangements, pension benefits, etc. The efforts by central and state governments to meet the needs of older persons are outlined and critiqued. Suggestions are made for the establishment of more equitable income security, and health and social services schemes.     

Older Adults' Perceptions of Well-Being after Intergenerational Experiences with Youth

Abstract

Drawing upon Ryff's (1995) positive dimensions of well-being in older adulthood, thisstudy investigated older adults' perceptions of well-being following participation in anintergenerational program. Specifically, we examined the relationship between age, years of volunteer service, and sense of well-being among older adults (n= 46; 55 to 100 years of age) participating in intergenerational programs at 10 sites in Midwestern, agriculturally based communities. Using a mixedmethods design, results revealed that olderadults perceive a heightened sense of well-being from intergenerational interactions wit youth. Older adults reported successful aging included staying active, not worrying aboutone's problems, feeling young, and keeping up with the children and community. Adults aged 74-85 experienced significantly greater satisfaction and enjoyment than their older counterparts, particularly in anticipating working with youth and positive self-perception. No relationship emerged between years of involvement in the program and well-being. Implications for research and program development are discussed.     

Social Capital and Neighborhood Poverty

ABSTRACT

Research indicates that concentrated neighborhood poverty has numerous detrimental effects on the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The term “neighborhood effects” has been used to describe the interaction between socioeconomic disadvantage and social problems at the neighborhood level. Social capital theory, defined broadly as social networks characterized by trust and reciprocity represents one prominent explanation for the phenomenon of neighborhood effects. Within poor neighborhoods, it is theorized that socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhood foster inadequate social capital and it is this low level of social capital that leads to the phenomenon of neighborhood effects. In order to explore the utility of social capital theory in explaining neighborhood effects, this paper argues for an ecologically-grounded model of social capital that allows for the different ways in which social capital operates within different types of neighborhoods. Implications for social work practice, policy and education are discussed.     

Evaluating Social Integration and Psychological Outcomes for Older Adults Enrolled at a University Intergenerational Program

Abstract

Intergenerational programs are proliferating. The basic assumption of such programs is that pairing older and younger people in various activities and contexts such as educational programs will produce positive developmental benefits for all participants. Educational programs appear to help adults to remain socially active and connected. The University of Valencia (Spain) initiated in 1999–2000 a “University Program for Seniors” for adults age 55 and over, entitled “Nau Gran.”The goal of this paper is to present baseline results on the benefits and impacts for older adults enrolled at the program during 2002. Results from a sample of 212 sophomore and junior older adult participants are presented. The questionnaire included socio-demographic information and items regarding health, social integration, and psychological outcomes. Results indicated that older adults attending courses at the University increased their level of social integration.     

Home sweet home: The emotional construction of places

The social sciences have recently shown a revival of interest in space and place. In this “spatial turn” the place is seen as a “place-in-process” (Thrift, 2008) and as the emergent result of constant re-involvement processes based on the continuous re-definition and re-construction of its meaning. Moreover, elderly people's homes have acquired a renewed importance in the wake of an aging in place strategy in social and health policies. This study describes the processes of situatedness of place that occur during the widowhood. Involving ten older widows, our analysis identifies four distinct processes in the construction of the situated meaning of a place: ‘Heart displacement’, ‘The showcase of the self’, ‘Refuge’ and ‘Introjection of external spaces’.     

The Supportive Community

Abstract

This study examines supportive community programs in Israel, which aim to improve the quality of life of the elderly. These innovative programs pool existing resources to provide a benefits package that includes medical services, an emergency call switchboard, a “neighborhood facilitator,” and social activities. Data were collected in 2000-2001 using qualitative and quantitative methods. The program provides specific services to meet needs that otherwise are not adequately addressed. The major contributions of the program reported by the members was increasing their personal security (two-thirds), easing the burden on their children (one-third), and enabling them to remain at home (one-quarter). The supportive community program enriches the variety of services available, thus providing the elderly with the choice of staying within their familiar surroundings of their homes and neighborhoods. This model appears to be both a cost-effective way to facilitate aging in place and a way to meet many of the elderly's essential needs, thereby maintaining their quality of life.     

Environmental Evaluations and Modifications to Support Aging at Home With a Developmental Disability

ABSTRACT

Increasing numbers of people with developmental disabilities are living into old age and are now residing in community-based housing, largely due to the deinstitutionalization movement. The overlay of age-related impairments onto pre-existing, lifelong disabilities puts this population at a magnified risk for premature behavioral limitations and loss of independence. This article describes a demonstration project designed to enable people with developmental disabilities to age in place. Interviews and observational assessments with 45 older adults with developmental disabilities were conducted in their community-based homes to identify potential barriers to aging in place. An Individualized Environmental Intervention Plan was developed for each study participant, recommending ways to solve problems and eliminate potential barriers. Individualized Environmental Intervention Plans were implemented to the extent possible through home modifications and assistive technology. Pre- and post-modification task performance and self-report revealed the positive impact that home modifications and assistive technology can have. The study demonstrates the need for ongoing evaluation and assessment sensitive to the needs of people with developmental disabilities and the unique characteristics of supported living settings.     

Preventing Economic Hardship Among Chinese Elderly in Hong Kong

Abstract

Over the next 20 years, Hong Kong will face a rapidly aging population as the number of older adults aged 65 or above increases to approximately 1.4 million by 2021, that is, 17% of the total population. In 2001, there were 1.2 million adults aged 45-59. To assess the differences between these middle-aged adults and the current cohort of older adults, we identified the challenges that Hong Kong society will face in meeting the financial needs of older adults in the coming two decades. In this paper, we examine the retirement economic status of three groups of older adults: those who are financially independent, those who are financially supported by their adult children or children-in-law, and those who are receiving welfare assistance. We describe the current situations of these groups, prevailing social policy, future trends, and recommend policies for tackling problem areas.     

Chapter 3. Housing Older Canadians

ABSTRACT

Reflecting a world-wide trend toward avoidance of institutionahzation and the fostering of aging in place in the community, a range of housing alternatives has been developed for older persons in Canada. This paper examines: (1) current patterns of housing and living arrangements of older Canadians; (2) philosophies that have dominated policy and production of housing for seniors for the last 30 years; and (3) seniors' preferences and utilization rates of various options. Data sources include the 1991 census and two cross-Canada studies, one urban and one rural, in which seniors were asked about their housing and related support service needs, usage patterns and preferences. The paper concludes with a discussion of emerging trends blending shelter and services and of policy gaps that need to be addressed in meeting the future housing needs of older Canadians.     

A city within a city: A “snapshot” of aging in a HUD 202 in Detroit, Michigan

Because of a recent surge of aging in place literature, we know a considerable amount about how older adults wish to remain in long lived-in homes and communities. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge. What happens when older adults live in a community that does not support their everyday needs? This paper represents an initial attempt to explore how one group of poor, non-white, central city residents in Detroit, Michigan make sense of and organize a new age-segregated home. Findings presented in this article are based on 30 in depth and photographic elicitation interviews with African American, low-income, older adults living in one Housing and Urban Development 202 (HUD 202). Findings suggest that participants in this sample cultivated a new urban space within the facility to compensate for the deficiencies of a deteriorated inner-city neighborhood. I use these findings to encourage broader conceptualizations and consideration for the aging in place model to be more inclusive to the lived experiences of older adults who occupy oppressed places.