On Home Equity Conversion Mortgages for Elderly Homeowners

Analysis of reverse mortgage plans for elderly homeowners indicates that the compound interest charged by the lenders would capture more than half of the equity of the homeowners. The lenders further ask that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insure them against risks of unexpected longevity of the borrowers, creating an inderterminate risk to FHA.     

Restoring and Sustaining Home: The Impact of Home Modifications on the Meaning of Home for Older People

ABSTRACT

The importance of a supportive home environment to successful aging has been well-established in the literature, with home modifications increasingly acknowledged as ways of removing barriers to function and increasing independence for older people. Home modification literature and practice primarily focus on the home environment as a physical space in which to perform tasks and on the impact of modification on competencies and function. Home, however, is much more than a physical environment. Within a transactive framework, people and places are seen as engaged in a dynamic, reciprocal relationship through which home becomes a place of significant personal meaning. Through a qualitative framework, this study examines the experience of older people living in the community who are recipients of a home modification service. It explores the impact modifying the physical environment has on their experience of home as a place of meaning and provides insight into how home modifications can strengthen the home as a place of personal and social meaning as well as improve safety and comfort for the older person at home.     

Housing Governance and Senses of Home in Older Age: The Provider Scale

Extensive research examines senses of home in aging, focusing on built and care environments. In parallel, a body of work examines housing governance, reviewing degrees of resident satisfaction. However, there is little crossover between this work, with governance research only rarely considering senses of home. This article argues for attention to the interconnections between provider-scale housing governance and senses of home in older age, arguing that governance mechanisms structure the housing context and provide the framework through which home is experienced and lived. Through a case study of a small, affordable housing community in Sydney, Australia, it shows that housing governance can profoundly shape senses of home in aging, both contributing to and diminishing senses of home. Further, it points to a connection between housing governance and housing design with different housing typologies associated with different aging bodies and forms of management practice, with profound implications for residents' senses of home.     

Transition from Home Care to Nursing Home: Unmet Needs in a Home- and Community-Based Program for Older Adults

A major effort is under way nationally to shift long-term care services from institutional to home- and community-based settings. This article employs quantitative and qualitative methods to identify unmet needs of consumers who transition from a statewide home- and community-based service program for older adults to long-term nursing home residence. Administrative data, care manager notes, and focus group discussions identified program service gaps that inadequately accommodated acute health problems, mental health issues, and stressed family caregivers; additional unmet needs highlighted an inadequate workforce, transportation barriers, and limited supportive housing options. National and state-level policy implications are considered.     

Perceived Aspects of Home Environment and Home Modifications by Older People Living in Rural Areas

This study investigated the relationships between the “perceived aspects” of current home environment of elderly people living in rural areas and their home modification behavior. To investigate this perception, home satisfaction, perception of home capability, and home safety were used as perceived aspects of the home. Data were collected by a questionnaire. The response rate was 43.1%, with 317 eligible questionnaires. The results from this study indicate that there was no significant difference in perceived aspects of home environment between those who modified their homes and those who did not. Regardless of their current home conditions, most elderly respondents (75%) showed high home satisfaction. Results from this study suggest that a modified home environment does not necessarily contribute to an older person's perception of perceived aspects of their home environment.     

The Dyadic Effects of Controlling Emotional Abuse on Subjective Emotional Experience in Iranian Older Married Couples

This randomised control trial study examines the impact of an emotional‐focused intervention on emotional abuse and subjective emotional experience in Iranian older married couples. In the study, 57 older couples were randomly assigned into control and experimental groups with the latter taking part in an intervention program over 4 weeks, twice a week, with sessions lasting 90 minutes. In the experimental group, significant improvements were found for reducing emotional abuse behaviours and increasing subjective emotional experience. Dyadic analysis revealed that a partner's ability to control their own emotional abuse significantly effects both his/her subjective emotional experience and that of their spouse.     

The Physical Housing Environment and Subjective Well-Being Among Older People Using Long-Term Care Services in Japan

Abstract

For older people using long-term care services, the conditions of their life-space may be critical. The relationships between the physical housing environment and aspects of health were examined among older people in Japan (aged 65+ years, N?=?1,928) by multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Lack of safety, low access to emergency assistance, low or high indoor temperature, poor sanitary conditions, and state of home disrepair were significantly associated with negative aspects of health among people with low activities of daily living (ADL) independence. Home care service providers and policymakers need to consider the importance of appropriate environmental conditions for the most vulnerable groups.     

Home Environment and Its Relation with Quality of Life of Older People

In this cross-sectional study, we tested the relationship between sociophysical environment, quality of life (QOL), and perceived social support among elderly in Iran. The sample includes 128 participants recruited in the city of Shahrekord, Iran. We measured Evaluation of Older People Living Environment (EVOLVE); Control, Autonomy, Self-realization and Pleasure scale (CASP-19) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) tools respectively, through home-based observation and interview. A significant relationship was found between several domains of home environment, QOL, and perceived social support. The interaction effect of the home environment and gender in relation to QOL and perceived social support was statistically significant. Our results support that the home physical environment may not be considered a strong predictor of QOL among the Iranian elderly.     

The Value of Cultural Adaptation Processes: Older Youth Participants as Substance Abuse Preventionists

This National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Drug Abuse) funded study employed focus groups to explore the value of: (a) engaging youth as experts in their own drug culture to engage them in open, honest discussion around substance use in their communities; and (b) allowing youth within a range of settings to systematically recreate unique workbook and video scenarios while maintaining the core components of an evidence-based substance abuse prevention program. Researchers collaborated with community based agencies that serve high risk youth, including youth who were incarcerated, homeless, in alternative high schools, in low-income housing programs, and on the US-Mexico border. The research indicates that high-risk youth in community settings can be actively engaged in adapting evidence-based prevention curricula. Youth emphasized their reasons for using drugs, as well as the salient consequences, and the value of tailored scenarios that incorporate their life experiences, language, drugs of choice, and relevant motivators. Serendipitous findings noted attitude changes related to dissonance between the adaptation component participants’ behaviors and their input as “Preventionists.” Findings have implications for developing prevention strategies that may be helpful for older, high-risk youth.     

The State of Our Unions: Exploring Relationship Quality among Dyadic Couple Homeowners

Abstract

Relationship stability represents a major economic interest not only to Florida, but to every state in the nation. The cumulative expenses related to relationship dissolution (including litigation costs, foregone tax revenues, and federal assistance programs such as Medicaid, child welfare SCHIP, TANF, WIC and SNAP) are estimated to cost taxpayers billions annually. Overall detriments are also higher when considering longitudinal impacts of family instability on affected couples and children in terms of lost productivity and psychosocial impact. This study endeavors to better understand threats to family instability, relationship quality and contextual factors via data collected from a sample of Florida homeowners in three types of cohabiting relationships. Analysis shows that roughly 60% of the variability in relationship quality is accounted for by negative interaction and consensus scores. High measures of negative interaction among dyadic couples indicate that cohabiting relationships in Florida are significantly distressed. Implications for how residents of Florida and other states could benefit both economically and psychosocially from implementation of couple and relationship education (CRE) programs are discussed.     

Narratives of "Home" and "Homeland": The Symbolic Construction and Appropriation of the Sudeten German Heimat

Sport is an important arena for the construction, maintenance, and challenging of identities. This article aims to explore, using a figurational sociological perspective, the complex inter-relationship between sport, culture, and national identity with particular reference to rugby union in Ireland. The theoretical framework for the analysis of national identity put forward here seeks to make sense of national identity by considering a series of key "processual" social dynamics to shed light and raise questions on the dynamic double-bind between sport and national identity. A case study of rugby union in Ireland since 1945 is employed here to demonstrate how various sources of evidence can be "triangulated" to help unravel the relationship between rugby union and a specific "nation." Rugby union (as a global team sport now with a recognised and established World Cup) is arguably the most significant sporting arena whereby the imagined community of Ireland can become "real." This temporary union of two politically distinct nations through sport provides an interesting context for the researcher of national identity. This context will be explored by considering "official" historical accounts of Irish rugby, British media portraits of Irish rugby union, and the views of contemporary international Irish rugby players.     

从“越南新娘”现象看大龄青年婚姻现状

由于中越两国经济发展水平和人口性别比例的差异,许多越南女青年渴望嫁入中国,而中国大量适婚男青年面临婚配难的问题,于是"越南新娘"在国内婚介市场中非法占据了一席之地,并导致了骗婚、逃婚、人口贩卖等一系列社会乱象。"越南新娘"现象与国内大龄青年问题密不可分,只有认真分析两者之间的联系,从改变结婚的不良风气入手,切实解决大龄青年问题,才能有效地治理"越南新娘"现象。     

Policy Changes in Medicare Home Health Care: Challenges to Providing Family-Centered,Community-Based Care for Older Adults

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) established new reimbursement systems in the Medicare home health fee-for-service benefit. Reimbursements were reduced to 1993 levels and per-beneficiary capitated limits were introduced for the first time. This article analyzes the impact of these changes on chronically ill older adults and their families. The study combined a secondary analysis of the Provider of Service file (1996, 1999, 2002, and the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (1996, 1998) with qualitative interviews of home health agency directors. The greatest decreases in staff and visits were for medical social work and home health aide services. Patients with caregivers saw greater decreases in visits and reimbursements for all visits, skilled nursing, medical social work, and home health aide visits. Agency directors reported that they increased caregiver education, training, and involvement in care in order to discharge patients sooner. Additional research is needed to understand the long-term, adverse impact of these policy changes on chronically ill patients and their families.     

Life Satisfaction Among Home-Dwelling Older People Who Have Experienced Falls and Have Declined Subjective Health

This study investigated the reported life situations of home-dwelling older people who have experienced falls and have declined subjective health. Mixed method design was used and consisted of a quantitative study comprising questionnaires completed by 434 home-dwelling older people, and a qualitative study consisting of 30 interviews. The findings showed that declined physical function combined with limited health status was associated with falling. Despite limited physical condition, participants experienced well-being and life satisfaction in daily living. Insight obtained from these findings deepens our understanding of fallers and may provide a basis for future research leading to improvements within health care.     

Longitudinal Prevalence and Correlates of Elder Mistreatment Among Older Adults Receiving Home Visiting Nursing

The objectives of this study were to identify elder mistreatment (EM) prevalence among a cohort of older adults receiving visiting nurse care in their homes, determine EM subtypes, and identify factors associated with EM. EM data were collected by nurses during monthly home visits for up to 24 months. It took the nurses a mean of 10.5 visits to discern EM. Fifty-four (7.4%) of 724 patients were identified as mistreated, of which 33 had enough information to subtype the EM. Of these 33, 27 were victims of neglect, 16 of psychological abuse, and 10 of financial exploitation, and 17 suffered more than one type. Among the entire sample, 11 variables were positively correlated with EM presence. Nurses visiting older adults in their homes should be aware that their patients are, as a group, vulnerable to EM, and that the factors identified here may be specific markers of greater risk.     

The Value of the Relationship in Volunteer Home Support Programs Working with Vulnerable Families

This paper reports on a program evaluation project that included interviews with 35 parents from high-risk backgrounds who received home volunteer support as part of the Dalwood Volunteer Home Support Program. It provides insight into the meaning and value parents attach to the volunteer relationship. The evaluation findings suggest that home volunteer support was associated with parent perception of increased wellbeing, decreased social isolation, and an improved relationship with their child. The results also suggest that parents perceived their relationship with their volunteer as significant in providing a secure base relationship.     

A Mathematical Model of the Housing Decisions of Elderly Homeowners

This article presents a mathematical model that attempts to capture the factors that are most important in determining an elderly homeowner's housing decision. The factors considered include the homeowner's home equity, financial assets, income, housing cost, and psychological attachment to the home. The findings indicate that the various factors may have quite different effects across the varied housing actions that the elderly may take. This suggests that any empirical analysis regarding the home ownership decisions of the elderly needs to distinguish among the different actions that the elderly can take.     

Land of the Free,Home of the Brave: Voting Accommodations for Older Adults

Voting is a fundamental right for all United States citizens, one that usually continues for elderly people as long as they are alive. As adults age, certain issues regarding voting warrant deeper consideration than in previous years, especially those presenting as a result of impaired sight, hearing difficulty, dementia, or other special needs. What will happen to millions of men and women who have taken the right to vote for granted, but who gradually become immobile or physically impaired? What are states doing to help secure the enfranchisement of an increasing number of older adult voters? The purpose of this article is to address these issues by focusing on the following questions: What has been the historical nature of polling place accommodations for elderly people? What are states doing in terms of accommodating older voters at the polls while ensuring the integrity of the voting process? What effect has recent Help America Vote Act legislation had with regard to polling place accommodations? Our results indicate that accommodations for older voters are being made but are not yet at a level required to serve a rapidly aging population.     

Sibling Roles in the Lives of Older Group Home Residents with Intellectual Disability: Working with Staff to Safeguard Wellbeing

Abstract

When parents die, siblings of older people with intellectual disability are likely to take responsibility for oversight of their wellbeing and negotiation with formal support services. This study explored the roles siblings played in the lives of older people with intellectual disability who live in group homes, and the relationships between residents’ siblings and group home staff. The siblings of 13 group home residents and the 17 supervisory staff associated with these services were interviewed, initially face-to-face and then intermittently by phone over a period of three years. Data were analysed using an inductive analytical approach. Siblings valued the relationship with their brother or sister with intellectual disability and played a significant role in safeguarding their wellbeing. Sibling–staff relationships fluctuated over time, sometimes becoming tense and difficult. Few protocols guided these relationships. A principle-based framework could facilitate negotiation between staff and siblings about expectations of communication and decision making.