Current Developments in Social Care Services for Older Adults in the Czech Republic: Trends Towards Deinstitutionalization and Marketization

ABSTRACT

Deinstitutionalization and marketization of eldercare has been delayed by 20 years in the Czech Republic compared to Western Europe, and it takes place in a completely different context, characterized by the legacy of communism, a growing older population, and less generous public subsidies. This study is the first in the Czech Republic to examine how deinstitutionalization and marketization effect implementation of these principles on the availability and quality of eldercare services at regional and municipal levels. A mixed-method approach was used, combining several data sources (policy documents, administrative data, statistics, expert panel, and secondary use of qualitative data). The findings suggest that the support for and availability of home-based care has declined, despite the ever-increasing number of older adults and policy preference for deinstitutionalization. Furthermore, home-based services have failed to adjust to growing care needs of older adults (e.g., inflexible schedules, limited provision of time-demanding care, inadequate staff composition). This situation occasioned an unintended outcome: the emergence of nonregistered, semilegal, for-profit nursing homes offering low-quality care and poor working conditions, and subject to no quality control. The health and even lives of older adults are at risk if they choose such services. Research is needed to study older adult decision making and offer them tools to identify and avoid questionable services.     

What is Behaviour? And (when) is Language Behaviour? A Metatheoretical Definition

Behaviour is central to many fields, but metatheoretical definitions specifying the most basic assumptions about what is considered behaviour and what is not are largely lacking. This transdisciplinary research explores the challenges in defining behaviour, highlighting anthropocentric biases and a frequent lack of differentiation from physiological and psychical phenomena. To meet these challenges, the article elaborates a metatheoretical definition of behaviour that is applicable across disciplines and that allows behaviours to be differentiated from other kinds of phenomena. This definition is used to explore the phenomena of language and to scrutinise whether and under what conditions language can be considered behaviour and why. The metatheoretical concept of two different levels of meaning conveyed in human language is introduced, highlighting that language inherently relies on behaviours and that the content of what‐is‐being‐said, in and of itself, can constitute (interpersonal) behaviour under particular conditions. The analyses reveal the ways in which language meaningfully extends human's behavioural possibilities, pushing them far beyond anything enabled by non‐language behaviours. These novel metatheoretical concepts can complement and expand on existing theories about behaviour and language and contribute a novel piece of theoretical explanation regarding the crucial role that language has played in human evolution.     

Computer experiments with functional inputs and scalar outputs by a norm-based approach

A framework for designing and analyzing computer experiments is presented, which is constructed for dealing with functional and scalar inputs and scalar outputs. For designing experiments with both functional and scalar inputs, a two-stage approach is suggested. The first stage consists of constructing a candidate set for each functional input. During the second stage, an optimal combination of the found candidate sets and a Latin hypercube for the scalar inputs is sought. The resulting designs can be considered to be generalizations of Latin hypercubes. Gaussian process models are explored as metamodel. The functional inputs are incorporated into the Kriging model by applying norms in order to define distances between two functional inputs. We propose the use of B-splines to make the calculation of these norms computationally feasible.     

Daily street life in the inner city of Prague under transformation: the visual experience of socio-spatial differentiation and temporal rhythms

The paper is concerned with the everyday manifestation of increasing social, lifestyle and cultural diversity in the transforming inner city of Prague. The Smíchov neighbourhood and particularly its central hub, the Anděl junction, were chosen as the focus of the study. The regeneration dynamics during the post-socialist transformation make this place particularly interesting for an inquiry into the interplay of the social and physical environment, into the interactions of changing urban landscapes and people's everyday practices. Particular attention is paid to the character of ordinary daily street life, to the users of urban space and to the manifestation of close-knit social, spatial and temporal diversity in the close vicinity of the Anděl hub. The paper concludes with the necessity of including the temporal dimension of space in urban planning and design practice. Methodologically the case study derives principally from direct observation of neighbourhood life and users, but also draws on the extensive research previously conducted in the neighbourhood by the authors and from intensive experience of living in the area.     

The Serbian Banking System: Recent Development and Major Players

The paper analyzes the banking system of Serbia. First, we briefly overview the institutional and legal framework of the banking system and describe the main structural features of the sector. Then we discuss the evolution in traditional banking intermediation, and outline the main features of the banking competitive environment, focusing on the transformations in ownership structure of banks, especially on the increasing importance of foreign ownership, and summarising the key characteristics of major players.     

Research Attitudes and Their Correlates Among Undergraduate Social Work Students

Efficient and practical means of disseminating research to social workers are needed. The authors examined how 10 social work and 10 other helping profession association websites used their sites to disseminate research to their members. A rubric was used to rate the websites in 4 domains: (1) promotion, (2) accessibility, (3) dissemination, and (4) linkages to credible research information. Findings reveal that online dissemination of research by these professional associations is lacking. Recommendations include use of a prominent research tab on the homepage, inclusion of research syntheses, and links to additional research resources. Professional associations must improve their websites to become the foremost portals by which social workers stay informed of the most current research in their respective practice areas.     

Childhood Sexual Abuse Profiles and Psychological Functioning in Adult Males

ABSTRACT

This study used a person-centered approach to generate profiles of males’ sexual abuse characteristics and then link profiles to other types of childhood maltreatment and adversity, and adult outcomes. Data were drawn from 215 North American males (86% Caucasian) aged 17–61 years recruited from websites offering support for sexual abuse. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles, ranging from 1–2 instances of fondling by an unfamiliar extrafamilial perpetrator to chronic, penetrative abuse by individuals within and outside the family. Profiles were labeled Severe (26%), More Severe (33%), and Most Severe (41%). Chi-squares and analysis of variance showed that men in the Most Severe profile were more likely to experience childhood emotional and physical abuse, and a greater number of non-victimization adversities, than men in the other two profiles. After controlling for multiple victimization and adversity, men in the More Severe and Most Severe profiles reported significantly greater internalizing problems than men in the Severe profile, and men in the Most Severe profile reported significantly more trauma symptoms than men in the Severe profile. While these results require replication, they suggest that treatment should be tailored to the individual needs of male survivors.     

Consequences of work-family conflict on employee well-being over time

The effects of work-family conflict on the well-being of a diverse sample of 342 non-professional employees from the greater Los Angeles area were examined. Data were collected at two points in time, and a rigorous research design was employed. The effects of self-report bias were considered by controlling for social desirability bias, and by collecting two sources of data (i.e. self-reports and co-workers reports). The results revealed that work-family conflict predicted employee well-being over and above social desirability bias. In addition, analyses were consistent when both self-reports and co-workers reports were utilized. Finally, work-family conflict was a longitudinal predictor of employee's positive well-being. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were consistent across self-reports and co-worker reports.