The Gendered Division of Labor in Parental Caretaking:

Public ideology dictates that families take responsibility for the care of their frail and vulnerable members. Women more than men are the unpaid, informal caregivers of family members. This gendered division of labor is examined by using the U.S. Survey of Income and Program Participation. Differences between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan sons' and daughters' parental caregiving activities are examined in order to contrast areas having more traditional, conventional or conservative values with those adopting more feminist values. Results show that in addition to daughters performing the vast majority of tasks, there is a difference between the types of care provided by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan daughters. Nonmetropolitan daughters tend to perform more caregiving tasks considered to be traditional "women's work" while metropolitan daughters perform significantly more tasks considered to be nontraditional for women. The fmdings suggest that providing care is due more to socialization to gender roles than to women's supposed natural or biological tendencies for "nurturing."     

Stories of contemporary aging: An analysis of “lived” citizenship in later life

ABSTRACT

The new political economy of aging portrays “active citizenship” among seniors as a key challenge for the years to come. As a policy framework, Active Aging ranks high on the agendas of most supranational bodies. Informed by discourse analysis and a narrative approach, this article focuses on, first, older women’s everyday “active” practices, their meaning, and purpose and second, their day-to-day practical citizenship and social engagement experiences. A typology consisting of four figures of “lived” citizenship is proposed. Social contribution in later age is expressed through various types of engagement identified through these citizenship figures. These figures support older women’s social anchoring and sustain their feeling of belonging to the community. However, the figures outlined also reveal tensions, produced by relations of power between “dominant citizenship” and “relational citizenship,” pertaining to social relations and to caring for the other. In the latter case, we see that the coupling of action between the choice of action and social engagements in later age is more limited, due to social and health inequalities as well as lack of opportunities throughout the life course. Finally, in order to guarantee the right to age with dignity, we suggest a change of orientation in aging policies.     

Are Scandinavian Countries Different? A Comparison of Relative Incomes for Older People in OECD Nations

Recent research has cast some doubt on the consistency of models that isolate Scandinavian countries as different to other nations in terms of egalitarian welfare states. For example, it has been argued that if occupational welfare polices have their contribution to national welfare better accounted for in comparative models, or if there is a focus on specific aspects of welfare coverage, then Scandinavian welfare states look less different to other European countries. Using case‐based methods that try to balance the demand for generalizations and the qualitative integrity of the case, this research examines the specific case of income protection for the older population post‐retirement, to see if Scandinavian countries emerge as consistently different when compared with other OECD nations. Scandinavia can be clearly identified in a separate cluster, but it is not alone and other countries also share its similarities. In particular, Scandinavia emerges in a cluster that provides more income replacement and protection for women. In part, this is reinforced by the high rate of labour participation by women in Scandinavian countries. However, there is little evidence of Scandinavian countries retaining noticeable differences and divergence in income protection policies for men.     

Transport-related social exclusion amongst older people in rural Southwest England and Wales

Rural dwelling and older age are both associated with a higher risk of social exclusion, with accessibility identified as having an important facilitating role. The interactions between transport-related exclusion and older age, particularly in a rural context, are considered though analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected from over 900 older persons living in rural areas of Southwest England and Wales. Although few respondents reported feeling excluded within their communities, more reported difficulties in accessing specific necessary and discretionary activities, including specialist hospitals and cinemas. Analysis revealed that car availability is not a strong indicator of overall inclusion, although non-availability was important in limiting access to particular types of location. It is concluded that the relatively short travel distances required to access community activities was a key factor in the high levels of community inclusion. However, the car-dependent nature of travel overall means that there is a rising risk of mobility-related exclusion in rural areas, particularly amongst the oldest old. Greater consideration needs to be given to more formalised lift-giving as a transport solution, along with greater attention to mobility needs by sector-specific service providers, such as the health sector.     

Working with Older People with Alcohol Problems: Insight from Specialist Substance Misuse Professionals and their Service Users

Significant numbers of older people worldwide have a drinking level or pattern which places them at risk of harm. In England, older people are more likely to be admitted to hospital for an alcohol-related condition than younger people and levels of alcohol-related harm are increasing fastest in this population. Whilst alcohol problems in older people are highly treatable, they frequently go undetected or ignored. The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for health and social care workers on what intervention strategies are likely to work best with older drinkers. Insight from alcohol practitioners who specialise in working with older people and the perspectives of older people receiving alcohol treatment were gained through focus groups and individual interviews. This paper reports some of the key findings including a perception that health and social care workers often did not intervene when alcohol misuse was suspected because of ageist attitudes and false beliefs about older people's drinking. Participants however acknowledged that social workers faced difficult choices in relation to the ‘right’ of older people with alcohol problems to continue to drink and the ‘risk’ associated with them doing so. The implications for social work education and training are discussed.     

Conducting longitudinal research with older widows: Exploring personal communities through multiple methods

This article reports on the process of undertaking a longitudinal multiple methods study with older women experiencing the transition of later-life widowhood. Three qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 older widows in North Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Interviews included the use of personal community diagrams to identify the structure of personal communities and Christmas and Christmas cards to further explore social relationships and practices during transition. Examples of cases are given to illustrate the findings derived from the methods employed. The cases demonstrate the diverse and often paradoxical nature of social relationships within similar networks.     

Sensory Loss

Hearing and vision losses are among the most corn- rnon chronic conditions affecting elderly people. Individually, each loss can be a major threat to independence and the quality of life; the combined loss of both hearing and vision creates a whole new world-muffled, blurred, and disorienting. Traditionally, social work- ers have left issues of sensory loss lo the rehabilitation specialists. Yet sensory loss is a psychosocial problem, and social workers have a great deal to offer. This paper describes a demonstration project in which a social worker coordinated the work of specialists in two agencies, provided direct service, and identified some ways in which social workers in a variety of settings might address Ihe service needs of this large and growing population.     

The Importance of Hotel/Motel Products and Services as Perceived by Older Consumers

SUMMARY

Consumer satisfaction, an important concept in consumer behavior theory, is directly influenced by the availability of quality service which has become an increasingly important objective of hotel/motel managers. The purpose of this study was to investigate hotel/motel products and services valued most by older consumers-a substantial and growing market segment with special concerns. The sample for this study consisted of consumers age 55 and older in the state of Texas. Results indicate value and security were considered highly important, and suggest lodging operators should concentrate their efforts on providing and marketing value and security features in order to attract and satisfy older consumers.     

Social Work With Elderly Alcoholics

No abstract available for this article.     

Motivational Style,Length of Residence,Voluntariness, and Gender as Influences on Adjustment to Long Term Care

Abstract

Seventy-five institutionalized older adults (Mage = 79.08, SD=9.73, 25 males, 50 females) varying by length of residence, gender, and motivational style (self determined vs. motivational) were queried to explore the impact of these variables on indicators of adjustment, i.e., health, life satisfaction, desired and expected control, self-esteem, ADLs, and positive/negative affect. MANCOVAs (controlling for social desirability) indicated self-determined motivational style to positively impact adjustment, as well as to interact (p <.05) with gender in this respect. Length of residence and gender each impacted ADLs, and motivational style also affected both desired/expected control and self-esteem, where those with higher self determined motivational styles had expectations for and desirability of control. Voluntariness of the decision to move generally positively impacted adjustment, but its impact was moderated by motivational style. Thus, persons who vary along motivational style, gender, voluntariness, and length of residence are likely to function in distinct ways in adjusting to being institutionalized.