Extending the concept of successful ageing to persons ageing with disabilities

14 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 16 Extending the Concept of Successful Ageing to Persons Ageing with Disabilities. 19 CHAPTER 2: THEORIES OF AGEING . 22 Historical Theories of Successful Ageing . 22 Disengagement Theory . 24 Criticisms of Disengagement Theory . 27 Disengagement Theory today . 29 Activity Theory . 30 Criticisms of Activity Theory . 34 Activity Theory today . 36 Continuity Theory . 37 Criticisms of Continuity Theory . 41 Continuity Theory today . 42 CHAPTER 3: EMERGENT MODELS OF SUCCESSFUL AGEING . 45 The rise of Rowe and Kahn’s (1997) model of successful ageing . 46 Criticisms of Rowe and Kahn’s successful ageing model . 47 Selective Optimisation with Compensation (SOC) . 54 Empirical evidence for and against SOC . 56 CHAPTER 4: AGEING WITH A DISABILITY . 61 Demographics of disability . 61 Defining disability . 62 Examining the experience of ageing with disability . 67 Health-related difficulties associated with having a disability . 69 Psychological factors associated with having a disability . 71 Psychosocial consequences of living with a disability . 75 Work-related consequences . 75 Social and relationship consequences . 75 Adapting to a disability . 76 Current research on successful ageing with a disability . 78 Summary and introduction to the current study . 80 AGEING SUCCESSFULLY WITH A LONG-TERM DISABILITY 6 CHAPTER 5: AIMS AND RATIONALE OF THE STUDIES IN THIS THESIS . 81 Ageing with a disability: post-polio syndrome and spinal cord injury as exemplars . 81 Post-polio syndrome (PPS) . 82 Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) . 84 Employing a mixed methods approach to expand the knowledge base . 85 CHAPTER 6: STUDY ONE . 89 Design of the Study . 89 Participants . 90 Ethical considerations . 91 Measures . 92 Researcher’s position . 93 Pilot testing. 94 Procedure. 94 Provisions of Trustworthiness . 98 Data Analysis . 98 Results . 105 Characteristics of the Sample . 105 Perceptions and experience of what it is like to age with a disability . 106 Reflections on the term successful ageing . 109 Dimensions considered important for successful ageing with a disability . 111 Theme 1: Looking after physical health . 111 Theme 2: Retaining cognitive abilities. 114 Theme 3: Positive psychological resources . 116 Positive attitude and affect. 116 The importance of personality traits such as patience, tenacity, resilience. 117 Using positive coping strategies. 118 Theme 4: Retaining a sense of independence and autonomy . 119 Theme 5: Social engagement and participation in community . 121 Theme 6: Retaining a sense of purpose . 124 Theme 7: Fairness, respect and recognition . 125 Theme 8: Safety and security . 128 Proposed dimensions of successful ageing with a disability . 130 AGEING SUCCESSFULLY WITH A LONG-TERM DISABILITY 7 CHAPTER 7: STUDY ONE DISCUSSION . 133 Perceptions and experience of what it is like to age with a disability . 133 Dimensions considered important for successful ageing with a disability . 135 Physical health . 136 Independence and autonomy . 138 Psychological resources including adaption, resilience and coping skills . 141 Safety and security . 145 Fairness and respect . 146 Cognitive functioning . 148 Sense of purpose . 149 Social engagement . 151 Reflexivity . 152 Limitations . 154 Conclusions and recommendations for Study Two . 155 CHAPTER 8: INTRODUCTION TO STUDY TWO . 159 Constructs to be measured in Study Two . 160 Physical health . 160 Resilience . 160 Autonomy . 161 Fairness and respect . 161 Sense of purpose . 162 Attitudes to ageing . 164 Study Two hypotheses . 166 CHAPTER 9: STUDY TWO .