bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Informal and Formal Care: Exploring the Complementarity
Authors: Chappell Neena , Blandford Audrey 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAlthough several authors have speculated about the type of relationship between informal and formal care, relatively little empirical work directly examines the interface between the two support systems. This paper examines the correlates of using neither system, only one system and several combinations of both systems. It explores the characteristics of those who do and do not make complementary use of both systems and under what circumstances the two systems are complementary. Multivariate analyses are performed, using logistic regression analyses, to examine the correlates of the different sources of support. Analyses demonstrate that those who utilize the formal care system do so while retaining care from the informal network. Use of the formal system in conjunction with informal care appears to take place in two instances:when seniors are in need and critical elements of their informal network are lacking, or when they have an intact informal support network, but their health needs are extremely high. In both of these instances the formal system enters to assist the informal network. The data point to the complementarity of the two care systems, not in terms of task specificity, but rather, in terms of a sharing of overall task load.
Negotiating A Flexible Retirement: Further Paid Work and the Quality of Life in Early Retirement
Authors: Cliff Dallas 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThe economic participation rates of older men have fallen dramatically over the last decade. Early retirements have accounted for much although not all of this reduction and yet early retirement has been a somewhat neglected aspect of the social scientific literature. Initially the prerogative of managers and white-collar workers, early retirement has spread to wider sections of the work force and has generally been seen by managers and trade unions as an uncontentious way of achieving ‘headcount reduction'. Research into the experiences of early retirees is sparse but such survey data as does exist suggests relatively high levels of satisfaction. This paper presents some of the findings of a small, qualitative study of the experience of early retirement from the chemical industry of a sample of 40 men from the West Riding of Yorkshire. An attempt was made to construct a quality-of-life index with which to compare and contrast their experiences and investigate some of the major factors in determining the outcome of early retirement. The paper highlights the role of further paid work in enabling healthy men with marketable skills to effectively negotiate their own ‘flexible retirements’. Those with ill health and a lack of skills were unable to do this and these factors were associated with a relatively low quality of life.
Income, Capital and the Cost of Care in Old Age
Authors: Gibbs Ian 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAccording to ‘conventional wisdom’ older people are now relatively well off and, as a result, many are in a position to pay for their own care and housing needs in old age. In reviewing the evidence for this latter proposition the article provides a brief overview for the UK population and the implications of an ageing society for the care services. A summary of the main sources of income available to older people is undertaken, including home ownership and ways of releasing equity which might be employed to generate extra income. On the basis that it is also important to match information about financial resources available to older people to the cost of different services, the article reviews the likely costs of residential and nursing home care and the little that is known about the costs of domiciliary services. In short, the article presents a summary of the relevant background information and examines the issue of whether elderly people could (but not necessarily ‘should’) finance their housing and care needs in old age.
For Better or for Worse: The Experience of Caring for an Elderly Dementing Spouse
Authors: Pollitt P. A. , Andersont I. , O'Connor D. W. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThe Hughes Hall Project for Later Life screened all people aged 75 years and over on the lists of seven general practices in Cambridge in order to identify those who were suffering from dementia. Of those living at home, it was found that 40% were being cared for primarily by husbands or wives, most of whom were themselves over the age of 75. In this paper we describe a group of 34 married couples in which one partner was diagnosed as demented. We suggest that for the nondernenting partner, the experience of caring differs in important respects from that of the more typical carer – usually younger and female – described in much of the research literature.
The Myth of the Woopie?: Incomes, the Elderly, and Targeting Welfare
Authors: Falkingham Jane , Victor Christina 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTComments made by a UK Government minister in 1989 concerning poverty, or rather the lack of it, amongst elderly people once again reflected the idea that the majority are well-off and less in need of State support than was the case in the past. The idea of a new group of Woopies (well off older persons) has been used as justification for debate about the introduction of means-testing for certain benefits directed at the elderly population. This paper challenges that view. It traces the evolution of the Woopie using published data and then examines the socio-economic characteristics of such a group. In a series of logit estimates to determine what factors are of importance in determining ‘Woopie status’, unsurprisingly receipt of income from assets and from an occupational pension are the most significant variables. Finally the scope for policy changes is examined.
The Politics of Caregiving: The Professionalisation of Informal Care
Authors: Bond John 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis article reviews some of the literature on caregiving from social policy and on professionalisation from sociology. The context of the article is the care of dementia sufferers with particular reference to the role of family and other informal caregivers. The theoretical contributions on informal and formal caregiving have been dominated by the gender order and the professional order to the detriment of other aspects of structure. In the light of these theoretical contributions the article explores the inherent contradiction in society's desire to provide care to dementia sufferers without compromising the position of informal and formal caregivers.
Perceptions of the Adult Life Course: A Cross-cultural Analysis
Authors: Ikels Charlotte , Keith Jennie , Dickerson-Putman Jeanette , Draper Patricia , Fry Christine , Glascock Anthony , Harpending Henry 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTA team of seven anthropologists conducted a coordinated, cross- cultural investigation to examine how structural and cultural variables shape the strategies people employ to assure themselves a secure old age. Central to the investigation was the goal of determining how people in the societies involved (Hong Kong, the United States, Ireland, and Botswana) perceive old age and its place in the adult life course, e.g. whether they view old age as an improvement or a decrement compared with other stages of life and the characteristics on which they base their views. The seven sites were selected to ensure broad representation in terms of the key structural variables of scale, complexity, subsistence pattern, residential mobility, and population structure. Both across and within sites people differed in their willingness and ability to discuss the concept of the life course. We attribute this variation to five factors: (i) characteristics of the social field, (2) education, (3) cultural salience of age categorisation, (4) predictability of life events, and (5) variability in timing of normative social or work roles.
Institutional Care for the Elderly in the 19th Century: Old People in The Hague and their Institutions
Authors: Veen Willem Jan Van Der , Poppel Frans Van 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the residents of three ecclesiastical homes for the elderly in The Hague in the i9th century. These homes took in poor members of the church who were at least 60 years old. Most of the elderly who resided in these homes had received poor relief before their admission. The main reason for their decision to request admission to a home was that they were no longer able to run a household independently. Most of the residents were well past the age of 60 upon entering the home, women generally being a few years older than men. There were no significant gender differences in duration of residence. The female age at death was a few years higher than for males. The health of the residents appeared to be worse than that of the total elderly population of The Hague, resulting in a higher death rate. In general, residents had independently run a household prior to admission.
Community Structure and Support Network Variations
Authors: Wenger G. Clare , Leger† Fred St 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper presents data from two studies of support networks conducted in North Wales and Northern Ireland. Five types of support networks are identified and it is shown that the distribution of network type is related to community. Distribution of network type is further shown to be influenced by population stability and population density. It is argued that since network type is correlated with service use, identification of network type provides a useful tool for policy makers and practitioners in the context of care in the community.
The Role of Day Centres in Caring for People in the Final Year of Their Lives
Authors: Farrow Graham N. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThe information reported here comes from a study of a random sample of adult deaths registered in 1987. Interviews were sought with the person who could tell us most about the last twelve months in the life of the person who died; 639 people took part in the study. Just under one in ten of the people who died had attended a day centre in their final year. Attenders were more likely to be aged 75 or over at death, to be women and to have been living alone. They were also more likely to have suffered from a number of long-term symptoms and restrictions. According to respondents it would have been helpful if a further 11% of those who died had attended a day centre in the last year of their lives. The most often stated reason for this was that it would have given the carer a break from the demands of caring. But the most often given reason why the person who died had not attended a day centre was that they had not wanted to – an indication of some conflict between family and friends providing care and those they cared for
Sources of Instrumental Support for Dependent Elderly People in Three Parts of France
Authors: Curtis S. , Bucquet D. , Colvezt A. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThe paper focuses on the provision of instrumental support provided to dependent elderly people in France, presenting information collected in social surveys conducted in three regions of the country. This information is considered in the light of the results of studies from other countries on instrumental social support to the dependent elderly which are reviewed. The data analysed included measures of the potential social network of the respondent based on household composition, marital status, number of living children and frequency of visits by family, friends and neighbours. Measures of instrumental support received were based on reported need for help for specific tasks, and the main source of help provided. The results reported here suggest that not all members of the dependent elderly person's social network were equally involved in providing instrumental help and supports a hierarchical model of the informal care structure with family members as the predominant source of help. The results also demonstrate the comparatively small role played by the formal caring services compared with the informal sector. The context of care for dependent elderly people in France is discussed and the implications of these results for social policy are considered.
Equity Release Schemes and Equity Extraction by Elderly Households in Britain
Authors: Mullings Beverley , Hamnett Chris 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThe policy and popular debates suggest that the housing equity of elderly home-owners has provided them with a considerable stock of wealth which will influence the future social structure of the United Kingdom, as wealth is transferred to a wider cross-section of British society through inheritance. While various estimates suggest that the distribution of intergenerational transfers of equity is set to widen in the future (Hamnett, Harmer and Williams 1991), it is not known whether the rate of growth of housing inheritance will continue at the pace set in the 1970s and 1980s. This is due to the process of equity extraction by elderly persons, largely from their housing assets. The extent to which one form of equity extraction (formal equity release schemes) has influenced future housing inheritances is the focus of this paper. Drawing on data collected during a postal survey of institutions offering formal equity release schemes, and secondary literature, we conclude that such schemes are unlikely to have a substantial impact on future intergenerational transfers of housing equity. The equity withdrawn under existing schemes is minimal and is likely to remain so due to lack of demand and inflexibility in the supply of existing schemes. In this paper we shall examine the participation of elderly persons in, and the market for, equity release schemes.
The Construction and Deconstruction of Self in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Sabat† Steve R. , Harré† Rom 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThe loss of self in Aizeheimer's Disease is examined from a social constructionist view of the nature of the self. Empirical evidence derived from the structure of the discourse and behaviour of three Alzheimer's sufferers is presented to show that self1, the self of personal identity, persists far into the end stage of the disease. Self2, the multiple personae that are projected into the public arena, and which require the cooperation of others in order to come into being, can be lost, but only indirectly as a result of the disease. The primary cause of the loss of self2 is the ways in which others view and treat the Alzheimer's sufferer. Recommendations are made regarding interactions between Alzheimer's sufferers and caregivers.
Residential Care for Elderly People: The Correlates of Quality
Authors: Gibbs Ian , Sinclair* Ian 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTGiven the vulnerability of elderly people living in long-term hospitals and in other forms of institutional provision, it is essential that the quality of their care is as high as possible. This observation, moreover, has widespread relevance irrespective of variations in the structure of health and social care provision in different countries. In pursuit of this objective the newly established ‘arm's length’ inspection units in Britain will be responsible for setting and also safeguarding standards in homes. The article, based on research commissioned by the Social Services Inspectorate, uses a global measure of quality derived from the inspection of residential care homes, examines the correlates of this measure in a sample of local authority and independent homes in Britain and discusses the implications of the findings for policy and further research.
Friendship and Care for Elderly People
Authors: Allan Graham 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTIn recent years policy initiatives on caring for elderly people have stressed the need for ‘care by the community’: the use of various informal relationships to provide the elderly with more effective forms of care. The present paper analyses the potential of one type of informal relationship – friendship – to act in this way and argues that, despite appearances, friendship is not a particularly suitable basis for care provision. Not only are many elderly people in need of care excluded from the contexts in which friendships are usually generated and serviced, but more importantly the normal exchange basis of friendship is undermined when there is long-term, unilateral provision of care. Similar factors apply to primary carers' friendships. By analysing these issues fully, the paper shows that attempts to incorporate friends into systematic caring is unlikely to be successful. While friends will help in a crisis, in the long run such help is as contradictory to the nature of friendship as it is compatible with it.
Sexuality and Ageing
Authors: Thienhaus Ole J. , Conter Elizabeth A. , Bosmann H. Bruce 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAgeing itself abolishes neither the need nor the capacity for sexual activity. A number of studies confirm the continuance of sexual activity in old age. Normal physiological changes with age affect erectile function and ejaculation in males, and the vaginal tissue in females. Psychological and social factors that affect sexual function in old age include the individual's degree of sexual activity throughout earlier life, the psychological resiliency in adapting to the altered physiological conditions, demographic factors, and society's attitudes towards sex in old age. Furthermore, pathologies that are more prevalent among the elderly can interfere with sexual function.
Family and State: Recent Trends in the Care of the Aged in Sweden
Authors: Sundström Gerdt 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTDrawing upon a variety of research data and national statistics, this paper presents a detailed analysis of the contribution made by family and informal care to the support of elderly Scandinavians. Comparative data from other countries are employed to highlight some similarities with other European, American and Far Eastern societies. Formal help is directed at the childless and those who live alone, but the conclusions draw attention to the dangers of this concentration if it excludes essential support to overburdened carers.
Families and Households of the Elderly Population: Prospects for those Approaching Old Age
Authors: Timaeus Ian 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTLong-term demographic trends that determine the absolute and relative size of the elderly population also underlie changes in the proportions of older people with living spouses and children. Such changes have important implications for residential isolation, the provision of care and the overall quality of life of the old. Demographic trends influencing the family situations of older people in Britain are discussed and detailed projections presented for women reaching age 60 in the period 1971–96. Increases in the propensity to marry and bear children after about 1940, together with declining mortality, mean that the proportions of older women that are married and that have children are likely to increase until the second decade of the next century. It is often assumed that demographic ageing will result in an increase in the number of elderly women living alone. However, the increase in the proportion of them that are married offsets this trend.
Older Persons' Perceptions of the Quality of their Human Support Systems
Authors: Hawley Peggy , Chamley John D. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTFifty elders, 61–91 years of age, identified and evaluated the important people in their lives. Characteristics which typified good relationships in general were reciprocity, trustworthiness, friendliness and responsibility. Highest mean scores on the semantic differential scale were found for friends, lowest for neighbours. Significant differences between these two groups indicates that they cannot be combined. Grandchildren did not appear to play a central role in the lives of this group of elders. Spouses gave each other low ratings relative to other groups of supporters. If replicated in a larger sample, the possibility should be investigated that respondents may evaluate intimate relationships on a different ‘psychological yardstick’ than other relationships and relatively low evaluations may not indicate marital dissatisfaction.
Older Carers, Interdependence and the Care of Mentally Handicapped Adults
Authors: Grant Gordon 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTElderly people are often seen as the recipients of informal care. In the study reported here, there are clear indications that carers of mentally handicapped people are predominantly female and often beyond retirement age. For some the task is burdensome, but for many it provides a reciprocity both of care and of companionship. Older carers are observed to receive more professional aid than younger carers. But as demographic trends make this caring relationship more common it will be necessary for formal support systems to become more integrated and comprehensive.
Daughters Caring for Mothers: the Experience of Caring and its Implications for Professional Helpers
Authors: Lewis Jane , Meredith Barbara 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTRecent research on ways of ‘supporting the supporters’ of elderly people at home has taken a ‘snapshot’ approach to assessing carers' needs and has focussed primarily on the perceptions of service providers. Such an approach tends to neglect the complexity of caring relationships (particularly that between carer and person cared for), which must be understood if carers are to be offered appropriate help. The present paper reports the construction of ‘caring biographies’, using in-depth interviews with 41 daughters who had cared for their mothers on a co-resident basis and who had ceased to do so within the last ten years. The biographies were used to examine the nature of the caring process in terms of the carer's motivation to care, changes in the mother/daughter relationship and in the carer's extra-caring life. The research reveals both the power exerted by the injunction to care and the mixed legacy of satisfaction overlaid with bitterness that was experienced by a majority of respondents, largely as a result of inadequate and/or inappropriate support. We suggest ways in which professional workers may recast the way in which they approach the needs of carers based on a deeper understanding of the temporal and relational dimensions of caring.
Older Workers and the Peripheral Workforce: The Erosion of Gender Differences
Authors: Dale Angela , Bamford Claire 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAt a time when the proportion of full-time permanent jobs is decreasing and there is evidence of a growth in ‘peripheral’ forms of work, it is important to review the position of older workers, both men and women. Using data from the Labour Force Survey of 1984, it is shown that, while the employment rate falls sharply in the ten-year period prior to state retirement age, it is only those of post-retirement age who are disproportionately represented in peripheral forms of work. It is suggested that some ‘peripheral’ forms of work allow greater flexibility in age of retirement than permanent full-time jobs. While there are clear gender differences among those of pre-retirement age, with a higher proportion of women than men in peripheral jobs, there is a marked erosion of these gender differences amongst men and women who work beyond state retirement age.