bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Magnetic detachment and plume control in escaping magnetized plasma
Authors: SCHMIT P. F. , FISCH N. J. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe model of two-fluid, axisymmetric, ambipolar magnetized plasma detachment from thruster guide fields is extended to include plasmas with non-zero injection angular velocity profiles. Certain plasma injection angular velocity profiles are shown to narrow the plasma plume, thereby increasing exhaust efficiency. As an example, we consider a magnetic guide field arising from a simple current ring and demonstrate plasma injection schemes that more than double the fraction of useful exhaust aperture area, more than halve the exhaust plume angle, and enhance magnetized plasma detachment.
Retirement Status Predicting Health Conditions 16 Years Later
Authors: Samuelsson Gillis , Hagberg Bo , Dehlin Ove 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAll 67-year-old pensioners in a primary care district (N = 142) participating in a multi-disciplinary population study were followed until the age of 83. At 83 years of age, 65 persons had survived and continued to take part in the study. Social, psychological and medical factors predicting survival during the period have previously been reported (Samuelsson et al. 1992). In the present analysis, the same variables at age 67 were used to predict health, measured with six different health indicators, at 83 years. The analysis has been performed separately for women and men. Variables at 67 years of age as determinants for health at age 83 have been identified and ranked through successive selection in a step-wise discriminatory analysis. For women, reported diseases at 67 was a very strong predictor but quite the contrary for men. Blood pressure and sleep medication were strong predictors for men but not for women. Psychological factors were more frequently included in the predictive models for women than for men. Social factors were of comparatively less importance for both men and women. There was greater accuracy in the prediction of health for women. The individual variables most often included in the predictive model for women were coping and reported health at age 67. For men, blood pressure, sleep medication and intelligence were the most frequent predictors. The analysis demonstrated clear sex-specific prediction patterns. When comparing predictors for survival and predictors for differentiated health in the same population no similarities were found.
Life After a Death: The Experience of Bereavement in South Wales
Authors: Pickard Susan 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper looks at the experience of bereavement in old age in a South Wales locality and traces the immediate and long-term effects it has on the bereaved. It examines various categories of bereavement – death of spouse, death of the mother, death of a child, siblings and friends, with death of spouse as specially significant. In each category it closely relates the experience of bereavement to the nature of the relationship formerly maintained, arguing that the significance of bereavement can only be appreciated within the context of social structure which defines the meaning of these relationships. It suggests that the special position occupied by female networks in the social structure enables old women to cope with the effects of bereavement more successfully than old men. For both old men and old women however, the special position they occupy with respect to contemporary society gives death a particular and unique resonance.
Social Work and Case Management in the UK: Models of Professionalism and Elderly People
Authors: Hugman Richard 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTDiscrimination against old age and work with elderly people are evident in the practices and organisation of caring professions, of which social work may be taken as an example because of its central role in community care provision. This article examines the implications for the status of professional social work with elderly people of recent proposals to develop the role of care manager in place of the case management model developed in Kent and elsewhere. It is argued that such a move derives from managerial concerns, which ignore the likely consequences for retrenching ageism and other forms of discrimination in services for older people. It is concluded that more careful consideration will be required concerning the context in which new professional models are being developed, if these discriminations are not to be reproduced and reinforced, as well as the benefits from case management systems being lost.
The Self as Process in Late-Life Reminiscence: Spiritual Attributes
Authors: Sherman Edmund , Webb Theodore A. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAgeing has been referred to as a spiritual journey. Empirical data from gerontological research and paractice literature on the phenomenon of late-life reminiscence reveal a sense of self as process, and ageing as a spiritual journey for a number of older persons. The empirical data experiential reports on reminiscence from the elderly themselves point to a life trajectory of ‘joruney’ of the self that moves from a possessive attachment to an identification with the physical self, significant others, and material belongings to a view of self as a process, as ‘being’ rather than ‘having’ within and as part of a larger process. A process conception of the self derived from William James, contemporary social science, and process theology is delineated to explain the nature of this journey and this process. Two older women who illustrate the process conception of self in their reminiscences are presented, followed by a discussion of the spiritual implications of this conception.
Elderly People with Advanced Cognitive Impairment in England: Resource Use and Costs
Authors: Schneider Justine , Kavanagh Shane , Knapp Martin , Beecham Jeni , Netten Ann 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper describes where elderly people with moderate to severe (‘advanced’) cognitive impairment are living, what resources they use and the costs of these services to different funding agencies. It operationally defines dementia in terms of cognitive impairment and uses the OPCS disability surveys to estimate the prevalence of moderate to severe cognitive impairment in England. The paper goes on to describe services received by this client group on the basis of the same surveys, and costs these by supplementing the data with information from related studies by the PSSRU. Since accommodation is a major cost, the population of elderly people with cognitive impairment is classified according to their place of residence. Thus we are able to estimate the ‘baseline’ global cost of provision for this client group at current prices. We make cost projections at 1991/92 price levels to the national level, and discuss the implications in terms of burdens to different agencies.
Towards a Theory of Dementia Care: The Interpersonal Process
Authors: Kitwood Tom 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTA description of the microstructure of interpersonal processes is developed, based on the analysis of interaction as a succession of reflexive triadic units. This account can be modified in some aspects so as to provide a detailed theory of the process of dementia care. The theory is particularly relevant to moderate and severe dementia, and to formal care settings. A key concept is that of facilitation. The idea of a ‘culture of dementia’ is explored. Cautiously optimistic conclusions are reached about the possibilities for enabling dementia sufferers to remain in a state of relative well-being.
Institutionalisation: Why Blame the Institution?
Authors: Baldwin Norma , Harris John , Kelly Des 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTAfter noting the centrality of local authority homes for older people in British research on institutionalisation, influential research undertaken in this setting during the 19803 is reviewed. Three problems are identified in this current of research. Firstly, the assumption that there is a uniform process of institutionalisation is questioned. Secondly, the lack of comparative studies is highlighted. Thirdly, the absence of the structured dependency thesis is regarded as indicative of the lack of attention paid to social divisions. In conclusion, it is suggested that the concept of institutionalisation may have outlived its usefulness and that an alternative approach needs to be developed which is capable of focusing on the degree of dependency, independence and interdependence existing in a range of care settings.
Integrating Carers into the Service System: Six Strategic Responses
Authors: Twigg Julia 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the mechanisms whereby the needs and interests of carers might be integrated into the service delivery system. Over the last decade, informal care has emerged as a major subject for research and discussion, and much work has been undertaken exploring the experiences, burdens and needs of carers. Carers are increasingly recognised as central to community care, but little work has so far addressed the means whereby their needs and interests might be integrated within mainstream service provision. The mechanisms for achieving this are underdeveloped. This paper puts forward six possible strategic responses, and discusses the merits and demerits of each. The responses are: taking evaluation a step further; consumerism; case management; performance or service indicators; rights; and targets. The issues raised in the discussion have relevance beyond the subject of informal care, and address questions that are central to the provision of welfare services generally.
The Long Term Impact of Staying Put
Authors: Leather Philip , Mackintosh Sheila 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTStaying Put projects provide practical help to older home owners with the repair and improvement of their homes. A number of studies have examined the immediate impact of this help on the housing conditions experienced by older people and on their ability to remain living independently in the community, but the extent to which these benefits could last for a long period of time was not known. This paper describes the findings of a study which attempted to examine the longer-term impact of the Staying Put service. A sample of clients helped by Staying Put in the early 1980s were traced and interviewed in order to assess the impact of the assistance received and to examine their current and future housing and care needs. Although the study could not conclusively disentangle the impact of the Staying Put service from other factors influencing the ability of clients to live independently, it concluded that the help received was significant in improving housing conditions over a long period. The study made recommendations which aim to increase the effectiveness of Staying Put projects in the future, including the establishment of a target standard for the housing conditions of clients, the development of mechanisms for continuing contact with clients, and the provision of advice on moving on options where appropriate. More generally, however, the study concluded that more resources to fund services like Staying Put were required from government and from local and health authorities if they were to be more effective in helping clients to live independently.
The Health and Well-being of Jewish People Aged 65 to 85 Years Living at Home in the East End of London
Authors: Bowling Ann , Farquhar Morag 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTRelatively little is known about what has been termed cultural gerontology, or the experience of ageing among members of particular ethnic minority groups. One of the greatest gaps in current knowledge relates to the subjective health status and use of health services among elderly people in ethnic minorities, particularly those who are Jewish. The research results reported here are from a survey of elderly people in City and Hackney, London, of whom 16% were Jewish. They show that Jewish respondents were more likely than other elderly people to report problems with emotional well-being, with mental and physical health and with functional ability (tasks of daily living). Jewish respondents were also more likely to use services, particularly health services, than other respondents. The associations with service use generally remained after health status had been controlled for.
Ageing Anglican Clergy and Performance Indicators in the Rural Church, Compared with the Suburban Church
Authors: Francis Leslie J. , Lankshear David W. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis study employs path analysis to examine the relationship between clergy age and certain quantitative indices of church life in two samples: a sample of 1,553 villages and rural communities, ranging in size from 251 to 1,250 inhabitants and a sample of 584 suburban parishes. The data indicate that clergy aged sixty or over working in rural parishes tend to have contact with a smaller number of active church members, as indicated by attendance on a normal Sunday, than younger clergy working within comparable rural parishes, although they maintain contact with the same number of nominal church members, as indicated by the electoral roll and festival communicants. Clergy aged sixty years or over working in suburban parishes, on the other hand, have contact with the same number of active church members as younger clergy working within comparable suburban parishes. These findings are discussed in the light of a growing body of research which suggests that changing patterns of rural ministry may be generating difficulties and stresses for clergy approaching the age of retirement.
Researching Elder Abuse
Authors: Ogg Jim , Munn-Giddings Carol 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThere is a growing interest among several disciplines in the phenomenon of the abuse of elderly people (elder abuse). This article examines how elder abuse is being constructed as a social problem and the particular conceptual difficulties which sets elder abuse apart from other forms of family violence. American elder abuse research findings are discussed focusing upon the difficulties of developing indicators of ‘abuse’ and the consequent problems of comparing findings. A lack of British research on elder abuse is noted and this deficit is examined with reference to the methodological and ethical issues of researching a sensitive topic. The way in which the research process interacts with and influences our understanding of elder abuse is examined in the light of these considerations. The article concludes with a call for greater awareness of these issues in future research on elder abuse.
The Berlin Aging Study (BASE): Overview and Design
Authors: Baltes Paul B. , Mayer Karl Ulrich , Helmchen Hanfried , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis article, the introduction to a collection of six related articles, describes the general rationale and design of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE). The distinguishing features of BASE are: (1) a special focus on the very old (70–105 years), (2) broad inter-diciplinarity (medicine, psychiatry, psychology, sociology and economics), and (3) sample heterogeneity achieved by local (West Berlin) representativeness. In addition to discipline-specific topics, four theoretical orientations guide the study: (1) differential ageing, (2) continuity versus discontinuity of ageing, (3) range and limits of plasticity and reserve capacity, and (4) ageing as an inter-disciplinary and systemic phenomenon. To provide a foundation and framework for the remaining articles, this paper outlines the protocols, designs, and measurement procedures of fourteen data collection sessions. In addition, information is given on the samples used for empirical analysis. Two samples from the first wave of the Berlin Aging Study are addressed in this collection of articles. The first (N = 360), uses data from the BASE Intake Assessment Protocol (Session 1). The second (N = 156), employs data from the entire 14-session full protocol of BASE. Selectivity analyses involving 22 comparison variables are reported in this paper and demonstrate that, with the exception of 12-month mortality, these two samples displayed the intended sample heterogeneity. Those results suggest that data from BASE hold high generalizability.
The Differentiation Between Depression and Dementia in the Very Old
Authors: Helmchen Hanfried , Linden Michael 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTKey questions in the psychiatric understanding of elderly people are the development of psychiatric morbidity, its phenomenology in old age, the differentiation between ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’ ageing, the interrelatedness of different types of mental disorders, their relation to somatic morbidity, and their consequences in daily life. Under the hypothesis of the de-differentiation of psychopathological features in old age, the relation between depression and dementia is studied. Contrary to most gerontopsychiatric research, the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) permits an analysis of these questions in a heterogeneous and primarily non-clinical community population. Initial data from the first 360 intake assessments and the first 156 intensively studied participants of BASE are presented. Results show that, even in very old individuals, depression and dementia still exhibit clearly distinctive psychopathological features. Prevalence rates in consecutive age groups show an age-related increase for dementia but not for depression. Nevertheless dementia and depression do not seem to be fully independent, because our data indicate a masking or extinction of depressive symptoms by dementia. Finally, both disorders have a similarly significant negative impact on independence, comparable to that of somatic morbidity.
Contrasting Cultural Profiles between Generations: Interests and Common Activities in Three Intrafamilial Generations
Authors: Kolland Franz 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper is concerned with intercultural relationships within the trigenerational family. As part of our study of sociostructural changes affecting the family, we have looked at these relationships from a basis of the concepts: generation gap and seriality between generations. The information reported in this paper was obtained from twenty inter-generational triads (ten female, six male, four mixed) who were given a series of highly structured and open ended questions by trained interviewers. The results showed significant differences in the definitions of culture given by the three generations. The most important result in analysing ‘taste cultures’ and cultural activities within trigenerational families is that within the trigenerational family there are varying relationship structures and that these are perceived differently by the different generations. This is attributed to an overall process of individualisation in society. The findings indicate that similar taste cultures and shared activities in grandparent-grandchild generations are not common and that consecutive generations resemble each other more in tastes and activities. In general, the position of the old in relation to the youngest generation can be described as remote. Grandparents are not important in the cultural life of young adult grandchildren and vice versa. On the basis of our findings, it would appear that the family is declining as a factor in the sociocultural integration of the elderly.
Elderly Wellbeing and the Psychology of Social Comparison
Authors: Sherrard Carol A. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTTwenty-two elderly retired people were interviewed for their beliefs about the sources of wellbeing in old age. Manual and Professional social class responses were compared, controlling for age, gender and health status. Respondents' free discourse was characterised by spontaneous social comparisons of the self with other people. In Social Comparison Theory, these serve as a means of self-assessment or wellbeing-enhance-ment. The comparison statements were analysed by Direction, Target, Dimension, and Wellbeing Yield. Significant class differences were apparent. Both groups compared Downward with others on the Dimensions of ageing, longevity, keeping active, security, and money. The Manual group derived less wellbeing from their Downward comparisons, many of which focused on entitlement to money benefits. The Professional group made more Upward comparisons, focusing on the younger self as Target, and yielding neutral or negative wellbeing. The predominant Upward Dimensions were perceived cognitive and physical condition. The Professionals tended to rationalise cognitive decline, but neither group showed psychological defence against physical decline, using social comparison as a means to objective self-assessment rather than self-enhancement.
Spirituality and Personal Well-Being in Old Age
Authors: Marcoen Alfons 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTIt is argued that a spiritual outlook on life may help elderly people to cope constructively with the vicissitudes of life. Many persons who are now in late adulthood and old age developed a relationship with a transcendent reality. This relationship is a core element of their global personal well-being. This paper briefly elaborates some thoughts about the relationship between personal well-being and spirituality in old age. Six themes are focused upon: I. personal well-being as a subjective experience of evaluation; 2. psychological, physical, social, material, cultural and existential well-being as components of global personal well-being; 3. religious or humanistic spirituality; 4. a life enhancing relationship with a transcendent reality in old age; 5. spirituality and spiritual growth require self-care and social support; 6. some possible lines of research.
Gender and Adaptation to Widowhood in Later Life
Authors: Stevens Nan 
Published: November 2008

AbstractExamination of the well-being and living conditions of older widows and widowers reveals ways in which adaptation to loss of the partner in later life is influenced by gender. This article compares the results of two Dutch studies, one on men and one on women between the ages of 60 and 75, living independently and widowed three to five years earlier. The same combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used in these studies. The results indicate remarkable similarities in the well-being of the widows and widowers. Gender influences the availability of resources such as income, education and freedom from health restrictions, with widowers demonstrating clear advantages compared to widows. In the area of relational resources, widows who are well adapted have more varied sources of support, including close female friends and supportive neighbours in addition to children. Widowers benefit more from the presence of new partners or partner-like relationships; the tendency of many widowers to rely strongly on children is a disadvantage. Few significant differences were found in the relational needs acknowledged by widows and widowers; however, acknowledging the need for intimacy is differentially related to life satisfaction for widowed men and women. An unexpected finding is the effect of gender on life satisfaction, which remains when other variables have been entered into the equation in regression analysis. Several possible interpretations for this gender factor are provided; these involve the possibility of greater diversity in the ways in which women adapt to widowhood, women's special virtuosity in relationships, and a kind of flexibility that is developed in the course of women's lives which helps them adapt to major change later life, despite structural disadvantages in comparison to men.