Search results

This paper aims to synthesize the published literature regarding the impact of environmental design on the improvement of elderly residents’ physical activity.

To provide convergent evidence about the association between facility design/management and physical activity of elderly population, searches were conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, as well as in specific active living design journals such as Applied Gerontology, Aging and Physical Activity, Housing for the Elderly and Sports Sciences. The inclusion criteria for the final list were the articles that were qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies as well as systematic reviews; written in English; related to the built environmental design; wholly or partially focused on physical activity in elderly population; and published in peer-reviewed journals between 1984 and 2019.

Overall, 30 studies were included in the final list. The results of this review demonstrate that design interventions can raise physical functioning inside and outside of long-term residential facilities. Increasing opportunities for walkable spaces and reducing physical barriers can result in higher levels of physical activity for the elderly population.

This systematic review discloses the design strategies to enhance the level of physical activity by the elderly population based on the findings of the published literature. Overall space layout and accessibility to outdoor walkable spaces were addressed to generally promote the moderate levels of physical activity in elderly population.

Increasing opportunities for walkable spaces and reducing physical barriers result in higher level of activity for the elderly population. Corridor design and interior design ergonomic considerations were highlighted in the literature. Space layout and accessibility to outdoor walkable spaces promote the moderate levels of physical activity.

Environmental design considerations are unique aspects of enhancement of activity level in the elderly population.

This systematic review discloses the design strategies to enhance the level of physical activity by the elderly population based on the findings of the published literature. Overall space layout and accessibility to outdoor walkable spaces were addressed to generally promote the moderate levels of physical activity in elderly population.

This qualitative research examines the varied reasons for relocation to old age homes (OAHs) in contemporary India. The purpose of this study investigates the acceptance of institutional living in Lucknow (a Tier II city of India) and whether migration to OAHs is a voluntary decision. This study also examines the lifeworld of the older adult in these OAHs in an attempt to find out whether OAHs are conducive to positive ageing. Derivatively, the authors study their engagement/time use pattern and social networking patterns in the OAHs. Finally, the research seeks to learn whether OAHs are slowly substituting older adult care given within the family by offering the best of the facilities and services.

This qualitative research was conducted in two private OAHs in Lucknow, India. The findings of the study are based on 28 qualitative interviews conducted with the inmates, administrative staff and caretakers. The interviews were unstructured and open-ended and were supported by observations. The observation was not only made of the social setting but also the reaction of the participants. The idea was to develop an emic view of the subject by exploring valid narratives. Pseudonyms were used to report the finding so as to maintain the confidentiality of the research subjects.

This research moves beyond the traditional wisdom that people move to OAH because of the push factors within the family. OAHs in India have evolved over the years and high-end OAHs are equipped with modern amenities to cater to the upper class in their twilight years. Residents were found to lead active lives in OAHs and their common habitus and bonding capital helped them to face the vagaries of old age more confidently. Their active life and membership in various civic organizations challenge the contention of the role theory that the aged are more prone to lose rather than gain roles.

The originality of the research lies in the fact that the authors are extending the arguments made by the role theory of social ageing. The theory proposes that aged people are more likely to lose out roles rather than gain new ones. This study finds that the elderly tend to live a very active life in OAHs and engaged various civic organizations. Although they may lose/voluntarily give up the roles like the head of the household, spouse, etc., they acquire new roles in the context of OAHs.

The purpose of this paper is to share the key findings of the Wandering in the Woods action research project conducted by Dementia Adventure. Practical implications for changing practices in the dementia care and health and well‐being sectors are highlighted.

Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered using the participatory appraisal method in small groups both before and after “woodland adventure” days out.

There was a 41 per cent increase in participants rating “exercise” as a factor which is “very important” to them. A number of potential physical, emotional, and social benefits of activity out in woodlands, for people with dementia, were identified.

The research is conducted with three relatively small groups, which vary in composition across the study, for practical reasons associated with care and capability of participants.

Suggestions are shared and questions posed for individuals wanting to practically embed the learning from this project.

Research looking at the benefits of green exercise and experiences of people living with dementia in care taking activity out in nature is very limited, this paper significantly contributes to this growing body of knowledge.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, implementation and early impact of a national action plan for active and healthy ageing in Scotland.

The Joint Improvement Team, NHS Health Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (ALLIANCE) co-produced the action plan with older people from the Scottish Older People’s Assembly. Together they supported partnerships to embed the action plan as an important element of the reshaping care for older people transformation programme in Scotland.

A cross-sector improvement network supported health, housing and care partnerships to use a £300 million Change Fund to implement evidence based preventative approaches to enable older people to live well. Older people in Scotland spent over two million days at home than would have been expected based on previous balance of care and impact of ageing.

Improving the health and wellbeing of older people is not just the responsibility of health and social care services. Enabling older people to live independent, active and fulfilling lives requires coordinated effort that spans national and local government policy areas, mobilises all sectors of society, and involves all health and care disciplines. Success starts with listening to what matters to older people, and working together, and with older people and local communities, to make that a reality.

This case study from Scotland offers transferable learning for other systems who have an ageing population and an ambitions to enable them to live well in later life.

This article sets out to explore three differing approaches from three agencies to supporting and treating people with a learning/intellectual disability who have sexually offended. The three agencies are: Waymarks in the United Kingdom, York Central Hospital Behaviour Management Services and Vita Community Living Services both in Ontario, Canada. Each agency provides services to a similar population of offenders with disabilities. Though each client engaged in vastly different behaviour, all clients have been identified as having sex offending history and as having a high likelihood of offending again in the future. As the organisations evolved, differing approaches to the provision of service developed. For the three agencies, it can be argued that there was a very limited range of theoretical models available when each organisation developed. Consequently each agency developed their service according to the needs and ‘best fit’ of the people they were supporting with the available resources at that time. This meant that services developed as a direct response to the need and were designed to best fit the need with the resources to hand at the time. As a result, three different models of service arose, all of which have had real success with meeting the needs of people with learning/intellectual disabilities who have sexually offended, while providing support and treatment in differing ways. This article will examine some of those differences.

Improving the commercial success rate of innovations requires alternative approaches based on social science methodologies for identifying subtle, emerging changes in consumer needs and behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to address this call by proposing trend spotting to guide innovation researchers and service managers towards innovations that are more in accordance with emerging consumer needs.

The authors develop, describe, and employ a methodology for trend spotting to derive eight consumer trends that will have a strong influence on their choices. To provide further insights into these trends, the authors label and describe three customer segments as a function of life-cycle. The goal is to provide a framework for identifying innovations that are of higher value consumers.

The authors identified eight consumer trends, i.e. Always on the go, Always logged-in, Quality information faster, Nowism, Look at me now, Privacy, Sustainable living, and return on time (RoT), present across the three life-stage segments, i.e. Young free and single, Chaos in my life, and Got my life back.

For illustration purpose, the authors elaborate on the trend RoT and employ their findings and framework to illustrate how the airline industry may derive ideas for valuable innovations.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time trend spotting has been employed in the field of service marketing and service innovations.

This paper aims to explore the role of frontline employees (FLEs) as mediators in transformative service processes within services targeting vulnerable users.

This paper is based on a case study of the development and implementation of a dementia village, and the data consist of documents, in-depth interviews and field observations.

The analysis identifies FLEs as mediators in six different roles. These roles highlight how FLEs perform as mediators, acting in between and for vulnerable users and thus supporting their well-being. Specifically, the roles explicate the mediating role of FLEs in the design and planning of transformative changes and in daily work practices.

The different mediating roles of FLEs presented here should inform care providers and managers of how employees can become assets for supporting vulnerable users’ well-being during the design and planning stages of transformative change and through daily service work.

This paper offers novel insights into the multifaceted roles of FLEs in transformative services. The findings add to the current debate on mediation in transformative services and contribute to the literature by extending and refining the established conceptual and empirical understandings of the role of transformative service mediators in consumers’ well-being.

This paper aims to provide an overview of the emerging AgeTech sector and highlight key areas for research and development that have emerged under COVID-19, as well as some of the challenges to real-world implementation.

The paper is a commentary on emerging issues in the AgeTech sector, with particular reference to COVID-19. Information used in this paper is drawn from the Canadian AGE-WELL network.

The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly impacted older adults. Technology has increasingly been seen as a solution to support older adults during this time. AgeTech refers to the use of existing and emerging advanced technologies, such as digital media, information and communication technologies (ICTs), mobile technologies, wearables and smart home systems, to help keep older adults connected and to deliver health and community services.

Despite the potential of AgeTech, key challenges remain such as structural barriers to larger-scale implementation, the need to focus on quality of service rather than crisis management and addressing the digital divide.

AgeTech helps older adults to stay healthy and active, increases their safety and security, supports independent living and reduces isolation. In particular, technology can support older adults and caregivers in their own homes and communities and meet the desire of most older adults to age in place.

AgeTech is helpful in assisting older adults to stay connected. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of the informal social connections and supports within families, communities and voluntary organizations.

The last months have seen a huge upsurge in COVID-19-related research and development, as funding organizations, research institutions and companies pivot to meet the challenges thrown up by the pandemic. This paper looks at the potential role of technology to support older adults and caregivers.