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1 – 10 of over 14000The elderly are facing many problems in the phase of life in the contemporary times. The problem of suicide among the elderly is one of them. The purpose of this paper is to focus…
Abstract
Purpose
The elderly are facing many problems in the phase of life in the contemporary times. The problem of suicide among the elderly is one of them. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the cause of death due to suicide among the elderly in later life. There are two objectives of the present study. The first objective examines the nature and problem of elderly suicide in Indian society. The second objective explores the factors affecting suicidal tendency among the elderly.
Design/methodology/approach
The data have been collected through two newspapers from January 2013 to April 2013. The content of news items has been analysed through content analysis.
Findings
The study finds out that the factors such as family problems, chronic diseases, poverty, lack of social status and bankruptcy give rise to feeling of committing suicide among the elderly.
Originality/value
This is an original paper.
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Rachel Fleishman, Fernando Potel, Dror Walk, Jenny Mandelson, Gad Mizrahi, Fanny Yuz and Miriam Bar‐Giora
In Israel, institution staff classify residents’ functional status as part of the routine governmental surveillance of institutions for semi‐independent and frail elderly…
Abstract
In Israel, institution staff classify residents’ functional status as part of the routine governmental surveillance of institutions for semi‐independent and frail elderly. However, owing to a lack of clarity and specificity in the regulation which defines functional status categories, nurse surveyors, who conduct the routine surveillance of institutions, have begun to make their own estimates of functional status. Data were collected and compared on the functional status classification of 78 per cent of the elderly residents by institution staff and nurse surveyors. Data analysis showed that the poorer the functional status, the less congruity between the classifications. This has practical consequences for estimating the number and type of staff needed. It was found that the waste of resources and discrepancies caused by reclassification of the elderly by the nurse surveyors may be avoided by using more specific and precise definitions as suggested in this article.
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Premwadee Karuhadej, Monrudee Popijan and Prapaiwan Danpradit
The purpose of this paper is to study and compare knowledge and skills in basic care for the dependent elderly of health volunteers before and after the increase in ability…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study and compare knowledge and skills in basic care for the dependent elderly of health volunteers before and after the increase in ability program participation.
Design/methodology/approach
Quasi experimental research includes one group pretest-posttest design. The research was conducted from January to March 2018. The samples were 30 health volunteers in Nakorn Pathom Province selected by purposive sampling. They were all female, aged 20–50 years, with minimal education level of early secondary school and were current or former health volunteers. The increase ability program consisted of lecture and skill practice by demonstration and individual replay demonstration. The program duration was 30 h with 19 h of skill practice and 2 days of site visit to the dependent elderly’ homes. The tool for collecting data was a questionnaire for the evaluation of knowledge and skills in basic care for the dependent elderly. The data were analyzed by means, standard deviation and paired t-test.
Findings
After the increase in ability program participation, the health volunteers had very good level of knowledge in basic care for the dependent elderly with statistical significance (p<0.01) and had most correct skills in basic care for the dependent elderly with a score of 9 from 11 items.
Originality/value
Knowledge and skills in basic care for the dependent elderly of the health volunteers increased to a very good level after program participation. Thailand should provide periodic and continuous training program to increase health volunteers’ knowledge and skills in basic elderly care to provide care for the elderly with most benefits.
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Jens Hemphälä and Magnus Eneberg
The increasing size of the elderly population is emerging as a primary catalyst for the escalation of healthcare expenditure, and a sense of urgency is manifest. However, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing size of the elderly population is emerging as a primary catalyst for the escalation of healthcare expenditure, and a sense of urgency is manifest. However, the complexity of the health- and elderly care systems provides challenges in improving system efficiency. Hence, the system-level understanding of the main obstacles to integration care needs further exploration. In order to better integrate health- and elderly care, the study needs to identify the actual misalignments underpinning the issue. This study provides the theoretical foundations for resource misalignments and provides empirical examples of these.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders on various hierarchical levels were carried out to create a more complete view of the system and resources deployed in health- and elderly care. The application of user-centered design methods and co-creation with employees have also been crucial to the outcomes of the study.
Findings
Results show that health- and elderly care is a large-scale complex system. The overlapping and mutually reinforcing misalignments are: (1) regulation and policy differences, (2) stakeholder quantity and variation, (3) external control of health- and elderly care, (3) decreasing collaboration and (4) communication channels and IT development.
Originality/value
This qualitative study builds on institutional theory and resource integration theory and contributes with empirical descriptions of misalignments in the health- and elderly care system. These descriptions will serve as points of departure for systems design to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health- and elderly care.
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Jiaji Zhu, Xin Li, Yushi Jiang and Wenju Ma
Promoting the adoption of digital payments by the elderly plays an important role in the development of the digital economy. The purpose of this study is to build an extended…
Abstract
Purpose
Promoting the adoption of digital payments by the elderly plays an important role in the development of the digital economy. The purpose of this study is to build an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to predict the elderly's intention to pay for digital services under COVID-19 epidemic constraints.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the extended TPB model, 320 qualified participants were recruited on the network. The structural equation model was tested using the SmartPLS3.3 tool, and the moderation effects were tested through SPSS26 and the Process macro.
Findings
The results showed that the three dimensions of TPB theory, the basic elements (perceived value and perceived risk), and the external environment (COVID-19 pandemic) were important factors that influence the elderly users' intention to adopt digital payments. Further research found that motivation factors (personal innovativeness, intergenerational support, and social support) can positively moderate these effects.
Research limitations/implications
The results of the study provide a further explanation for understanding the willingness of elderly people to adopt digital payments during the COVID-19 pandemic and bring inspiration to system developers and social managers to reduce the risk of COVID-19 pandemic and increase the share of digital payments for this category.
Originality/value
This paper used the extended TPB theory to construct a fundamental environmental motivation (FEM) framework for understanding the main influencing factors of elderly users' intention to adopt digital payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Sukamdi, Titik Munawaroh, Fauziah Lestari and Dewi Fatimah Anwar
This study aims to analyse the condition of the elderly in poor households which includes two things. The first is the characteristics of the elderly in poor households and the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse the condition of the elderly in poor households which includes two things. The first is the characteristics of the elderly in poor households and the effect of poverty on the economic activities of the elderly.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses secondary data from the 2020 National Social Economic Survey.
Findings
Poverty status of households is proven to have an effect on the participation of the workforce and the work participation of the elderly. The poor elderly tend to have a greater chance of participation in economic activities than the non-poor elderly. The absence of pension and old age insurance also causes the elderly to continue working until old age. Working is one of the survival mechanisms for the elderly.
Originality/value
This research has analysed the two population problems, which are the aging population and poverty.
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Paramita Roy and Anshuman Barua
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the labour force participation among the elderly population (aged 60 and above) in India from data available for the most recent time…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the labour force participation among the elderly population (aged 60 and above) in India from data available for the most recent time periods. The paper reviews the types of employment, industries and occupations that the elderly in India are employed in presently and also examines the impact of different factors on the decision of the elderly to be a part of the labour force.
Design/methodology/approach
Unit-level data has been extracted from the most recent data available on employment and labour force in India provided by the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), from 2017 to 2018 to 2019–2020. Binary logistic regression model has been used to identify some of the socio-economic and demographic factors that influence the odds of the elderly being a part of the labour force along with the extent of their influence, and Wald statistic has been used to examine the dynamics.
Findings
The study finds that among the elderly population, males, individuals living in rural areas, those living alone, those who are currently married and those with low educational attainment are more likely to be a part of the labour force. Again, elderly females are found to be employed mostly in the informal or unorganised sector which provide minimal or nil social security benefits. Between 2017–2018 and 2019–2020, the coefficients for sector, gender, marital status, education and income are found to be significantly different.
Originality/value
This paper attempts to shed some light on the scanty literature with regards to studies on the elderly in India, and also to reveal the possible factors which induce the elderly in India to participate in the labour force with the help of the most recent data available.
Peer review
The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2021-0350.
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Michela Cesarina Mason, Gioele Zamparo and Rubens Pauluzzo
Using retail banking as a setting and focusing specifically on elderly customers (i.e. individuals aged 60 or more), this study aims to deepen the current understanding of how the…
Abstract
Purpose
Using retail banking as a setting and focusing specifically on elderly customers (i.e. individuals aged 60 or more), this study aims to deepen the current understanding of how the physical context and the need for human interaction influence elderly customers' attitudes toward self-service technologies (SSTs) and their behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Using face-to-face questionnaires, a sample of 505 elderly bank customers was collected. Data were analyzed using a multi-method approach, combining a moderated mediation analysis with a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.
Findings
The findings suggest that a pleasant retail space may result in a positive attitude toward SSTs, which increases their co-creation intention. It also highlights that need for interaction of elderly customers with employees has detrimental effects on their attitude toward SSTs.
Research limitations/implications
The current analysis was carried out among Italian elderly banks' customers. Thus, the results are highly dependent on the context of the analysis. In addition, it does not consider the different degrees of knowledge and experience the elderly may have with technology.
Practical implications
This study suggests that providing access and support for using technology may be essential for banks to facilitate SSTs adoption in elderly customers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to examine the influence of the physical context on elderly customers' attitudes toward SSTs and their consequent behavioral intentions. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of the human touch for these particular customers.
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Kanokwan Pimchan and Chonlatis Darawong
This study aims to examine the influence of condominium attributes on resident satisfaction and word of mouth from the perspectives of the elderly in Thailand.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the influence of condominium attributes on resident satisfaction and word of mouth from the perspectives of the elderly in Thailand.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 338 elderly residents through a questionnaire survey and analysed by using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling procedures.
Findings
The results showed that the strongest predictor of resident satisfaction was design functionality, followed by social environment, safety and security and service quality. In addition, the strongest predictor of word of mouth was safety and security, followed by design functionality, proximity, service quality and social environment.
Research limitations/implications
The data were drawn at the level of the overall characteristics of elderly residents. People may be different in terms of their demographic characters such as gender, age, and user experience.
Practical implications
The study suggests that condominium developers and designers should pay attention to design functionality both physically and mentally such as suitable materials, lighting and common areas. Moreover, the developers should focus on the proximity of the nearest hospitals, safety and security measures, well-trained security personnel and social activity arrangement.
Originality/value
Elderly condominium markets are increasingly growing as a result of the ageing society in Thailand. However, very few empirical studies investigate condominium attributes that affect resident satisfaction and word of mouth provided by real estate developers. The paper aims to determine driving factors that enhance the better well-being of elderly residents.
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Debashrita Dey and Priyanka Tripathi
This study aims to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the social and economic vulnerability of Indian elderly women, thereby making them prone to varied forms of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the social and economic vulnerability of Indian elderly women, thereby making them prone to varied forms of abuse and denying them of the basic rights of secured existence.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted by analyzing primary data from government sources that dealt with the aging Indian population and the common predicaments that elderly women experienced during the pandemic. A qualitative interview was conducted in three old-age homes in India where the experiences of 26 elderly female residents were documented for understanding their experiences during the pandemic. The secondary data collected from different newspaper articles and online resources also enabled in perusing the difficulties that they faced both at home and the caregiving space at the critical juncture of COVID-19.
Findings
Nearly 73% of the elderly population in the country has faced an incidence in different forms of abuse and exploitation during the subsequent waves of the pandemic. Disrespect and neglect were the most common type of mistreatment and around 23.1% reported physical assault. The elderly women were victimized further on socioeconomic grounds and their rights of living a secured and dignified life were significantly neglected.
Research limitations/implications
The basic premise of this paper operates on the ground that the family as an institution has shunned taking care of the responsibilities vis-a-vis the elderly and therefore formal institutions have been introduced to aid in the conventional caretaking responsibilities in the Indian societal structure. This situation became all the more grave during the pandemic and therefore needed much intervention. This paper follows the theoretical lens of gender theory and case study method to analyze the data.
Social implications
The HelpAge India report findings entail that elderly women/widows are doubly marginalized in the Indian society, and the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the caregiver stress on manifold levels, thus exacerbating the problem. As most of the female senior citizens are economically dependent on their children and relatives, financial exploitation became one of the important premise that deprived them of a healthy living both at home and elderly caregiving institution. Despite the prevalence of certain elderly assistance schemes in the country, the older women’s needs and well-being got heavily impacted and their voice gets hardly recognized in the wider spectrum of sociopolitical events. To extend the requisite help and assistance to this socially vulnerable section, the government on September, 2021, launched a pan-India, toll-free helpline number “Elder Line” to provide relevant information on elderly legal and medical aid and guidance on procuring pension.
Originality/value
According to the secondary findings, a significant percentage of elderly women have been susceptible to physical and emotional abuse and factors such as widowhood, economic dependency, physical infirmity, cognitive impairment along with other stressors have aggravated their exposure to ill-treatment during the pandemic span. Thus, to recognize and mitigate the existing problems affecting the elderly subjects, the government should devise the necessary protocols and adopt essential measures to ensure the welfare of the marginalized section and protect their basic rights of a holistic existence.
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