Search results

The purpose of this paper is to disseminate the learning from the positive ageing and positive living projects of the Beth Johnson Foundation (BJF) and to contribute to the discourse around ageing and older people.

The content for this case study was drawn from evidence gathering activities with different generations of older people, with key stakeholders, commissioners and policy makers. This was supported by extensive desk top analysis of information and research on the subjects of positive and active ageing.

This case study examines the key elements of positive ageing within a life course context and explores the language and culture around ageing. It makes some recommendations, based on practice, that support a change in the dialogue around ageing from positive ageing to positive living.

This approach is of interest to all citizens, to those who work with older people, to commissioners and to decision makers. It promotes a multi-generational approach to the co-design of services. It supports prevention, health promotion and appropriate interventions which are not based on age. It also, therefore, promotes ageing as a “natural” part of the life course, challenges negative stereotypes around ageing and ensures accessible, inclusive and quality services.

The content and conclusions of the case study challenge some of the traditional thinking and approaches around ageing and recommend a more inclusive approach to service design and delivery. The case study also addresses some of the issues around the language used and the culture around ageing which will contribute to a more forward thinking approach.

This is an original case study based on the work of the BJF over a ten year period as it developed its’ Positive Ageing and Positive Living programmes. BJF has been at the forefront of the positive ageing movement by developing mid-life programmes of work and is acknowledged as an expert organisation in the field of intergenerational (and now multi-generational) practice and age friendly communities.

Older people have a different perception of ageing and different factors can influence this perception. Among the factors influencing the perception of ageing are various functions including physical, mental and social functioning of the elderly. Therefore, in this study, the authors intend to investigate the relationship between the perception of ageing and social functioning.

A systematic search was conducted of four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus). Citations within identified reports were also searched. Studies were included if they included perceptions of ageing and social functioning measures involving older participants. Study selection and data extraction were conducted using predefined criteria. Older adults’ perceptions of ageing and social functioning were assessed with a variety of measures.

From a total of 79 articles, eight reports met the criteria for inclusion. In these studies, the positive and negative aspects of ageing perception and various social functions of the elderly in society such as economic, political, social activities; social support; and formal and informal participation have been raised.

The results of this narrative review demonstrate that there is a two-way relationship between the perception of ageing and social functioning. Therefore, it is suggested that appropriate practical and educational interventions be taken to increase the positive perception of ageing in the elderly and increase the social performance of the elderly in society.

The purpose of this paper is to argue for an archaeological expedition of sorts, to search for and to uncover a host of stories which might assist us in piecing together a framework worth dedicating our future lives to understanding ageing.

This is a theoretical paper on ageing.

An individual's experience of ageing is integrally bound to questions of culture – particularly the systems of meaning within culture – and context. Just as there is not “one true story of aging”, so the paper suggests that we must have multiple narratives to assist us in building our own models of successful ageing.

Narratives of successful ageing, like all narratives, are never told in a vacuum. Rather, there must be those who are able to hear them, often stretching themselves beyond their own experiences, even beyond their own cultural frameworks. This has strong implications for researchers of successful ageing: together, we must try to meet the challenge of listening to diversity.

This paper aims to investigate the reaction to the use of senior models in ads by older consumers while taking into account their spiritual dimension in the context of ageing.

This research relies on a qualitative approach and the narrative analysis of 40 transcribed interviews with older adults of age 50-83.

Interviews with senior respondents confirm that ageing is a challenging individual process in the context of which spiritual needs emerge. Taking these needs into account helps understand the reaction of older consumers to the use of senior models in ads. It also reveals the potential of this marketing practice to respond to spiritual needs in the context of ageing.

This paper contributes to the understanding of older consumers’ reaction to the senior models they see in ads. It reveals the necessity to take spiritual needs into account to fully understand consumer behavior at old age. This paper contributes to the understanding of older consumers’ reaction to the senior models they see in ads. It reveals the necessity to take spiritual needs into account to fully understand consumer behavior at old age.

This paper provides practical guidance to advertising professionals on the use of senior models in ads.

This research reveals that the adequate representation of older models in advertisements can help fight the negative stereotypes associated with ageing and contributes to highlighting the major role played by older adults in society.

This research is the first to investigate the relationship of older consumers to the senior models used in advertisements while taking into account their spiritual dimension. It extends the existing research on older consumers and advertising, especially their perception of senior models.

The consequences of population ageing for Australia are increasingly debated at a national and state level. Ageing issues on the policy agenda now reflect the need to take a broader societal approach. However, the evidence to inform policy is still lacking in a number of areas. In particular, more needs to be understood about ageing from the community perspective, including evidence on values and attitudes across the generations and the expectations and needs of older age groups. This paper explores the evidence on community perspectives and attitudes on ageing and the extent to which it has informed policy and program development. Using illustrations from Queensland, key policy challenges presented by some of the broader emerging issues will be highlighted, along with possible strategies for policy development in the future.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the benefits and issues relating to arts participation in later life.

The paper draws on literature relating to older people's arts participation, and also includes discussion of the author's doctoral research into arts and ageing. The research was a qualitative study, influenced by narrative approaches and life-course perspectives. It involved interviews with 24 participants who have connections with a case-study town in the English Midlands.

The paper focuses on the findings from six participants belonging to a male voice choir. The themes that are discussed include the importance of continuity; issues of identity; mutual support; impact of ill health and the sustainability of group activities.

This is a small-scale study, based in one case study town. Care should therefore be taken in generalising to different populations and areas. Potential for future research includes: other geographical locations, including larger urban areas. Specific focus on choir participation, or other art form. Involving people from a wider range of ethnic backgrounds.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence about the value of arts and culture to society.

This study is original in adopting life-course perspectives to understand later life arts participation. It also offers original insights into the nature of arts-generated social capital and how this may be viewed within a wider context of resourceful ageing.

Purpose – To outline new research on the ways in which older athletes incorporate drinking practices into their social and sporting identities. Drawing on research with older Australian athletes, the chapter asks us to re-imagine the sport–alcohol nexus to include new sites and subjects that can shed light on wider articulations of the pleasurable and problematic relationships between sport, alcohol and social identity.

Design/methodology/approach – In the first part of the chapter, key themes in sport and ageing research are discussed. In the second, issues of alcohol, older age and sporting identities are considered, drawing on research at the 2017 Australian Masters Games. This sets the scene for a fuller discussion and analysis of some of the missed opportunities in alcohol and sport research, and their implications for sport and social policy, health promotion and social care more broadly.

Findings – The chapter reveals several under-developed opportunities in a broader research agenda on sport and alcohol, including the role alcohol plays in conferring membership and belonging to the sporting communities of older athletes. The chapter suggests that a recalibration of popular understandings of sport, ageing and alcohol – both as separate and as inter-related concerns – may provide an opportunity for addressing wider social concerns with ageing more broadly.

Research limitations/implications – Discussion of ageing and alcohol, through the lens of sport, has important implications for an analysis of drinking practices and in sport, and for sport and social policy, health promotion and social care.

The purpose of this paper is to meet Dr Joyce Shaffer, PhD, ABPP, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington.

This case study is presented in two sections: a positive autoethnography written by Joyce Shaffer, followed by her answers to ten questions.

In this positive autoethnography, Shaffer shares her life story and reveals numerous mental health and positive aging recommendations and insights for us to reflect on.

This is a personal narrative, albeit from someone who has been a clinical psychologist and active in the field of aging for many decades.

A pragmatic approach to aging is recommended. According to Shaffer, “those of us who can recognize the beat of the historical drummer can harvest the best of it and learn from the rest of it.”

Positive aging has strong social implications. Shaffer considers that it is not only about maximizing our own physical, mental, emotional and social health but also about maximizing that of others, to make our world a better place for everyone.

Positive aging can be experienced despite adversity. As Shaffer says, “Adversity used for growth and healed by love is the answer.”

The purpose of this article is to introduce the ESRC's Growing Older Programme and to outline some of the challenges it is facing. I will also put the Programme in context so that its aims, ambitions and potential can be understood. The article opens with a few words about the demographic pressures that overarch this programme and which were influential in its conception.

This paper explores the relationship between health promotion and active aging among seniors in Malaysia. The specific objectives were to (1) identify the contributing factors for seniors undergoing full medical check-up and (2) to explore the association between selected active aging factors and health promotion behavior and beliefs.

The study used data from 662 seniors from three different states in Peninsular Malaysia. Logistic regression was used to identify significant determinants of full medical check-up, and chi-square statistics were used to explore the association of active aging and selected health promotion behavior and beliefs. Healthy aging was characterized by being employed or traveling outdoors for leisure.

Household income was found to be a significant barrier to seniors undergoing a full medical check-up. Overall, active seniors were more likely to have positive self-rated health, positive health responsibility and health promotion beliefs but were less likely to undergo a full medical check-up.

Given that cost of a medical check-up could be a barrier for seniors, authorities could consider subsidizing medical check-ups to promote early detection of disease. There is also a need for continuous effort to educate seniors on health risk factors and the importance of taking fuller responsibility for their own health.

This study examined the relationship between active aging and health promotion together, as both components are essential in enhancing the mental and physical well-being of seniors.