| 1. |
- Blusi, Madeleine, et al.
(author)
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Older family carers in rural areas - experiences from using caregiver support services based on Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 10:3, s. 1-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this intervention study was to illuminate the meaning of ICT-basedcaregiver support as experienced by older family carers living in vast ruralareas, caring for a spouse at home. In order to access the support serviceparticipants were provided with a computer and high speed Internet in theirhomes. Semi structured webcam-interviews were carried out with 31 familycarers. A strategy for webcam interviewing was developed in order to ensurequality and create a comfortable interview situation for the family carers.Interviews were analyzed using content analyses, resulting in the themes: Adoptingnew technology with help from others and Regaining social inclusion.The results indicate that ICT-based support can be valuable for older familycarers in rural areas as it contributes to improve quality in daily life in anumber of ways. In order to fully experience the benefits, family carers needto be frequent users of the provided support. Adequate training andencouragement from others were essential in motivating family carers to use thesupport service. Access to Internet and webcamera contributed to reducingloneliness and isolation, strengthening relationships with relatives living faraway and enabled access to services no longer available in the area. Use of theICT-service had a positive influence on the relationship between the oldercarer and adult grandchildren. It also contributed to carer competence andpromote feelings of regaining independence and a societal role.
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| 2. |
- Dahl, Mats, et al.
(author)
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The relation between personality and the realism in confidence judgements in older adults
- 2010
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 7:4, s. 283-291
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigated the relation between personality factors, as measured by the Swedish version of the NEO-FFI questionnaire, and the realism in older adults' (aged 60-93 years, n = 1,384) probability confidence judgements of their answers to general knowledge questions. The results showed very small effect sizes for the contribution of the personality variables to the fit between the proportion correct answers and the level of one's confidence judgements. Although personality differed somewhat within the age span studied and between the genders no differences were found in the relation between the dimensions of the NEO-FFI and the degree of realism in the confidence judgements as a function of age or gender. In total, the results show a significant but very small effect of personality on the realism in older adults' confidence judgements of their semantic knowledge.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Halleröd, Björn, 1960, et al.
(author)
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Leaving the labour market: the impact of exit routes from employment to retirement on health and wellbeing in old age
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 10:1, s. 25-35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The study analyses whether and to what degree specific routes into retirement affect older people, i.e. the relationship between heterogeneous exit patterns and post-retirement health and wellbeing. We used longitudinal data from two points in time; data related to t (0) were collected in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 and data related to t (1) were collected in 2002 and 2003 (N = 589). We focused on older people (55+ at t (1)) who were employed at t (0) and retired at t (1). We used confirmative factor analysis to identify identical measures of health and wellbeing at both t (0) and t (1). Hence, we were able to control for pre-retirement health and wellbeing when evaluating the effects of different exit routes. These routes were defined as dependence on incomes from sickness benefit, disability pension, part-time pension, unemployment insurance and active labour market programmes. Our initial structural equation model showed a clear relation between exit routes and post-retirement wellbeing. People who prior to retirement were pushed into social benefit programmes related to health and unemployment were significantly worse off as retirees, especially those with health-related benefits. However, these relationships disappeared once pre-retirement wellbeing was added to the model. Our main conclusion is that post-retirement wellbeing first and foremost is a consequence of accumulation of advantages and disadvantages during the life course. Both labour market exit routes and post-retirement wellbeing can be seen as outcomes of this process. There are no independent effects of the retirement process. Judging from our findings, there is no reason to believe that involvement in social security programmes allowing early retirement on health grounds has any additional negative consequences for health and wellbeing.
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| 5. |
- Kelfve, Susanne, et al.
(author)
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Sampling and non-response bias on health-outcomes in surveys of the oldest old
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 10:3, s. 237-245
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Surveys of the oldest old population are associated with several design issues. Place of residence and possible physical or cognitive impairments make it difficult to maintain a representative study population. Based on a Swedish nationally representative survey among individuals 77+, the present study analyze the potential bias of not using proxy interviews and excluding the institutionalized part of the population in surveys of the oldest old. The results show that compared to directly interviewed people living at home, institutionalized and proxy interviewed individuals were older, less educated and more likely to be female. They had more problems with health, mobility and ADL, and a significantly increased mortality risk. If the study had excluded the institutionalized part of the population and/or failed to use proxy interviews, the result would have been severely biased and resulted in underestimated prevalence rates for ADL, physical mobility and psychologic problems. This could not be compensated for weighting the data by age and sex. The results from this study imply that accurate population estimates require a representative study population, in which all individuals are included regardless of their living conditions, health status, and cognitive ability.
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| 6. |
- Kvist, Elin, 1972-
(author)
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Changing social organizations of care : a comparison of European policy reforms encouraging paid domestic work
- 2012
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - Heidelberg : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 9:2, s. 111-117
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In many European countries different types of policy reforms intending to encourage growth in the domestic service sector have been introduced. The methods and reforms differ but mainly the reforms intend to stimulate growth of a ‘new’ legal labour market sector within private households. This potential growth sector in combination with insufficient or declining welfare states, inclining female labour market participation and ageing populations could be viewed as explanatory factors to the increased demand for domestic services. A growing amount of those performing paid domestic work in European homes are migrant women with or without papers. The aim of this article is to create a model that enables comparisons of these reforms, with a special focus on changing social organizations of care for elders, children and other dependent persons. Included in the analysis are Euro- pean countries that have introduced wide domestic service policy reforms as measurement to encourage growth in the domestic service sector, i.e. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden.
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| 7. |
- Larsson, Kristina, et al.
(author)
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Care utilisation in the last years of life in Sweden: the effects of gender and marital status differ by type of care
- 2014
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 11:4, s. 349-359
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The effects of gender and marital status on care utilisation in the last years of life are highly correlated. This study analysed whether gender differences in use of eldercare (home help services or institutional care) or hospital care in the last 5 years of life, and the place of death, could be attributed to differences in marital status and thereby to potential access to informal care. A longitudinal Swedish study provided register data on 567 participants (aged 83 +) who died between 1995 and 2004. A higher proportion of unmarried than married people used home help services; this was true of both men and women. The likelihood of receiving home help was lower for those living with their spouse (OR = 0.38) and for those with children (OR = 0.60). In the 2 years preceding death, the proportion receiving home help services decreased and the proportion in institutional care increased. Women were significantly more likely to die in institutional care (OR = 1.88) than men. Although men were less likely to live in institutional care than women and more likely to be inpatients in the 3 months preceding death, after controlling for residence in institutional care, neither gender nor marital status was statistically significant when included in the same model. In summary, the determining factor for home help utilisation seemed to be access to informal care, whereas gender differences in health status could explain women’s higher probability of dying in institutional care.
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| 8. |
- Meinow, Bettina, et al.
(author)
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Complex health problems and mortality among the oldest old in Sweden : decreased risk for men between 1992 and 2002
- 2010
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In: European journal of ageing. - : Springer. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 7:2, s. 81-90
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although mortality in older ages generally declined in most countries during the past decades less is known about mortality trends among the most vulnerable subset of the oldest old. The aim of this study was to investigate possible changes between 1992 and 2002 in the relation of complex health problems and mortality in two representative samples of the Swedish population aged 77+ (1992: n = 537; 2002: n = 561). Further, it was examined if trends differed by sex, education, and age. Serious problems in three health domains were identified (diseases/symptoms, mobility, cognition/communication). People with serious problems in two or three domains were considered to have complex health problems. Four-year mortality was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regressions. Controlled for age, sex, education, and health status mortality risk decreased by 20% during the 10-year period. Complex health problems strongly predicted 4-year mortality in both 1992 and 2002. No single dimension explained the decrease. Men with complex health problems accounted for most of the decrease in mortality risk, so much that the gender difference in mortality risk was almost eliminated among elderly people with complex health problems 2002. A considerable decrease in the mortality risk among men with complex health problems has implications for the individual who may face longer periods of complex health problems and dependency. It will also place increasing demands upon medical and social services as well as informal caregivers.
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| 9. |
- Risser, Ralf, et al.
(author)
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Barriers to senior citizens' outdoor mobility in Europe
- 2010
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In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9380 .- 1613-9372. ; 7:2, s. 69-80
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to picture perceived problems amongst older citizens in the traffic environment. Moreover, answers to the question why measures that are known to be efficient concerning the mobility of senior citizens are often not implemented. Eight EU countries participated in the study, involving both senior citizens and experts (researchers, decision makers and practitioners who deal with all aspects of seniors' mobility). Focus group interviews and personal interviews involving 487 senior citizens and 225 experts were carried out in order to chart problems. These were followed by quantitative surveys with 3,309 senior citizens and 490 experts that had the scope to measure the distribution of charted problems in the population. Finally, five workshops were carried out in order to discuss results and to formulate assumptions why promising measures are not implemented, as it appears. Barriers to mobility are by both experts and senior citizens attributed to traffic and infrastructure characteristics, to legal issues, to vehicle design problems, to inter-personal and inter-generational frictions, to lacking lobby power, but also to individual health problems. In order to improve mobility it is suggested by both senior citizens and experts to enforce vehicle speeds. Both groups also agree that public transport vehicles should be brought into an appropriate standard (low floor vehicles, kneeling busses). Senior citizens more than the experts ask for measures to support the sense of security and safety in the public space (police should be visible, appropriate design of infrastructure, public lighting).
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| 10. |
- Robitaille, A, et al.
(author)
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Physical activity and cognitive functioning in the oldest old: Within- and between-person cognitive and psychosocial mediators
- 2014
-
In: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 11:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current study examines the role of social contact intensity, cognitive activity, and depressive symptoms as within- and between-person mediators for the relationships between physical activity and cognitive functioning. All three types of mediators were considered simultaneously using multilevel structural equations modeling with longitudinal data. The sample consisted of 470 adults ranging from 79.37 to 97.92 years of age (M = 83.4; SD = 3.2) at the first occasion. Between-person differences in cognitive activity mediated the relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning, such that individuals who participated in more physical activities, on average, engaged in more cognitive activities and, in turn, showed better cognitive functioning. Mediation of between-person associations between physical activity and memory through social contact intensity was also significant. At the within-person level, only cognitive activity mediated the relationship between physical activity and change in cognition; however, the indirect effect was small. Depressive symptomatology was not found to significantly mediate within- or between-person effects on cognitive change. Our findings highlight the implications of physical activity participation for the prevention of cognitive decline and the importance of meditational processes at the between-person level. Physical activity can provide older adults with an avenue to make new friendships and engage in more cognitive activities which, in turn, attenuates cognitive decline.
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