Ageing International 

About: Ageing International is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Health care. It has an ISSN identifier of 0163-5158. Over the lifetime, 831 publications have been published receiving 12321 citations. The journal is also known as: Aging international & Journal of the International Federation on Ageing.

Averting the old age crisis

Abstract: Although the kind of reform that is needed will vary across countries, all countries should have a vision of where they are going in the long run. This vision should include separate mechanisms for redistribution and savings along with shared responsibility between the public and private sectors.

Creating and maintaining purpose in life in old age: A meta-analysis

Abstract: Purpose in life is a defining feature of mental health. In old age, maintaining high levels of purpose in life may become more difficult, due to increasing losses (e.g., widowhood, retirement). Meta-analysis was used to synthesize findings from 70 studies on purpose in life in middle age and old age. We found a small age-associated decline of purpose in life, which was stronger in older age-groups. Purpose in life showed a strong association with social integration, and with relational quality in particular. In addition, high purpose in life was related to better health, higher everyday competence, higher socioeconomic status, being employed, and being married. Furthermore, strong associations with psychological well-being and low levels of depressive symptoms were found. We conclude that relying on sources that have low or even no age-associated decline, such as social integration and previous attainments, counteract strong declines of purpose in life in old age.

Diffusion of Technology: Frequency of Use for Younger and Older Adults.

Abstract: When we think of technology-savvy consumers, older adults are typically not the first persons that come to mind. The common misconception is that older adults do not want to use or cannot use technology. But for an increasing number of older adults, this is not true (Pew Internet and American Life Project 2003). Older adults do use technologies similar to their younger counterparts, but perhaps at different usage rates. Previous research has identified that there may be subgroups of older adults, “Silver Surfers”, whose adoption patterns mimic younger adults (Pew Internet and American Life Project 2003). Much of the previous research on age-related differences in technology usage has only investigated usage broadly—from a “used” or “not used” standpoint. The present study investigated age-related differences in overall usage of technologies, as well as frequency of technology usage (i.e., never, occasional, or frequent). The data were gathered through a questionnaire from younger adults (N = 430) and older adults (N = 251) in three geographically separate and ethnically diverse areas of the United States. We found that younger adults use a greater breadth of technologies than older adults. However, age-related differences in usage and the frequency of use depend on the technology domain. This paper presents technology usage and frequency data to highlight age-related differences and similarities. The results provide insights into older and younger adults’ technology-use patterns, which in turn provide a basis for expectations about knowledge differences. Designers and trainers can benefit from understanding experience and knowledge differences.

Ageing in Place in the United Kingdom

Abstract: Ageing in Place is a key component of UK policy on older people and housing. Helping older people to ‘age in place’ at home is seen to benefit the quality of life and also provide a cost-effective solution to the problems of an expanding population of very old people. However, the reality is not straightforward and in this paper, some results of qualitative research are presented to illustrate the benefits, problems and challenges that exist in relation to Ageing in Place in the United Kingdom. The research is based on qualitative data collected from 40 people age 80–89 in the north-west of England as part of the ENABLE-AGE Project 2002 to 2004. The research suggests that while Ageing in Place may bring social and psychological benefits, there can also be a significant downside on an everyday level. Home in old age can be a place of negative experiences, such as isolation and loneliness and there are often significant weaknesses in terms of informal support, physical environment of the home and neighbourhood and social network, which undermine the person’s ability to live independently. The paper reviews recent UK initiatives to use “telecare” to address some of these issues.

Cross cultural issues in caregiving for persons with dementia: Do familism values reduce burden and distress?

Abstract: While family caregiving for persons with dementia has been recognized as a major stressor for over twenty years, attention to the role of cultural values in influencing the stress and coping process of caregivers is rarely studied. This article summarizes individual studies from our lab group that include Latino caregivers, Korean and Korean American caregivers, Japanese American caregivers, and African American caregivers. The role of familism as a cultural value that was assumed to lead to greater acceptance of the caregiving role and to better mental health outcomes for caregivers was explored in each of these groups. Familism was found to vary across groups as expected based on acculturation to Western values of individualism. However, the relationship of familism to caregiving burden was not consistent across ethnic groups and was either independent of caregiving outcomes, or was positively correlated with distress. These results suggest that assumptions about cultural influences on caregiving need to be reexamined and explored in greater depth empirically.