Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T02:12:46.752Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

‘It gives you a reason to be in this world’: the interdependency of communities, environments and social justice for quality of life in older people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 August 2020

Jane M. Robertson Open the ORCID record for Jane M. Robertson [Opens in a new window] ,
Grant Gibson Open the ORCID record for Grant Gibson [Opens in a new window] ,
Corinne Greasley-Adams ,
Vikki McCall ,
Joan Gibson ,
Janice Mason-Duff  and
Ro Pengelly
Jane M. Robertson*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Grant Gibson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Corinne Greasley-Adams
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Vikki McCall
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Joan Gibson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Janice Mason-Duff
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Ro Pengelly
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Research regarding quality of life among older people has predominantly focused on functional elements experienced at individual or dyadic level despite the complex interplay of factors that contribute to quality of life. Perspectives which explore interdependencies within communities and the intersecting environments in which older people exercise agency have seen less study. They do, however, play an important role in influencing quality of life as experienced by older people across community settings. Qualitative data from a co-produced study of dimensions influencing quality of life in older people was subjected to secondary analysis using a critical human ecological approach. Findings demonstrate the importance of community interdependencies in supporting individual quality of life, the expression of active agency to foster quality of life within and across communities, and the importance of state infrastructures and service provision within these interdependencies. This article argues for a movement beyond functional conceptualisations of quality of life towards the inclusion of perspectives regarding communal wellbeing, alongside the role differing types of community play in influencing quality of life. Through developing conceptions of quality of life in social relations and community cohesion, in particular how quality of life is influenced by perceptions of solidarity and social justice including across generations, assessing quality of life at community level will assist in driving cultural change in policy making and practice.

Keywords

community developmenthuman ecologyintergenerationalinterdependenceolder peoplequality of lifesocial justiceco-production
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 42 , Issue 3 , March 2022 , pp. 539 - 563
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beech, R and Murray, M (2013) Social engagement and healthy ageing in disadvantaged communities. Quality in Ageing and Older Adults 14, 12–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowers, H (2001) Promoting interdependence: a new challenge in developing services for older people. Journal of Integrated Care 9, 34–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowling, A (2008) Enhancing later life: how older people perceive active ageing? Aging and Mental Health 12, 293–301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowling, A (2009) The psychometric properties of the Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire, compared with the CASP-19 and the WHOQOL-OLD. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research 2009, 298950.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowling, A, Gabriel, Z, Dykes, J, Dowding, LM, Evans, O, Fleissig, A, Banister, D and Sutton, S (2003) Let's ask them: a national survey of definitions of quality of life and its enhancement among people aged 65 and over. Journal of Aging and Human Development 56, 269–306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braun, V and Clarke, V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Health in Psychology 3, 77–101.Google Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U (1986) Ecology of the family as a context for human development: research perspectives. Developmental Psychology 22, 723–742.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buffel, T and Phillipson, C (2018) A manifesto for the age-friendly movement: developing a new urban agenda. Journal of Aging & Social Policy 30, 173–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burholt, V, Winter, B, Aartsen, M, Constantinou, C, Dahlberg, L, Feliciano, V, De Jong Gierveld, J, Van Regenmortel, S and Waldegrave, C (2020) A critical review and development of a conceptual model of exclusion from social relations for older people. European Journal of Ageing 17, 3–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutchin, MP (2003) The process of mediated aging-in-place: a theoretically and empirically based model. Social Science and Medicine 57, 1077–1090.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daly, M and Westwood, S (2018) Asset-based approaches, older people and social care: an analysis and critique. Ageing & Society 38, 1087–1099.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dewing, J (2007) Participatory research: a method for process consent with persons who have dementia. Dementia 6, 11–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, S, Atkinson, T, Darton, R, Cameron, A, Netten, A, Smith, R and Porteus, J (2017) A community hub approach to older people's housing. Quality in Ageing and Older Adults 18, 20–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fenge, L-A, Hean, S, Worswick, L, Wilkinson, C, Fearnley, S and Ersser, S (2012) The impact of the economic recession on well-being and quality of life of older people. Health and Social Care in the Community 20, 617–624.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furman, GC and Gruenewald, DA (2004) Expanding the landscape of social justice: a critical ecological analysis. Educational Administration Quarterly 40, 47–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallagher, C (2012) Connectedness in the lives of older people in Ireland: a study of the communal participation of older people in two geographic localities. Irish Journal of Sociology 20, 84–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golant, SM (2015) Aging in the Right Place. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press.Google Scholar
Greasley-Adams, C, Robertson, J, Gibson, G, McCall, V, Aitken, J, Berry, P-Y, Cameron, D, Chalmers, T, Clunie, G, Findley, D, Gibson, J, Gourlay, I, Graham, A, Graham, K, Harrison, R, Knox, M, MacPhair, J, Mason-Duff, J, McCall, F, Murdoch, S, Pengelly, R, Ross, H, Shepherd, K, Sinclair, G, Skelton, B, Strachan, S, Thorburn, E and six community researchers who remain anonymous (2017) A Good Life in Later Years: A Co-produced Research Project (Final Report for the Life Changes Trust). Available at https://www.lifechangestrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Good%20Life%20in%20Later%20Years%20FINAL%20NOV%2017.pdf.Google Scholar
Greasley-Adams, C, Pengelly, R, Aitken, J, Berry, P-Y, Cameron, D, Chalmers, T, Clunie, G, Findley, D, Gibson, G, Gibson, J, Gourlay, I, Graham, A, Graham, K, Harrison, R, Knox, M, MacPhair, J, Mason-Duff, J, McCall, F, McCall, V, Murdoch, S, Robertson, J, Ross, H, Shepherd, K, Sinclair, G, Skelton, B, Strachan, S, Thorburn, E and six community researchers who remain anonymous (2019) A Good Life in Later Years. Co-production in Action: Number Two. Southampton, UK: National Institute for Health Research, pp. 15–26. Available at https://www.invo.org.uk/posttypepublication/co-production-in-action-number-two/.Google Scholar
Heaton, J (1998) Secondary analysis of qualitative data. Social Research Update 22. Available at http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU22.html.Google Scholar
Jennings, H, Slade, M, Bates, P, Munday, E and Toney, R (2018) Best practice framework for Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in collaborative data analysis of qualitative mental health research: methodology development and refinement. BMC Psychiatry 18, 213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kahana, E, Lovegreen, L, Kahana, B and Kahana, M (2003) Person, environment, and person–environment fit as influences on residential satisfaction of elders. Environment and Behavior 35, 434–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keating, N and Phillips, J (2008) A critical human ecology perspective on rural ageing. In Keating, N (ed.), Rural Ageing: A Good Place to Grow Old? Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 1–10.Google Scholar
Lawton, MP (1991) A multidimensional view of quality of life in frail elders. In Birren, JE, Lubben, JE, Rowe, JC and Deutchman, DE (eds), The Concept and Measurement of Quality of Life in the Frail Elderly. London: Academic Press, pp. 3–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Locock, L, Kirkpatrick, S, Brading, L, Sturmey, G, Cornwell, J, Churchill, N and Robert, G (2019) Involving service users in the qualitative analysis of patient narratives to support healthcare quality improvement. Research Involvement and Engagement 5, 1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McKee, KJ, Kostela, J and Dahlberg, L (2015) Five years from now: correlates of older people's expectation of future quality of life. Research on Aging 37, 18–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Means, R and Evans, S (2012) Communities of place and communities of interest? An exploration of their changing role in later life. Ageing & Society 32, 1300–1318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Means, R, Burholt, V and Hennessy, CH (2014) Towards connectivity in a grey and pleasant land? In Hennessy, CH, Burholt, V and Means, S (eds), Grey and Pleasant Land? An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Connectivity of Older People in Rural Civic Society. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 245–276.Google Scholar
Merriam, S and Kee, Y (2014) Promoting community wellbeing: the case for lifelong learning for older adults. Adult Education Quarterly 64, 128–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molzahn, AE, Gallagher, E and McNulty, V (2009) Quality of life associated with adult day centers. Journal of Gerontological Nursing 35, 37–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mort, M, Roberts, C and Callén, B (2013) Ageing with telecare: care or coercion in austerity? Sociology of Health and Illness 35, 799–812.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Netuveli, G, Wiggins, RD, Hildon, Z, Montgomery, SM and Blane, D (2006) Quality of life at older ages: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (wave 1). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 60, 357–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newman, A, Goulding, A, Davenport, B and Windle, G (2019) The role of the visual arts in the resilience of people living with dementia in care homes. Ageing & Society 39, 2465–2482.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ottmann, G, Laragy, C, Allen, J and Feldman, P (2011) Coproduction in practice: participatory action research to develop a model of community aged care. Systemic Practice and Action Research 24, 413–427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prieto-Flores, ME, Fernandez-Mayoralas, G, Rosenberg, MW and Rojo-Perez, F (2010) Identifying connections between the subjective experience of health and quality of life in old age. Qualitative Health Research 20, 1491–1499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rahman, S and Swaffer, K (2018) Assets-based approaches and dementia-friendly communities. Dementia 17, 131–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, C (2011) Pulling back from the edge: an asset-based approach to ageing well. Working with Older People 15, 96–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scottish Government (2019) A Fairer Scotland for Older People: Framework for Action. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/fairer-scotland-older-people-framework-action/pages/6/.Google Scholar
Secker, J, Hill, R, Villeneau, L and Parkman, S (2003) Promoting independence: but promoting what and how. Ageing & Society 23, 375–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sixsmith, A and Sixsmith, J (2008) Ageing in place in the United Kingdom. Ageing International 32, 219–235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stephens, C (2017) From success to capability for healthy ageing: shifting the lens to include all older people. Critical Public Health 27, 490–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stephens, C, Breheny, M and Mansvelt, J (2015 a) Healthy ageing from the perspective of older people: a capability approach to resilience. Psychology and Health 30, 715–731.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stephens, C, Breheny, M and Mansvelt, J (2015 b) Volunteering as reciprocity: beneficial and harmful effects of social policies to encourage contribution in older age. Journal of Aging Studies 33, 22–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stewart, J, Browning, C and Sims, J (2015) Civic socialising: a revealing new theory about older people's social relationships. Ageing & Society 35, 750–764.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanleerberghe, P, De Witte, N, Claes, C, Schalock, RL and Verte, D (2017) The quality of life of older people aging in place: a literature review. Quality of Life Research 26, 2899–2907.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vaughn, LM, Whetstone, C, Boards, A, Busch, MD, Magnusson, M and Määttä, S (2018) Partnering with insiders: a review of peer models across community-engaged research, education and social care. Health and Social Care in the Community 26, 769–786.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, A and Hennessy, CH (eds) (2004) Growing Older: Quality of Life in Old Age. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Walker, A and Hennessy, CH (2005) Investigating quality of life in the Growing Older Programme. In Walker, A (ed.), Understanding Quality of Life in Old Age. Open Maidenhead, UK: University Press, pp. 1–13.Google Scholar
White, A and Groves, M (1997) Interdependence and the aged stereotype. Australian Journal of Ageing 16, 83–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiles, JL, Leibing, A, Guberman, N, Reeve, J and Allen, RES (2012) The meaning of ‘aging in place’ to older people. The Gerontologist 52, 357–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (1997) WHOQOL: Measuring Quality of Life. Geneva: WHO Centre for Health Development. Available at https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/63482.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2004) Ageing and Health Technical Report, Vol. 5, A Glossary of Terms for Community Health Care and Services for Older Persons. Geneva: WHO Centre for Health Development. Available at https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/68896/WHO_WKC_Tech.Ser._04.2.pdf;jsessionid=D4392FB0E8707ED26AF5734A31E7AF10?sequence=1.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2007) Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide. Geneva: WHO. Available at https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf.Google Scholar