For older persons, age discrimination can undermine equal participation in modern service and consumer societies. One way to tackle age discrimination is to implement anti-discrimination policy and legislation. However, age discrimination is an ambiguous concept that can be interpreted in different ways and differences in the interpretation can impact the scope and application of related policy and legislation. Hence, to understand how policy, legislation and their central constructs operate within society, it is necessary to look beyond the letter of the law or policy text and explore the interpretations of age discrimination employed by actors in the field. We interviewed experts from Austria and Ireland, who by virtue of their professional or representative position co-structure the conditions for people to claim they have experienced age discrimination. Based on 12 expert interviews and two focus groups, each involving six representatives of the major national advocacy and interest organisations on ageing, we reconstructed four interpretation patterns of age discrimination: age discrimination as the ‘denial of dignity’, as the ‘denial of recognition of contribution’, as the ‘denial of participation’ and as the ‘lack of consideration of need’. The findings are discussed with reference to the concepts of recognition and representation, and considerations are provided on possible legal and political implications of this research.

The physical and societal characteristics of home have been established as important in influencing the health and wellbeing of older adults, yet these have rarely been explored together. There is also limited research into variation across age groups, with older adults often examined as a homogenous group of those 65 years and over. This study advances the knowledge base by using the concept of person–environment (P-E) fit to analyse differences in personal and home environment (physical and societal) characteristics between young-old (65–74 years) and old-old (75 and above) age groups, and to assess how these characteristics influence their self-perceived health. This cross-sectional study draws upon survey data from 1,999 older adult participants from the Australian Housing Conditions Dataset. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis were used to assess for significant differences between age groups and a binomial logistic regression was utilised to examine influences on health. The analysis found that the factors which influence health varies appreciably between age groups. For the young-old financial strain, being on the fixed-income pension and hypertension were important contributing factors, in contrast for the old-old gender (being male), having depression and the home being modified for disability were key influences. For both age groups heart disease was a contributing factor to perceived health. The results indicate the important contribution to knowledge of incorporating a wide range of person and environment characteristics when exploring P-E fit for older adults. The inclusion of societal aspects, such as financial strain, fixed-income pension, tenure and access to community aged care services when exploring influences on health, arises as a key conclusion of the study. In terms of impact, this research is significant given rising inequalities globally and specifically in the Australian context, the need for policy measures to address income inequality, and its health and social implications for older households.

The implications of an ageing population for democracy are far reaching, however, older people are often treated as a homogenous group. This article used survey data from 29 countries across Europe, alongside qualitative interviews with the older old (people aged 70 and older) in the North-West of England (United Kingdom). The findings suggest that voting declines amongst the older old and women aged 85 and older were less likely to report having voted compared to men in the same age group. Older women aged 85 and older were also less likely to feel that people like them could have an influence on politics. In terms of a sense of the future, having grandchildren was associated with the likelihood of reporting having voted, but being older than the country average life expectancy was not. The interviews with the older old in the North-West of England revealed that many could remember the first time they had voted and its lasting personal significance. However, many also described becoming politically disengaged in their late old age. Older people also reported barriers to voting, including difficulties in accessing polling stations and in using postal voting. There was a desire amongst the older old to see more young people voting and frustration about their lack of interest, including amongst their own children and grandchildren. This suggests a concern for democracy and future generations. As the population ages and people are living longer, it is important to develop the understanding of voter turnout amongst the older old at different ages and the barriers they can face.

Previous research has found varied effects of informal care provision on the carer's health status. Few studies have, however, examined this relationship dynamically. This paper is the first to analyse trajectories of care among men and women in mid-life and their impact on health outcomes using a nationally representative prospective cohort study. Data from three waves of the United Kingdom (UK) National Child Development Study (N = 7,465), when the respondents were aged 46, 50 and 55, are used to derive care trajectories capturing the dynamics of care provision and its intensity. Logistic regression investigates the impact of caring between the ages of 46 and 55 on the carers' report of depression and poor health at age 55. At age 46, 9 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women provided some level of informal care; rising to 60 per cent for both genders at ages 50 and 55. Just 7 per cent of women and 4 per cent of men provided care at all observation points, with the most common trajectory being ‘starting to care’ at ages 50 or 55. New carers experienced a lower risk of depression at age 55, reflecting that they may not have experienced the caring role long enough to have an adverse impact on their wellbeing. The findings highlight that the majority of individuals with surviving parents experience caring at some point during mid-life, underlining the need for further longitudinal research to better understand the complex relationships between care-giving and health for different groups of cares.

Increasing evidence has shown that an active, socially engaged lifestyle in leisure time might protect older adults against the decline of cognitive function. It remains unclear, however, which types of leisure activities are more beneficial to maintain cognitive function, and whether there are gender differences in the association between leisure activities and cognitive function. We used a two-wave of panel data from 1,018 older adults aged 60 and older in rural China to examine the lag effects of different types of leisure activities on cognitive functioning and to identify the gender differences in their impacts on cognition in rural China. Ordinary least-squares regression models showed that high physical activities were associated with better cognitive function. High intensity of cognitive activities and engaging in physical activities have a protective effect on cognitive function among older men rather than older women. Further, we found that cognitive activities had a stronger effect on cognitive function among older men than older women. It is important to consider gender-specific intervention in leisure activities to maintain cognitive function among older adults.

Widowhood is often described through stereotypes and images of passive, weak, lonely and dependent women. This study presents additional aspects of widows who have chosen to continue their lives without a new spouse. It thus joins the recently growing body of knowledge which presents widowhood in a less one-dimensional way while referring to the complexity and different layers of widows' lives. A qualitative study was conducted with 30 women aged 63–87 who had been widows for 1–34 years. The findings showed that the dominant experience shared by all women is one of liberation and freedom – a feeling of independence that is expressed socially, personally and economically. Thus, alongside feelings of loneliness and adaptation difficulties, they also experience strength and empowerment. The term ‘gender contract’ serves as a theoretical explanation of the independence narrative that characterises the widows; the termination of the couple's gender contract allows them to redefine their priorities, identify themselves as active instead of passive figures and create for themselves a place of their own. By bringing widowhood to the centre of the discussion, the study gives legitimacy to a discourse on feelings less spoken about, such as relief, freedom and independence. In this way, the study contributes to the ongoing debate on widows by shattering the accepted myth of widows as vulnerable, weak and dependent but without underestimating the difficulties or ignoring the women's diversity.