Until now, no attempt has been made to develop a research tool to provide a broad descriptive picture of the actual knowledge that older people have of their legal rights. This article will describe a first attempt, conducted in Israel, to create such a tool, known as the Facts on Law and Ageing Quiz (FoLAQ). This quiz was developed to provide a short and standardised tool for assessing older people's knowledge of their legal rights in Israel. It is also intended to serve as a research platform for similar studies in other countries worldwide. The research was designed using a quantitative approach. The research population consisted of adult Jews, aged 50 or more years, living in the community in Israel. Using a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI), a randomly chosen sample of 227 persons aged 50 and over was asked 20 multiple-choice questions on central legal issues, and 13 closed questions on their socio-demographic background. The findings revealed that, in general, the majority of older persons in Israel know little about their legal rights. Specifically, the most vulnerable groups in this context were the less educated, the poor, the older-old, and women. Finally, the findings also showed that knowledge gaps were particularly obvious with regard to (1) national legal schemes covering social security in old age, and (2) the rights of older people regarding Israel's national health insurance scheme.

This study examined the relationship between suicide rates among men since 1975 and rates of unemployment and labour force participation in 20 countries. Previous research has found statistically significant correlations between suicide and unemployment rates over time among young people in a number of countries. This study has extended this research to include different age groups of men. The findings for younger workers largely confirm the findings of previous studies. Among older workers, however, unemployment and suicide rates are largely unrelated, notable exceptions including Japan and the USA. The implications of this finding for policy making towards older workers are discussed.

Previous research has established significant positive associations between social trust and wellbeing among older adults. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the relationship between different sources of social trust and wellbeing by examining the mediational role of political interest. A sample of 4,406 Italian residents aged 65 years and over was extracted from a national cross-sectional survey during 2013 in Italy, representative of the non-institutionalised population. Measures included trust in people, trust in institutions, political interest, life satisfaction and self-perceived health. Mediation path analysis and structural equation modelling were used to test the mediation effects of political interest on the relationship between trust in people and trust in institutions with life satisfaction and self-perceived health. Associations between trust in people, life satisfaction and self-perceived health, and between trust in institutions and life satisfaction were partially mediated by political interest, while the association between trust in institutions and self-perceived health was fully mediated by political interest. Having high levels of political interest may thus enhance the relationship between social trust and wellbeing among older adults. These results suggest that interventions to enhance wellbeing in older adults may benefit from examining individuals’ levels of political interest.

The purpose of the study is to explore feelings of loneliness among residents in assisted living facilities in terms of how loneliness is experienced and articulated, and what specific factors are related to the experiences. The study used a mixed-method approach. We individually interviewed 13 residents twice over six months. We conducted two focus group interviews and noted our observations each time we met the respondents. Data analysis leaned on abductive reasoning. The respondents described loneliness in versatile, rich ways. It proved to be time and place dependent. It was dependent on the time of day, days of the week and seasons. Lonely time was meaningless and filled with a feeling of waiting. Loneliness was also intertwined with place. None of the respondents called their apartment home; instead they called it a hospital, even a prison. They had to spend long periods of time in their apartments against their will, and their desire to interact with other residents was not met. The respondents felt invisible. Residents’ experiences of loneliness in assisted living facilities are unique and distinctive. Time- and place-dependent experiences of loneliness act as important signals for reflection on how care practices in these facilities could be more satisfying. Loneliness should therefore be a key topic and the target of prevention and interventions.

Retirement villages are a model of extra-care housing, offering purpose-designed housing that incorporates both care services and a range of non-care-related facilities and activities. These generate opportunities for formal and informal social activity, and promote community engagement, solidarity between residents, and active and independent ageing. Providers suggest that retirement villages are able to foster an environment rich in social capital. This study's purpose is to review and summarise key findings on the topic of social capital in retirement villages in the gerontological literature. Social capital is defined as both an individual attribute of single actors and a feature of communities as a whole. A clear conceptualisation of social capital is used to organise the reviewed studies along different dimensions: on an individual level, social networks, trustworthiness and obligations are differentiated, while the collective level distinguishes between system control, system trust and system morality. Thirty-four studies are reviewed. While retirement villages are generally described as friendly places with widespread helping behaviour where new friends are made, research has also highlighted the difficulty of socially integrating the frail and very old. While, in particular, social networks and system morality have received much attention, there is a clear need for future research into the other domains of social capital.

Population ageing, together with urbanisation, has become one of the greatest challenges throughout the world in the 21st century. Approximately one million people turn 60 each month worldwide. By 2050, more than 20 per cent of the global population is predicted to be 60 years old or above. Thus, an increasing need is evident for age-friendly communities, services and structures. Numerous studies on age-friendly cities and communities (AFCCs) have been conducted over the past decade. The large volume literature makes it necessary to figure out key areas and the evolution trends of studies on AFCCs. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of existing literature pertaining to AFCCs. A total of 231 collected publications are analysed and visualised by CiteSpace. According to the keywords and document co-citation networks that are generated, the foundation, hot topics and domains of AFCC research are grouped. Three major themes, namely the characteristics of AFCCs, the application of the World Health Organization's framework in urban and rural areas worldwide, and the measurement of cities’ and communities’ age-friendliness, are identified. In addition, a roadmap of AFCC research is developed. The results of this research will therefore benefit researchers and practitioners.

Population ageing and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and their consequences, changes in family structure and a decrease in the potential pool of family care, increase the need for formal long-term care for older adults in Mexico, and the need to understand the experiences of informal care-givers and how this impacts their social, family and personal conditions. This study investigates the experience of informal care-givers of dependent older adults using a cross-sectional qualitative study with an ethnographic focus. Thematic analysis was performed. The study comprised 48 semi-structured interviews with care-givers of dependent older adults who are beneficiaries of an in-home medical programme in Mexico City. The average age of care-givers was 54.7 years (standard deviation = 13.1, range = 24–86) and 75 per cent (36) were women. Results show care-giving experiences are diverse and complex, and profoundly affect the care-giver's life in terms of emotional burden, health deterioration and adverse life conditions due to economic deprivation. They also revealed key aspects such as the need to improve communication between care-givers and health-care personnel, the need for training about specific care needs and opportunity costs incurred. This information can serve as a basis for generating support strategies that may be integrated into the in-home programme. It is essential to promote actions that consider the ‘dependent older adult–informal care-giver’ dyad, and that aim to reduce the care-giving burden.

This study sought to identify factors which influenced how a group of people with dementia living in their own homes participated in community-based physical activity and explored the effect that exercise groups, dance and walking had on their wellbeing. A broadly ethnographic approach was adopted in which participant observation and interviews were employed. Nineteen people with dementia and seven formal and informal carers were included in the participant observation phase. Eleven people with dementia were interviewed. The analysis and interpretation of data was informed by embodiment and social constructionist theoretical perspectives. Findings suggest that a complex interplay between attitudes and beliefs, retained embodied abilities, and aspects of the physical and social environment influenced how individuals engaged in physical activity and the degree to which they experienced wellbeing as a result. Findings suggest that when certain factors co-exist, physical activity can provide a context within which people with dementia are able to use embodied skills in order to support fragile identities, connect with others and express themselves.

Critical reviews of the literature on the factors that influence physical activity among older adults have argued that existing theoretical frameworks should be extended by integrating those that deal with the complex processes of socialisation and social learning. This paper explores some of the social processes that influence older people's participation in physical activity (beyond that associated with everyday domestic tasks). A questionnaire with items on personal, social and environmental characteristics was completed by a random sample of older adults in the Madrid Autonomous Region (Spain). Significant relationships were found between the type of physical activity participation and: being physically active at earlier life stages, socio-economic status, the encouragement of others or social support in being active, and the knowledge and availability of local facilities. Some cases were observed of re-socialisation into physical activity among those who had been inactive earlier in life, and both appropriate environmental and supportive social conditions appeared instrumental. The findings could usefully inform the design of future social programmes to promote active lifestyles in later life, but given the complexity of the socialisation processes, it would be advisable for future studies to examine other than the four factors featured in the presented analysis, such as the role of cultural differences.

Loneliness is linked to many negative health outcomes and places strain on the economy and the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. To combat these issues, the determinants of loneliness need to be fully understood. Although friendships have been shown to be particularly important in relation to loneliness in older adults, this association has thus far not been explored more closely. Our exploratory study examines the relationship between number of friends and loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress in older adults. Data were obtained from 335 older adults via completion of an online survey. Measures included loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3), depression, anxiety and stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales DASS-21). Participants also reported their number of close friends. Regression analyses revealed an inverse curvilinear relationship between number of friends and each of the measures tested. Breakpoint analyses demonstrated a threshold for the effect of number of friends on each of the measures (loneliness = 4, depression = 2, anxiety = 3, stress = 2). The results suggest that there is a limit to the benefit of increasing the number of friends in older adults for each of these measures. The elucidation of these optimal thresholds can inform the practice of those involved in loneliness interventions for older adults. These interventions can become more targeted; focusing on either establishing four close friendships, increasing the emotional closeness of existing friendships or concentrating resources on other determinants of loneliness in this population.

This paper describes the theoretical and methodological perspectives adopted by a multidisciplinary research group undertaking a government-funded evaluation of a United Kingdom innovation in the continuing care of elderly people. In 1983 three experimental National Health Service (NHS) nursing homes were set up to care for patients usually cared for in NHS geriatric hospitals. Drawing on different approaches to the evaluation of health-care innovations, this paper delineates an evaluation model which identifies four types of variables: structure, process, intermediate outcome and final outcome. The relationship of this model to the design of an evaluation comprising seven complementary research activities is described, emphasising the need for multiple perspectives and multiple methods in policy-oriented health-care evaluations.

The biomedical model has traditionally informed the dominant discourse on dementia and has significantly shaped practitioners’, policy makers’ and researchers’ responses. This model contextualises dementia as a progressive neuro-degenerative cognitive disorder and focuses on deficits and underlying pathology, often overlooking the fact that the person can and should be an active partner in the treatment process. Beginning in the late 1990s, the exclusive reliance on the bio-medical model has come under increasing scrutiny with a growing awareness that by recasting dementia in broader social and more humanitarian terms, much can be done to promote the individual's quality of life. Different frameworks and analytical tools have been forwarded to help us better understand dementia. These include personhood, citizenship, public health, disability and human rights. This review examines the merits of framing dementia as a disability, a citizenship concern and a human rights issue. It highlights some of the potential gains that can arise for the individual in using a human rights model to enhance practice, inform policy and create a more balanced research agenda. The article concludes by arguing that the complexities and magnitude of dementia are such that it requires multiple responses and a broad range of interpretative frameworks.

Against the background of population ageing and increasing cultural diversity in many Western countries, the study examined differences and similarities between Australian-born people and Chinese immigrants in their relationships with adult children. The specific research questions were: (a) are there differences between these groups in the nature of parent–child relationships; and (b) if there were differences, did these differences reflect the Confucian concept of filial piety among older Chinese immigrants. The solidarity–conflict model and the concept of ambivalence were used to quantify parent–child relationships. Data from 122 community-dwelling people aged 65 and over (60 Australian-born and 62 Chinese-born people) were collected using standardised interviews. There were significant differences between the two groups for all relationship dimensions except associative solidarity. Compared to Australian participants, Chinese participants were more likely to live with their children. However, when they did not live with their children, they lived further away. They were also more likely to receive, but less likely to provide, instrumental help. Finally, they reported higher levels of normative solidarity, conflict and ambivalence, and lower levels of affectual and consensual solidarity. The differences in solidarity dimensions persisted when socio-demographic variables were controlled for. The study revealed complex differences in the nature of older parent–child relationships between Australian-born people and Chinese immigrants. Some of these differences, such as more prevalent multigenerational living among older Chinese immigrants, likely reflect the strong influence of filial piety among this group. However, differences in other dimensions, such as lower levels of consensual solidarity, might be associated with the Chinese participants’ experience as immigrants. This study also highlights the usefulness of the solidarity–conflict model as a theoretical framework to understand the nature of parent–child relationships among older Chinese immigrants.

Institutional exit pathways shape individual trajectories from work to retirement. In the Netherlands, early retirement schemes as well as disability and unemployment benefits structure the timing and complexity of transitions within such trajectories. Simultaneously, access to these exit pathways depends on the individuals’ entitlements to various social security programmes as well as their freedom to decide on the timing and path of exit. In this study, sequence analysis was applied to register data of primary sources of income with the aim of identifying the main trajectories from work to retirement between the ages of 56 and 66 for a sample of Dutch men and women born between 1943 and 1945 (N = 2,277). Seven distinct trajectories were found: ‘early retirement’, ‘premature retirement’, ‘late retirement’, ‘disability’, ‘unemployment’, ‘inactivity’ and ‘drop-out’. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the relations of these trajectories with a set of individual and socio-economic characteristics, as well as factors at a firm level. Especially women, non-natives, the lower educated and the self-employed were found to have a greater risk of ending up in the ‘involuntary’ trajectories of late retirement, disability, unemployment and inactivity. Public-sector employees, farmers and craftsmen, and skilled blue-collar workers were less likely to differentiate from the norm of entering into premature retirement between the ages of 60 and 64.

The aim of this study is to explore how community-dwelling older people with cognitive problems and their care-givers (dyads) perceive their own social participation, how care-givers evaluate the social participation of the people they care for and what factors they perceive as influential. In this qualitative study, we performed 13 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with dyads who participated in the Social Fitness Programme. We used content analysis to analyse the interviews thematically. Social participation perceptions include changes over time and a discrepancy in perspectives. All the people with cognitive problems and most care-givers perceived a decreased social participation. Most people with cognitive problems answered that they were satisfied, in contrast to most care-givers who were dissatisfied with the decreased social participation of the people they cared for. Analysing the influencing factors resulted in five themes: behavioural, physical, social environmental, physical environmental and activity-related. People with cognitive problems and their care-givers displayed a discrepancy in social participation perspectives. This becomes a major dilemma, especially for younger care-givers. A key element is a sometimes deliberate choice of people with cognitive problems to refrain from social participation to protect themselves from the consequences of cognitive problems and from encounters with others. This highlights the dynamics of social participation as an interaction between personal factors and the social and physical environment in which social participation occurs.

Ever since Erving Goffman (1962) discovered unexpected social bonding and elaborate social networks among the ‘inmates’ of total institutions, researchers and policy makers have used ‘community’ to refer to those very persons (nursing-home residents, in-patients in psychiatric hospitals, and others incarcerated for diverse disabilities) believed to be ‘its principal victims’ (Hazan 1995: 211). The concept ‘community’ was built upon Tönnies's (1955/1887) concept of Gemeinschaft, which depicted homogeneous groups integrated through multiple social linkages and face-to-face relations. By the 1970s, scholars of community studies called into question the conceptual underpinnings and potentially negative implications of the concept. They reframed ‘community’ as a concept that addressed more refined questions concerning locality, and reserved the term for the social networks that reflected group interests and provided symbolic evidence of identity formation or belonging (Davies 2003). Nonetheless, the term retains prominence for the institutions that provide residential care for people with various disabilities.

In 1990, approximately one out of every three elderly persons in the Netherlands was living alone. This proportion has almost doubled since 1960. This sharp increase in living alone among the elderly has attracted attention in political circles and among policy makers. An understanding of living arrangements of elderly people is critical for a determination of the likely need for public care, such as home help and district nursing, and institutional care. Elderly persons who live alone require public care services sooner, whether or not as supplement to informal care from persons outside the household. This article examines the living arrangements of the elderly in the Netherlands. Special attention is paid to the household structure of unmarried and no longer married elderly persons, and why so many of then live alone. The data used in this study are taken from the 1989/90 Housing Demand Survey (WBO), which is a large-scale sample survey containing approximately 50,000 Dutch households.

Recent work on family life in old age may be considered in several dimensions. First, it encompasses different substantive areas: parentchild relationships, care-giving, changing family forms. Second, it involves different types of discourse, which variously reflect social policy considerations, legal and ethical debates, academic discourses and prescriptive writing for professionals and older people. A third dimension consists of methodological and theoretical variations. These include synchronic and life history approaches, quantitative and qualitative methods, positivistic and phenomenological research paradigms, and cross-cultural and historical comparisons.

The Senior Help Line in Ireland provides a confidential telephone listening service for socially-excluded older people and is operated by older volunteers. The service has grown rapidly in recent years and is highly regarded as an important service for older people in the country. This paper provides a systematic examination and assessment of the service, from the perspectives of costs, outcomes and best practice. The study uses personal interviews, focus groups and postal questionnaires to elicit information about the service and its impact on volunteers and callers. The Senior Help Line has made a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of older people in Ireland at relatively low cost. The service demonstrates the positive effects of volunteering for older people, and the value and effectiveness of peer-to-peer communication for vulnerable callers. The help-line is a model project in terms of accountability and best practice, but requires additional resources, particularly for publicity and training. It needs to become a branded national service for vulnerable older people to meet the level of need for a service of this kind. The help-line also needs to be linked more formally to existing health and social care provision for older people, to become part of a holistic model of healthy ageing for older people. For the service to reach its manifest potential, the efforts of the volunteers need to be supported by higher and sustained levels of public spending, through more widespread and substantial public-voluntary partnership arrangements.

Governments around the developed world are seeking to meet the challenges of the ageing population through strategies which promote a holistic approach to ageing, captured in catch-phrases such as ‘successful’, ‘active’, ‘positive’ and ‘healthy’ ageing. These strategies are supported by a growing body of research, with a particular emphasis on the prerequisites for health and quality of life. Drawing on that research, and using a methodology developed by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the ‘Minimum Income for Healthy Living (MIHL): Older New Zealanders’ study used a health lens to investigate the retirement income needs of older New Zealanders living independently in the community. The MIHL was estimated for people living alone, couples, renters and debt-free home owners. In each case, the MIHL estimates were appreciably higher than the universal state pension paid to older New Zealanders. People living alone and those renting their homes were shown to be worse off than couples and debt-free home owners, respectively. The results highlight that many older New Zealanders are living on an income which may not be enough to support a healthy life. This has important implications for the demand for health, residential and social services and brings life to the question of what level of income might be needed in retirement.