Cherry Russell

Ageing, social capital and the Internet: findings from an exploratory study of Australian 'silver surfers'.

Objective:  To document the sociodemographic characteristics and online use patterns of older Australian Internet users as part of an exploratory study of the relationship between Internet communication and access to social capital in later life.

What Do Older Women and Men Want?: Gender Differences in the ‘Lived Experience’ of Ageing

Issues of gender have always been at the heart of the sociology of ageing but their construction has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past half century. From an initial focus on retirement (for men) as the defining characteristic of the ‘problem of old age’, the demographic feminization of the aged population has more recently been mirrored in sociological research by a focus on the circumstances and experiences of the numerically larger group of older women. Researchers with an interest in older women, particularly those who approach the issue from a feminist perspective, have concluded that ageing is a gendered phenomenon that has special meanings for women. Some recent commentators have drawn attention to the ‘invisibility’ of older men, though relatively little systematic research has been conducted on any aspect of their lives. While it is well known that women live longer and are more likely to use formal care services than men, other more subtle differences in their experiences of ageing have been less well documented and their implications remain largely unexamined. This article draws on findings from qualitative research to explore gender differences in the ‘lived experience’ of growing old.

Social isolation in old age: a qualitative exploration of service providers' perceptions

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of social isolation in the context of service provision to older people. It draws on in-depth interviews with 18 Australian aged care practitioners about their perceptions of social isolation among their clients. The findings show that service providers experience significant levels of concern and frustration and a sense of powerlessness in meeting the needs of such clients. In analysing these accounts, the identification and management of isolation is conceptualised as a social practice which occurs in specific relational settings. The provision of care to lonely, isolated old people is structurally constrained in two ways. First, because of inadequate public resource allocation, the relationship between practitioners and older clients is dominated by time pressure and instrumentality. Secondly, the organisational and professional rules which service providers are required to follow shape the interpersonal relations between practitioner and client in ways which negatively impact on the outcomes of care for both.

Living through end-stage dementia : the experiences and expressed needs of family carers

The focus of this paper is the experiences and needs of family carers of people with end-stage dementia. The project involved in-depth, qualitative interviews with 15 carers. The major themes emerging from the accounts of participants’ experiences were: getting support; having to trust others with care; managing the loneliness of being a carer; witnessing a loved one fade away; anticipating and experiencing death; and re-establishing life after the funeral. Carers expressed a range of instrumental and psychosocial needs. The study has provided a more personal account of the caring experience than much of the related literature. It has emphasized the need of carers for genuine understanding and connection — from family and friends as well as healthcare staff. The study highlights the amount of support carers can provide to each other through support groups and associated friendships, and stresses the importance of healthcare staff acknowledging and respecting this capacity of carers.

Family care: An exploratory study of experience and expectations among older Chinese immigrants in Australia

Abstract Objectives: Family caregiving in East Asian cultures is traditionally based on the Confucian ethic of filial piety that mandates total, holistic care for elders. While research suggests changes in ‘family care’ are occurring in Asian countries themselves, remarkably little is known about immigrant Asian families in Australia. The study aimed to explore the experience of ‘family care’ among Chinese-speaking older people who have migrated to Australia in later life. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted in Cantonese with a convenience sample of five cases, including six older Chinese and analysed inductively for dominant themes. Findings: Although no single model of ‘family care’ emerged, findings reveal significant departures from the norms of filial piety and an overall ‘westernisation’ of care practices, both in relation to what families actually do for their parents and what the older people themselves expect. Conclusions: Transformation of filial culture has implications for policy, service planning and professional practice. It cannot be assumed that elderly Chinese immigrants’ needs are being met through traditional family structures.

Older people's lives in the inner city: hazardous or rewarding?

Abstract: An exploratory, qualitative study was used to investigate the social health needs of older residents of a low‐income inner‐Sydney area characterised by multiple social and environmental hazards. The research was conducted to inform the development by the South Eastern Sydney Area Health Promotion Unit of a strategy to promote the health, wellbeing and independence of older people. As part of a needs assessment process, the investigation focused on specific subgroups of die population believed to be highly dis‐advantaged and neglected. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 40 residents aged 60 to 86 years who were recruited through community centres, service providers and neighbours. The interviews were supplemented by observational field notes. We describe key dimensions of the physical and social environment, the many hazards it presented to vulnerable elderly residents and the practices they adopted in meeting their everyday needs in relation to shopping, meals, mobility outside the home and social participation. The description is from the perspectives of residents themselves. Key factors discussed include the neighbourhood, housing, activities of daily living, safety and security, and social participation. We explore the implications of our findings for the development of effective public health practice. The environmental hazards, such as pedestrian safety and traffic management, affect the whole population and require interventions at government level. Others, such as inadequate hygiene and food storage facilities in rented premises, also require an approach at the level of public policy and environmental change, but need to be carefully targetted and implemented

Dying with dementia : the views of family caregivers about quality of life

Objective:  To document the views of family caregivers of persons with dementia about quality of life for their relative during the late and terminal stages of the disease, as part of an exploratory study of best quality care and support.

Implementing curriculum evaluation: case study of a generic undergraduate degree in health sciences

This case study presents a longitudinal, evidence‐based approach to health science curriculum reform and evaluation. Curriculum in higher education must meet the needs of diverse stakeholders and must respond to dynamic local, national and international contexts, and this creates challenges for evaluation. The long lead time prior to the introduction of new or revised university curriculum (at least two years), the length of degree programmes (three to five years) and the lag time in the availability of objective indicators of degree outcomes (at least one year post‐graduation) mean that findings may be obsolete before an evaluation can be completed. Few would argue that evaluation is important and methods and approaches for conducting curriculum evaluation are proposed in the literature, although few published reports of the outcomes of comprehensive evaluations are evident. This paper discusses potential for evaluation to establish responsive communication between students, teaching staff and programme administrators, ensuring a match between the intended, implemented and attained curriculum.

Social capital—A potential tool for analysis of the relationship between ageing individuals and their social environment

The concept of social capital has acquired some currency amongst policy analysts to refer to the social norms, networks and trust that facilitate co-operation and provision of mutual support within or between groups. As yet there is no agreed definition of the concept; however influential Australian policy bodies are developing measures to track changes in social capital and relate these to policy changes. Most research is concerned with exploration of the concept in locality-based communities and its application to developing societies. This paper reviews research undertaken in Australia and overseas to determine the elements of social capital that may have importance in relation to policy development in response to an ageing population. It concludes that the concept could be of considerable value in understanding the determinants of policy success or failure, but that further research is required to understand the nature of social capital as it relates to older people.

Gay, Old, and Poor

Abstract Using the stories of two men interviewed for The Aging Mens Health Project, this article highlights how mainstream aged care and gay community support services need to be aware that nonpartnered older gay men are a vulnerable group in need of care and support. Barriers to accessing services for this group such as pervading heterosexism negate older gay mens life histories with the result that they either conceal their identity or avoid using services. For older gay men in this context, the situation can be dire, as they become invisible within this system of service delivery, which does not recognize nonheterosexuals at both the policy level and often in practice. It is for this reason that services whose clients include single older men need to be educated about, and sensitive to, the fact that single older gay men access and rely on their services.