Ines Himmelsbach

Voices on Relocation and Aging in Place in Very Old Age—A Complex and Ambivalent Matter

PURPOSE This cross-national qualitative study explores how very old people reflect upon relocation and aging in place. DESIGN AND METHODS Swedish and German data are utilized in this study. About 80 community-living participants, 80-89 years of age, were interviewed with open-ended questions at home by trained interviewers. The interviews were analyzed by using conventional qualitative content analyses. RESULTS Reasoning about relocation or aging in place in very old age is a complex and ambivalent matter. A variety of reflections, emotions, and behaviors for and against a move are revealed. Reasons to move reflect the urge to maintain independence, to stay in control, and to avoid loneliness. This is mainly expressed reactively. Reasons not to move reflect a strong attachment to the home and neighborhood. Moreover, reasons not to move reflect practical aspect such as economy and strain, as well as fear of losing continuity of habits and routines. IMPLICATIONS There is a need for society to develop counseling systems to meet very old peoples ambivalence and practical considerations to move or not to move. Thus, the ambivalence to stay put or to relocate needs to be further explored from an applied perspective by also taking nonmovers into account.

Cross-national and multi-language qualitative research: challenges and recommendations

Interest in cross-national partnership is increasing in Europe, a situation very much reflected in calls for funding. Multi-language qualitative research methodologies need to be strengthened in order to support this growing trend toward the promotion of cross-national collaboration. This practice analysis reports on our experience of carrying out cross-national and multi-language based qualitative research. Based on this, we recommend taking into account the potential challenges of language and national culture from the planning phase onwards, handling them in a structured, predefined way throughout the research process and using software to assist with the challenges brought about in a multi-language environment.

Synthesizing ENABLE-AGE Research Findings to Suggest Evidence-Based Home and Health Interventions

ABSTRACT As the quest for knowledge translation from research to practice and policy contexts is growing stronger, researchers need to develop strategies for synthesizing research findings. Since home environments constitute an important context for the delivery of health care and social services to older adults and people aging with disabilities, research in this field can serve as an example for such endeavors. Using 35 original publications and one unpublished doctoral dissertation based on the European ENABLE-AGE Project, we aimed to demonstrate a systematic approach to synthesize research findings generated by large research projects as the basis for evidence-based interventions. The synthesized findings highlighted the complex interactions between objective and perceived aspects of housing and aspects of health in very old age, impacting on, for example, residential decision making. Independence in daily activity is influenced by the sociocultural care and service context. A familiar and safe neighborhood, a social network, and a good supply of services are important to perceptions of participation. Going further, we suggest housing-related interventions that address problems and challenges related to ongoing demographic changes. This article contributes to the development of strategies for knowledge translation, connecting research and practice and policy contexts struggling to meet the societal challenges that accompany population aging.

Psychosoziale Unterstützung von älteren Menschen mit einer chronischen Sehbeeinträchtigung

Zusammenfassung. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die empirische Prufung einer psychosozialen Kurzintervention bei Menschen mit altersabhangiger Makuladegeneration, der primaren Ursache von Sehverlust im hoheren Alter. Gegenuber den bisher in der Literatur vorgelegten Interventionsansatzen war die Intervention der vorliegenden Studie in starkerem Mase gesundheitspsychologisch fundiert. Sie umfasste insgesamt drei Sitzungen auf der Basis eines Gruppenansatzes mit je 4 bis 6 Patienten. Unterschieden wurde ferner zwischen einem emotions-orientierten und problemlose-orientierten Vorgehen. In die Studie einbezogen wurden n = 23 Personen mit emotions-orientiertem, n = 22 Personen mit problemlose-orientiertem Vorgehen und n = 22 Personen ohne Behandlung (Altersmittelwerte zwischen 76.1 und 77.3 Jahren). Die Behandlungsgruppen wurden vor und nach der Intervention mit eingefuhrten Skalen zur Depressivitat, zu problemorientiertem Coping und Anpassung an den Sehverlust untersucht. Die Vergleichsgruppe wurde entsprec...

Primäre und Sekundäre Kontrolle versus Hartnäckige Zielverfolgung und Flexible Zielanpassung

Zusammenfassung. Die Konzepte der selektiven und kompensatorischen, primaren und sekundaren Kontrolle bzw. der Assimilation (hartnackige Zielverfolgung) und Akkommodation (flexible Zielanpassung) haben in den letzten Jahren im Bereich der Entwicklungspsychologie des Erwachsenenalters und Alters hohe Prominenz erlangt. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die konzeptuelle und empirische Analyse von Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschieden zwischen beiden Ansatzen. Zu Grunde liegt eine 2-Messzeitpunkte-Untersuchung (1-Jahresbeobachtung) von N = 90 (T1) alteren Menschen (mittleres Alter 79.5 Jahre) mit altersabhangiger Makuladegeneration, der haufigsten Ursache von schweren Sehbeeintrachtigungen im hoheren Lebensalter. Die konzeptuelle Analyse einschlieslich eines Itemvergleichs einschlagiger Messinstrumente erbringt deutliche Ahnlichkeiten (z.B. zwischen selektiver primarer Kontrolle und hartnackiger Zielverfolgung), aber auch Unterschiede (z.B. wird kompensatorische primare Kontrolle in den Konzepten hartnackige Zielverfolgung...

Entwicklung unter der Bedingung einer lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankung im Alter

Ziel dieses Beitrags ist die Betrachtung einer lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankung im Alter aus gerontologischer Perspektive in zwei Schritten: In einem ersten Schritt werden einige Facetten des Alternsprozesses beschrieben und ein differenzieller Entwicklungsbegriff dargelegt, der Entwicklung auch angesichts einer lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankung einschliest. Vor diesem Hintergrund erfolgt im zweiten Schritt die empirische Annaherung an den Fall Constanze Coburg.

Residential choices in very old age: a synthesis of quantitative and qualitative findings

The objective of the EVIDEM-EXERCISE study was to evaluatethe effectiveness of an exercise regime as a therapy for the behaviouraland psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). A pragmatic, ran-domized, controlled, single-blind, parallel-group trial of a dyadic exer-cise regime (tailored walking) for community-dwelling individuals withBPSD and their carers was undertaken. The primary outcome wasBehavioural and Psychological Symptoms as measured by the Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory at week 12. Results show no significant differ-ence of NPI score at week 12 between the group receiving the dyadicexercise regime and those that did not. Secondary outcome measure ofcaregiver’s burden was significantly improved; caregiver burden dou-bled by week 12 for the control group participants, but decreased forthose receiving the exercise intervention. In conclusion, this study foundthat regular simple exercise does not improve BPSD but did seem toattenuate changes of caregiver burden.Studies about intimacy in old age have mostly focused on institutionalized life-long marriages. Little research has focused on re-partnering in later life and the impact these relationships have on life satisfaction. Framed by Giddens’ Transformation of intimacy and Laslett’s Third age, as well as changing social and demographical conditions, this paper focuses on how different forms of new intimate relationships impact on life satisfaction in later life. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a strategic sample of 28 Swedes, 63–91 years, who were married, cohabiting and living apart together in new intimate heterosexual relationships initiated after the age of 60 or who were currently dating. The results showed the significance of new intimate relations the experience of life satisfaction in later life: The importance of being needed and confirmed by one’s partner, for intimacy and sexuality, for unloading children’s care responsibility, for sharing experiences in everyday life and for safety. The results also showed the importance of the partner as a resource for new experiences and a healthier life style. In conclusion, the results will be theorized in a time frame: First, in the light of new post (re)productive free time in the third age. Second, in the light of the finite remaining life-time. The results from the qualitative study will be contextualized by results from a representative survey on intimate relations among 3 000 60-90 year old Swedes (data collection has just finished).It is often argued that in late modernity sex has escaped its reproductive cage and people form pure relationships, based on mutual satisfaction. Ironically, although older people are per definitio ...