Judith Gullifer

‘At home it's just so much easier to be yourself’: older adults' perceptions of ageing in place

ABSTRACT By 2050, the number of people in Australia aged over 85 is expected to quadruple. Yet, from a socio-psychological research perspective, little is known about the experiences of people who continue to live at home during late old age (85 years and over), a period when challenging problems associated with ageing escalate and threaten to compromise independence. Utilising a qualitative methodology, the subjective lived experience of 23 very old adults (19 women, four men, with a mean age of 90.7 years, range 85–101 years) who live independently in rural Australia were elicited. The aims of the research were to understand their thoughts and feelings about ageing in place at home, and what psychological, social and practical adaptive strategies they employ to cope with difficulties encountered during very old age. In-depth interviews were analysed in an interpretive phenomenological tradition of thematic analysis, interpretation of paradigm cases and interpretation of exemplars. Participants described how historical, cultural and environmental contexts shaped their everyday thoughts, activities and what was meaningful for them. The findings add to our understanding of the largely unnarrated lives of the very old, suggest a need for person-centred home-care assessment processes and aid significant others (family, friends and neighbours) to understand better what very old adults need to live independently.

Growing older: a qualitative inquiry into the textured narratives of older, rural women.

This study explored experiences of eight rural, Anglo-Australian women aged between 65 and 75 using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed three prominent themes: (a) the free and busy me highlights the increased freedom in later life enabling choices regarding activities the women would like to engage in; (b) the secret is being positive and pragmatic emphasizes the importance of adopting a pragmatic acceptance of growing older; and (c) narratives of growth and stagnation highlights the pursuit of growth among older women in order to enhance the current self. Findings emphasize the construction of later life as one of liberation, resilience and growth.

When the treatment stops: A qualitative study of life post breast cancer treatment.

Public attention focuses on breast cancer treatment and fundraising; however, there is limited discussion about life post-treatment. Once treatment is complete, there can be societal expectations of newfound wellness. To understand this phenomenon, the narratives of nine women post-treatment were explored. Analysis revealed the adoption of the sick role by the participants, the vulnerability experienced with the cessation of treatment, the disturbance of moving on from the security of the medical system and the patient and doctor relationship. Findings emphasised that survivorship can remain challenging and can present adverse psychosocial implications for women and those close to them.

I Think It's a Communal Thing: Men's Friendships in Later Life

Mens friendships have traditionally been described as being activity-based but little research has examined older mens friendships. The current study aimed to explore meanings of friendship with older men who belonged to formal mens groups or not. A thematic analysis of focus group data identified three manifest themes (constructing friendship: friends, mates or acquaintances; the dynamic nature of friendship; and the importance or beneficence of friendship) and one latent theme (community of men). Friendship was constructed as a multifaceted concept contingent on context. The importance of maintaining friendships were discussed as either self-driven or the responsibility of the other. Talking to like-minded men, regardless of group membership, was valued not just for doing activities but for the emotional support it provided.

‘At home it's just so much easier to be yourself’: older adults' perceptions of ageing in place – CORRIGENDUM

The acknowledgement section of this article cited the support of Villa Maria Society to the original research project carried out by the first (DS) and second (JG) authors in . However, this general acknowledgement failed to adequately distinguish the collaboration of Villa Maria Society staff member Ms Annie Lanyan, with the first author (DS) in related workplace research activities, that were reflected in the revised analysis of the original research report necessary for final publication as a journal article. Accordingly, this notice corrects the omission by the first author (DS), in acknowledging the contribution of Ms Annie Lanyan to the journal article as a third, joint author.

The health challenges facing rural people and communities in Australia: what can psychology offer?

Much has been written about the challenges confronting rural and remote Australia. These challenges can operate at the individual level such as unhelpful health behaviours and high levels of physical and mental health problems, but also at the community level where a range of external pressures including climate change, changing economic conditions and natural disasters impinge on whole of community well-being. Health outcomes for rural and remote communities are reported to be poorer outside of metropolitan areas. Risk factors for many chronic diseases are also higher outside major cities with people living in rural and remote regions reporting high rates of cigarette smoking, risky levels of alcohol consumption and obesity. People living outside of major cities are also more at risk of motor vehicle accidents. Not only do people who live outside major cities have poorer health outcomes than city dwellers, but rural communities themselves have been described as dying, with a dwindling sense of autonomy and social cohesion. The difficulty in providing communities outside major cities with access to adequate services has been frequently cited as one of the reasons for the disparity in health outcomes between city and rural dwellers. For instance, on average, rural communities might not have equitable access to goods and services (including health services), educational and employment opportunities. Accordingly, significant research, policy and funding efforts have been devoted to rural health service delivery and particularly growing a rural health workforce. These efforts, however, have generally been directed at enhancing a health workforce that can provide treatment rather than one that can operate on the multiple upstream determinants of rural health status. Although there is no doubt that health services need to provide effective treatment, the data points to a central role for lifestyle factors and external events in the health outcomes of rural individuals and communities. Behavioural and lifestyle factors as well as the capacity to cope with external stressors over which one often has little control are issues that are not easily addressed by a treatment-focused health system. One of the health professions best equipped to understand and assist with behaviour change and coping, at both the individual and community level, is psychology. In Australia, psychologists are generally thought of as being a profession that is mainly involved in managing mental illness. The evidence certainly indicates that psychologists provide most of the evidence-based psychological interventions delivered to individuals under the Medical Benefits Schedule. However, current policy and funding options in Australia provide very few opportunities for people, particularly those in rural regions, to access a psychologist to assist them to change the unhealthy behaviours that are associated with chronic illness. Not only can psychologists play a role in preventing and helping rural people to live with and manage chronic illness, but psychological knowledge needs to play an increasing role in rural issues. For example, rates of smoking in outer regional and remote areas have stayed high despite a fall in smoking rates in major cities over the last 15 years. The reasons for this are unclear but are likely to include environmental and social factors associated with rural life. Clearly, applying the learnings from urban experiences to health promotion activities in rural contexts is not working. Research that seeks to understand the psychosocial and cultural aspects of rural life in order to construct targeted health promotion campaigns will be needed to tackle the high rates of smoking outside major cities. There is a growing evidence base that suggests that community interventions that draw on psychological knowledge can enhance community resilience, with highquality resources developed within Australia now available to support communities to become more resilient. Psychologists have also been involved in research on developing resilience after disasters. The Australian Psychological Society, the peak professional organisation for psychologists in Australia, has developed a national network of psychologists who have a special interest and expertise in working with individuals and communities affected by disasters and emergencies in Australia. Psychologists have been involved in collaborative, multidisciplinary work on environmental issues in Australia and internationally for decades. There is strong consensus among psychologists and other scientists that human motivations and behaviours constitute core causal factors with respect to environmental problems. Psychologists can contribute to rural communities by providing answers to questions about how people and organisations can change their behaviour to reduce the threats of climate change and helping individuals and communities adapt to the psychosocial impacts of climate change and threats. bs_bs_banner