Montserrat Celdrán

Grandmothers offering regular auxiliary care for their grandchildren: an expression of generativity in later life?

The study explores the meaning that grandmothers who offer regular childcare attach to that experience and the extent to which the notion of generativity might explain the meaning of the experience of caring for a grandchild. Twenty-four Spanish grandmothers aged 60 and over who provided at least 12 hours a week of childcare were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. The results suggest that grandmothers regard their childcare input as being part of their parental duty of helping in times of need. A range of consequences of caregiving were mentioned, generally positive and satisfactory. Our participants apparently began their caregiving task as an expression of parental generativity, although rewards associated with childcare are linked to grandparental generativity.

Construct validity of Ryff's Scale of Psychological Well-being in Spanish older adults.

The purpose of this study was to investigate factorial and content validity of the 9-item per dimension Ryffs Scale of Psychological Well-being in a sample of older Spanish adults. The scale is made up of six subscales: Self-acceptance, Environmental mastery, Positive relations with others, Autonomy, Personal growth, and Purpose in life. After translating the scale, it was administered to 422 retired people ages 65 and older. The internal consistency coefficients of the subscales were modest to low, but similar to the ones reported in previous studies. Although correlation profiles of the subscales replicated previous findings and are consistent with a distinction between two types of well-being (eudaimonic and hedonic), results from a second-order principal factor analysis including alternative well-being measures are rather ambiguous. As for the proposed 6-factor structure of the scale, neither exploratory principal component analysis nor confirmatory factor analysis supported clearly this factor structure, with or without second-order latent constructs.

“My Grandparent Has Dementia” How Adolescents Perceive Their Relationship With Grandparents With a Cognitive Impairment

The study examined the grandparent–grandchild relationship when the grandparent has dementia. Grandchildren living in Barcelona, Spain, participated in the study (n = 145). These participants completed a questionnaire that included questions on: (a) the frequency of 15 emotions they may have experienced in this relationship, (b) their current relationship with a grandparent who has dementia (frequency of contact, emotional closeness, and satisfaction with the relationship), and (c) perception of changes in the relationship. Results showed that the dementia process has a negative impact on the relationship between grandparent and grandchildren. However, in some cases, there was also potential for positive changes, which are mainly related to the ability to keep emotional contact and express positive emotions. Findings suggested the need to take into account grandchildren when planning training programs for families caring for relatives with dementia, such as providing information about the disease and improving their coping strategies.

Volunteering Among Older Spanish Adults: Does the Type of Organization Matter?

This study in Spain explored three aspects of older adult volunteering (motivations, satisfaction, and perceptions of benefits and drawbacks) and examines to what extent these aspects are influenced by the type of organization and other factors (sociodemographic variables and level of volunteering). The sample consisted of 88 older adults volunteering in 3 different organizations: management, cultural actions, and social care. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results show that volunteering is a satisfying activity for older adults. Participants perceived more benefits than drawbacks and had diverse motivations for volunteering. Volunteering in a management organization predicted less satisfaction and perception of benefits, as well as greater drawbacks.

Generativity in Older Age: A Challenge for Universities of the Third Age (U3A)

This paper discusses the ways in which university programs for older people should change to cater to the interests and concerns of generative older people. We describe university programs offered at present, underlining their emphasis on personal growth and on learning for the sake of learning. We argue that these programs are not entirely suitable for generative older people, who are eager to contribute to the social contexts in which they participate. The paper suggests that more instrumental, intergenerational, practical, and academically challenging programs are required to satisfy the training needs of generative older people.

Reasons for Older Adult Participation in University Programs in Spain

This study examined the reasons expressed by older adults for attending a university program in Barcelona (Spain). Results were based on the responses of 36 elders to questions from a semistructured interview. These were (a) reasons for joining a university course and (b) factors that prevent enrolling in that course. Participants mentioned more expressive than instrumental reasons for participating in a university program. Most mentioned barriers to entering university that were lack of interest, lack of self-confidence, health problems, and limited information. These results are discussed in the context of new strategies to improve university courses aimed at the elderly.

What Happens in Their Bedrooms Stays in Their Bedrooms: Staff and Residents' Reactions Toward Male–Female Sexual Intercourse in Residential Aged Care Facilities

This study aimed to investigate and compare the reactions of staff and residents of residential aged care facilities (RACFs) toward male–female sexual intercourse taking place in a private space within the facility. A total of 53 professionals and 47 residents from five RACFs located in Catalonia, Spain, were asked to reflect upon what they would think and do if they entered the bedroom of a resident and found him or her having sex with another resident of the opposite gender. The results suggest that male–female partnered sexual activity would generally be considered acceptable and would be respected, although some respondents called into question the appropriateness of such behavior and stated that they would react in a restrictive way. Overall, professionals appeared to be more accepting and permissive than were residents. Although our findings are broadly optimistic, they also suggest that male–female sexual intercourse may be considered an unwelcome sexual practice by some residents and professionals even if it occurs in a private space within the RACF. The fact that both staff and residents may also react in a negative way to the event could constitute a barrier to sexual expression among institutionalized older people.

Grandparents Who Provide Auxiliary Care for Their Grandchildren: Satisfaction, Difficulties, and Impact on Their Health and Well-being

The paper is focused on grandparents who offer auxiliary care to their grandchildren. The objectives were twofold: (a) examining the satisfaction and difficulties that grandparents who provide auxiliary care drew from that task; (b) determining to what extent different care-related variables (such as the intensity of the type of provided care) and the perception of satisfaction and difficulties predict grandparent’s health and well-being. The sample was made up of 312 grandparents whose age ranged from 46 to 91. They cared for at least one grandchild whose age was 12 years or less for 10 hours a week or more. Data were gathered by means of a self-administered questionnaire designed by the researchers. As well as sociodemographic variables, the questionnaire included questions related to the intensity and type of care provided, grandchildren’s behavioral problems, satisfaction and difficulties drew from caring, health, and well-being. Results indicated that auxiliary care for grandchildren is more a source of positive emotions and an opportunity to establish a rewarding affective relationship than a burden or a stressing responsibility. Intensity and type of care provided did not have any significant effect on grandparents’ health and well-being. In contrast, the perception of care-related difficulties did predict lower levels of health and well-being among grandparents.

Older people's university students in Spain: a comparison of motives and benefits between two models

ABSTRACT This study examines both the motives for and the benefits of attending a university programme for older people (UPOP) in Spain, and how they vary with the type of UPOP. Two UPOP models were assessed: The ‘Older Peoples Classes’ of the University of Barcelona, which is organised as a lecture course, and the ‘University of Experience’ at the University of Valencia, which is a three- or four-year variant of regular university degrees. A sample of 321 older students (mean age 67.5 years) was gathered from the two UPOPs, 161 participants from the former and 157 from the latter. The findings suggest that expressive motives such as acquiring knowledge, expanding the mind or learning for the joy of learning were the most important reasons for joining a UPOP, and that among the perceived benefits from taking classes at university featured ‘gaining more friends’, ‘enhanced self or life-satisfaction’ and ‘joy in life’. Perceived benefits were particularly high among the less educated and the older students. While students participating in the Older Peoples Classes were older and included relatively more women, differences between the two models in motives and benefits did not exist or were slight. These results are discussed in the context of new strategies to improve university courses aimed at older students.

Daily Activity and Life Satisfaction in Older People Living in Rural Contexts

This study is aimed at exploring daily and desired activity patterns in a sample of older people living in a rural context, as well as at examining the effect of some influential factors and their relationships with life satisfaction. Our sample was made of 216 retired people and was recruited from 12 villages from Catalonia and Valencia with populations of less than 1000 inhabitants. Data were gathered by means of an interview that included daily and ideal activities and life satisfaction (by applying the Life Satisfaction Index). Our results show that yesterdays pattern of activities is similar to an ideal pattern, although in the ideal day, our sample allocated more time to social activities and less time to passive activities such as watching TV or resting. In both cases, leisure activities and time spent working seem to play an important role in older peoples life. Gender has a remarkable influence on patterns of activity, as women devoted more time to instrumental activities and less time to leisure. In general, differences between yesterdays and ideal activities were not related to life satisfaction.