Toward Better Care
Dignity Living for Hong Kong Elderly: Living at a "Cave"
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ching Yee Chow
Elderly are our treasure! - is supposed to be one of the core cultures of our society in Hong Kong (HK). However, the issues of HK elderly are unexpected in this century. What is happening with our aged in HK society? A group of HK elderly have been face-to-face connected in 2017-18 with social work students (studying social gerontology). Research findings include insights on the actual living conditions of HK elders. Their consideration of dignity living are shared. Other than that, more findings on how the aged in responding to the aging population phenomena, that has been strongly highlighted in the context of HK society are highlighted.
The Role of Community in Healthy Ageing: An Anglo-Japanese Programme to Develop Evidence-Based Strategies for Action in Diverse Policy Contexts
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session David Morris, Mika Yamamoto
A community perspective on healthy ageing is both a necessity and a virtue. The pace at which societies are ageing is creating significant societal impact in both the UK and Japan.When describing this impact in terms of fiscal burden, policy often generates explanations that appear deficit - focused and solutions that fail to acknowledge inherent complexity. In this context, perspectives on healthy ageing concerned with the reciprocal relationship of older people to the communities of which they are a part may be under-exposed. We propose that the contributory civic role of older people to their communities and the community supports on which they can draw must be seen in both policy and practice as essential inter-related assets. Recent international studies such as ODESSA * have highlighted the importance for an evidence base on healthy ageing to encompass complementary social and design perspectives; to develop alongside that for the built environment, evidence for the value of communities and the social network connectivity, civic engagement and support functions that they can provide. Following the 2018 conference, an academic collaboration for cross-cultural learning was established between the Centre for Citizenship and Community at UCLan in the UK and Toyo with other university partners in Japan with the aim of helping to shape research, practice and resource development in this area. Identified key themes: - the importance of inter-generational perspectives, rights and responsibilities of citizenship; the position of family and carers - will be discussed in a presentation of this initiative and its future aims.
Changes in Physical, Mental, and Social Profiles of a Rare Ageing Cohort
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sarah Assaad, Carol Brayne, Jane Fleming
The world’s older population is growing at unprecedented rates; the proportion aged ≥60 is projected to reach 22% in 2050, double the figure in 2015, with particularly marked growth in “older old” populations. Societal responses need to be based on good data from populations, both quantitative and qualitative. Here we present data from a rare 28-year-long study of older old people, the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort. Structured interviews were conducted with a total of 2610 participants aged 75+ years at baseline (1985-87) followed-up until all participants had died through 9 additional survey waves ending in 2013. The paper describes quantitatively physical, mental, and social profiles of the cohort across the waves. Social wellbeing is captured through questions on social relationships, social networks, social support, and social participation. Physical health is assessed from self-reported comorbidities and the level of impairment in activities of daily living is used as a proxy for disability. The Mini-Mental State Examination test and a depressive symptoms score provide indicators of brain health. The relationship of the positive dimensions across the waves are explored in relation to socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status, education, social class, and living situation. Utilization of health and social care services is a main study outcome, expected to be related to cognitive impairment, disability, and physical and mental health status. Whether social wellbeing changes this relationship is explored.
