Group Of Older People Research Articles

Preference of urban and rural older people in Shandong Province for long-term care insurance: based on discrete choice experiment.

Severe population ageing and weak long-term care support systems has spurred China's pilot program for long-term care insurance (LTCI). This study aimed to provide references for optimizing long-term care insurance policies in Shandong Province by measuring the preferences of urban and rural older people for LTCI. Based on the discrete choice experiment, a questionnaire survey was conducted on urban and rural older people from Shandong Province. A mixed logit model was used for data analysis and the relative importance of attributes, willingness to pay, and preference heterogeneity based on residence type, number of children, chronic conditions, gender, education level and financial situation were further estimated. The results showed that individual premium, reimbursement rate and whose provision of home-based care can be reimbursed had a significant effect on the LTCI preference of urban and rural older people in Shandong Province. Benefit package and government subsidy lost statistical significance in full sample but played a role in certain subgroups. There were also differences in preferences for individual premium among different groups of older people. Optimizing the policy design of long-term care insurance based on the actual needs of the older adults can help increase the utility of them and promote the smooth implementation of long-term care insurance.

The feasibility and acceptability of engaging older adults living with multiple long-term conditions, frailty, and a recent deterioration in health in research: Findings from the Lifestyle in Later Life – Older People’s Medicine (LiLL-OPM) study

BackgroundOlder adults living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC, also known as multimorbidity) and frailty are more likely to experience a deterioration in their health requiring specialist referral or hospital admission than individuals without these syndromes. However, this group of older people are underserved by research meaning that there is a limited evidence base for their care. This study therefore aimed (1) to determine if it is feasible to recruit and collect quantitative data to describe the health and lifestyle of older adults living with MLTC, frailty and a recent deterioration in health and (2) to assess if taking part in research is acceptable to this group of older adults.MethodsParticipants were approached and recruited for this study via an Older People’s Medicine Day Unit in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. The study took a mixed methods approach, involving quantitative and qualitative data collection. To determine the feasibility of carrying out research in this group, we quantified recruitment rate and collected data on the health and lifestyle, including diet and physical activity, of the participants. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken to assess acceptability. Two separate interviews were carried out focusing on involving older adults in research and the participants’ experiences of taking part in the research. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsFifty patients were approached to participate in the study with twenty-nine (58%) successfully recruited. It was feasible to collect information to describe the health and lifestyle of these older adults who demonstrated very low levels of physical activity. Participants reported that taking part in the research was acceptable to them with interview analysis generating three themes (1) developing a meaningful partnership, (2) enabling factors to participation: research at home with flexible delivery and (3) social and psychological benefits of research participation.ConclusionsIt is feasible and acceptable to recruit and carry out research with this underserved group of older adults. Participants found taking part in this research to be acceptable and reported overall positive experiences of their involvement in the study and indicated that they would be willing to contribute to further research in the future.

On the Relationship Between Frailty, Nutritional Status, Depression and Quality of Life Among Older People.

Frailty is a multidimensional geriatric syndrome associated with physical, psychological and social changes. There is a paucity of research on frailty in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, especially Ethiopia. To assess the initial correlations among frailty, nutritional status, depression and QOL (quality of life) in a group of older people in Ethiopia who are later enrolled in a study examining the effects of a nurse-led community intervention on frailty and related health outcomes. Data from 68 community-dwelling individuals 60 years of age, or over, were collected. Frailty was measured using the Amharic version of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. The statistical analysis included Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for degrees of association, Mann-Whitney U-test for variables with two categories and Kruskal-Wallis for variables with three or more categories. The mean frailty score for participants was 7.3 (±1.9). Participants with higher frailty scores had lower nutritional status (rs = -0.46, p < 0.01). There was a statistically significant relationship (positive) between frailty scores and depression (rs = 0.39, p < 0.01). Depressed (Md = 9, n = 23) and non-depressed frail older people (Md = 7, n = 45) showed a significant difference in their overall frailty score, U = 330.50, z = -2.49, p = 0.01, r = 0.30. There was an inverse significant association between the level of frailty across different domains in the QOL: physical (rs = -0.44, p < 0.01), psychological (rs = -0.45, p < 0.01), social relations (rs = -0.29, p < 0.05) and environmental (rs = -0.47, p < 0.01). The findings from this study were consistent with those from across middle-income and high-income countries. This research indicates that older people living in communities who are identified as frail often suffer from a poor nutritional status, depression and reduced QOL. It suggests that healthcare professionals in Sub-Saharan countries would benefit from recognising the frailty in this population, and developing interventions aimed at enhancing nutrition, mental health and overall well-being.

New models of health and social care for people in later life: mapping of innovation in services in two regions of the United Kingdom using a mixed method approach

BackgroundInnovation for reforming health and social care is high on the policy agenda in the United Kingdom in response to the growing needs of an ageing population. However, information about new innovations of care being implemented is sparse.MethodsWe mapped innovations for people in later life in two regions, North East England and South East Scotland. Data collection included discussions with stakeholders (n = 51), semi-structured interviews (n = 14) and website searches that focused on technology, evaluation and health inequalities. We analysed qualitative data using framework and thematic analyses. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively.ResultsOne hundred eleven innovations were identified across the two regions. Interviewees reported a wide range of technologies that had been rapidly introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and many remained in use. Digital exclusion of certain groups of older people was an ongoing concern. Innovations fell into two groups; system-level ones that aimed to alleviate systems pressures such as preventing hospital (re)admissions, and patient-level ones which sought to enhance health and wellbeing directly. Interviewees were aware of the importance of health inequalities but lacked data to monitor the impact of innovations on these, and evaluation was challenging due to lack of time, training, and support. Quantitative findings revealed that two thirds of innovations (n = 74, 67%) primarily focused on the system level, whilst a third (n = 37, 33%) primarily focused on the patient-level. Overall, over half (n = 65, 59%) of innovations involved technologies although relatively few (n = 12, 11%) utilised advanced technologies. Very few (n = 16, 14%) focused on reducing health inequalities, and only a minority of innovations (n = 43, 39%) had undergone evaluation (most of which were conducted by the service providers themselves).ConclusionsWe found a wide range of innovative care services being developed for people in later life, yet alignment with key policy priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, was limited. There was a strong focus on technology, with little consideration for the potential to widen the health inequality gap. The absence of robust evaluation was also a concern as most innovations were implemented without support to monitor effectiveness and/or without plans for sustainability and spread.

Placing concepts of sensory gardens as social nodes in Older Adult’s Daycare Centre’s design towards a sustainable community: Surabaya

The urban ageing population has become a global issue that affects the world’s population composition, with an increasing proportion of persons aged 65 and older in urban environments. Older adult’s communities, as integral parts of society, can respond to this by achieving active ageing. The term ‘active ageing’ refers to efforts to maximize health, safety, and community participation to enhance the quality of life in line with advancing age. Facilities catering to the older people, such as nursing homes, often do not comprehensively consider the mobility limitations of the older adults when providing accessibility. The human-centered method is employed in the implementation process of a sensory garden at the older adult’s daycare center facility. This method places its focus on deriving solutions for conflicts between the older people group and other groups in the context of connectivity and accessibility, with the objective of creating integration between outdoor spaces and the building mass within the older adult’s daycare center facility. By utilizing the human-centered method, the root causes of accessibility issues and persons aged 65 and elder’s declining abilities can be systematically understood and resolved through a straightforward design intervention, namely the implementation of a centrally located sensory garden that serves as social nodes. Using a centralized spatial organization in the arrangement of the building masses fosters a connected circulation in the form of a linear loop. With a clear sequence, this linear configuration can accommodate ease of visual access and movement. In the built environment with accessibility amenities, it can foster a sustainable older people community. Furthermore, through the holistic implementation of sensory garden arrangements, the older people community can achieve sustainability and optimal productivity.

The association between physical activity and quality of life among people aged 60–89 living in own homes and nursing homes

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to obtain a response to the question of whether and how physical activity (PA) among people aged 60–89 years impacts quality of life and other sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age and place of living).MethodsAmong 341 respondents aged 60 to 89, including 273 women (80%) and 68 men (20%) successfully completed IPAQ and WHOQOL AGE questionnaires. In the study were used International Physical Activity Questionnaire – IPAQ and World Health Organization Quality Of Life - Age – WHOQOL-AGE in Polish version.ResultsThe average total physical activity, including vigorous-intensity physical effort, moderate-intensity physical effort and walking amounts to 1381.87 ± 1978.60 MET-min/week. The average quality of life for the whole group of older people as evaluated with WHOQOL AGE scale was 64.79 (SD = 14.76; min:18.77-max: 98.07). Statistical analysis between physical activity and life quality proved significant dependence for the global life quality rating (p < 0.001).ConclusionsOur research has shown that PA improves quality of life among older people. Higher scores of quality of life were obtained in the F1 subscale (satisfaction) than in the F2 subscale (meeting expectations) in both age groups. Age significantly affects quality of life for older people.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG OLDER MIGRANTS IN EUROPE: EXAMPLES FROM FOUR EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Abstract Scholarship on old age social exclusion has identified civic engagement as a research area that deserves empirical attention. Research on older people’s civic engagement has in turn pointed out that experiencing life-course deficits in social capital, and/ or having had a life-course that does not resemble the continuity that social gerontology takes for granted, could put people at risk of becoming civically excluded in old age. These are two of the starting points for the European project known as CIVEX, which aims to study the life-course trajectories of civic engagement in groups of older people that have not yet received enough empirical attention. One of these groups is constituted by those who have migrated to the countries in which they are now based as adults, and whose life-course may therefore be more characterized by discontinuity rather than continuity. Departing from 60 life-course qualitative interviews with older migrants that are based in Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Finland, this presentation will draw attention to the ways in which these older people define civic engagement and the manner in which they describe how their migratory life-courses have impacted their civic engagement. The presentation will argue that there is theorizing potential embedded on the migratory life course, and that this could expand the scholarly imagination on old age social exclusion in general, and civic engagement in particular.

Life purpose before and during the covid-19 pandemic in elderly physical activity practitioners in the interior of Amazonas state: a longitudinal study

Introduction: the aging that happens in the world is already a reality in remote and fast areas of the interior of Amazonas; with the population increasing each day more longevous, it is necessary to understand the aging process in these regions where the practice of physical activity is a reality, it was described the presence of life purpose in a group of older people who practice physical activity in the community. Objective: we investigated the presence of life purpose in older people who practiced physical activity before and during the covid-19 pandemic in the interior of Amazonas. Methods: this longitudinal study was conducted with 63 older people who practiced physical activity in a group before and during the covid 19 pandemic in the countryside of Amazonas. Sociodemographic and health characteristics were assessed, as well as well-being and life direction, through the life purpose questionnaire. Results: the elderly in this study have been followed since 2019; before the covid 19 pandemic struck the world, they practiced regular physical activity and had to temporarily suspend their training during the critical period of the pandemic. The group is composed mainly of older adults between the ages of 60 and 79; most are illiterate, have an income of not even one minimum wage, report living with someone, and say their vision as the regular or poor yet still present presence of life purpose and life direction. Conclusion: during the Covid-19 pandemic and social isolation, the elderly had a reduced perception of purpose in life, although they reported joy and satisfaction with life.

Three Contactless Sleep Technologies Compared With Actigraphy and Polysomnography in a Heterogeneous Group of Older Men and Women in a Model of Mild Sleep Disturbance: Sleep Laboratory Study.

Contactless sleep technologies (CSTs) hold promise for longitudinal, unobtrusive sleep monitoring in the community and at scale. They may be particularly useful in older populations wherein sleep disturbance, which may be indicative of the deterioration of physical and mental health, is highly prevalent. However, few CSTs have been evaluated in older people. This study evaluated the performance of 3 CSTs compared to polysomnography (PSG) and actigraphy in an older population. Overall, 35 older men and women (age: mean 70.8, SD 4.9 y; women: n=14, 40%), several of whom had comorbidities, including sleep apnea, participated in the study. Sleep was recorded simultaneously using a bedside radar (Somnofy [Vital Things]: n=17), 2 undermattress devices (Withings sleep analyzer [WSA; Withings Inc]: n=35; Emfit-QS [Emfit; Emfit Ltd]: n=17), PSG (n=35), and actigraphy (Actiwatch Spectrum [Philips Respironics]: n=18) during the first night in a 10-hour time-in-bed protocol conducted in a sleep laboratory. The devices were evaluated through performance metrics for summary measures and epoch-by-epoch classification. PSG served as the gold standard. The protocol induced mild sleep disturbance with a mean sleep efficiency (SEFF) of 70.9% (SD 10.4%; range 52.27%-92.60%). All 3 CSTs overestimated the total sleep time (TST; bias: >90 min) and SEFF (bias: >13%) and underestimated wake after sleep onset (bias: >50 min). Sleep onset latency was accurately detected by the bedside radar (bias: <6 min) but overestimated by the undermattress devices (bias: >16 min). CSTs did not perform as well as actigraphy in estimating the all-night sleep summary measures. In an epoch-by-epoch concordance analysis, the bedside radar performed better in discriminating sleep versus wake (Matthew correlation coefficient [MCC]: mean 0.63, SD 0.12, 95% CI 0.57-0.69) than the undermattress devices (MCC of WSA: mean 0.41, SD 0.15, 95% CI 0.36-0.46; MCC of Emfit: mean 0.35, SD 0.16, 95% CI 0.26-0.43). The accuracy of identifying rapid eye movement and light sleep was poor across all CSTs, whereas deep sleep (ie, slow wave sleep) was predicted with moderate accuracy (MCC: >0.45) by both Somnofy and WSA. The deep sleep duration estimates of Somnofy correlated (r2=0.60; P<.01) with electroencephalography slow wave activity (0.75-4.5 Hz) derived from PSG, whereas for the undermattress devices, this correlation was not significant (WSA: r2=0.0096, P=.58; Emfit: r2=0.11, P=.21). These CSTs overestimated the TST, and sleep stage prediction was unsatisfactory in this group of older people in whom SEFF was relatively low. Although it was previously shown that CSTs provide useful information on bed occupancy, which may be useful for particular use cases, the performance of these CSTs with respect to the TST and sleep stage estimation requires improvement before they can serve as an alternative to PSG in estimating most sleep variables in older individuals.

Unmet Health Care Needs of the Older Population in European Countries Based on Indicators Available in the Eurostat Database.

Access to healthcare may affect the health of the population, especially older people. The aim of this study is to analyze the reasons and factors influencing the unmet healthcare needs (UHCN) of the older population in the context of differences between age groups for 28 European countries. A self-reported UHCN indicator obtained from Eurostat database was used. The share of people with healthcare needs reporting distance/transportation issues was significantly different in the younger and older groups, as well as in age groups within the older population. The differences in other reasons were not so considerable. Problems with UHCN were observed more often in the older population with lower rather than with higher income and with more severe activity limitations rather than with none/moderate limitations (differences statistically significant, except for income for 75+). In most countries, the UHCN dependence on income/activity limitation is higher in the age group of 15-64 than for the older population. To plan/introduce/monitor appropriate, tailored actions for improving healthcare access for the older population, a detailed analysis of the UHCN prevalence, reasons, and determinants in this age group is needed; it is insufficient to analyze only the population as a whole. Additionally, the group of older people is not homogeneous in terms of UHCN.

Attitude of the Older Population Toward Controlled Asystole Donation

Studies about the knowledge of and attitude toward new lines of organ donation in a group of older people are important due to the increase in older organ donors. To analyze the attitude of citizens over 65 years of age in southeastern Spain toward controlled asystole donation (CAD) and to determine the psycho-social profile that influences this attitude. The study population consisted of citizens over 65 years of age. A representative sample was obtained in southeastern Spain (N=420). A questionnaire about attitudes toward CAD was used, detailing in the questionnaire that this is a type of donation from people who have died of circulatory and respiratory criteria after the limitation of life support treatment. Several psychosocial variables were also taken into account. Statistical analysis included the χ2 test and multivariate analysis. The completion rate was 84% (n=351). Favorable attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (ODT) was 98% (n=344) overall, and CAD was viewed favorably by 45% (n=158). The psychosocial variables that influenced attitude toward CAD were mainly having received a talk about ODT (odds ratio [OR] 5.6), knowing the opinion of one's partner (OR 7.95), acceptance of cremation (OR 1.09), and acceptance of autopsy (OR 3.002). The attitude of older people toward CAD is unfavorable despite a willingness to support ODT in general. This attitude is influenced by variables of social and family dialogue about ODT, attitude to body manipulation, and having received information about ODT.

Changes in Interleukin-1β, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Interleukin-10 Cytokines in Older People with Periodontitis.

Aging can change the ability to respond to various stimuli and physical conditions. A decreased immune response is a form of deterioration of function in older people, who then become more vulnerable when exposed to pathogens. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the periodontal tissues that often occurs in older people. This study aimed to clinically analyze the periodontal status and cytokine levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 in older people and adults with periodontitis. This clinical study examined 20 persons in a group of older people and 20 persons in a group of adults. The clinical measurements of periodontal status included the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), Plaque Index (PlI), and Papilla Bleeding Index (PBI). The cytokine levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were quantified by using ELISA kits. The OHI-S, PlI, and PBI were found to be higher in the older group. The mean values of cytokines were higher in the older group than in adults, although no statistically significant differences were found. A strong correlation was found between the clinical measurements and the cytokine levels in the GCF. There was an increasing tendency of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the older group compared to the adult group.

Changes and Forms of Sexual Behaviour in old age: A Qualitative Study of Older People in Southeastern Nigeria

The misconceptions that old age is an asexual phase of human life has been challenged by increasing empirical evidence which shows that sexual activity persists in old age albeit in different forms and frequency. This study examined how a group of older people in southeastern Nigeria express their sexual behaviour. The semi-structured individual interviews with 14 older people (9 male, 5 female) aged 60?89 years were conducted using an exploratory qualitative approach. The data generated were analysed thematically, and two themes were conceptualised including diverse sexual behaviour and mutual understanding. These themes supported a pattern among the participants where there is a drop in the frequency of physical sexual behaviour but their sexual interests were described to be more stable. However, the sexual interest is channelled into more intimate sexual behaviour. Thus, sexual behaviours in later life in this study were not declining but showed diversity and modifications; most have adjusted to incorporate more emotional bonding and caring. More so, what forms of sexual behaviour constitute for these older partners are often linked to the presence of dynamic interplay of influencing factors ingrained on the level of the older partners mutuality in understanding and responding to theencroaching age-related changes in their sexual behaviour. Remarkably, these factors could be controlled, which signposts a potential premise and point of policy and practical intervention to promote healthy sexual behaviour in later life.

Competing at age 55 and over. Reasons why older athletes participate in sport

ABSTRACT This study explores the reasons why older people participate in sports. A total of 463 senior athletes (M = 61.4, SD = 5.5) who are actively engaged in competitive sports disciplines participated in this study. The participants indicated their degree of agreement with reasons for practicing sport on a 4-point Likert scale with 20 items, developed on the basis of a literature review on motivation theories in sports. These items were analyzed psychometrically. The exploratory factorial analysis revealed five components: competitiveness, interpersonal, cognitive, physical and emotional reasons. The most frequently reported reasons for participation were to feel healthier, to improve mood, and to release tension and stress. Analyses of variance showed significant differences in reasons for participating in sport based on sex, age, comparative health status, type of sport and number of competitive events attended per year. These findings could contribute to the development of age-specific sports promotion interventions tailored to different groups of older people.

Compromised browning in white adipose tissue of ageing people.

Adipose tissue plays a pivotal role in the pathology of metabolic disorders. In the past decade, brown and brown-like adipose tissues were detected in adult humans and show therapeutic potential in ageing-related metabolic diseases. This study investigated expressions of major brown adipose markers in white adipose tissue (WAT) of different ages. Their associations with metabolic parameters and key adipokines were interrogated. Cross-sectional study, 2019-2021. We recruited 21 young, 67 middle-aged, and 34 older patients. Omental adipose tissues were collected, and expressions of key brown markers and adipokines and the adipocyte size were evaluated. The fat depot distribution was evaluated by computed tomography. UCP1 and PRDM16 mRNA expressions declined with ageing in WAT and were more associated with age, than with the body mass index (BMI). The increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) amount, as well as the VAT to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) ratio, was decreased in the highest tertile of UCP1 expression, while individuals in different PRDM16 mRNA tertiles exhibited similar fat distribution. UCP1 mRNA was positively correlated with ADIPOQ and the strength of the correlation declined with ageing. In contrast, the association between UCP1 and LEP was insignificant in young and middle-aged groups but became significantly correlated in the older-people group. We also found a positive correlation between UCP1 and PRDM16. PRDM16 and UCP1, despite their key functions in adipose browning, exhibit differential clinical correlations with metabolic features in human WAT in an age-dependent manner. These two genes may participate in the pathogenesis of ageing-related metabolic diseases, but with distinct mechanisms.

'It Makes Me Feel Old': Understanding the Experience of Recovery From Ankle Fracture at 6 Months in People Aged 50 Years and Over.

Ankle fracture is a common injury, and depending on injury severity, treatment may be a support boot, cast or surgery. Older people, particularly those with severe injuries who are asked to restrict weight bearing, struggle with early recovery. To elicit older peoples' experience of recovery 6months after injury, we drew on a phenomenological approach using interviews. Findings revealed that getting on with life was a way of accepting what it feels like to 'be vulnerable', needing to 'be safe' while determinedly working hard to 'be myself'. Being vulnerable identified endurance of inactivity, loneliness and dependency in the non-weight bearing period of recovery, followed by a struggle to weight bear while lacking confidence and being fearful of falling and causing further damage. Being safe conveyed fragility where sensations, pain and stiffness acted as bodily reminders of injury. Lack of function and awareness of danger led to carefulness where planning or curtailing of activities ensured their safety. Being myself showed a determination to push away from a disrupted self-identify of being older or disabled while being challenged by the continuous process of learning to be more mobile. A lack of readiness for old age created a drive to age well. Despite loss of ability, participants hoped to regain their pre-injury way of living. This study challenges practice that disregards the hard work required to recover from ankle fracture. As comorbidity increases with age, failure to consider this aspect may contribute to frailty in this group of older people.

Development and Pilot Testing of a Booklet Concerning Medications That Can Increase the Risk of Falls in Older People.

Background: A common contributory factor to falls is the use of medicines, especially those commonly known as “fall-risk increasing drugs” (FRIDs). The use of FRIDs is common among older people (OP). However, OP and their family caregivers (FCGs) are largely unaware of FRIDs and their risks in increasing the risk of falls (ROF). Methods: A booklet which aims to provide information on topics related to FRIDs was developed. The booklet was reviewed by a panel of 14 reviewers, and the content validity index (CVI) for each subsection of the booklet was computed. Pilot testing of the booklet utilized a pre-post intervention study design and included 50 OP and 50 FCGs as study participants. Perceived knowledge of the participants was assessed prior to and after completing the booklet. Participants’ opinions on the usefulness and usability of the booklet were also obtained. Results: The booklet contained eight sections and each subsection of the booklet had a CVI ranging from 0.93 to 1.00. Completing the booklet resulted in improved perceived knowledge scores for each perceived knowledge item among both the OP and FCG groups (all items: p-value < 0.001). The participants perceived the booklet as useful and usable, as evidenced by almost all the perceived usefulness and usability items having a score of over 4.0. Conclusions: The FRIDs booklet developed in this study had good content validity and was widely accepted by the OP and FCGs. The positive effect on the participants’ knowledge of topics related to FRIDs means that the booklet could be useful as a patient education tool to enhance FRIDs knowledge and awareness among OP and FCGs.

A stroll in the park, a view of water: Quantifying older people's interaction with ‘green’ and ‘blue’ spaces in urban areas

This article explores the extent to which 'green' and ‘blue’ (water-based) spaces in the environment are of interest to older people in their everyday lives and connects with research showing growing understanding of the importance of such spaces in urban areas and increasing numbers of active and mobile older people in societies around the world. We are concerned with both large-scale or formal 'green' and ‘blue’ features (open countryside, parks and lakes) and micro-scale patches of grass or cascading fountains. This article focuses on two groups of older people (60 years and over) living in Brighton and Hove on the South Coast of England, and Hackney in central London. A mixed methods approach involving the co-creation of data by means of geo-tagged digital photographs and GPS enabled tracklogs collected by 50 participants over a week of mobility away from their domicile. There was considerable variety in the extent of the 'green' and ‘blue’ space content of the photographs and in the distances travelled by participants, nevertheless some clearly focused on producing images of the natural environment in a range of settings spanning formal parkland, managed sporting grassland and relatively untamed countryside.

Successful ageing: contributions of non-formal (adult) education in a group of older people in northern Portugal

ABSTRACT In the field of lifelong learning, it is universally accepted that education for and during old age is a powerful tool in the process of successful aging. This paper presents the results of a research and intervention project that worked with older people at a Day Centre belonging to a Private Institution for Social Solidarity in the north of Portugal, focusing on the promotion of successful ageing. The project involved a group of twenty-one older adults, aged between fifty-seven and ninety-two. Drawing on methodologies intrinsic to the qualitative interpretative hermeneutic paradigm and guided by the participative action research method, as a means of fostering motivation and participation among social agents, the intervention was structured around four workshops designed to promote human development. These activities provided opportunities for learning, interaction and leisure, transforming the daily lives of their participants. The outcomes were positive in terms of learning, more positive perspective of facing life and strengthening the interpersonal relationship network.

The social robot companion to support homecare nurses: The guardian study protocol

IntroductionThe reduction of the older people's self-sufficiency and the increase in the need for help in daily activities has a significant impact on the person and their caregivers. The primary objective of the GUARDIAN project is to enable the older people to live as long as possible at home, by means of the GUARDIAN socio-technical platform. Methodsand Analysis: The GUARDIAN platform consists of two connected apps: one dedicated to the caregiver (Caregiver App) and one dedicated to the older people (Senior App), plus a robot (Misty II), to provide coaching in an engaging modality. The study is designed as a technical feasibility pilot to test the GUARDIAN system on a group of older people. DiscussionsThe proposed solution reflects the real wants and needs of the older people person, increasing the acceptability of the system. In addition, the GUARDIAN project has the potential to have distinguished two phases of testing, so that changes can be made to the platform between the first and second phases, using data, both qualitative and quantitative, collected after the first phase. Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Ethic Committee of the IRCCS INRCA. It was recorded in ClinicalTrials.gov on the number NCT05284292.