International Year Of Older Persons Research Articles

Focus group methodology

Introduction Researching individual perspectives of care giving is a complex and arduous exercise, sometimes fraught with design difficulties (Zarit et al 1999). The need to address the methodological challenges of user-focused approaches to research on older persons has been expressed by experts in the field (McCormack and Ford 1999). In order to overcome perceived difficulties, some studies have chosen a triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative approaches aimed at obtaining a more comprehensive picture of need (Judge and Solomon 1992, Denman 1998). The authors’ area of study incorporates user consultation and participation as integral elements in the research process. It embraces the inclusion, recognition and representation of informal carers of older people, fostering the United Nation’s central tenets of care, dignity, independence, participation and self-fulfilment (Sidorenko 1999). The investigation set out to elicit and prioritise carers’ subjectively perceived needs in relation to service assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation. This empowering approach represents a challenge to broaden the focus of healthcare through a process that elicits the views of key stakeholders. Its principles can be applied where changes are required in response to user needs in a variety of practice settings. The decision to designate 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons raised the profile of issues pertaining to older people and their carers. It is important that carers are involved in the decision-making processes that underpin policy development. Nonetheless, research evidence suggests that informal carers have not been involved meaningfully in service planning processes (Ruddle et al 1997). Previous studies in Britain (Thornton and Tozer 1994, Myers and MacDonald 1996) and Scotland (Stalker et al 1993) have explored initiatives aimed at consulting with older people and their carers in

Responding to issues about older persons in Africa

The number of older persons in the general population is increasing in many African countries due to the gains in life expectancy during the twentieth century (Amosun, 1999; Apt, 1997; Baiyewu et al, 1997; Amosun, Mazarire, & Mawere 1995; Amosun & Alawale, 1994). As the number escalates, the question of how to care for older persons becomes critical. The United Nations proclaimed October 1, 1998 through December 31, 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons (IYOP), offering all countries the opportunity to focus on the needs of and services provided to their aging populations. Through a variety of activities designed to gather information about older individuals in five African countries, the author sought to clarify the following questions: 1) What are some of the specific needs of older persons in Africa? 2) How frequently and how well are physiotherapy services being utilized? and 3) How effectively are the needs of older persons being met? Only after answering these questions can recommendations to further respond to the growing needs of older persons in Africa be proposed.

Successful Aging in the New Millennium: The Role of Regular Physical Activity

The year 1999 was designated the International Year of Older Persons (IYOP) by the United Nations and focused attention on the many challenges facing society as a result of the aging of the population during the 20th century. Traditional models of health and social care are likely to be severely challenged by growing numbers of older adults in both industrialized and developing societies. There is now compelling evidence that regular physical activity is associated with significant physiological, psychological, and social benefits in older adult populations. This paper argues that it may be possible for many older persons to age successfully and that advancing age need not be associated with only decline and decay. Examples are provided of four older persons who are managing to age successfully. There is a compelling need for the development of integrated activity programs that focus not only on physical activity, but also attempt to address the intellectual, social, and spiritual needs of older persons using a more holistic approach than is commonly used at present.

Looking back and moving forward? Ageing in Australia 2000

It was timely that the 1999 International Year of Older Persons (IYOP) occurred in the last year of the century because the purpose of the year is to celebrate ageing achievements as well as to produce positive sustainable change for the future. Thus it affords an opportunity to assess the status of ageing in Australia as a result of developments up to that point, as well as providing an indication of where ageing research, policy and practice is headed in the new century. This paper examines the IYOP in Australia as a measure of achievements to date, and then focuses on its major output, the proposed National Strategy for an Ageing Australia, as a look ahead. This follows a brief review of some socio-demographic data on ageing in Australia at the end of the century, and a summary of research on ageing as recorded in the Australian Ageing Research Directory (Office for the Aged 1993, 1996).

Life is Great When You Participate: Senior Health and Fitness

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 1999 as the “International Year of Older Persons.” The theme for the year, “A Society for All Ages,” highlights the realization that there are dramatic increases in longevity around the world. Within the past fifty years, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years old has changed from one in 13 to one in 10. In some parts of the world one of five persons is 60 years or older. Already one in four Americans has celebrated his or her 50th birthday. The aging of the population presents both fiscal and health challenges; therefore, it is incumbent upon our global society to create an environment that enables older adults to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles and behaviors.On May 27, 1998, over 1,000 seniors from various facilities, including senior clubs and centers, adult day care, nutrition, rehabilitation, Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations participated in the fifth annual National Senior Health and Fitness Day events. These seniors, whose ages ranged from 50 to 90 years, came from 26 different municipalities. Activities provided for them included bowling, chair and floor exercises, food demonstrations, golfing, strength training and scenic walks. The activities were organized and coordinated by the multidisciplinary Senior Health and Wellness Coalition. The coalition includes representatives from industry, government education and health care institutions. Its purpose is to provide seniors with a comprehensive system of community based services, including health education, health and nutrition screening, disease prevention, and ways to improve the quality of their lives.The results from the surveys administered to the senior participants and sponsors revealed that the activities promoted fitness, health and longevity.

Introduction: preparing for the future.

The United Nations has declared 1999 the International Year of Older Persons, which should come as no surprise. The past century has witnessed a greater increase in average longevity than any other period in the history of mankind. The average life span grew from 20 years in ancient Greece to 30 years in medieval Europe to 47 years in the United States in 1900. Today, the average life span in the U.S. is more than 75 years (1). The rest of the world is also experiencing a phenomenal rise in the number of elderly persons. Thus, between the years 1985 and 2025, the number of individuals over age 65 will increase by 238 percent in China and by 264 percent in India (2). As the overall number of elderly persons in the population at large increases, the number of elderly persons with mental illnesses will increase. Moreover, individuals with psychiatric disorders such as dementia, schizophrenia, and mood disorders, which have long been associated with reduced longevity, should be able to have relatively normal life spans in the future, thanks to the expected advances in pharmacological and other treatments. The anticipated explosion in the number of elderly persons with chronic mental illness has major implications. The country will face an unprecedented growth in expenditures for the care of these patients. Critical issues of quality of life and quality of care for elderly psychiatric patients and their caregivers must be addressed. As a preliminary step toward addressing issues pertinent to the future of mental health and aging, we organized a closed workshop in San Diego on March 11 and 12, 1998. The invited participants came from academic institutions, professional organizations, advocacy groups, government agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry. The formal scientific presentations were followed by a broad-ranging discussion. A consensus statement based on those deliberations is being published elsewhere (3). This special section of Psychiatric Services includes eight of the individual papers presented at the workshop, which have been peer reviewed for publication. The papers address topics ranging from major psychiatric disorders such as dementia, depression, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders to broader issues such as epidemiology, psychotherapeutic and behavioral interventions, health care services delivery, and training in geriatric mental health. These topics represent only a portion of the overall field of mental health and aging. For example, no papers on anxiety disorders or personality disorders in elderly persons are included. The effort represented here should be viewed as one step in a long process. Multipronged efforts on various fronts, including an increase in public education, reforms in health care financing, expansion of the research portfolio, and improvement in training at all levels, are urgently needed. ♦

Databank. International year of older persons

Databank. International year of older persons

The Lundbeck IYOP Fellowship

The RANZCP is pleased to offer two Fellowships, one each sponsored by Lunbeck Australia and Lundbeck New Zealand, to be awarded during the International Year of Older Persons (IYOP). Each Fellowship entails a trip to the Lundbeek International Psychiatry Institute in Copenhagen for one week in September 1999, to attend and participate in educational seminar on depression. The previous or following week can be spent based at the Institue of Psychiatry in London. A business class airfare, accommodation and reasonable living expenses for the two weeks will be provided by Lundbeek. Although funded by Lundbeek, the contents of the seminar are not company orientated. The Institute's activities are endorsed by the WHO, WPA and ECNP. The policies and philosophies of the Institute are described in their booklet:

The Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age

Since the first day of IYOP (International Year of Older Persons, 1999) the College has had a Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age. A submission from the Section in Psychiatry of Old Age for a change to Faculty status was considered and approved by our College Council in late 1998.

Demographic Comparisons of Aging in Five Selected Countries

The worldwide aging of the population is having a major impact upon society. The United Nations General Assembly has declared 1999 to be the International Year of Older Persons to increase the awareness of aging worldwide. They identified five principles for older persons: independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment, and dignity. The numbers of elderly are growing around the world with many elderly living considerably longer than in past times. Developed countries are struggling with the high cost of maintaining support programs, and developing countries face dissolution of traditional care systems without institutional replacements. Women around the globe typically live longer than men, often without the economic resources to maintain independence. As nations adapt to their aging populations, a partnership among policy makers, family members, and older persons themselves is needed to offer alternatives to meet the needs of elders.

Grandma Eats Like a Bird: Helping Caregivers Improve the Nutrition of Older Persons at Home

The United Nations has declared 1999 the International Year of Older Persons. As the global community ages, dietetics professionals can highlight their role in promoting good nutrition in the golden years. They also face the challenge of educating those providing nutrition assistance to their loved ones and neighbors who are aging but still living at home. Monitoring the nutrition status of older persons who live independently is important, because as many as two thirds of free-living elders consume inadequate diets ((1)Melnik T.A. Helferd S.J. Firmery L.A. Wales K.R. Screening elderly in the community the relationship between dietary adequacy and nutritional risk.J Am Diet Assoc. 1994; 94: 1425-1427Google Scholar). At the same time, “it is very difficult to get older people to recognize that their eating habits have changed or are suboptimal for their particular nutrition needs,” according to Jane V. White, PhD, RD, professor with the Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Family Practice, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. When older people fail to appreciate the changes in their own eating habits, it helps to have an alert family member or friend reaching out to intervene. Dietitians can help family and friends become part of an effective first line of defense against poor nutrition in older persons. Many sensory factors contribute to shifts in preferences and appetites of older persons, which, in turn, can affect nutrition status. White explains that sensory changes in older persons can occur as side effects of medications, but they may also happen naturally. This can make food taste hopelessly bland or unappetizingly strong. Changes in vision can cause food color to lose its intensity and become less visually appealing. Likewise, auditory impairment makes it difficult for older persons to hear the crispness or crunchiness of chewing. This loss compounds the frustration of compromised conversational skills and detracts from the appeal of healthful social dining. White suggests simple things a caregiver can do to “enhance the eating environment” of older persons. Adjust the seasoning of foods to spice up or tone down flavors. For those with failing vision, be sure the eating area is well lit. Also, select a plate with a simple pattern or solid color that will not obscure the food placed on it. Play upbeat, familiar music at a comfortable volume. Researchers have learned that the appetites of older persons increase when they listen to music from their youth at mealtime. Finally, introduce at-home caregivers to some of the food products available, such as flavor enhancers, texture modifiers, and supplements, that help older persons enjoy eating. Dental problems also plague the older population, which can make eating painful. Oral discomfort limits the frequency, quantity, and variety of foods eaten. Ask older people if they have seen a dentist, and offer to accompany them to the dental office. White points out that 2 major causes of involuntary weight loss in older persons are dental problems and depression, so alert caregivers to the twofold benefit of making older persons smile. White was instrumental in developing the DETERMINE Your Nutritional Health Checklist (Figure), a useful nutrition screening tool that can help caregivers spot nutrition problems in older persons. Former president of The American Dietetic Association Ronni Chernoff, PhD, RD, FADA, associate director of the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans’ Healthcare System, Little Rock, considers the evolution of the DETERMINE checklist: “The original intent was for it to be a public awareness tool that older people may be at nutritional risk.” So successful and so needed has the checklist proven that it has been adapted to the clinical setting. Chernoff supports the idea of widening its application by sending the checklist home with patients when they are discharged from the hospital, because dietetics professionals “need more creative and pragmatic ways to get information about patients.” Using DETERMINE can help lay caregivers know when to worry about changes in older persons’ dietary habits and can motivate them to seek a professional nutritionist's help. Lay caregivers provide an invaluable service to the older persons in their charge—and to the community. But they cannot do it alone. They need the support of dedicated dietetics professionals, who should be armed and ready with resources to assist them.