The Leveson Centre for the Study of Ageing,
Spirituality and Social Policy
Ageing and social policy : Book
notices and reviews
More
resources from the Leveson Centre
Ageing: Scientific aspects
A House of Lords Report of an inquiry chaired by Lord Sutherland
was published in July 2005. It examined how the Government can apply
scientific research to improve health in old age and enable older
people to live longer in their own homes in safety and comfort. The
report is available from The Stationery Office, ISBN 0-10-400730-3
or at www.parliament.uk/hlscience
Recruitment and Sampling: qualitative research
with older people
Recruitment and sampling are important in social gerontology because
they directly affect research findings. This collection of papers
from The Centre for Ageing and Biographical Studies at The Open University
and The Centre for Policy on Ageing describes five quite different
studies of ageing and intergenerational relationships. The methodologies
and sample sizes range from a micro-level study of relationships between
a small group of friends to a multi-method approach incorporating
interviews with people identified in a larger survey. Some common
themes emerge: vulnerability and ethics, the role of the gatekeeper,
under- and over-researched groups, sensitive topics and the role of
language and older people as research partners. Available price £10.00,
ISBN 1-901097-95-1.
The Complete Care Home Guide and The Brief Care
Home Guide
The charity Counsel and Care was funded by a Section 64 grant from
the Department of Health to produce a guide which aims to answer commonly
asked questions about choosing a care home, paying for care, living
in a care home and how to make a complaint. It was intended to be
of use to older people, their relatives, friends and professional
advisers and is the result of collaboration between Counsel and Care,
specialists in the Department of Health and the voluntary, private
and statutory sectors.
The final result was two guides - a comprehensive A4 version and
a brief A5 booklet. Demand has been so great that at present the guides
are only available to download from the website www.counselandcare.org.uk
For details of a future reprint please write to Counsel and Care,
Twyman House, 16 Bonny Street, London, NW1 9PG.
From Welfare to Well-being
This is a major report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on housing,
money and care for older people. It rejects the traditional service-led
agenda and focuses on making changes to enable older people to have
more resources and control to make their own decisions. It urges the
promotion of inclusion and active ageing for the whole older population
rather than managing dependency. For further details see www.jrf.org.uk
or phone 01904 629241.
Homing in on housing: a study of housing decisions
of people aged over 60
(Roger Clough, Mary Leamy and Les Bright, Eskrigge Social Research,
2003, 58 pages, ISBN 0-954569-70-9, £9.00.)
Housing is one of the most important aspects of an older person's
life - but how do older people make their decisions? In this excellent
report on a three-year research project by the Department of Applied
Social Science at Lancaster University and the charity Counsel and
Care, the housing pathways of nearly 1,000 older people from both
urban and rural areas were analysed in order to give policy makers
a clearer picture of the true housing needs of older people.
A key finding of the project was that older people are fed up with
being asked for their opinion and then nothing being done - 'you may
be listening but can you hear?' The use of older people themselves
to carry out many of the interviews was a great success. They were
given training and, as one of them commented, 'older people are more
at ease talking to people in the older age group'.
As usual the research found that older people often made decisions
without knowing all the facts. Many didn't appreciate the difference
between sheltered housing and residential care and lacked appropriate
up-to-date information. Many resolutely guarded their independence
by stating that they had no intention of moving! Others complained
that their accommodation was designed by younger people who 'don't
see the far end of the picture' and often found it difficult to get
alterations carried out to enable them to stay at home.
The overall messages of this report are that people's homes become
more, rather than less important as they age, that a move in later
life can be daunting, and that being near family and friends and living
in a friendly and secure neighbourhood are important. Many older people
move because of a fall or failing health and mobility but other important
factors are the individual's personality, social network and finances.
I was particularly interested to read that many older people are reluctant
to move to a retirement community but some are pleasantly surprised
when they do so.
I found this report easy to read with its helpful margin quotations
to guide one through and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone concerned
about housing in later life either as a provider or consumer.
Alison M Johnson (Centre Consultant)
Individuals in Need: guidelines for grant makers
The guidelines presented in this booklet have been compiled by the
Association of Charity Officers and draw on the experience of the
diverse range of charitable trusts which they represent. They are
a set of standards which funders will aim for when engaged in the
process of helping older people and their families who need advice
or financial assistance as they age. Many funds are specific to particular
trades, professions or industries and the Occupational Benevolent
Funds Alliance (OBFA) now has a website (www.joblinks.org.uk)
and helpline (01707 651777) where you can find more information about
specific funds. Phone the helpline or e-mail info@aco.uk.net
for copies of the guidelines.
Pensions: challenges and choices - a response
submitted on behalf of the Diocese of Sheffield
Revd Kevin Barnard, the Bishop of Sheffield's Adviser on Issues related
to Ageing has written a response on behalf of the diocese to the First
Report of the Pensions Commission. Whilst he congratulates the Commission
on a clear and balanced presentation of the present and projected
situation he raises a number of important issues such as whether the
case for a shift in responsibility for pension provision has been
made or simply taken for granted. He also raises important ethical
questions concerning the use of foreign labour to augment the workforce
in health and social care and the use of large-scale overseas investment
to support pension funds. Contact 0114 2882149 for copies of the response.
Publications
by the Leveson Centre
