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The phenomenon of elder abuse and ways of prevention and intervention
87-104Views:112In today’s world abuse committed against the elderly receives much less attention than against women and children. There are several aspects because it is very important for elder abuse to receive at least the same amount of publicity: respect of the elderly, teaching our children the correct standards, serving as prevention, that the phenomenon exists, and thus teaching the younger generation that one type of abuse is not accepted either. Our aim with this paper was to draw attention to the importance gerontological research on elder abuse. Therefore, after describing the types of abuse, we present international and national prevalence data. We look at how to get help in Hungary and the possible reasons why older adults do not seek help. Finally, by presenting the World Health Organization's criteria, our aim is to point the way to solving the problems raised in the study. We would like to present the topic from several aspects so it helps the people to recognize the typical signs of potential abuse. Abuses against the elderly can also happen at the institutional and family level. Nevertheless, it can also occur in public, because the elderly can be categorized as endangered as children and women, because they have similar characteristics like defencelessness, naivety and weaker physicality. Also, it should be mentioned, because as we will see later, based on the opinion of the World Health Organization (WHO), it also includes the lack of help and action and how much people act altruistic. The fact that the WHO (2022) urges the fight against abuse of the elderly in the next few years indicates the actuality of the theme. The purpose of the study is to highlight the importance of elder abuse in the professional public consciousness.
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Primary aspects of the elderly and information communication technologies
138-160Views:499In this article, we will briefly review information and communication technology (ICT), the most typical characteristics of the elderly age group, and finally, we will look at how and in which areas the elderly can connect to ICT solutions. It is not easy to navigate in a world of rapidly evolving technology even for those who do not have to think about how to learn using ICT. In a rapidly evolving world of technology, it is not easy for those who does not need to think about how to learn how to use ICT to adapt. Those who have not been in touch with ICT for a third or half of their lives start from a serious disadvantage, and this disadvantage can increase in old age. Today it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between the online and offline worlds, and this is unlikely to become easier in the future. Welfare states are characterized by an aging society, and the resulting problems have long been present in all areas, from health to economy. In our study we will examine and bring together relevant literature closely related to this topic, covering quality of life, overcoming loneliness, social inclusion and the health of the individual. Our aim is to explore the potential of ICT for quality ageing of older people, the factors that motivate them to use the tools, the difficulties that hinder their use and learning, and the future prospects. Our study covered the English and Hungarian language literature, publications published in Europe or research conducted in European countries, among people aged 65 and over, between 2011 and 2021.
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GreenerAge: Empowering Sustainable Transitions through Adult Education for 55+ people
19-22Views:45The ageing of the global population is fast-moving. In Europe, the projections are that individuals aged 55 and older rise from approximately 35% in 2022 to around 40% of the total population by 2050 (Eurostat, 2020). Climate and sustainable actions should consider their participation and engagement. With accumulated life experiences, maturity, time, and knowledge, older adults can play a pivotal role in advancing a greener future, both at the individual and community levels.
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The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on older adults with dementia and their caregivers: a narrative review
46-49Views:57The purpose was to gather the existing literature, provide an up-to-date overview and, in the future, to continue the research for this important topic.
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Palliative and Hospice Social Work Roles in the U.S.
18Views:86Palliative care services worldwide continue to grow, primarily in response to a human rights approach and to respond to the aging of the population, increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses and cancer mortality. While there is recognition in the WHO definition of palliative care that not only physical, but also psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care must be part of services provided, how these are addressed varies greatly by country and region of the world.
In the U.S., social work services are mandated to be provided by hospice organizations seeking funding from Medicare (governmental insurance for people over age 65) and supports the tenets of the palliative care philosophy to provide person-centered holistic care. The role of palliative and hospice social workers is highly aligned with the values of the profession centered on the dignity and worth of all humans and the commitment to improving quality of life throughout life and especially at the end of life. Older adults make up the overwhelming majority of hospice recipients in the U.S. and attention to their daily needs and those of the family caregivers is essential to maximize quality of life.
This presentation will focus on the roles of social workers in the U.S., particularly with older adults, in various palliative care settings and how this may compare to roles across the globe. -
Ageless quarantine yoga - Escape to Yogaland in the time of pandemic
12-14Views:129Nowadays it is expansively recognised that practicing yoga can improve the quality of life by providing appropriate physical training exercises which can be performed by every age group. Yoga practitioners of the older generations beside maintaining their physical activity can heal their sense of balance which decreases the hazard of off-balance and fall.
During the years of my yoga teaching I met the representatives of every age group at my classes. I led kids yoga courses for preschool children, dynamic flow sequences for trained yoga practitioners, but I did have students over 70 years old who insisted to join an intermediate level hatha yoga class even if they had gone through serious illnesses and operations in the past and they were not able to hold each postures.
I have experienced that the elderly people are very grateful for the healing that yoga gives them and for the careful attention whereby the yoga instructor tailors the yoga asanas and sequences according to the physical condtitions, state of health and capabilities of each individual.
At the yoga instructor courses the contraindications of asanas and defining the anatomic and physiological backround of injuries and the physical limitations of each practitioner are emphasized intensively. This comprehensive teacher training and the continuous monitoring guarantee the safety. The instructor faces the mutations and the loss of physical and psychical balance in the the reality, at the yoga classes. Practice makes the master! It is more than true is yoga. Gaining practical experience the instructor can handle the special situations and needs with growing confidence applying yoga props (strap, yoga blocks, chair etc.), modifying the asanas, and using the power of words to motivate the students.
Supported by my friends I created The Force Yoga Group Facebook site in April , where I have been leading yoga classes since then. It is a great place to meet my yoga practitioning friends, my family members, my elderly parents and in defieance of quarantine and lockdown to practice yoga together, at the same time. Our magical yoga carpet is a tranquil island to where we can escape from the raging pandemic, where we can start our inner journey in the time of the outer movelessness.
The online practice team has already more than 100 members. It is an intercultural and intergenerational group. I knew I had no information of the health conditions, the perfection of yoga practice of each group member, and with many of them I had not practiced together in person (offline), so I had to call their attention to the rules of safe yoga practice constantly and acutely. At the beginning and at the end of the online sessions I dedicate some sentences to it, during practice I try to instruct precisely to protect them from the injuries. The verbal correction playes here a very important role.
My online students can be informed about the topic from the scientific articles I share on our page from time to time.
I am aware of the fact that an avarege home is not a well-equipped yoga studio, so I show online how to use the furniture, fixtures and everyday objects as yoga props.
A shorter, 30-45 minute Chair Yoga Class is the part of our weekly program as well, especially for those members who struggle with balance poses or get weak easily.
In private messages the students send me their observations, remarks, questions and requests. Some of them experience pain or tension in certain asanas, so we try to find out together the reason of it and to correct and to set the posture. A 75 year-old student of mine asked me to build a yoga sequence of simple breathing exercises and stretching asanas which can be performed by anyone.
Many feedbacks speak about how big inspiration is to watch my everyday practice and my enthusiasm is pushing the spectators to their yoga mat. There are older practitioners who perform the breathing and warm up exercises sitting on a chair, and it means already 15-20 minutes of physical training.
During lockdown there are 4-5 online yoga sessions weekly, the videos are available anytime. The regular practice becomes a sure point in the life of the members, there is something to look forward to, even if there is no stimulus to receive from the outer world. In this online yoga space you can get new friends, through the comments you can share your ideas and suddenly you belong to a yoga community.
The stress relieving classes I close with Yoga Dream (yoga nidra) relaxation which is an at least 20 minutes of visualization, an imaginery journey interlarded by positive affirmations while body and mind are calming down. Such a mini meditation does not require any intensive physical activity but breathing. I could mention many other positive increments that occured creating The Force Yoga Group, but quoted the great yoga master, B.K.S. Iyengar:
“Words cannot convey the value of yoga – it has to be experienced.”
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Attitudes of Roma/Gypsy Adults Towards the Care of Their Elderly Loved Ones
30-45Views:140Caring for older people is a challenge for all societies. There has been a lot of research on elderly care to help make it as effective as possible. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the Roma/Gypsy elderly care among ethnic minorities, using national and international trends. The choice of the target group in our framework was not accidental - the Roma/Gypsy minority is considered vulnerable in terms of several factors, which means risks for elderly care in terms of inequalities. In addition to the main concepts of elderly care, the paper will address the opportunities and constraints of the legal environment, the relationship between elderly care and health care, and the factors that shape quality of life and well-being, as well as strategies (formal and informal) that are emerging as trends at national and international levels.
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Instead of loneliness: intergenerational home-sharing
55-57Views:54A solution has existed for decades, which addresses two pressing problems: the exclusion of the younger generation from affordable housing and the loneliness and isolation of a rapidly ageing population. An innovative housing programme is helping organisations match older people with students in a scheme called homeshare.
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Active, Creative Aging II. – Flow
52-65Views:350Background and aims: In our research, we examined the flow and antiflow experience that older people experience in different life situations (loneliness, time with family and friends, domestic work, leisure or creative activity).
Methods: In our study, we used a questionnaire examining flow and antiflow experience (anxiety, boredom, apathy) by Oláh A.
Results an discussion: Overall, creative activity and other leisure activities provide greater flow and less antiflow experience than doing housework. The flow experienced in the family circle is higher in the elderly than in the group of friends. Those engaged in creative activity reported higher flow and lower antiflow experience during loneliness than the control group engaged in other leisure activities. -
Active, Creative Aging I. - Coping
14-28Views:517Background and aims: In our research, we examined how the last stage of their lives is experienced by older people who engage in creative activity (handicraft, fine arts, textile art) aimed at creating a lasting work at this stage of their life.
Methods: In our study, we used questionnaires examining proactive coping, life satisfaction, geriatric depression, and the meaning of life.
Results and discussion: The higher level of search for meaning measured by creators may be related to the complex nature of the search, which may involve the mental stress associated with life cycle change and the ability to cope with it and the possibility of development, so that creative activity can be interpreted as a kind of protective factor. In the group of creators, reflective coping (exploring and analyzing several solution options and the resources needed for the solution) showed the highest value, which may result from the creativity and divergent thinking of those engaged in creative activity. -
Older people in the infocommunication space - opportunities and challenges
101-102Views:199Az idősek infokommunikációs technológiákkal történő interakciója pozitívan befolyásolhatja szellemi tevékenységüket és összességében jó hatással lehet a mentális egészségük serkentésére. Ez a mentális stimuláció javíthatja a memóriájukat is. Az IKT-t használó idősek úgy érzik, sokkal magabiztosabbak és kevésbé vannak elszigetelve a társadalomtól, megnöveltnek látják a társadalmi támogatást és társadalmi interakciót, jobb kognitív képességekkel rendelkeznek, fennmaradhat a függetlenség érzése a mindennapi életükben és körükben alacsonyabb szintű depressziót mérnek a kutatók. Az IKT-t megfelelő szinten alkalmazó személyek akár magasabb hozzáadott értéket is képviselhetnek közösségükben, mivel képesek átadni bölcsességüket és tudásukat a fiatalabb generációknak a fejlett technológián keresztül is. A fentiek következtében csökken a digitális szakadék, javulhat a személyes életminőség, a függetlenség és autonómia fenntartása a mobilitást is fokozza, kialakulhat és működhet a személyre szabott integrált szociális és egészségügyi ellátáshoz való hozzáférés, így a digitális kompetenciák színvonalas alkalmazása alapvetően, összességében pozitívan tud hatni az idősek saját életére és a hozzájuk tartozókéra is (Blazun, 2013).
Jelenleg – főleg az elmúlt évtizedekhez képest – a kifejezetten idősebbek számára készült technológiai eszközök és megoldások felé mutatott igény, ennek következtében pedig ezek piacképessége is fellendülésben van. A gerontechnológia – melynek területéhez tartozik minden olyan okos szolgáltatás és technikai innováció, amely az idősek életminőségét javíthatja – segíthet a sikeres öregedésben és az önálló élet fenntartásában. A kapcsolati szolgáltatások erősíthetik a szocializációt és csökkenthetik az esetleges ellátási költségeket (Peterson & Prasad, 2011). 2020-ban az idősekkel kapcsolatos médiavisszhang minden eddiginél kiemelkedőbb volt a magasabb egészségi kockázat és a korona vírussal szembeni nagyobb veszélyeztetettség miatt (Köttl, Tatzer & Ayalon, 2021).
Amikor az idősek az IKT lehetőségeket használják, számos kedvező hatással találkozhatnak. Digitális tudásuk fejlődésével csökkenhet a kirekesztődésük, ezzel együtt a magány érzete is, egészségi állapotuk folyamatos monitorozásával lassítható az egészségromlás, addig ismeretlen, új információkhoz tudnak hozzájutni, mely által fenntarthatják vagy növelhetik a mentális kondíciójukat. Kialakíthatják és menedzselhetik a családi és baráti kapcsolattartást, távolabb élő személyekkel tudják felvenni a kapcsolatot, illetve, ha mindezekben fiatalabb családtagjaik segítik őket, szorosabb családi köteléket és intergenerációs hasznot is hoz a folyamat (Bene, Móré & Zombory, 2020). Figyelmet kell fordítani arra ugyanakkor, hogy a pozitív tényezők mellett megjelenhetnek a negatív vonatkozások is. Ezek magában foglalhatják azokat az érzéseket, amelyek a személyes kontaktus hiánya miatt keletkeznek, olyan egészségi hatások erősödhetnek, mint a szem terhelése, a hosszabb ideig tartó ülés miatt rosszabbodó testtartás, internetes visszaélések célpontjai lehetnek az idősek, esetleg felmerülhet körükben is internet-és okoseszköz függőség.
Előadásunkban az idősek és az IKT kapcsolatát vizsgáljuk a tanulás, a magányosság az egészségügy és egyéb, általánosabb területek vonatkozásában a nemzetközi szakirodalmon keresztül.
Irodalom:
1. Bene, Á., Móré, M., & Zombory, J. (2020). A digitalizáció néhány elemének időseket érintő hatásai - karantén előtti helyzetkép. Magyar Gerontológia, 12(39), 29-51.
2. Blazun, H. (2013). Elderly People's Quality of Life with Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Toward a Model of Adaptation to ICT in Old Age. University of Eastern Finland, Dissertations in Social Sciences and Business Studies, no 59.
3. Köttl, H., Tatzer, V. C., & Ayalon, L. (2021). COVID-19 and Everyday ICT Use: The Discursive Construction of Old Age in German Media. The Gerontological Society of America, 10(10), 1-12. -
Skills and abilities of elderlies
45-46Views:37The third millennium is the era of the big info-technological explosion. Older people have to make friends with the technology they were not born into. They need to learn new knowledge and skills for everyday use.
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Activity in old age, active and successfull aging
73-96Views:659Background and aims: The aim of our research was to qualitatively examine the attitudes of older people towards aging, the activity available and implemented from it, their community involvement, and their lay perceptions and opinions of successful aging.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted during the research, and the interviews were evaluated by content analysis.
Results an discussion: According to the elderly, successful aging mainly requires physical or mental health, maintaining activity, an active lifestyle, a positive outlook on life, a good family environment, social relationships, financial security, goals, motivation, successful life, advance planning, and social support.