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| Much of the literature on aging in place references the utmost importance of creating and maintaining a reciprocal social network.<ref name="Riche">Riche, Y., & Mackay, W. (2010). PeerCare: Supporting awareness of rhythms and routines for better aging in place. Comupter Supported Cooperative Work, 19, 73-104. doi 10.1007/s10606-009-9105-z</ref> In truly reciprocal social relationships people need to feel a sense that both they and the other person are contributing to the social (phone calls and conversations) and care (shopping, household chores or yard work) exchanges that characterize our relationships, and the key relationships of seniors aging in place. | Much of the literature on aging in place references the utmost importance of creating and maintaining a reciprocal social network.<ref name="Riche">Riche, Y., & Mackay, W. (2010). PeerCare: Supporting awareness of rhythms and routines for better aging in place. Comupter Supported Cooperative Work, 19, 73-104. doi 10.1007/s10606-009-9105-z</ref> In truly reciprocal social relationships people need to feel a sense that both they and the other person are contributing to the social (phone calls and conversations) and care (shopping, household chores or yard work) exchanges that characterize our relationships, and the key relationships of seniors aging in place. | ||
| - | Although most of us consider neighbourhoods in a purely physical way, they are really very important social contexts.<ref name="Gardner">Gardner, P.J. (2011). Natural neighborhood networks – Important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place. Journal of Aging Studies, 25, 263-271. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2011.03.007</ref> These physical spaces provide key opportunities for seniors to create and maintain social relationships outside those of their families and/or immediate caregivers.<ref name="Gardner" /> These can be important relationships because they can bring real satisfaction to seniors while expanding their social networks, and help them feel comfortable and safe in their home communities. Membership in a community is paramount to the health of seniors aging in place. It is a process of acting together to accomplish goals, identifying common interests and building relationships. | + | Although most of us consider neighbourhoods in a purely physical way, they are really very important social contexts.<ref name="Gardner">Gardner, P.J. (2011). Natural neighborhood networks – Important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place. Journal of Aging Studies, 25, 263-271. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2011.03.007</ref> These physical spaces provide key opportunities for seniors to create and maintain social relationships outside those of their families and/or immediate caregivers.<ref name="Gardner" /> These can be important relationships because they can bring real satisfaction to seniors while expanding their social networks, and help them feel comfortable and safe in their home communities. Membership in a community is paramount to the health of seniors aging in place. It is a process of acting together to accomplish goals, identifying common interests and building relationships.<ref name="Book">Bookman, A. (2008). Innovative models of aging in place: Transforming our communities for an aging population. Community, Work and Family, 11(4), 419-438. doi: 10.1080/13668800802362334</ref> |
| - | The outdoor spaces on and around the properties of seniors, such as porches, back yards, and sidewalks can provide easy access to conversations with neighbours, who can be a key resource and social relationship for seniors. Some seniors had baby sat for younger couples with children on the street, given advice and help in situations where they have experience and in return are invited for meals, and offered help with yard work, shopping and household chores. There is also an opportunity to develop relationships with other seniors in the community. This can be especially beneficial to both parties, as they can understand more easily the help that someone aging may need, and have more time to spend as a social contact than other neighbours. | + | The outdoor spaces on and around the properties of seniors, such as porches, back yards, and sidewalks can provide easy access to conversations with neighbours, who can be a key resource and social relationship for seniors.<ref name="Gardner" /> Some seniors had baby sat for younger couples with children on the street, given advice and help in situations where they have experience and in return are invited for meals, and offered help with yard work, shopping and household chores. There is also an opportunity to develop relationships with other seniors in the community.<ref name="Riche" /> This can be especially beneficial to both parties, as they can understand more easily the help that someone aging may need, and have more time to spend as a social contact than other neighbours. |
| - | Favourite small grocery stores, butcher shops, fruit stands and local café’s, farmers markets and parks can also be key places where seniors develop relationships, not just with the other people who regularly use these spaces, but with the staff of the area as well, providing a ‘home away from home’ where seniors feel comfortable spending time. These can be important places to feel independent, as they do their shopping, have coffee and visit with other locals to hear the latest news and discuss the ins and outs of daily life. They can have access to physical activity also, while shopping, walking and visiting their favourite local spots. | + | Favourite small grocery stores, butcher shops, fruit stands and local café’s, farmers markets and parks can also be key places where seniors develop relationships, not just with the other people who regularly use these spaces, but with the staff of the area as well, providing a ‘home away from home’ where seniors feel comfortable spending time.<ref name="Gardner" /> These can be important places to feel independent, as they do their shopping, have coffee and visit with other locals to hear the latest news and discuss the ins and outs of daily life. They can have access to physical activity also, while shopping, walking and visiting their favourite local spots.<ref name="Gardner" /> |
| - | While these areas can provide so much benefit to seniors, in many communities seniors are having trouble accessing these local resources and businesses, even within their own close neighbourhoods. The main barriers are safety and accessibility and that can affect many factors of living for seniors, such as transportation, and physical exercise. | + | While these areas can provide so much benefit to seniors, in many communities seniors are having trouble accessing these local resources and businesses, even within their own close neighbourhoods. The main barriers are safety and accessibility and that can affect many factors of living for seniors, such as transportation, and physical exercise.<ref name="Dye">Dye, C.J., Willoughby, D.F., & Battisto, D.G. (2010): Advice from rural elders: What it takes to age in place. Educational Gerontology, 37(1), 74-93. DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2010.515889</ref> |
| - | With many aging seniors unable to drive the options for transportation begin to dwindle. Many older seniors are not comfortable using public transportation as it can be difficult and unsafe getting on and off busses, subways and street cars if you have a mobility issue or are a little unsteady on your feet. This leaves the options of taking cabs to every outing, appointment and shopping excursion, which can become prohibitively expensive, or taking local volunteer transportation often offered to seniors, which can be limiting, as they mostly cover the essential services such as doctors appointments, and not much else. | + | With many aging seniors unable to drive the options for transportation begin to dwindle.<ref name="Dye" /> Many older seniors are not comfortable using public transportation as it can be difficult and unsafe getting on and off busses, subways and street cars if you have a mobility issue or are a little unsteady on your feet.<ref name="Chip">Chippendale, T.L., & Bear-Lehman, J. (2010). Enabling “aging in place” for urban dwelling seniors: An adaptive or remedial approach? Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 28(1), 57-62. doi: 10.3109/02703180903381078</ref> This leaves the options of taking cabs to every outing, appointment and shopping excursion, which can become prohibitively expensive, or taking local volunteer transportation often offered to seniors, which can be limiting, as they mostly cover the essential services such as doctors appointments, and not much else. |
| Walking, as both a mode of transportation and exercise can be unsafe if the sidewalks are broken, uneven, or in some rural areas non-existent. Some seniors who do not live right in city centers may not attempt to walk if they believe it is too far, if they tire easily, or believe it is unsafe. Also, in city centers with traffic lights that change quickly, and where people drive aggressively, seniors can be at higher risk for traffic related injury. Hearing or sight impaired seniors are at particular risk because not hearing traffic, or not being able to see crossing signals change can put them at extra risk for injury. | Walking, as both a mode of transportation and exercise can be unsafe if the sidewalks are broken, uneven, or in some rural areas non-existent. Some seniors who do not live right in city centers may not attempt to walk if they believe it is too far, if they tire easily, or believe it is unsafe. Also, in city centers with traffic lights that change quickly, and where people drive aggressively, seniors can be at higher risk for traffic related injury. Hearing or sight impaired seniors are at particular risk because not hearing traffic, or not being able to see crossing signals change can put them at extra risk for injury. | ||
Revision as of 21:54, 31 October 2011
Contents |
Group #11
- 1. Sarah Lane
- 2. Janice Harrison
- 3. Krystal McCord
Aging In Place
Aging in Place: The Home
Healthy and Happy Aging in Place: The Community
There are many factors within a community that need to be present for successful aging in place. Unlike many of the factors in the home, factors in the community are not as easily changed or controlled by the seniors that are affected by them. All of these dynamic and intertwined factors can contribute in some way to the physical and/or mental health of seniors aging in place, but can also be barriers depending on the community in which they live and the programs in place.
Much of the literature on aging in place references the utmost importance of creating and maintaining a reciprocal social network.[1] In truly reciprocal social relationships people need to feel a sense that both they and the other person are contributing to the social (phone calls and conversations) and care (shopping, household chores or yard work) exchanges that characterize our relationships, and the key relationships of seniors aging in place.
Although most of us consider neighbourhoods in a purely physical way, they are really very important social contexts.[2] These physical spaces provide key opportunities for seniors to create and maintain social relationships outside those of their families and/or immediate caregivers.[2] These can be important relationships because they can bring real satisfaction to seniors while expanding their social networks, and help them feel comfortable and safe in their home communities. Membership in a community is paramount to the health of seniors aging in place. It is a process of acting together to accomplish goals, identifying common interests and building relationships.[3]
The outdoor spaces on and around the properties of seniors, such as porches, back yards, and sidewalks can provide easy access to conversations with neighbours, who can be a key resource and social relationship for seniors.[2] Some seniors had baby sat for younger couples with children on the street, given advice and help in situations where they have experience and in return are invited for meals, and offered help with yard work, shopping and household chores. There is also an opportunity to develop relationships with other seniors in the community.[1] This can be especially beneficial to both parties, as they can understand more easily the help that someone aging may need, and have more time to spend as a social contact than other neighbours.
Favourite small grocery stores, butcher shops, fruit stands and local café’s, farmers markets and parks can also be key places where seniors develop relationships, not just with the other people who regularly use these spaces, but with the staff of the area as well, providing a ‘home away from home’ where seniors feel comfortable spending time.[2] These can be important places to feel independent, as they do their shopping, have coffee and visit with other locals to hear the latest news and discuss the ins and outs of daily life. They can have access to physical activity also, while shopping, walking and visiting their favourite local spots.[2]
While these areas can provide so much benefit to seniors, in many communities seniors are having trouble accessing these local resources and businesses, even within their own close neighbourhoods. The main barriers are safety and accessibility and that can affect many factors of living for seniors, such as transportation, and physical exercise.[4]
With many aging seniors unable to drive the options for transportation begin to dwindle.[4] Many older seniors are not comfortable using public transportation as it can be difficult and unsafe getting on and off busses, subways and street cars if you have a mobility issue or are a little unsteady on your feet.[5] This leaves the options of taking cabs to every outing, appointment and shopping excursion, which can become prohibitively expensive, or taking local volunteer transportation often offered to seniors, which can be limiting, as they mostly cover the essential services such as doctors appointments, and not much else.
Walking, as both a mode of transportation and exercise can be unsafe if the sidewalks are broken, uneven, or in some rural areas non-existent. Some seniors who do not live right in city centers may not attempt to walk if they believe it is too far, if they tire easily, or believe it is unsafe. Also, in city centers with traffic lights that change quickly, and where people drive aggressively, seniors can be at higher risk for traffic related injury. Hearing or sight impaired seniors are at particular risk because not hearing traffic, or not being able to see crossing signals change can put them at extra risk for injury.
As our population ages, cities will need to begin to consider some of these issues that affect the well being of seniors. Some municipalities have begun to do so with maps of services, green spaces and health care facilities provided to seniors, with improvements to infrastructure, and even with beginning to talk about what changes need to be made, consulting seniors in the process. Urban planning could be reinvented to make the design for transportation, infrastructure and green spaces more friendly to seniors aging in place.
Notes and References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Riche, Y., & Mackay, W. (2010). PeerCare: Supporting awareness of rhythms and routines for better aging in place. Comupter Supported Cooperative Work, 19, 73-104. doi 10.1007/s10606-009-9105-z
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Gardner, P.J. (2011). Natural neighborhood networks – Important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place. Journal of Aging Studies, 25, 263-271. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2011.03.007
- ↑ Bookman, A. (2008). Innovative models of aging in place: Transforming our communities for an aging population. Community, Work and Family, 11(4), 419-438. doi: 10.1080/13668800802362334
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dye, C.J., Willoughby, D.F., & Battisto, D.G. (2010): Advice from rural elders: What it takes to age in place. Educational Gerontology, 37(1), 74-93. DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2010.515889
- ↑ Chippendale, T.L., & Bear-Lehman, J. (2010). Enabling “aging in place” for urban dwelling seniors: An adaptive or remedial approach? Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 28(1), 57-62. doi: 10.3109/02703180903381078
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