Cultures Of Care In Aging

This book is about caring for elderly persons in the 21th century. It shows that care has many facets and is influenced by many factors. Central topics of this book thus include the relation between the person depending on care and the care giver(s), the impacts of caregiving on the family and the larger social context, as well as socio-cultural and political aspects underlying the growing need for and the practice of formal and informal care. It is evident that care as a real-life phenomenon of our time needs the co-operation of multiple disciplines to better understand, describe, explain and modify phenomena of elder care. Such a need for cross- disciplinary research is even more urgent given the increasing population aging and the impending gaps between demand and supply of care. The present book is dedicated to this approach and provides a first substantive integration of knowledge from geropsychology, other gerosciences, and cultural psychologies by a multi-disciplinary cast of internationally renowned authors. Cultural psychology emerged as a valuable partner of the gerosciences by contributing essentially to a deeper understanding of the relevant issues. Reading of this book provides the reader—researcher or practitioner—with new insights of where the problems of advancing age take our caring tasks in our 21st century societies and it opens many new directions for further work in the field. Finally and above all, this book is also a strong plea for solidarity between generations in family and society in a rapidly changing globalized world.

This volume brings together chapters about aging in many non-Western cultures, from Africa and Asia to South America, from American Indians to Australian and Hawaii Aboriginals. It also includes articles on other issues of aging, such as falling, dementia, and elder abuse. It was thought that in Africa or Asia, elders were revered and taken care of. This certainly used to be the case. But the Western way has moved into these places, and we now find that elders are often left on their own or in institutions, as younger people have migrated to other cities and even countries. Grandparents often find themselves being parents to their grandchildren, a far cry from the kind of life they believed they would have as they aged. This book will explore all these issues and will be of use to students and researchers in this relatively new field.

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

Change in the culture of long-term care and the care of our elders is urgently needed! This insightful book lights the way. This book will inform you about the theoretical and practical applications of culture change within the institutional long-term care setting. It examines existing models of “positive cultures,” emphasizing philosophy, underpinning, and implementation. You'll gain a greater understanding of theoretical frameworks for organizational change, of the changes that can occur in all members of the long-term care community, and of culture change in the context of broad organizational experience and cultural competence. From the editors: “This text provides a timely and comprehensive approach to understanding culture change from the perspective of management and business as well as policy and regulatory guidelines and the framework for aging services. It will provide the reader with an understanding of the current state of the art in conceptualizing long-term care environments that are resident-centered and resident-directed, that respect the individuality of the staff, and that are high-performance entities. The theory and practice of culture change are presented with an eye toward a future where aging people and their families will be both consumers and providers of long-term care.” The first section of Culture Change in Long-Term Care explores the cultural values existing in today's long-term care environment that make us desirous of culture change. The second section examines existing models and networks of culture change in long-term care, including the Eden Alternative, Wellspring, and Pioneer Network Section three brings you to the frontline with case studies from urban, suburban, and rural facilities, facilities with and without unionized staff, facilities from various geographic regions of the United States, and facilities whose experience ranges from years to a decade. Processes, challenges, and qualitative/quantitative findings are included. Section four provides international perspectives, with practical advice from Australia, Sweden, and British Columbia. The final section of Culture Change in Long-Term Care explores the underlying question: “Is change realistic?” This section explores the role of state government, public policy, and the regulatory environment in accomplishing culture change. With Culture Change in Long-Term Care you'll get a theoretical perspective on culture and culture change, as well as quality-of-life models and case studies that will help you learn if—and how—such a process is achievable in your institution. Make it a part of your professional collection today!

Discover the essential benefits of approaching elder care in a more person-centered way and be a part of transforming the culture of long-term care. Culture Change in Elder Care is a one-of-a-kind exploration of the ongoing efforts to revolutionize elder care in America, with contributions from many of the innovators who have championed the "culture change" movement. Supporting the ideals of person-centered care from economic, practical, and moral perspectives, it also speaks to the changing demands of long-term care consumers and how care communities will remain competitive by creating settings where residents and staff can live and grow, and not just grow old. Gain insight into the essential arguments, values, and business case for why traditional care models have and must change to better serve the needs of today's older adults. Highlighting the key principles of person-centered care, including listening to the voice of elders and providing meaningful choices, this book also: debunks perceived legal and regulatory impediments to culture change promotes the changes needed at local, state, and federal levels to bring focus to higher quality of life and improved care practices illuminates the many benefits to be gained from embracing culture change offers advice on the future for community owners, administrators, and managers The most up-to-date resource on the transformative changes occurring in elder care services, Culture Change in Elder Care proves that new approaches have become more than theory and are a practical reality, with stronger justifications than ever before. Remain a leading provider in your community--turn towards the future of elder care and emphasize dignity, choice, and comfort in the day-to-day lives of older adults.

What does it mean to grow old in America today? Is 'successful aging' our responsibility? What will happen if we fail to 'grow old gracefully'? Especially for women, the onus on the aging population in the United States is growing rather than diminishing. Gender, race, and sexual orientation have been reinterpreted as socially constructed phenomena, yet aging is still seen through physically constructed lenses. The second edition of Margaret Cruikshank's Learning to Be Old helps put aging in a new light, neither romanticizing nor demonizing it. Featuring new research and analysis, expanded sections on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender aging and critical gerontology, and an updated chapter on feminist gerontology, the second edition even more thoroughly than the first looks at the variety of different forces affecting the progress of aging. Cruikshank pays special attention to the fears and taboos, multicultural traditions, and the medicalization and politicization of natural processes that inform our understanding of age. Through it all, we learn a better way to inhabit our age whatever it is.

This is the first of three volumes on Aging conceived for the International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine. Leading scholars from a range of disciplines contest some of the predominant paradigms on aging, and critically assess modern trends in social health policy.

Known for a tradition of Confucian filial piety, East Asian societies have some of the oldest and most rapidly aging populations on earth. Today these societies are experiencing unprecedented social challenges to the filial tradition of adult children caring for aging parents at home. Marshalling mixed methods data, this volume explores the complexities of aging and caregiving in contemporary East Asia. Questioning romantic visions of a senior’s paradise, chapters examine emerging cultural meanings of and social responses to population aging, including caregiving both for and by the elderly. Themes include traditional ideals versus contemporary realities, the role of the state, patterns of familial and non-familial care, social stratification, and intersections of caregiving and death. Drawing on ethnographic, demographic, policy, archival, and media data, the authors trace both common patterns and diverging trends across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Korea.