Educating Older People

This important book builds on recent publications in lifelong learning which focus on learning and education in later life. This work breaks new ground in international understandings of what constitutes later life learning across diverse cultures in manifold countries or regions across the world. Containing 42 separate country/regional analyses of later life learning, the overall significance resides in insiders’ conceptualisations and critique of this emerging sub-field of lifelong learning and adult education. International perspectives on older adult education provides new appreciation of what is happening in countries from Europe (14), Africa (10), the Americas (7), Asia (9) and Australasia (2), as authored by adult educators and/or social gerontologists in respective geographical areas. These analyses are contextualised by a thorough introduction and critical appraisal where trends and fresh insights are revealed. The outcome of this book is a never-before available critique of what it means to be an older learner in specific nations, and the accompanying opportunities and barriers for learning and education. The sub-title of research, policy and practice conveys the territory that authors traverse in which rhetoric and reality are interrogated. Coverage in chapters includes conceptual analysis, historical patterns of provision, policy developments, theoretical perspectives, research studies, challenges faced by countries and “success stories” of later life learning. The resultant effect is a vivid portrayal of a vast array of learning that occurs in later life across the globe. Brian Findsen is Professor of Education and Postgraduate Leader for Te Whiringa School of Educational Leadership and Policy, Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Marvin Formosa is Head of the Department of Gerontology, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta, and Director of the International Institute on Ageing (United Nations - Malta).

This first truly comprehensive interdisciplinary, international critique of theory and practice in lifelong learning as it relates to later life is an absolute tour de force. Alexandra Withnall, Universities of Warwick and Leicester, UK. This is a book that needed to be written: it provides a most thorough and skilful analysis of a comprehensive range of contemporary literature about learning in later life from many localities and countries of the world. Peter Jarvis, Professor Emeritus, University of Surrey Impressive in its scope this handbook seeks to describe older learning critically within the lifelong learning literature at the same time that it makes a strong and persuasive case for taking older learning seriously in our postmodern world. Kenneth Wain, University of Malta Lifelong learning in later life is an essential handbook for a wide range of people who work alongside older adults in varied contexts. This handbook brings together both orthodox approaches to educational gerontology and fresh perspectives on important emerging issues faced by seniors around the globe. Issues discussed include the social construction of ageing, the importance of lifelong learning policy and practice, participation in later life learning, education of marginalised groups within older communities, inter-generational learning, volunteering and ‘active ageing’, the political economy of older adulthood, learning for better health and well-being, and the place of seniors in a learning society. Brian Findsen is a professor of adult education, Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. His writings are usually constructed within a social justice framework such as The Fourth Sector: Adult and Community Education in Aotearoa New Zealand (edited with John Benseman and Miriama Scott in 1996) and Learning later (2005). Marvin Formosa is a lecturer in the European Centre for Gerontology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta. In addition to various articles focusing on critical educational gerontology, recent and forthcoming books include Social Class Dynamics in Later Life (2009) and Social Class in Later Life: Power, Identity and Lifestyle (with Paul Higgs, 2012).

Originally published in 1962, the purpose of this book was to examine the working of the educative process when it is concerned with older people; not with children, prisoners, willing or unwilling, of a system of basic education, but voluntary contractors; not green, pliable saplings, but sturdy and sometimes unbending timber – in short, adults with an outlook on life already formed, often with family responsibilities, and with a store of past experience, special interests, training, or expertise. The teaching of older people does not consist merely of the adaptation of the methods applicable to school or college to the intellectual level of those to whom time and opportunity may have given an already broad understanding, theoretical or empirical, of a variety of subjects. The teaching of adults must take full account of method, but whatever the context, is also much concerned with the interrelations between individuals in groups, and with changes in the individuals themselves. For the adult, in the main, the purpose of education is improvement; this may imply a feeling of dissatisfaction with standards already achieved or a strong determination to reach new educational goals for specific reasons connected with status or advancement. These factors often bring with them into the setting of the adult class anxieties, tensions, feelings of inadequacy, or burdens of responsibility that overshadow the learning process because of the importance of the outcome. Habits and attitudes may already have been formed that stand in the way of assimilating new patterns and techniques of learning. This book is concerned with the social and psychological factors of which account must be taken in approaching the teaching of adults. It considers methods of teaching and of learning, and proceeds to inquire into the deeper attitudinal influences at work, both in the teacher and in the student. Throughout the book theory is illustrated by the liberal use of examples. The author has also attempted to go beyond the particular to the general and to discuss the issues and principles that apply over a wide field of education and indeed of management. Thus the scope and usefulness of the book are not confined solely to the tutorial situation, but extend to those fields in which problems of group relations and leadership are to be found within the context of training or of management.

In many countries across the Asia Pacific region, people are adapting to the new demographic shift, but there is nonetheless much concern. This book documents the various educational approaches rendered by both public and private sectors to enable elderly individuals in their own countries to re-engage in society more inclusively, to stay longer in the labour market, and to become less dependent on the state or their families. In order to produce active, healthy, and productive aging citizens, the experiments showcased by this book highlight how adaptive action is needed across many policy areas, with emphasis on shaping structural differences in the composition and organisation of higher education systems that can better foster lifelong learning among elderly citizens. The book is a great venue to underline the interplay of the theory and practices of vastly complex challenges.

"Learning across generations in Europe: Contemporary issues in older adult education constitutes an important book in the emergent field of study of older adult learning. The book gives a clear and wide overview on the different concepts, ideas, and meanings, related to older adults’ education, learning and intergenerational learning through strong theoretical standpoints, empirical research, and policy directions. The field of older adult education has expanded immensely in recent years since it raised questions that are connected to a rapidly ageing society in very turbulent times of economic and social changes in Europe. This book provides the basis for an in-depth analysis of the understandings and interpretations of education and learning in later-life, rethinking the development of different approaches for education of older adults, as well as diverse research and evaluation of different forms of older adults’ education and learning. It brings together both orthodox approaches to educational gerontology and older adult learning on important emerging issues faced by educators around the globe. The chapters address the contemporary differentiated discussion on diverse phenomena labelled ranging from intergenerational learning to older men learning, providing robust impulses for the development of further theoretical and empirical research on older adult and intergenerational learning. It is the editors’ intention that this collection of papers acts as a persuasive argument for formal and non-formal learning agencies to open more doors for older adults. Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha Ph.D. is Full Professor of educational science with focus on continuing education and further vocational training at Institute of Education, University of Tuebingen. His research and writings address the topics of adult education, intergenerational learning, informal adult learning, and higher education Sabina Jelenc Krašovec Ph.D. is Associate Professor of adult education within the Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Her research and writings focus on the education of vulnerable adults, and more recently, on older adult learning in the community and non-formal contexts. Marvin Formosa Ph.D. is co-ordinator of the Gerontology Unit, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta. Recent publications include Lifelong Learning in Later Life: A Handbook on Older Adult Learning (with Brian Findsen, 2011) and Population Ageing in Malta: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (with Charles Scerri, 2015). "

The aims of this book are to review and analyse the burgeoning literature on older people's education, training and learning activity; to identify and document good practice through a review of selected British case studies drawn from a statutory, voluntary and commercial fields; and to evaluate both literature and the findings of the case studies, in order to offer a fresh perspective on good practice in this important area. The book is divided into four parts: philosophy and practice; participation and provision; case studies; and redefining good practice. This book will be of value to anyone interested in learning in later life - including learners themselves.

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.