Older people's mobility within the community : the impact of built environment and transportation on active aging

Population ageing is one of the major challenges of the 21st century and societies need to optimize opportunities for active ageing. This thesis explored how the built environment impacts the mobility and participation within the community. A combination of person-based GPS tracking and in-depth interviews was used to collect data on transportation use and engagement in activities of older people living within Brisbane. It showed that the built environment has a strong impact on mobility. To enable healthy and active ageing modern communities need to overcome car dependency and provide mobility options that are tailored towards older people’s needs.

A better future for young people leaving care

The Australian National Homelessness Research Agenda funded this study which explored post-care homelessness experiences of young people, asked them what they considered helpful, and identified practice and policy implications. Participants were 48 care leavers aged 19 to 23 years in Queensland and Victoria. Of these 17 young people were interviewed twice over a four month period. In addition focus groups were held with service providers and current postcare service arrangements in the two states mapped. The study found there is a need for policy and practice to more effectively orient towards a holistic and future oriented view of outcomes for young people transitioning from care.

Mobility and out-of-home activities of older people living in suburban environments : ‘Because I'm a driver, I don't have a problem'

Governments are challenged by the need to ensure that ageing populations stay active and engaged as they age. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the role of mobility in older people's engagement in out-of-home activities, and to identify the experiences they have within their communities. This research investigates the use of transportation by older people and its implications for their out-of-home activities within suburban environments. The qualitative, mixed-method approach employs data collection methods which include a daily travel diary (including a questionnaire), Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking and semi-structured interviews with older people living in suburban environments in Brisbane, Australia. Results show that older people are mobile throughout the city, and their car provides them with that opportunity to access desired destinations. This ability to drive allows older people to live independently and to assist others who do not drive, particularly where transport alternatives are not as accessible. The ability to transport goods and other people is a significant advantage of the private car over other transport options. People with no access to private transportation who live in low-density environments are disadvantaged when it comes to participation within the community. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between transportation and participation within the community environment, to assist policy makers and city and transportation planners to develop strategies for age-friendly environments within the community.

Sustainable retirement village for older people: A case study in Brisbane, Australia

Retirement villages are regarded as a viable accommodation option for the ever increasing ageing population in Australia. This paper aims to identify sustainability features and practices adopted in retirement villages and associated benefits to improve the life quality of older people. A case study of an existing retirement village 10kms from Brisbane CBD was conducted involving a series of interviews with the village managers and residents together with documents relating to the village's operations and activities. The environmentally friendly features that were incorporated into the development mainly include green design for the site and floor plan and waste management in daily operation. More importantly, a variety of facilities are provided to strengthen the social engagement and interactions among the residents. Additionally, different daily services are provided to assist independent living and improve the health conditions of residents. Also, the relatively low vacancy rate in this village indicates that these sustainability features offer good value of money for the residents. The paper provides a first look at sustainable retirement villages in terms of triple bottom line sustainability with emphasis on social aspects, reveals the importance in maintaining an appropriate balance, and provides examples of how this can be achieved in practice.

Invisible connections : investigating older people's emotions and social relations around objects

The advent of the Internet of Things creates an interest in how people might interrelate through and with networks of internet enabled objects. With an emphasis on fostering social connection and physical activity among older people, this preliminary study investigated objects that people over the age of 65 years viewed as significant to them. We conducted contextual interviews in people's homes about their significant objects in order to understand the role of the objects in their lives, the extent to which they fostered emotional and social connections and physical activity, and how they might be augmented through internet connection. Discussion of significant objects generated considerable emotion in the participants. We identified objects of comfort and routine, objects that exhibited status, those that fostered independence and connection, and those that symbolized relationships with loved ones. These findings lead us to consider implications for the design of interconnected objects.

Reciprocal habituation : a study of older people and the Kinect

We explore relationships between habits and technology interaction by reporting on older people's experience of the Kinect for Xbox. We contribute to theoretical and empirical understandings of habits in the use of technology to inform understanding of the habitual qualities of our interactions with computing technologies, particularly systems exploiting natural user interfaces. We situate ideas of habit in relation to user experience and usefulness in interaction design, and draw on critical approaches to the concept of habit from cultural theory to understand the embedded, embodied, and situated contexts in our interactions with technologies. We argue that understanding technology habits as a process of reciprocal habituation in which people and technologies adapt to each other over time through design, adoption, and appropriation offers opportunities for research on user experience and interaction design within human-computer interaction, especially as newer gestural and motion control interfaces promise to reshape the ways in which we interact with computers.

The knowledge of doing: Exploring the knowledge of support to older people with an intellectual disability

This ethnography presents a contextualised understanding of frontline knowledge used in the support to people ageing with an intellectual disability who live in accommodation and support services in south-east Queensland. The study identified that disability support workers accessed a range of knowledges which they synthesised into a dynamic and responsive locale knowledge, and subsequently translated into everyday acts of support within contexts of multi-faceted complexity. Findings from the study have numerous implications for the knowledge development activities of formal service and educational systems within Australia's newly implemented National Disability Insurance Scheme.

A systematic review of prescribing criteria to evaluate appropriateness of medications in frail older people

This study systematically reviews the published literature regarding inappropriate prescribing in frail individuals aged at least 65 years. Twenty-five of 466 identified studies met the inclusion criteria. All papers measured some surrogate indicators of frailty, such as performance-based tests, cognitive function and functional dependency. Beers criteria were used in 20 studies (74%) to evaluate inappropriate medication use and 36% (9/25) studies used more than one criterion. The prevalence of inappropriate medications ranged widely from 11 to 92%. Only a few studies reported the relationship between potentially inappropriate medication use and surrogate measures of frailty. These diverse findings indicate the need for a standardized measure for assessing appropriateness of medication in frail older individuals. Prescribing tools should address both medication and patient-related factors such as life expectancy and functional status to minimize inappropriate prescribing in frail individuals.

Sustainability literacy of older people in retirement villages

With many developed countries experiencing the aging of the population, older people play a large role in contributing to environmental problems but also to environmental solutions. The purpose of this research is to understand the awareness and behavior of current older people living in retirement villages towards sustainability development. To achieve this, a sustainability literacy survey was conducted with 65 older residents of a private retirement village located 10 Km outside the Brisbane, Australia’s central business district (CBD). Most of residents recognized the importance of environment protection and would like to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. In addition, the majority were willing to pay higher prices for a living environment with sustainable features. The importance of positive social communications was emphasized with most residents having established good relationships with others in the village. The findings provide an important insight into consumer perspectives regarding the sustainable features that should and can be incorporated into the village planning and development.

The effectiveness of peer-based interventions on health promoting behaviors in older people: A systematic review protocol of quantitative evidence

Peer-based interventions have the potential to enhance quality of life and functioning; however their role specifically within the older population has not been fully investigated. The objective of this review therefore is to locate, appraise and synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of peer-based interventions on changes in health behaviors, specifically for the older population. The specific question to be answered is: “what is the effectiveness of peer-based interventions on health promoting behaviors in older adults, when compared to non peer-based interventions?”

Management of persistent pain in the older people

Persistent pain is a commonly experienced symptom. It affects 25% of community-dwelling older adults and up to 80% of nursing home residents, and can have a major impact on quality of life and functional capacity. Unfortunately pain in older patients is often undertreated and misunderstood. Assessment of pain type and severity is important. Most older people, even with moderately impaired cognition, are able to self-report pain. Validated assessment tools using non-verbal pain cues are available for people with more advanced cognitive impairment. Management of pain in older people can be challenging. Physiological changes may impact on pain perception and the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of medications. Older people are often more sensitive to the adverse effects of analgesic medications and are at risk of drug–drug interactions due to the presence of co-morbidities and polypharmacy. In general, analgesic medications should be commenced at low doses, titrated based on effect and tolerability, and regularly reviewed. Contemporary pain management often utilises multiple analgesics in lower doses to optimise efficacy and avoid dose-related toxicity. A bio-psycho-social approach to the management of persistent pain, utilising a multidisciplinary team and including non-drug strategies, may produce the best results. The goal of pain management is not always to eliminate pain, since this may not be attainable, but rather to enhance function and improve quality of life. This article discusses persistent non-cancer pain in older people, its assessment and management, and the risks and benefits of pharmacological treatment in this population.