Article

Performing basic activities of daily living (ADLs) is one of the major difficulties encountered in dementia, which can have considerable negative impacts on the quality of life (QoL) of people with dementia (PwD). However, the extent to which basic ADL performance deteriorates across mild, moderate, and severe dementia is little examined and its impact, together with depression and neuropsychiatric behavior, upon QoL, is of considerable relevance across European countries.

Informal care provides the often hidden foundations of policies promoting care in the community and Ageing in Place. This paper examines the current impasse concerning those who are employed and seek to provide care, canvassing current and future possibilities for finding a way through the existing conflict between sustaining employment and providing informal care in the home. Focusing on the issues that emerge regarding support of older (aged) care recipients, the paper first considers the demographic, economic and democratic and governmental policy causes of the current problems.

Introduction: An aging population is fueling interest in assisted living technologies (ALTs) to support independence at home. Numerous ALTs have been developed and deployed, but uptake and use has fallen short of levels predicted by policymakers. A key reason is a lack of understanding of users’ needs. In this paper we report findings from the ATHENE (Assistive Technologies for Healthy Living in Elders: Needs Assessment by Ethnography) project, which is funded by the Technology Strategy Board under its Assisted Living Innovation Platform programme.

This article looks at results of a government-commissioned study in Great Britain concerning kin carers. It found that despite suffering more financial hardship, many kin carers are paid less than unrelated foster carers. They are more likely to receive little or no social work support, have no family placement worker and no access to training. It warns that special guardianship orders could similarly be used by local authorities to restrict services for kin carers.

When faced with changes in physical health, cognition, and daily functioning, older adults most frequently rely on family members for instrumental support and more intense care activities. Using a life span perspective as our guiding framework, we identified several developmental themes across the late-life caregiving research including individual well-being, relational effects, and caregiver growth.

Huntington's disease is a genetic, neurological disorder characterized by mid-life onset, involuntary movements, cognitive decline, behavioral disturbance, and inexorable progression. The impact of Huntington's disease is devastating for individuals and their families as it is a disease with a long trajectory; many young people are aware that they may develop the illness for years before there are obvious symptoms. There is therefore ample opportunity to plan and choreograph the care and supportive services for people with Huntington's disease and their families.

Informal carers are enormously involved in giving care to their disabled or needy relatives or acquaintances. To care can go along with positive private and health effects. Nevertheless it is proven that informal carers are under a greater risk to suffer from health problems, social isolation and restrictions in professional life. The primary care team can take on a key role by providing support to informal carers. To identify those carers and their burden is essential.

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of informal care levels on overall discontinuation of living at home, all-cause death, hospital admission, and long-term care placement for community-dwelling older people using various community-based services during a 3-year period. Prospective cohort study of 1582 community-dwelling disabled elderly and paired informal caregivers was conducted.

Aims and objectives: This paper presents a theory explaining the processes used by informal carers of people with dementia to mange alterations to their, and people with dementias' relationships with and places within their social worlds.

This review of research on close relationships in old age is informed by principles of life span developmental psychology and life course theory in sociology. It begins with an elaboration of life span and life course concepts as applied to relationships and an analysis of the multiple forms that caring can take. The discussion continues with presentation of research on the effects of sociohistorical contexts on relationships in old age and studies of the effects of personal development and life events on relationships as well.