A report provided an overview of the Economic and Social Research Council s 'Growing Older Programme'. It was designed as an accessible guide to the large amount of research material generated by the programme. A summary was also published of each of the 24 individual research projects.
Source: Malcolm Dean, Growing Older in the 21st Century, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000) | Growing Older Programme: Project Summaries, Economic and Social Research Council
Links: Overview report (pdf) | Project summaries (pdf) | ESRC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Dec
A report said that the health and well-being of older people were strongly related to wealth and social position. (The study collected detailed information from over 12,000 people aged 50 and over, and will continue to follow the same group of people over time.)
Source: Michael Marmot, James Banks, Richard Blundell, Carli Lessof and James Nazroo (eds.), Health, Wealth and Lifestyles of the Older Population in England: The 2002 English longitudinal study of ageing, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: IFS press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
Researchers examined perceptions of quality of life among older people. It was found that the most important aspects of a good quality of life were psychological outlook, health status, personal social networks and neighbourhood safety.
Source: Ann Bowling, Stephen Sutton and David Banister, Adding Quality to Quantity: Older people's views on their quality of life and its enhancement, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
Researchers examined older people's lives in three deprived urban areas. Of those studied, 40 per cent experienced multiple forms of social exclusion, with those aged 75 and over most vulnerable.
Source: Thomas Scharf, Chris Phillipson, Allison Smith and Paul Kingston, Older People Living in Deprived Neighbourhoods: Social exclusion and quality of life in old age, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
A new book brought together the papers presented during 2001 and 2002 at a series of seminars on age diversity (organised by the Institute for Public Policy Research). The papers examined the nature of the ageing process, and analysed the concept of age equality. Separate chapters critically assessed issues relating to employment, education, health and discrimination against children.
Source: Sandra Fredman and Sarah Spencer (eds.), Age as an Equality Issue: Legal and policy perspectives, Hart Publishing (01865 245533)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Sep
A paper examined what steps could be taken to facilitate wider use of computer technology by older adults - in particular how political and academic assumptions about older people and new technology might be refocused, away from trying to change older adults, and towards involving older adults in changing the technology.
Source: Neil Selwyn, Stephen Gorard and John Furlong, The Information Aged: Older adults use of information and communications technology in everyday life, Working Paper 36, School of Social Sciences/Cardiff University (029 2087 5179)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A paper examined the relative roles of traditional gender identities, financial resources and social capital in the way that people managed the transition to retirement.
Source: Helen Barnes and Jane Parry, Renegotiating Identity and Relationships: Men and women s adjustments to retirement, Research Discussion Paper 14, Policy Studies Institute (020 7468 0468)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Aug
A report said that healthy older people living with a partner felt they had the highest quality of life, while those in residential homes were likely to report the poorest.
Source: Graham Beaumont and Pamela Kenealy et al., Quality of Life of the Healthy Elderly: Residential settings and social comparison processes, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: ESRC press release
Date: 2003-Jul
A report said that 7 out of 10 older people in deprived areas were vulnerable to, or experienced at least some form of, social exclusion. It was found that there were broadly three groups of older people in deprived areas: some 30 per cent did not suffer any form of exclusion; a further 30 per cent were 'vulnerable', and experienced at least some form of 'exclusion'; and the remaining 40 per cent reported 'multiple exclusions'. For people in the last category, this might mean going without basic necessities of life such as heating, new clothing, food and holidays, and being less involved in community life.
Source: Thomas Scharf et al., Older People in Deprived Neighbourhoods: Social exclusion and quality of life in old age, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: ESRC press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The 2001 General Household Survey found that 37 per cent of people aged 65 and over in Great Britain lived alone;60 per cent said they had a longstanding illness, and 41 per cent said a longstanding illness limited their activities in some way.
Source: Press release 4.6.03, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
A private member's Bill was introduced which would establish a Commissioner for the protection of the human rights of older people.
Source: David Taylor MP, Older People's Rights Commissioner Bill, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2003-Jun
A survey found that 10 per cent of people aged 60-74 living in private households (Great Britain: 2000) had a common mental disorder (such as anxiety, depression and phobias). Common mental disorders were strongly associated with disability - 37 per cent of people interviewed had difficulty with one or more of seven common activities of daily living (for example, personal care and household work).
Source: The Mental Health of Older People, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
A report examined what kinds of information, advice and advocacy services older people said they wanted. Among the suggestions were an information bank and/or information centre.
Source: Ann Quinn, Angela Snowling and Pam Denicolo, Older People s Perspectives: Devising information, advice and advocacy services, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 623
Date: 2003-Jun
A survey found that Learning Disability Partnership Boards in England were struggling to identify, meet and plan for the needs of older family carers of people with learning disabilities. (Older families were defined as those where a person with a learning disability lived with at least one family carer over the age of 65.)
Source: Planning for Tomorrow, Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities (020 7802 0304)
Links: Report (pdf) | FPLD press release
Date: 2003-Jun
Researchers said that the impact of racism should be properly considered when attempts were made to measure the quality of life of older people among Britain's ethnic minorities.
Source: Jabeer Butt, Quality of Life and Social Support among People from Different Ethnic Groups, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: ESRC Press Release
Date: 2003-May
A research study examined the links between political participation, knowledge of information technology and the needs of older people. It concluded that the internet has a long way to go if it is to fulfil its potential as an empowering democratic tool.
Source: Melissa McCarthy, Past the Post: Older people and new technology, Hansard Society (020 7955 7459)
Links: Summary | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A research report provided information about the quality of life of older people living in rural Scotland, organised around five themes - income; housing; accessibility; health and social care; and community life. It highlighted problems under each of these headings.
Source: Lorna Philip, Alana Gilbert, Natasha Mauthner and Euan Phimister, Scoping Study of Older People in Rural Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
The National Audit Office said good progress had been made in the development of policy for older people: but it also said the government should publish an overall strategy to co-ordinate work across departments, and ensure better feedback to older people on how services are improving.
Source: Developing Effective Services for Older People, HC 518 (Session 2002-03), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
Almost nine out of ten community nurses have seen evidence of abuse of an older person, a survey found. In most cases the abuse was by a family member, most often the chief carer, and in 78 per cent of cases the abuse took place in the victim's home.
Source: Press release 12.2.03, Community and District Nursing Association (020 8280 5342)
Links: Survey findings | Summary | CDNA press release | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2003-Feb
A survey of older women from different ethnic groups found that the majority now expect more from life than they have in the past: but little is known about what they regard as quality of life and successful ageing, and the information tends to ignore ethnic minority women.
Source: Haleh Afshar and Mary Maynard, Empowerment and Disempowerment: Comparative study of Afro-Caribbean, Asian and white British women in their third age, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Summary (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
The National Audit Office said that more needs to be done to encourage older people to use government e-services if those services are to provide value for money.
Source: Progress in Making e-services Accessible to All Encouraging use by older people, HC 428 (Session 2002-03), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | NAO press release | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2003-Feb
Researchers found that the quality of life in early old age (between 55 and 75) is much less influenced by a person's past the job their father had, for example than by the present. Two of the most important influences are having choices about working or not working, and having friends in whom to confide.
Source: David Blane, Richard Wiggins, Paul Higgs and Martin Hyde, Influences on Quality of Life in Early Old Age, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Press release | Linked paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jan
The Welsh Assembly Government launched a strategy for older people in Wales. It set out a comprehensive framework for collaboration between the Assembly, local government, the National Health Service, and voluntary organisations, aimed at ensuring that a co-ordinated approach is taken to older people s issues.
Source: The Strategy for Older People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5191)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Jan
