Journal of Gerontological Social Work最新文献

As the older population grows in Türkiye, students' attitudes toward older adults and their educational satisfaction gain increasing importance. This study examined the relationship between these factors among 210 associate degree students in elderly care and social work programs. Students showed generally positive attitudes toward older adults (M = 142) and moderate to high educational satisfaction (M = 108). A low but significant positive correlation was found between attitudes and satisfaction (ρ = .21, p < .05). These findings suggest that strengthening empathy- and awareness-based educational content may improve student satisfaction and the quality of care for older adults.

Urbanization and an aging population challenges social service accessibility for older adults in Portugal. This study used socio-spatial modeling, integrating data from the Portuguese Social Charter and National Institute of Statistics, to evaluate service allocation and the mismatch with older adults' needs. Geospatial and Multiple Linear Regression Models showed high demand and service saturation in urban centers like Lisbon, Porto, and Faro. Conversely, significant service gaps were identified in rural and inland regions. Lower utilization in economically weaker areas suggests a strong need for financial support. Findings suggest targeted regional planning for equitable resource allocation and better service provision.

This study explores the lived experiences of older migrants experiencing homelessness (OMEH) in Canada, a population situated at the intersection of multiple structural vulnerabilities. Drawing on interviews with 22 older migrants across eight housing programs in three Canadian cities, the study applies an intersectional postcolonial framework to examine how migration status, age, and systemic exclusion shape participants' sense of community, access to services, and well-being. Findings reveal that while culturally affirming relationships and activities supported a sense of belonging, participants frequently encountered isolation, racism, and depersonalized care environments shaped by neoliberal policy frameworks. Family relationships were described as both sources of support and tension, complicated by migration expectations and intergenerational differences in values. The paper argues that the current housing system often fails to account for the cultural, relational, and structural needs of OMEH and calls for a shift toward culturally responsive and relationship-cantered care models. This research contributes to a growing body of intersectional gerontology and critical homelessness studies by centering the voices of older migrants and highlighting the systemic forces that shape their exclusion and resilience.

Extreme heat events disproportionately affect older adults in rural areas, where structural vulnerabilities remain unexplored. This study explores the physical, psychological, and behavioral impacts of heatwaves, and environmental and material conditions, which determine the vulnerability of older adults in rural Spain, using the interdisciplinary approach of environmental gerontology. The qualitative methodology analyzes 40 in-depth interviews with older adults from provinces with high heat-related mortality (Zamora, Cáceres, Ourense, Madrid). The results reveal that extreme heat is perceived as a persistent threat with physical (chronic fatigue, exacerbation of comorbidities), psychological (anxiety), and behavioral (restructuring of routines, social isolation) impacts, aggravated by inadequate housing and scarce resources. The findings contribute to conceptualizing thermal frailty as the vulnerability derived from physiological deterioration, emotional stress, and environmental constraints. The integrative analytical framework VRA-EH (Vulnerability of Rural Aging to Extreme Heat) is presented, which contributes to multidimensional and multiscale understanding of heat vulnerability in rural older adults, highlighting their capacity for action, based on adaptive behaviors and traditional knowledge, despite growing limitations. The research provides an empirical basis to guide applied research, and the design of public policies and interventions tailored to each territory, combining environmental justice, community resilience, and even climate adaptation for older people.

Identifying important meaningful occupations of Nursing Home Habitants (NHH) is essential for tailored care. Staff often presume of NHHs' preferences according to stereotypes based on age, gender and autonomy. This study explores NHHs' important occupations and how age, level of autonomy and type of NH influence self-rated occupational performance (OP). Eleven occupational therapists working in nine Nursing homes (NHs) in France used the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure with 40 NHH. Autonomy was measured by the AGGIR Grid. Among 165 occupations social participation ranked highest importance, followed by ADL and health management. OP is explained by autonnomy and NH type of NH but not age, underscoring the need for individualized, non-stereotyped support.

In South Korea, the use of physical restraints (PR) in long-term care for older adults are generally prohibited due to their link to elder abuse. This study analyzed data from the 2017 National Survey on Human Rights for Older Adults (N = 4,447), focusing on personal care assistants (PCAs) in daycare settings. The study explored the prevalence and patterns of PR use among PCAs, using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify four distinct groups based on attitudes and behaviors toward PR: High-risk Group, Semi-aware Low Usage Group, Unaware Low Usage Group, Desired Group. The study revealed a significant gap between PCAs' attitudes toward PR and their actual practices. Notably, High-risk Group tended to attribute elder abuse to personality disorders in older adults. In contrast, the desired group linked elder abuse to caregivers' personality disorders. These findings highlight the need for standardized, human rights-focused education.

Social isolation and Loneliness (SIL) are devastating experiences in later life. However, the wide disparity in the experiences of SIL among racialized older adults (ROAs) is underreported, with little attention given to the language that ROAs use when narrating their experience of SIL. With its unique focus on the language used within existing qualitative research in describing SIL among ROAs in Canada, this paper aims to shed light on how the discourse informs ideas about ROAs' lives. Using a critical discourse analysis guided by critical race theory, data was generated from 10 purposively selected qualitative articles conducted with ROAs across four provinces in Canada: Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Participants identified as Chinese, Black Africans and Caribbeans, Koreans, Spanish, Filipinos, former Yugoslavians, Iranians and Indians. Discourses of barriers, loss and vulnerability, struggles and resistance, (dis)connection, and settlement experience were dominant themes. The findings highlight the interrelated and linked aging experiences among diverse ROAs regardless of ethnicity, race, culture, province of residence, and country of birth. Therefore, to mitigate their overall experience of SIL, a conducive and enabling environment encompassing research, policy, and practice that promotes the thriving of ROAs in Canada is warranted.