Guided by a feminist intersectionality framework and conducted within an action research paradigm, this dissertation reports on how social workers in community health care respond to concerns of intimate partner abuse in the lives of older women. The study was undertaken in 18 publicly-funded community health and social services agencies (CLSCs) in Quebec, Canada. Interviews were carried out with 30 social workers and three focus groups were held with some of the same social workers. / In this dissertation, I argue that social workers in community health care might benefit from using certain theoretical frameworks, as they tend to see older women as a homogeneous group, view older women's agency as problematic, and lack a cohesive understanding of the problem of intimate partner abuse -- all of which leaves them less than optimally equipped for intervention. Furthermore, certain features of intimate partner abuse at the intersection of gender, age, and disability can make intervention very complex. As a result, social workers tend to view intimate partner abuse in the lives of older women as an intractable problem, rife with double-binds, contradictions, and tensions, which can leave them feeling powerless. / In the first three chapters of this dissertation I present the study's theoretical framework, its location within the empirical scholarship on intimate partner abuse, and the methods used. I also provide background information on the Quebec context of practice. Chapters 4 and 5 are empirical chapters reporting the findings as they relate to social workers' understandings and their responses. Chapter 6 is the concluding chapter and discusses the three principal findings. The first key finding was that the practice setting shapes social workers' understandings of and responses to the problem. The second key finding was that social workers could benefit from certain theoretical frameworks that would greatly enhance their practice. The third finding is that social workers view intimate partner abuse as both enduring and changing in form, frequency, and intensity over time. The implications for theory, practice, and research are offered for each key finding.

The purpose of the study is to describe the impact of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) on the lives of pre-seniors and seniors living in Nova Scotia, Canada. This cross-sectional study involved 1461 participants, grouped by age (pre-seniors [45-64] and seniors [65+]) and residential status (long-term care facility [LTC] or community). OHRQoL was measured using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire. Approximately one in four pre-seniors and seniors reported at least one OHRQoL impact ‘fairly/very often’. Of those residing in the community, pre-seniors (28.8%) reported significantly more impacts than seniors (22.0%). Logistic regression revealed that for the community dwelling sample, those who were dissatisfied with their teeth or dentures were 5.16 times more likely to report an impact ‘fairly/very often’, which was the strongest indicator. Among the LTC sample, those who have poor perceived mouth health were 9.87 times more likely to report an impact.

The purpose of the study is to describe the impact of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) on the lives of pre-seniors and seniors living in Nova Scotia, Canada. This cross-sectional study involved 1461 participants, grouped by age (pre-seniors [45-64] and seniors [65+]) and residential status (long-term care facility [LTC] or community). OHRQoL was measured using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire. Approximately one in four pre-seniors and seniors reported at least one OHRQoL impact ‘fairly/very often’. Of those residing in the community, pre-seniors (28.8%) reported significantly more impacts than seniors (22.0%). Logistic regression revealed that for the community dwelling sample, those who were dissatisfied with their teeth or dentures were 5.16 times more likely to report an impact ‘fairly/very often’, which was the strongest indicator. Among the LTC sample, those who have poor perceived mouth health were 9.87 times more likely to report an impact.

根據內政部人口統計資料顯示，我國在1993年65歲以上人口占全國總人口數的7.1%，已達到聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）所訂的高齡化社會（aging society）7%的指標，另2009年12月老年人口數已達245萬7,648人，占全國總人口數10.6%，續創歷年新高。在人口老化已是全球普遍的現象時，未來高齡人口只會逐年增加，實有必要關注此一族群，在邁向高齡期的過程中，所引發的需求及其面臨的挑戰。因此，人口高齡化必然是當前重要的議題，而高齡教育更是值得探討的課題。本研究旨在瞭解我國高齡教育推動現況，並討論我國高齡教育政策、法令建置與經費情形及各類高齡教育學習資源之統整機制，並研析我國創新高齡教育實施方式之可能性，進而對當前政府推動高齡教育所面臨之困境提出策進建議。 本研究經由相關理論文獻探討及深度訪談的綜合分析，研究發現國內高齡教育傳統上由社會行政部門主導，且高齡教育機構種類多元豐富；晚近，教育行政部門開始介入，繼而訂頒老人教育政策白皮書，宣示政府高度重視高齡教育政策，2007年修正老人福利法並明定高齡教育係由教育行政主管部門主政，至此，國內高齡教育由社會福利取向轉至教育取向時代。此外，國內高齡教育仍面臨政策執行、法令及預算、實務推動及學術研究與人才培育等問題尚待克服。另外先進國家推動高齡教育之經驗，在心態上、經費補助、資源整合、行銷推廣及協助措施等面向頗值得我國學習、參考之處。研究最後建議教育主管機關未來應依據老人政策白皮書七項政策目標、十一項執行策略，研訂各項實施計畫，另提供八項具體建議供教育主管機關未來推動高齡教育政策時參考。 / According to the Ministry of the Interior census statistics, in 1993, 7.1% of the population was above the age of 65, surpassing the UNESCO defined 7% benchmark for an aging society. By December 2009, this population group has reached 2.45 million people, a record breaking 10.6% of the total population. The trend of population aging has become a global phenomenon, making it necessary to focus on the needs of this growing demographic and understand the challenges they face reaching venerable age. Consequently, the issues surrounding an aging population has become increasingly important, and the topic on the elder education requires in-depth analysis and discussion. This research aims to understand the current progress on the implementation of elder education, and discusses the governing polices, established laws, budget situation, and resource integration mechanisms. Further analysis demonstrates the possibility of innovating elder education practices and provides strategic recommendations to resolve current implementation challenges. Analysis of literatures, theories, and interviews showed that elder education was traditionally spearheaded by social agencies and has in place a wide variety of educational establishments and facilities. Following the amendment of the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Act in 2007 and the issuance of the White Paper on Senior Education Policy, the government has demonstrated its commitment to elder education by allowing educational agencies to assume the leading role. Elder education has since shifted from a form of social welfare to an education-oriented policy. Despite recent progress, elder education still faces the challenges of policy implementation, legislative hurdles, budget funding, practical applications, academic research, and talent building. Learning from the experiences of developed nations, Taiwan can gain from the aspects of attitude, budget support, resource integration, marketing, and assistance programs. This research suggests the educational agencies in charge to develop future implementation plans according to Item 7 (Policy Goals) and Item 11 (Implementation Strategy) of the White Paper on Senior Education Policy, and provides eight specific recommendations for future references.

No description available.

Purpose Over half a million Australians (561,413) speak limited English, with 29 per cent of those being aged over 65 years (ABS 2006). Little research has been conducted into the acute hospital experience of elderly patients with limited English proficiency. This thesis examines, in an acute hospital setting, the subjective experience of a consecutive convenience sample of 258 elderly acute or emergency patients from nine language groups, who prefer to speak a language other than English. Method Trained bilingual staff investigated communication methods used by hospital staff with participants in a multilingual telephone survey (MTS). Information for validation was obtained from a medical records audit (MRA). Hospital statistical information was linked with MTS and MRA data. The agreement between the MTS and the MRA was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A score, the 'Communication Complexity Score' (CCS), was developed to reflect patient clinical complexity, and the association between this score and interpreter usage was assessed. Seven language-specific focus groups were conducted to identify factors associated with a positive, a negative, or a very negative experience. Constructivist grounded theory was used to analyse the discourse in the focus groups. Results Thirty-one per cent of patients reported using professional interpreters. Concordance was present between the MTS and MRA. A positive association was found between clinical complexity and interpreter usage. The CCS had good psychometric properties. Many patients reported positive experiences; however, a theme of powerlessness was identified. Language barriers, poor patient and family involvement, staff shortages or incompetence, and inattention to cultural mores were all factors associated with negative experiences. Some patients discounted their negative experiences and were reluctant to assert their healthcare rights. An explanatory construct for this phenomenon, the 'Happy Migrant Effect,' was developed. Contributing factors for this effect include: powerlessness; positive assessment of Australian healthcare compared with the patient's country of origin; patriotism; cultural norms proscribing acceptance; politeness; desire for social acceptability; self-denigration for not learning English; and fear of reprisals following complaint. Conclusion This research has important implications for healthcare policy and service delivery associated with the quality of care and safety of patients with limited English.

Although there are well-documented benefits from influenza vaccine and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23vPPV) against invasive pneumococcal disease and laboratory confirmed influenza, their effectiveness against pneumonia remains controversial for community-based persons aged >=65years. At the time of this research, within Australia, only the government of Victoria publicly funded these vaccines for elderly persons. With continued growth of the elderly population, the subsequent adoption of an Australia-wide program, and increasing uptake of similar programs in other countries, there is a need for data clarifying the impact of vaccination on pneumonia. This research estimates incremental vaccine effectiveness of 23vPPV over and above influenza vaccine against hospitalisation with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the elderly.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Vita. "August 2007" Includes bibliographical references.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [177]-189).