Thesis (M.S.) in Food Science and Human Nutrition--University of Maine, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-80).

Thesis (M. Hous. M.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio State University, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-52). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p.114-121) and index.

Thesis (M. Med. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 200.

This thesis explores the contrasting experience of the discharge of older people from hospital on a Care of the Elderly Unit and Medical/Surgical Unit in a District General Hospital in North Wales. It comprises both the results of a Fourth Generation evaluation (Guba and Lincoln, 1989) and the later development of a substantive grounded theory of the discharge process (Charmaz, 2000). Both elements of the thesis were informed by a constructivist approach to research and the presentation and style of the thesis reflects this orientation. Data were collected from all the main stakeholder groups (members of the multidisciplinary team, patients and carers, members of the primary health care team) using a variety of methods including semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis and periods of observation. These data were then fed into a series of hermeneutic cycles in an effort to reach consensus about desired change. Barriers to both consensus and change were identified and explored largely in terms of the threat they posed to traditional medical power bases. The subsequent theory suggested that the differences between the Units could be explained largely in terms of the orientations on the ward, one of which 'processed patients' with an emphasis on pace (speed of throughput) while the other 'processed people' with more recognition of the complex needs of older individuals. In both Units the role of the nurse was significant and comprised a number of key processes: pushing; fixing; informing and brokering. The ways in which these processes interact are considered and their impact on the discharge process described. The quality of the thesis is considered on a number of criteria and the extent to which the results can be recontextualised is addressed. Finally, implications for policy and practice in the light of recent developments are discussed.

No description available.

In I960, the Junior League of Vancouver undertook a three-year exploratory program of recreation and visiting activities in selected residential institutions for the aged. The project had been suggested by the Committee on the Welfare of the Aged, a subdivision of the Social Planning Section of the Community Chest and Councils of Greater Vancouver, who were aware of the dearth of diversional resources in these institutions. The Research Department of the Community Chest and Councils of Greater Vancouver was asked by the Advisory Committee to the Junior League Senior Citizens Project to undertake an evaluative study of the program. The present study, a self-contained segment within the broad Research Department evaluation, is designed to test two related hypotheses, (a) that the level of participation in a group recreation program will be positively related to the level of previous participation in group activity, and (b) that the level of participation in a group recreation program will be inversely related to the degree of hearing" impairment. Case material as well as statistical recording is assembled to examine these questions. 34 residents of Taylor Manor, a city-owned and operated boarding home for dependent older men and women, constituted the study sample. There is strong statistical support for the first section of the hypothesis. For the second section, the data are not of statistical significance, possibly because of the limited sample size. However, examination of related factors indicates the question of a relationship between program response and impaired hearing should be considered an open one. Social Contacts is the only other variable identified which seems to have a statistically significant relationship to program response. There was inadequate statistical evidence to support the belief that the program had measurable effect upon attitudes and behaviour of Taylor Manor residents, although subjective observations and trends evident in graphs indicate the program did have positive effect upon a number of participants. A larger population with a matched control sample would be necessary before stronger conclusions could be drawn on whether program participation improved attitudes and behaviour. Some implications for community planning are drawn, and suggestions are made for future research. The possibilities of program development are discussed under four headings: community education, recruitment and training of community volunteers, programming and continuing assessment. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

A major concern of community planning is the integrated use of land and its implications upon people. This statement leads to the central hypothesis of this thesis: that the planned location of senior citizens' housing developments in the urban area should be based upon adequate knowledge of the needs and preferences of the elderly in regard to the total community. In an attempt to gain a total perspective, a survey of five per cent of the self contained dwelling units, specifically designed for the elderly in the city of Vancouver, is undertaken. Using multivariate contingency tabulations (MVTAB) and the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) programs, four principal variables, age, length of residence in the housing project, satisfaction with the proximity to facilities, and frequency of their use are correlated with the locational importance attributed to these selected facilities by the respondents. The results of this study indicate that more than one half of the respondents are displeased with the location of their present living quarters. Also, decisions in locating residences for the elderly must be based upon the examination of a number of facilities used by this age group, as opposed to the identification of a single facility frequented most regularly. These findings may contribute toward a more knowledgeable approach in the future site planning of housing accommodation for the aged. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

"Older people are beautiful!" "Older people are beautiful images of God!" Even though contemporary western society is powerfully shaped both by the visual and by an increasingly ageing demographic, the above statements are rare and counter-cultural. Yet they are statements totally true to my own experience as a minister with special responsibility for older people. I am drawn to wondering how the beauty of older people can be highlighted in ways that our culture will see and engage with; and therefore begin to own, and even possibly celebrate, the ageing process. In the first part of my thesis I aim to discover why our society does not see beauty in age, or even perceive age itself. I begin with a historical study of western artistic expressions of beauty, tracing a reoccurring and influential strand of classical symmetry and perfection. A social analysis of our contemporary culture of youth is followed by an overview of the church's attitudes towards ageing. All three studies reveal a picture of deeply rooted ageism in society. Alongside these discoveries, an alternative perspective and antidote to ageism is offered through an inclusive reader response to Paul's description of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. My discoveries inform my choice of research methodology - the ways in which I endeavour to uncover new perceptions of older people and forms of expression that honour and include them. Thus embracing them as part of the Body of Christ. Participant observation, the inclusive tool favoured by social anthropology suits the aesthetic and subjective nature of my research. Older people themselves are my research participants. Group situations, where they play with clay and comment upon portraits and landscapes, enable them to express their perceptions of what is beautiful and so reflect a perceptible beauty of their own. A biblical structure allows the participants' thoughts about beauty to become expressions of their own particular spirituality. This uncovering of an embodied spirituality of older people as vital and beautiful is offered as a counterpoint to a culture that renders older people invisible. I discover that there is much that older people can offer younger generations through their laughter and tears, their interpersonal relationships and their intrepid journeying through the unknown territory of ageing itself. A search for and reflection upon theological perspectives and art images that resonate with these discoveries and illuminate older people as beautiful images of God forms the final part of my thesis.