This thesis examines quotcustomer-focusedquot communication and resident participation within the retirement village sector which is one part of the increasingly quotmarketisedquot aged-care services in New Zealand. In this respect the sector is no different from other domains of consumer life where marketing-oriented organisations aim to find out what their customers want and give it to them. This research examines communication related to customer-focused organisational activities and residents' enactment of participation within retirement village organisation (RVO) settings with respect to these processes of marketisation. Taking a critical-interpretive perspective, the thesis undertakes a collective case study involving two major New Zealand RVOs. Both organisations were defined as quotretirement villagesquot within the meaning of the Retirement Villages Act 2003, established in the 1990s, and offered quotretirement livingquot independent housing and apartments across a range of locations. A significant part of the study also examined publicly available promotional material from six RVOs operating multiple sites in various New Zealand locations. This thesis explores retirement villages as co-productions between the corporate entities that develop and market villages and the residents who live in them. The thesis also explores RVO rhetoric about quotretirement living for active 55 plusquot, RVO enactment of customer focused communication and activities, and residents responses to and expectations of both. It is argued that this co-production has implications for residents' participation, their roles and relationships with employees, as well as for organisational communication processes and structures. The rhetorical and critical discourse analysis reveals the complexity of what quotparticipationquot means for the residents. Through a close examination of these meanings, the thesis extends current understandings of relationships between quotcustomersquot and quotcustomer-focusedquot organisations and highlights the role of older people in Western Society as co-producers of the very product they purchase: the retirement village. It also raises practical and theoretical issues for organisational communication. At the practical level it highlights how communication messages, structures and processes within RVOs experience tensions in meeting the needs of both internal, current, and long-term customers, and external, potential, and future customers. The thesis offers insights into issues of individual action and freedom within the frame of market-driven and avowedly quotcustomer-focusedquot organisations and consequently suggests a reconsideration of participation in organisations in which customers are also quotinsidersquot.

Bibliotherapy is an innovative therapeutic technique that uses reading as a helping process for dealing with stress. It has been proposed as a mental health approach for individuals facing social, psychological or developmental problems. As reading tends to be a non-threatening method of sharing problems, a bibliotherapy group was implemented for 12 weeks with eight alert elderly people who had difficulties coping with their current life situation in a long-term care institution. The effectiveness of a bibliotherapeutic approach with this population is evaluated and implications for social work policy, practice and research are discussed.

Studies have supported the benefits of positive dietary behaviors in preventing or reducing morbidity and extending longevity, as well as the psychosocial function of dietary practices for quality of life. Research is needed though on the dietary behaviors of elders in general and older women in particular, for whom gender affects lifelong dietary patterns. Health behavior theory has typically focused on psychological factors, to the neglect of sociocultural processes. This investigation utilized a life course perspective, enhanced by social interactionist elements, to address aspects of development and change in behavior neglected by health behavior theories, such as temporal dimensions and social contexts. Using primarily an ethnographic approach centered on in-depth narrative interviews of 18 older women residing in a retirement community, this study explored how social milieu influences the development and progression of dietary behavior throughout life, the potential of life course transitions to modify dietary behavior, and how the retirement community environment shapes current dietary behavior. The interviews probed current dietary experiences and practices, as well as constructed histories of dietary behavior. Through the use of coding techniques and thematic analysis, themes and concepts that emerged from the data were organized for further analysis. Four levels of influence on dietary behavior were identified: 1) person factors, including psychological and physiological processes; 2) interpersonal relationships and social interaction; 3) social roles and statuses; and 4) contexts, particularly environmental, community policy and political economic contexts. Analysis additionally revealed four major food-related themes in the lives of the women: dietary morality, dietary wellness, dietary sociability and dietary duty. Interpretation of the findings, in terms of lifelong social experiences, the impact of relationships, roles and transitions, and structural characteristics of the retirement community that constrain or facilitate dietary practices, contributed to the development of a theoretical model. The research findings and model of life course influences on the nature of dietary behaviors of older women provide a more holistic understanding of dietary practices of older women and have implications for future research and practice, particularly as related to quality of life issues.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Detroit Mercy, 2009. / "April 24th, 2009." Includes bibliographical references (p. 118).

Thesis (M.Arch.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-95). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

No description available.

This study considers relocatable homes as an alternative housing choice for male and female retirees fifty years of age and over. Homogeneous parks and estates planned for a specific type of relocatable home are compared with those which evolved from tourist parks and retain sites for both permanent and short-term occupancy. Four relocatable home environments are considered: caravan parks, mobile homes in mixed parks, manufactured homes in mixed parks and manufactured housing estates. The differential effects of 'age', 'house type' and 'housing environment' upon 'residential satisfaction', 'sense of community within the neighbourhood', 'social integration in the community' and 'psychological adjustment' form the analytical framework of the study. Residents of 34 parks/ estates on the North Coast of New South Wales completed 778 questionnaires. Case studies, interviews, letters and written comments provided data for qualitative analysis. Approximately 94% of respondents are satisfied with their homes and housing environments. Residential satisfaction is most influenced by the interactions and perceptions of residents; psychological adjustment is influenced by a positive attitudes towards self and one's neighbours; integration in the community is affected by levels of network. Each of these relate strongly with having a sense of community in the neighbourhood. Space internal to the dwelling relates to satisfaction, adjustment and community integration. External space relates to the need for a well planned neighbourhood which affords privacy, safety and amenities. The need for meeting places for small and large groups was recurrent. The results suggest that residents of relocatable homes tend to retain affiliation with organisations joined prior to relocation. They are not reliant on their new neighbours to integrate in their community. This result is contrary to prior research which studied site built homes and traditional neighbourhoods. The present high levels of residential satisfaction would rise if it were not for the overwhelming uncertainty of tenure and unjustifiable rises in site rent. The study reviews government policy especially in relation to tenure. A relocatable home offers no more affordability than a site-built home in the same area in the long-term but it does offer a preferred retirement lifestyle.

This dissertation looks at the possibility of using a development, like a retirement village, to stimulate the economic development of small towns. Following on from this, the question of whether or not a retirement village could be used as a model for Local Economic Development (LED) of small towns is also explored. The case study chosen, is that of the small town ofHowick (situated in the Midlands ofKwaZulu-Natal) and Amberfield Retirement Village which is located there. The study examines the economic impact that Amberfield Retirement Village has had on the small town ofHowick, as well as le>oking at the extent to which its success is locationally specific (and what implications this wou}d have in terms of replicating the retirement village). The findings of the study reveal that Amberfield Retirement Village has had a significant impact on Howick, especially in terms ofthe linkages it creates and the large injection of capital that it brought to the small town. The unique locational aspects and specificity of both Howick and Amberfield Retirement Village also form part of the findings of the study, and which affect the conclusion drawn in terms ofthe replicability ofthe retirement village. It is concluded that the retirement village could be used as a model for LED of other small towns, however, the location and the setting of the retirement village are all important. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1997.

This thesis for the master of architecture degree focuses on the particular requirements for Senior Citizen Center in San Francisco.In the traditional society of the West, things did not change quickly, and people did not frequently move from one place to another; but this present-day society is one of dynamic suburbs; villages and towns can change their appearances in a very short time. The treatment of older people in contemporary society has caused many of them to feel alienated from the mainstream. Technical progress and the “rational” organization of present day civilization has largely eliminated the aged as persons having more experience that may beneficially be shared with the rest of us. I believe it is important to consider and respect the value of elderly people.My chosen program and site for this creative project is to design and solve the main problems of high density, the location, and the existing environments.In my own country of Thailand, there are only a few places specifically built for homeless elderly. It is very interesting therefore for me to explore and acquire knowledge for the design of Senior Citizen Center in the United States. There is a certain potential for this being useful someday in my own country. / Department of Architecture

With the first of the 77 million (www.census.gov) Baby Boomers turning 60 this year, the impact on retirement and retirement communities has suddenly become a vital and pressing issue. The massive numbers of Baby Boomer cohorts have amplified and intensified the importance of whatever experiences they've had at each new moment in their lives. When they reach any stage of life, the issues that concern them — whether financial, interpersonal, or even hormonal — become the dominant social political, and marketplace themes at the time. (www.agewave.com 2006) Retirement will be no different. Using this understanding of the Baby Boomer generation, this study examined their impact on retirement community design.Data specific to Baby Boomer retirement preferences was analyzed, an expert in the field of gerontology at Ball State University was interviewed, research was completed in retirement community design and age related health concerns, and case studies in a range of established retirement communities in southwest Florida were visited, all in an effort to determine what the current trends are in the retirement community market today and how Boomers would effect them.Research showed that Boomers want to pursue new and exciting experiences in their retirement years. They are not willing to settle for a retirement tucked out of the way, out of sight out of mind. They want to be in the middle of activity and enjoyment. They are looking to make a difference and have an impact in this next phase of life.The result of these endeavors is a conceptual design for an active adult retirement community, in northeast Lee County Florida, that will attract Baby Boomers by appealing to their sense of fun, their sense of purpose and their social and environmental conscience. / Department of Landscape Architecture