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The emergency response readiness of the public health and emergency management systems have become increasingly important topics for research, development and action in the United States. Senior citizens represent a large and growing population group in the United States. Older persons are likely to be disproportionately vulnerable during disasters because they are more likely to have chronic illnesses, functional limitations, and sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities than those of younger ages. Elderly health and safety have become the responsibility of the elderly themselves, of the community in which they live, and the various agencies and organizations charged with preparedness planning. The goal of this study was to assess the emergency operations plans (EOPs) of emergency relief agencies and organizations in the Atlanta area for the provision of emergency relief services utilized by senior citizens as a special needs population. The research and analysis performed was completed in two steps: a review of collected disaster and emergency operations plans (EOPs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs), and a qualitative analysis of a survey submitted to the agencies. Although many EOPs and SOPs referred to emergency relief services for special needs populations, the plans were not functional and did not fully outline the ‘who, what, when, where and how” to provide disaster relief services. Public health agencies must endeavor to better address the disaster related needs of elderly persons who have physical disabilities, special medical needs and communication disabilities. Disaster preparedness plans must ensure the availability of all items necessary to control and prevent complications related to chronic diseases, prevent acute events and promote functionality and independence.

Hensikten med denne studien var å søke kunnskap om brukerne ved dagsenter i Norge, og hvilken betydning det hadde for deres hverdag at dette tilbudet eksisterte. Dybdeintervju med ni brukere av dagsenter ble foretatt. I innsamling og analyse av data ble Grounded Theory brukt. En kjernekategori kom frem: Gjennom aktivitet og sosial kontakt med andre motvirkes opplevelsen av sosiale savn og depresjoner. Funnene viste at det var mye ensomhet og isolasjon blant informantene. Dagsenter-tilbud to-tre ganger i uken ga dem mulighet for et sosialt nettverk og sosial aktivitet. Dette førte til at de følte seg friskere og ved bedre helse. De viktigste funnene var at dagsentrene representerte fellesskap med andre eldre, aktivitet, trivsel ,og omsorg. / The aim of this study was to gain more insight about the users of day-care centres for the elderly and how their every-day lives benefited from having access to this service. For the purpose of this study, in-depth interviews with nine users were conducted. The principle of Grounded Theory was used in the data collection and analyses. One of the core categories that emerged was: The feeling of social deprivation and depression is amended through activities and social contact with other senior citizens. The results showed that loneliness and isolation were widespread among the participants. Having access to the day-care service two-three times a week provided them with a social network and social activities. This, in turn, made them feel more comfortable and in better general health. The most important findings were that the day-care centre represented a sense of community with other senior citizens, activity, a sense of well-being, and care / <p>ISBN 91-7997-122-0</p>

The number of studies investigating computer use or other technologies used by senior citizens has progressively increased in the last twenty years. The interest stems from a diverse range of research disciplines including human computer interaction, education, and many others. However, this group of people is less likely to use technology compared to younger groups. Senior citizens generally have a positive attitude towards technology, and they are willing to use the product if they need it. Positive attitudes are also more likely to be expressed towards devices used every day at home, such as the television, microwave etc. Even if those devices are now typically digital, senior citizens are familiar and comfortable with them. A common reason for not wanting to learn different technologies was the feeling that it may be too difficult for them or not having access to a computer or tablet. These characteristics drive us to offer a solution by rethinking the use of some existing technologies and making them more affordable and accessible to older people. It is offered on a TV, something that senior citizens are familiar and comfortable with and which most of them have it at home. As the first step, we identified different requirements and factors that affect senior citizens' daily lives, the things that they do most during the day. Based on these requirements, we had to find services that will fulfill them. The system is constructed from four major services such as video conferencing, news, books and different recreation videos (e.g.: tips about exercise, hunting, cooking or gardening.) Each one of these sections is identified by a review of previous research using a literature survey. These services were chosen, among others, for their effects on senior citizens' quality of life. Thus, our goal was to provide them with an adequate set of required services. The working environment (Smart TV) is based on the different reasons stated below in the research. Some of them are a) a Smart TV is an integrated system which offers features of both a traditional TV and a personal computer, b) it provides a large screen, is easy to use and always ready, and most importantly, c) the TV, the most-user friendly electronic device, is a basic activity of senior citizens in their daily life. Design perspectives and functional requirements are presented. Finally, we describe some scenarios and assessment methods of the proposed system with the target group (senior citizens). Based on the findings, we can conclude that there was great acceptance from senior citizens for the support of daily living and the ability to control their daily activities provided by this service.

abstract: ABSTRACT The early desire for and the pursuit of literacy are often mentioned in the teeming volumes devoted to African-American history. However, stories, facts, and figures about the acquisition of numeracy by African Americans have not been equally documented. The focus of this study was to search for the third R, this is the numeracy and mathematics experiences of African Americans who were born in, and before, 1933. The investigation of this generational cadre was pursued in order to develop oral histories and narratives going back to the early 1900s. This study examined formal and informal education and other relevant mathematics-related, lived experiences of unacknowledged and unheralded African Americans, as opposed to the American anomalies of African descent who are most often acknowledged, such as the Benjamin Bannekers, the George Washington Carvers, and other notables. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through the use of a survey and interviews. Quantitative results and qualitative findings were blended to present a nuanced perspective of African Americans learning mathematics during a period of Jim Crow, segregation, and discrimination. Their hopes, their fears, their challenges, their aspirations, their successes, and their failures are all tangential to their overall goal of seeking education, including mathematics education, in the early twentieth century. Both formal and informal experiences revealed a picture of life during those times to further enhance the literature regarding the mathematics experiences of African Americans. Key words: Black students, historical, senior citizens, mathematics education, oral history, narrative, narrative inquiry, socio-cultural theory, Jim Crow / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Curriculum and Instruction 2014

This research investigated banner ads on the World Wide Web, specifically the types of messages used in those ads and the effectiveness of the ads as seen by their intended audience. The focus was on health-related banner advertisements targeting senior citizens. The study first sought to determine the frequency of appearance of those ads when classified into categories of compliance-gaining tactics provided by research scholars. Second, the study explored the relative perceived effectiveness among those categories. Two graduate students from a Central Texas university sorted text messages into predetermined compliance-gaining categories. Chi square tests looked for significant differences in the frequencies of banner ads in each category. Forty-five senior citizens from the Central Texas area completed surveys regarding the perceived effectiveness of a randomly ordered, randomly selected set of categorized banner ads. A repeated measures test attempted to determine whether some compliance-gaining strategies used in health-related banner ads were perceived as more effective than others. The hypothesis stated that there would be differences in frequencies of compliance-gaining strategies used among the compliance-gaining categories in health-related banner ads for senior citizens. The hypothesis was supported. The research question asked if some categories of compliance-gaining strategies used in health-related banner ads were perceived as more effective than others by senior citizens. There was no evidence that senior citizens perceived any compliance-gaining category as being more effective than any other. However, post hoc analyses revealed trends in the types of compliance-gaining messages senior citizens perceived as more effective. These trends provide a basis for directional predictions in future studies.

Att gå från arbetslivet till pension innefattar en av människans största omställningar i livskedet. Det sker idag en stor ökning av den äldre befolkningen i Sverige och därmed även en ökning av andelen pensionärer. Av den anledningen så finns det ett stort intresse av att studera de bidragande faktorerna till en ökad hälsa hos den äldre befolkningen. Detta påvisar också vikten av att öka förståelsen och medvetenheten kring hur pensionärer hanterar den närmsta tiden efter övergången från arbete till pension. Det är därför av betydelse ur ett hälsopedagogiskt perspektiv att belysa hur pensionärer hanterar möjligheter och utmaningar för att kunna uppnå livskvalité i vardagen. Denna studie utgår från en kvalitativ ansats bestående av tio semistrukturerade intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och ger indikationer om betydelsefulla faktorer som kan bidra till pensionärernas hantering av den närmsta tiden efter övergången. Slutsatsen visar på några av de mest återkommande faktorer som bidrar till ett gott åldrande samt hur yttre faktorer såsom pensionärsorganisationer kan fungera som verktyg för att tillgodose ett hälsosamt pensionärsliv. / The transition from employment to retirement is one of the biggest changes in the human life. There is an ongoing increase in the elderly population in Sweden and thereby an increase of senior citizens. Due to that reason there is a great interest in studying the contributing factors to increased health in the elderly population. The situation also shows the importance of increasing the understanding and awareness concerning the senior citizens ways of coping with the time shortly after retirement. From a health and pedagogical perspective there is a purpose of highlighting how the senior citizens are coping with the challenges and possibilities to be able to achieve quality of life. This study emerges from a qualitative approach consisting of ten semi-structured interviews as a data collection method. Based on a qualitative content analysis the result has been analyzed and gives indicators that significant factors can contribute to the coping of the time period after retirement by the senior citizens. The conclusion shows some of the most reoccurring factors can contribute to aging well and how external factors like retirement unions can serve as a tool to meet a healthy retirement life.

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L’objectif de ce travail est de mieux saisir le concept de qualité de vie quand il est associé aux personnes âgées, afin de proposer un modèle et un outil d’évaluation facilement administrable. Si la qualité de vie est un concept clé dans la mise en œuvre et l’évaluation des solutions à destination des personnes âgées, les modèles et outils actuels permettant son évaluation n’intègrent pas les spécificités des modes de vie de cette population. Par ailleurs, il existe un manque de consensus quant aux dimensions à prendre en compte pour évaluer la qualité de vie des personnes âgées, et par extension, sa dimension environnementale, facteur pourtant majeur pour les individus âgés, est largement oubliée dans la littérature.Une première étape a mis en évidence la manière dont les séniors et les professionnels intervenant au domicile se représentent le vieillissement et l’habitat idéal pour personnes âgées. Ancrée dans l’approche structurale des représentations sociales, cette étape a permis de dégager des indicateurs issus du sens commun révélateurs de ce que devrait être l’habitat dans son caractère idéal et normatif, associé à la façon de penser le vieillissement. Une seconde étape a permis de proposer un modèle de qualité de vie spécifique aux personnes âgées, s’appuyant tant sur des éléments empiriques que théoriques et donnant une place significative à la dimension environnementale. Ce modèle a donné lieu à la construction et à la validation d’une échelle de mesure de la qualité de vie des individus de plus de soixante-cinq ans, vivant à domicile ou en logement institutionnel. Les analyses factorielles exploratoires et confirmatoires ont permis de mettre en avant une structure latente à quatre facteurs. La première dimension décrit l’environnement physique de l’individu, appréhendée à travers des critères objectifs et subjectifs. La seconde dimension renvoie au réseau social réel et perçu de l’individu ainsi qu’à son état émotionnel. La troisième dimension relève de l’autonomie, en évaluant les capacités fonctionnelles et décisionnelles du répondant, ainsi que le rôle social et le type d’habitat qui en découlent. Enfin, la quatrième dimension renvoie aux pathologies physiques rencontrées par le répondant et à ses conséquences sur la vie quotidienne. La validation statistique de l’échelle auprès d’un panel de 456 répondants a permis de valider ces quatre composantes et de mettre en avant de bonnes qualités psychométriques de l’instrument de mesure. Sa bonne acceptation par la population âgée et sa rapidité de passation en fait un outil facilement utilisable sur le terrain. / The aim of our research is to better understand the concept of quality of life among senior citizens, in order to propose a model and an easy-to-use measurement scale. Although quality of life is a central issue in finding and evaluating solutions for the elderly, current models and tools used to evaluate it omit the specificities of their lifestyles. Furthermore, the dimensions to be considered to evaluate senior citizens’ quality of life are not consensual, and by extension, environmental factors, which are central for the elderly, are largely forgotten in the literature.First, we explored how senior citizens and professionals intervening at their homes perceive aging and the ideal habitat for the elderly. Drawing on the structural approach to social representations, this first phase provided indicators based in common sense that revealed what a home should be in ideal and normative terms, which we associated with social thinking about aging. Next, we proposed a quality of life model specifically designed for the elderly, which is both empirically and theoretically based and places significant importance on environmental factors. This model led to the development and validation of a measurement scale intended for individuals over 65 years of age who live either at home or in an institution. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a latent structure composed of four factors. The first describes the individual’s physical environment using objective and subjective criteria. The second factor refers to the individual’s real and perceived social network as well as his/her emotional state. The third factor deals with autonomy by evaluating participants’ functional and decisional skills in relation to their social role and type of home. Last, the fourth factor deals with physical problems the respondent may encounter and their consequences on everyday life. These four factors and the psychometric quality of the scale were statistically validated with a sample of 456 senior citizens. It was well received by the elderly and was fast to administer, making it an easy-to-use scale.

This thesis is an examination of the definition and implementation of ‘good practice’ in residential care for senior citizens. The central contention is that ‘good practice’ is a term that has been variously defined. Different groups define it in different ways, and their definitions have changed over time. This reflexive qualitative study explores ‘good practice’ in local authority, voluntary and private residential care homes in Scotland from the perspective of policy, practice and the experience of senior citizens who live in them. The study is based on analysis of policy documents, historical studies, and reanalysed interview and survey data from two earlier studies conducted by the author and colleagues. The thesis shows that the notion of ‘good practice’ that emerges in policy and practice documents is a confused and often conflicting set of ideas. Historically, the earliest were driven by concerns over cost. In more modern times, statements about ‘good practice’ have had a more benevolent intent but are frequently flawed by paternalistic and ageist assumptions. It is shown that staff in residential homes typically adopt a different set of attitudes: their preoccupation is with safety and the avoidance of risk. Although benevolent in intention, these interpretations of ‘good practice’ are also at variance with what residents themselves actually want. Two particular models or styles of care are examined in detail. One of these is the use of ‘keyworkers’, often implemented in ways that fail to realise its potential. The other is the ‘hotel’ model of care. The potential of this model as an alternative to the statutory model is explored. The thesis concludes that it is a model that can realise the goal of enabling residents to exercise independence, choice and privacy while meeting their needs in residential care.