Elder bullying is on the rise and occurs in many contexts such as senior living communities and nursing homes, causing concern for the well-being of the residents by families, staff, themselves, and society in general. Although research has been limited, it does reveal that resident-to-resident bullying in nursing homes is a problem warranting further scholarly attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) regarding resident-to-resident bullying in nursing homes. The theory of reasoned action and the theory of reflective equilibrium provided a conceptual lens from which to explore and describe the importance of the CNAs' attitudes and behavior when recognizing, observing, and addressing bullying incidences. A phenomenological research design was employed. Using open-ended questions, 10 CNAs were individually interviewed. One major discovery of the study was that 100% of the CNAs interviewed indicated that they experienced resident-to-resident bullying and that it was a major problem in the nursing home. The findings of this study presented many possibilities for positive social change across all levels, from individuals and families to nursing home organizations and society as a whole, but most importantly, it increased awareness about bullying across nursing homes as the ultimate goal was for the improvement on the quality of life experienced by residents in nursing homes.

Det finns både skillnader och likheter mellan barn och äldres förhållningssätt tillfysisk aktivitet. Flertalet studier visar att fysisk aktivitet som en del i vardagslivet ärviktigt redan i ung ålder för att bibehålla en fysisk såväl som psykiskt god ochbalanserad hälsa livet ut. Föreliggande studie är av kvalitativ deskriptiv karaktär ochhandlar om att öka kunskap och förståelse om vilken roll FA har för 6–8 årigaskolbarn och idrottsföreningsaktiva personer 65 +, samt hur förhållningsättet till detskiljer de båda grupperna åt. Datainsamlingen baserades på femfokusgruppsintervjuer med idrottsföreningsaktiva 65+ och skolbarn 6–8 år. Empirisktmaterial analyserades utifrån en hermeneutisk ansats som vetenskapsteoretiskutgångspunkt. Resultatet visar att det finns skillnader och likheter mellan de bådagrupperna, vilket delvis ligger grundat i en åldersmässig erfarenhet och intresse(smak), men också utifrån vilka socioekonomiska skillnader och likheter sompåverkar resurstillgänglighet och möjligheter att utöva fysisk aktivitet. / There are differences and similarities between children and the elderly's approachtowards physical activity. Most studies show that physical activity as a part ofeveryday life is important already at a young age in order to maintain a physical aswell as a mentally good and balanced health throughout life. The present study is of aqualitative descriptive character with a purpose to increase knowledge and try tocreate an understanding of what role PA has to 6-8-year-old school children and sportassociation active people 65+, and how the approach towards it differentiates the twogroups. The data collection was based on five focus group interviews with sportsassociation active people 65+ and 6–8-year-old school children. Empirical materialwas analyzed from a hermeneutic approach as a scientific theory premise. The resultshows that there are differences and similarities between the two groups, which ispartly based on an age-related experience and interest (taste), but also on the basis ofwhich socio-economic differences and similarities that affect resource availability andopportunities to exercise physical activity

本研究藉由生命歷程觀點的特殊性，同時從鉅視層面的社會結構與歷史脈絡，以及微視層面的個人經驗，檢視老人志願服務的動態參與過程。 本研究採質性研究針對五位老人醫院志願服務者，以生命史的方式呈現其志願服務參與的過程是如何隨著生命歷程的發展而持續或變動，並陳述其變動的因素，同時以生命歷程的五個觀點(1)生命幅度發展原則、(2)行動力的原則、(3)時間與空間的原則、(4)時機原則，以及(5)連結關係原則，作為檢視每個位受訪者是如何受到鉅觀層次¬-社會脈絡、歷史事件以及用人單位的制度變革；微觀層次-個人的生命幅度、生命事件衍生的各種角色之間的競合關係；中介層次¬-志工與其他志工、工作者所產生的互動等等，此三個面向的交互作用而持續的參與志願服務。研究結果發現： 一、老人志願服務參與經驗： 首先在投入時數與服務類型部分，五位受訪者中有三位志願服務者曾參與過其他類型的志願服務，但目前僅一位受訪者持續參與其他類型的志願服務，其他兩位受訪者則僅參與醫院志願服務。其志願服務工作類型的選擇，往往受到參與動機與參與契機的影響；參與時數則受到參與單位對於時數的要求，至少每位一週都參與3個小時。其次，在參與動機部分，發現五位受訪者參與志願服務的動機主要為自我取向與人際取向的因素，且其參與動機是多元且異質的，隨著經歷不同的生命經驗，而影響其持續參與的動力。第三，在參與獲益部分，與過去研究相似，包括結交志同道合的朋友、肯定自我價值、替代性的社會角色等。最後，在而參與條件部分，本研究的受訪者不論是個人能力條件、經濟狀況或時間運用條件皆有所差異，但他們卻皆在志願服務的服務經驗中，找到展現自我價值的地方，並且獲得持續參與的動力。 二、生命歷程觀點看志願服務參與經驗： 從老人在志願服務參與經驗中，可以發現他們的參與經驗是同時受到微觀層面、鉅觀層面、人際層面三個層面的影響。且發現無論在生命中的哪個階段，都是一直持續處於動態的過程，志工會調和每個不同生活場域中的角色，讓自己在經歷生命階段的改變、角色競合的衝突時，利用各種資源與自己的能力，在自主安排之下，持續的參與至今。 / This study aims at looking for the dynamic process of the experiences of elder volunteers, and is from both macro levels: social structure and historical context, and micro level: self-experience. This study adopts qualitative research, and presents life histories of five elder hospital volunteers. The author tried to figure out what happened within the developing of their life courses and the reasons of keeping or transforming their volunteer works. The author discusses how five principles interact with interviewees in different dimensions of them and their volunteer works. The five principles are: (1) the principle of life-span development, (2) the principle of agency, (3) the principle of time and place, (4) the principle of timing, and (5) the principle of linked lives, as the view of each interviewees’ volunteer experience, Following is the discussion: 1. Participation experience of elder volunteers: Three of the five interviewees had participated in more that one type of volunteer works. However, only one of the three continues to participate in more than one volunteer works, and the other two interviewees involved in hospital volunteer work only. The author also found that there exists basic requirement for the volunteer working hours. The basic working hours, which are defined by the working units, are at least three hours a week. Secondly, the motivations of all the interviewee can be divided into self-oriented factors and interpersonal orientation factors. The motivations are diverging and continually affect the interviewees with different life experiences. Third, benefits of participation, similar to previous studies, are including the make like-minded friends, certainly self-value, and alternative social role. Although the ability, economic status, and free time of all interviewees are different from one another. All interviewees can still find their self-value and be motivated form their volunteer works. 2. The life course perspective in volunteering experience: From their participation in the volunteer experiences, the readers can find that their experiences are the composed of micro level, macro level, interpersonal level, and the impact of three levels. The readers can also found that no matter what stage in life, are continued in a dynamic process, volunteers will reconcile each of the different role of the field of life, and continue to participate until now.

<p>The overall aim of this thesis was to deepen understanding of elder abuse (EA) by exploring and comparing perceptions held by experts, older persons, representatives of potential support organizations, and family members. Experts’ perspectives (I) were examined through risk indicators and screening questions (a) located in EA literature and (b) selected by an international Delphi panel. Risk indicators most commonly found in the literature or selected by the panel were compiled into consensus lists. There were differences between risk indicators and questions in the two lists. In papers II and III participants were interviewed in focus groups about their perceptions of EA. Older persons (II) considered EA to be due to changing society and family systems where children are not brought up to respect older persons. EA was mainly conceptualized as ageism, criminal actions, mistreatment in residential care, and societal abuse. The abuser was perceived as a stranger or a healthcare worker. Fear was discussed as a major consequence of EA; especially fear among women. Abused persons were described as carrying the responsibility to seek help. Witnesses were described as hesitant to get involved. Improvements in society such as educating children and healthcare workers were considered ways to cope with EA. Besides family and friends there were few spontaneous suggestions for where to seek help and support in society. These suggestions included healthcare, police, church, and volunteer organizations. Representatives of these suggested organizations were interviewed in focus groups about their perceptions of EA (III). Perceptions of both causes and conceptions of EA were very similar to perceptions of older persons (II). Four themes emerged in the data; good intentions in abusive situations, older generation’s responsibility for EA, failing to report abuse, and prevention of abuse. Participants (III) also expressed ageist attitudes themselves and findings included victim blaming and tolerance for EA. Participants perceived that anyone could be provoked to abuse, and that abusers can be considered victims in abusive situations. Confidentiality was discussed as a barrier to reporting and the need for educating children to show respect for older persons was identified. Interviews with an adult family member (IV) explored her experiences of witnessing abuse situations between her uncle and his wife. In her desire to protect and remain loyal to her family she felt powerless and tolerated abuse. She longed for support she could trust but was locked into passivity by her feelings of shame. Synthesis of findings (I – IV) revealed issues of isolation, autonomy, vulnerability, victim blaming, perceiving the abuser as a victim of circumstances, ageism, tolerating EA, shame, and power as essential elements in EA. Based on the findings, alternative descriptions of EA are offered as a challenge to existing EA definitions. Findings suggest that a key to unlocking EA is compassion, understood as the ability to see a situation as if we were in it ourselves, experiencing the potential for disrespect, shame and unworthiness inherent in abusive acts.</p>

The overall aim of this thesis was to deepen understanding of elder abuse (EA) by exploring and comparing perceptions held by experts, older persons, representatives of potential support organizations, and family members. Experts’ perspectives (I) were examined through risk indicators and screening questions (a) located in EA literature and (b) selected by an international Delphi panel. Risk indicators most commonly found in the literature or selected by the panel were compiled into consensus lists. There were differences between risk indicators and questions in the two lists. In papers II and III participants were interviewed in focus groups about their perceptions of EA. Older persons (II) considered EA to be due to changing society and family systems where children are not brought up to respect older persons. EA was mainly conceptualized as ageism, criminal actions, mistreatment in residential care, and societal abuse. The abuser was perceived as a stranger or a healthcare worker. Fear was discussed as a major consequence of EA; especially fear among women. Abused persons were described as carrying the responsibility to seek help. Witnesses were described as hesitant to get involved. Improvements in society such as educating children and healthcare workers were considered ways to cope with EA. Besides family and friends there were few spontaneous suggestions for where to seek help and support in society. These suggestions included healthcare, police, church, and volunteer organizations. Representatives of these suggested organizations were interviewed in focus groups about their perceptions of EA (III). Perceptions of both causes and conceptions of EA were very similar to perceptions of older persons (II). Four themes emerged in the data; good intentions in abusive situations, older generation’s responsibility for EA, failing to report abuse, and prevention of abuse. Participants (III) also expressed ageist attitudes themselves and findings included victim blaming and tolerance for EA. Participants perceived that anyone could be provoked to abuse, and that abusers can be considered victims in abusive situations. Confidentiality was discussed as a barrier to reporting and the need for educating children to show respect for older persons was identified. Interviews with an adult family member (IV) explored her experiences of witnessing abuse situations between her uncle and his wife. In her desire to protect and remain loyal to her family she felt powerless and tolerated abuse. She longed for support she could trust but was locked into passivity by her feelings of shame. Synthesis of findings (I – IV) revealed issues of isolation, autonomy, vulnerability, victim blaming, perceiving the abuser as a victim of circumstances, ageism, tolerating EA, shame, and power as essential elements in EA. Based on the findings, alternative descriptions of EA are offered as a challenge to existing EA definitions. Findings suggest that a key to unlocking EA is compassion, understood as the ability to see a situation as if we were in it ourselves, experiencing the potential for disrespect, shame and unworthiness inherent in abusive acts.

La Tesis, analiza la influencia de diferentes variables sobre el nivel de calidad de vida que perciben los residentes de dos residencias de tercera edad ubicadas en España y Cuba respectivamente. La combinación de métodos de análisis cuantitativos y cualitativos para analizar la salud, la capacidad funcional, la dotación estructural y los recursos de ambos centros, así como las relaciones, las actividades diarias y la satisfacción con la vida, es uno de los aspectos más destacables de la investigación y trata de comprobar si la calidad de vida de las personas que viven en residencias de tercera edad, depende más directamente de los aspectos materiales y estructurales del centro o de otros aspectos de carácter emocional y subjetivo. La conclusión principal es que la calidad de vida percibida en el entorno de las residencias de tercera edad depende más del contexto sociocultural en que se vive que de los recursos materiales que se disponga. / The Thesis, analyzes the influence of different variables on the level of quality of life that the residents of two elderly homes located in Spain and Cuba perceive. The combination of methods of quantitative and qualitative analyses to research the health, the functional capacity, the structural resources, the relations, the daily activities and the satisfaction with the life, is one of the most prominent aspects of this research and tries to verify if the quality of life of the people who live in elderly homes, depends more directly on the material and structural aspects of the center or on other aspects of emotional and subjective character.The principal conclusion is that the quality of life perceived in the environment of the elderly homes depends more of the sociocultural context in elderly live that of the material available resources.

Detta är en uppsats där normer och värderingar om vårdbiträdet i hemtjänst undersöks genom kritisk diskursanalys. Datamaterial omfattar SOU-rapporten I den äldres tjänst. Äldreassistenten – ett framtidsyrke samt två fokusgruppsintervjuer med omsorgspersonal från en hemtjänstenhet. Diskursanalysen utförs i förhållande till och i samspel med sekundärlitteraturen. Utöver den språkliga analysen tas även kulturella och sociala dimensioner med i studien. För att ringa in rådande diskurser studeras centrala termer och formuleringar genom att undersöka hur ofta och upprepat de förekommer, samt vilken inkludering och exkludering som görs. I spänningsfältet som uppträder mellan den statliga diskursen och den praktiknära diskursen framträder stridigheter om de brister som äldreomsorgen tillskrivs. På politisk statlig nivå framträder en normerande bild av vårdbiträdet som den bristande länken i lagarbetet kring den äldre. På praktiknära nivå framhålls en förklaringsmodell där organisering och ledning är centrala bristkomponenter. Praktiker-diskursens faktorer bemötande och lön konkurrerar med de överordnade faktorerna som återges i SOU-diskursen; utbildning och validering. / This study is a discourse analytical study of norms and values in the Swedish public home health care sector. The discourse is studied at two different levels in Swedish society: the political and the practical. Information is collected through focus-group interviews at the practical level and at the political level from a report in the Swedish Government Official Reports Series (SOU 2008:126), appointed by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.   Government-sponsored publications and reports are used as a basis for executive and legislative decision-making in the parliament and the government. The governmental study is an important template for the formation and maintenance of norms and valuations. Elder care workers constitute Sweden's largest labor force and a majority of them are employed by municipalities. The SOU report motivates competence-reform in light of pending waves of retirements within the elder care work force, increased demand for elder care, and decreasing high-school enrollment in care and service programs. The discourse analysis is executed in relation to and in concert with the secondary literature.   The theoretical and methodological perspective in this study takes its starting point in Fairclough's critical discourse analytical theory and method. This provides dialectic of structures and practices, where discourse has an influence on and is influenced by social structures. In Fairclough's view, discourse practices are an important form of social practice that contributes to the forming of identities and relationships. The study investigates discursive practices in the report in order to uncover their role in the perpetuation of an unequal balance of power, so called ideological effects.  The study reveals contradictions within the SOU report and discordance between the report and home health care workers. Despite a societal eagerness to professionalize the home health aide, the political discourse relegates the aide to the bottom of the care hierarchy, by excluding issues such as compensation and subordinating questions concerning the organization and management. Discourses and action-space for workers in the home health care environment can be investigated in light of current deficiencies in top-down guidance and limited opportunities for peer-group meetings, especially since an increasing number of home health care workers have Swedish as a second language. Interactive research with both workers and management could be investigated and developed with pedagogical tools as a part of process of reform. Because Swedish society places such a high value on government reports, it is of continuing importance to scrutinize through critical-discourse analysis the entity of governmental research.

The purpose of this essay is an attempt to create a “first basis” of reliability for religious content in computes games, and its value in academic studies. While not researching it in depth, this essay will also give a suggestion of computer games’ potential as a didactic medium. A quantitative comparative analysis has been performed, to present several common religious themes and their occurrence in the computer game respectively. While researching the game, an abundance of religious themes have been found, documented and presented. Through this, it is concluded that computer games not only have the capability of presenting religious themes; they are found to be capable mediums of presentation. The content itself is of high varsity and of great interest to any religious scholar.

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