ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0105-0678
Current Organisation
University Of Strathclyde
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/OPN.12320
Abstract: To comprehensively review studies on dog‐assisted interventions (DAIs) among older people in residential long‐term care facilities (RLTCFs) and to provide an overview of their interventions, outcomes and methodological quality. We searched 18 electronic databases to identify English articles (published January 2000–December 2019) reporting on well‐defined DAIs targeting older adults (≥65 years) in RLTCF. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. Descriptive statistics were produced for quantitative studies, with key themes identified among qualitative studies. Where possible, estimates were pooled from randomised controlled trials using random effects meta‐analyses. Forty‐three relevant studies (39 quantitative 4 qualitative) were identified. The majority of quantitative studies were assessed as low‐quality according to the MMAT criteria ( n = 26, 67%). Almost half of the quantitative studies ( n = 18, 46%) found no significant changes over time or between groups across outcomes measured. The most salient intervention effects included improved social functioning ( n = 10), reduced depressive symptoms ( n = 6) and loneliness ( n = 5). A random‐effects meta‐analysis revealed a medium effect in favour of DAT on reducing depressive or loneliness symptoms (pooled SMD: 0.66, 95%CI 0.21–1.11 I 2 = 50.5 five trials), relative to treatment as usual. However, compared to treatment as usual, no overall effect of DAI on activities of daily living was detected ( p = .737). Key themes from qualitative studies included (a) animals as effective transitional objects, (b) the therapeutic value of pets and (c) the significance of the care environment and stakeholders in facilitating DAI. The findings of this review indicate that while DAI has value for older people in RLTCF, challenges remain in accurately measuring its impact to provide a stronger evidence‐base. Standardisation of DAI service design, delivery and evaluation is required for future research and practice in providing holistic care for older adults.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-10-2015
Abstract: This article reviews the existing literature on the association between the socioeconomic status (SES) and the health of the ageing population in the United Kingdom. It has been noted that socioeconomic differentials are more marked across the United Kingdom than they are in other developed countries. Social class gradients are significant in health for working-age people (up to age 65), whereas studies on older populations have so far been limited so as to draw any robust conclusions. In this article, we examine the inequalities through selected SES indicators in order to tease out the effects on health outcomes of the older population. We critically review the physical and mental health indicators of older people in the United Kingdom with regard to their SES differentials. The findings reveal that older people with lower SES are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes (e.g., long-standing illness or increased disability) and have shorter life expectancy compared with those of higher SES. We illustrate how education remains the single most important determinant of health inequality in later life. We suggest that educational level or occupational class allied with material deprivation offer the best combined indicators of SES for studying health inequalities among older people. The findings of this article has profound implications for prioritizing policies to improve the health and well-being of elderly people with lower SES and go offer an evidence base of how to understand and to develop interventions that minimize the inequalities in health in later life in the United Kingdom.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2023
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-09-2017
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-06-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X22000642
Abstract: As the body of research on suicide in later life has developed, so has its vocabulary. This has generated a high level of overlap in concepts and terminology used to articulate suicide and how it might present, as well as ‘grey area’ behavioural terms that are both specific to older adults and less well-defined ( e.g. ‘hastening of death’ or ‘completed life’). A better understanding of in idual experiences and pathways to suicide can help to inform assessment and interventions, and increase the potential to relate any theoretical concepts to the implementation of such. Here, we adopted a scoping review to search systematically literature on specific presentation, features, circumstances and outcomes of these grey areas of suicide in later life. Fifty-three articles (quantitative, qualitative and theoretical) were reviewed. A narrative approach was used to merge and translate this body of knowledge into a new conceptual framework based on four key themes: (a) a sense of completed life or existential loneliness (b) death thoughts, wishes and ideation (c) death-hastening behaviour and advanced directives and (d) self-destructive or self-injurious behaviour. We discuss the importance of integrating this understanding into current knowledge and suicide prevention strategies for older adults. Recommendations are made for unifying research with policy themes on healthy ageing, person-centredness within service provision and citizen participation.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 28-03-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2023
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 04-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-08-2022
DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2022.2107135
Abstract: While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older people has been recognized, there is limited understanding of its impact on older trans and gender erse people who often have different experiences of care and support than the general population. This article examines older trans and gender erse people's experience of social support during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a comparative mixed method survey administered in Australia and the United Kingdom. Using a non-probability s le of 84 participants who were connected to social media and service organizations in the United Kingdom and Australia, we found some commonalities and differences between experiences in these countries. Some participants were isolated, including almost 1 in 5 participants who said that they did not have someone they could call upon in an emergency. However, participants had rich networks of friends, partners, and family members. Religious organizations and the community also played an important role. Friends were reported as the main emergency contacts and as the main people to whom support is provided. This research supports previous findings that friends of trans and gender erse people play an important role in well-being.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 23-10-2020
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.13201
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Trish hafford-Letchfield.