active ageing in vital villages
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Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies. Active ageing in vital villages. Frans Thissen. Outline. My contribution: Opinions about active ageing and vital villages Concepts about: Ageing Villages Diversity of older people - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Active ageing in vital villages
Frans Thissen
Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies
OutlineMy contribution: Opinions about active ageing
and vital villages Concepts about:
Ageing Villages
Diversity of older people
Relevant characteristics of villages
Possible contributions of older inhabitants
Your contribution: Your personal opinion
Diversity of older people in your country
Relevant characteristics of villages in your country
Possible contributions of older inhabitants in your country
Active ageing in Vital villages 2
Active ageing in Vital villages 3
Introduction
Human Geographer Relation Man - Environment Main topics
Villages Older people
Research projects about older people
The experience of being old myselfYoung Adults have not ‘been there’. ‘Being old’ creates the potential of empathy, recognition, sharing and understanding.
.
Active ageing in Vital villages 4
Active ageing Growing Old: Loss Loss of health
(biological) Loss of social roles
(social-cultural) Loss of social capital
(functional social resources)
Active ageing The ability to cope with
loss Older people as active
agents
Vital villages
Wulvergem
Loil
55Active ageing in Vital villages
Active ageing in Vital villages 6
What are your personal opinions about:
Active ageing? .. .. .. .. .. ..
Vital villages? .. .. .. .. .. ..
Concepts
Vulnerability Environment (village)
Demanding (environmental stress) Supporting (community care)
Person-environment fit of older people
Social vitality of villages
Active ageing in Vital villages 7
Vulnerability (1)
Definition: “aggregate of all factors that negatively affect independent functioning in daily life”
Balance between burden vs. bearing capacity
Multidimensional concept with cumulative effects
Active ageing in Vital villages 8
Vulnerability (2)Three dimensions: Individual: personal functional
dependency Personal health status Behavioural consequences (Instrumental) activities of daily
living: (I)ADL, measures of independent functioning
Household: resources Presence of other people Adequacy of household income
Environment Demanding vs. supportive
character of the environment Older people are active agents
Active ageing in Vital villages 9
Village as a demanding environment: environmental stress
Environmental stress: process in which people experience emotional distress in relationship to environmental exposures
Measuring environmental stress1. Dissatisfaction with the neighbourhood2. Feelings of safety
Dependent older adults with few household resources experience high levels of environmental stress in demanding villages, while feeling satisfied and safe in less demanding villages
Active ageing in Vital villages 10
Village as a supportive environmentVulnerable older people in demanding villages receiving informal care experience less environmental stress than older people receiving formal care (community care)
Older people contribute also to the local quality of life (social support networks, reciprocity)
Meaning of ‘community’ is changed
Active ageing in Vital villages 11
Active ageing in Vital villages 12
Receiving care and/or giving care
01020304050607080
16-30 31-50 51-64 65-74 75+
%
geen alleen ontvangen alleen geven beide
Person-environment fit
Dimensions of person-environment fit for older people Housing and care: quality dwellings, public domain and
access to services: Self reliance Wellbeing : Feelings of belonging and identity
Opinions about person-environment fit and the own contribution: Opinions about housing, care and well being Own contribution with respect to housing, care and
wellbeingActive ageing in Vital villages 13
Active ageing in Vital villages 14
Social vitality of villages (1)definition and images A social vital village is a village where residents put
themselves out for each other and their environment, where new residents feel they belong and where people know how to find their way so that new initiatives can get off the ground
Stereotypical and contradictory images about (older) people in rural areas Positive: active as volunteers, in clubs, vivid cultural
traditions Negative: closed conservative attitude
Active ageing in Vital villages 15
Social vitality of villages (2) What is needed ?
1. Sufficient quality of the residential function (dwellings and residential environment)
2. Meeting places ‘open’ to all residents (‘third places’)3. Social capital (to bond and to bridge): characteristics
of social relations (inhabitants with large networks) that result in valuable things for the village
4. Active orientation of inhabitants on a changing identity: ‘storytelling’
Active ageing in Vital villages 16
Active ageing in Vital villages 17
Older people: a growing diversity Age / Cohort or date of birth
Young old and old old Older people born till 1945, born after 1945
Migration history Social support network Geographical differences
National (culture and institutional) Rural / urban Regional (wealth and culture)
Active ageing in Vital villages 18
Age
0,0%
10,0%
20,0%
30,0%
40,0%
50,0%
60,0%
70,0%
80,0%
90,0%
100,0%
55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89
Ego of partner betaald w erk Thuisw onende kinderenGeen partner Ego of partner slecht ter beenVerminderde zelfstandigheid huishouden Geen auto in bezit van huishouden
Active ageing in Vital villages 19
Cohort
0,0%
10,0%
20,0%
30,0%
40,0%
50,0%
60,0%
70,0%
80,0%
90,0%
100,0%
Hoog opleidingsniveau huishouden Betaalde arbeid vrouwRijbew ijs vrouw Bezit PCBezit auto
Active ageing in Vital villages 20
Diversity in villages in your country?
Young old, born before WW II
Old old, born
before WW II
Young old, born
after WW II
Old old, born after
WW II
Active ageing in Vital villages 21
National differences (OPERA, 1989)
% UK NL BRD GDR POL HUN
Livingalone
35 21 23 29 17 31
Onegeneration
82 83 50 61 34 65
Child incommunity
46 49 87 81 87 83
Social-support networks
Family dependent
Locally integrated
Locally self-contained
Wider community focussed
Private restricted
Soc
ial S
uppo
rt N
etw
ork
Type
(acc
ordi
ng to
Wen
ger,
1991
)
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0
2009 1995
Active ageing in Vital villages 22
Active ageing in Vital villages 23
Important characteristics of villages for the person-environment fit of older people?
Young old, born before WW II
Old old, born
before WW II
Young old, born
after WW II
Old old, born after
WW II
Active ageing in Vital villages 24
What is important for person-environment fit of older people in villages?
0,0 20,0 40,0 60,0 80,0 100,0
Wonen in deze streek
Wonen in de buurt van kinderen en familie
Een mooie omgeving
Een omgeving die me vertrouwd is
Een rustige omgeving
Dichtbij winkels en andere voorzieningen
Wonen in dit dorp
Een veilige omgeving
Dichtbij strand en duinen
Een levendige omgeving
Dichtbij een zorgcentrum ofdienstencentrum
Belangrijk Zeer belangrijk
Eastern Gelderland
25Active ageing in Vital villages
Active ageing in Vital villages 26
Possible contributions of older inhabitants to the person-environment fit of older people in villages?
Young old, born before WW II
Old old, born
before WW II
Young old, born
after WW II
Old old, born after
WW II
Active ageing in Vital villages 27
Four situations of person-environment fit
vulnerable successfultraditional 2 1modern 3 4
Active ageing in Vital villages 28
Traditional successful: Nel 75 years Lives 50 years in small village M. Married with farmer Active in community life (choir, noaberschap, dialect) Feels perfectly at home Feels safe
“I leave the keys in my car and everybody could take the car and I let all the doors open and there is always coffee for anybody who drops in”
Active ageing in Vital villages 29
Traditional vulnerable: Corrie 86 years Wheelchair 45 years in industrial village B. Low involvement in community life Knows less and less people Feels unsafe
“The tight community is still there but has gone underground”
Active ageing in Vital villages 30
Modern vulnerable: Anna
68 years 34 years in small village L. Active in social activities outside village (tennis,
classical music) Few contacts in village Feels not at home Feels unsafe
“L. does not feel as ‘my’ village”
Active ageing in Vital villages 31
Modern successful: Marjan 68 years Born in large village K., but lived longtime outside village Active in aqua fitness, badminton and voluntary work (Third
World shop, Red Cross, local crafts) in village Helps people, knows many people in village Feels at home Feels safe Actively anticipates on later life in village
“I have spotted my future house in the village”
Active ageing in Vital villages 32
Conceptualization and measurement of person-environment fit of older people in small villages
Self
reliance
General opinion about self-reliance Own contribution:Housing Opinion about dwelling
Opinion about residential environment Opinion about characteristics of the
residential environment (facilities, safety, inhabitants, attractiveness)
Recent activities aimed at better person-environment fit: Moving, changes to dwelling, activities aimed at better fit with respect to residential environment
Care Opinion about formal care Opinion about informal care of family Opinion about informal care of neighbours Opinion about informal care of friends
Recent activities with respect to self-care, informal care, volunteering, helping family, friends and neighbours
Feeling at home
General opinion about feeling at home Own contribution:Well-being
Loneliness Place attachment:
o Social (social integration)o Physical (esthetical and emotional)o Historical (relation developed in time)
Identification: relation between own lifestyle and place identity
Recent activities with respect to social integration, the physical quality of the village, historical consciousness, attuning lifestyle and place
Active ageing in vital villages
Frans Thissen
Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies