Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Active Ageing–concept translated to the residential long-term care

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Active Ageing (AA), as described by the WHO (Active Ageing: a policy framework. World Health Organisation, Geneva 5), is an important concept in gerontology. Since the AA-concept has not been examined in the context of residential long-term care facilities, our study addresses this gap by describing the determinants of AA within this setting.

Methods

A qualitative study with semi-structured focus groups, followed by a thematic analysis, was conducted. Through purposive sampling, four focus groups of either residents of long-term care facilities (n = 8), children of residents (n = 8), community-dwelling older people (n = 8) and gerontologists (n = 6) were formed.

Results

The thematic analysis yielded nine determinants of AA. Seven correspond to those identified by the WHO: Culture, Behaviour, Psychological Factors, Physical Environment, Social Environment, Economic Characteristics and Health and Social Care. Two new determinants were identified: Meaningful Leisure and Participation. The determinant Participation is seen as crucial to AA in residential care.

Conclusion

This study points to a more extensive set of determinants of AA than those identified by the WHO (Active Ageing: a policy framework. World Health Organisation, Geneva 5). Staff of long-term care facilities can make use of these determinants to promote AA in their residents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

AA:

Active Ageing

WHO:

World Health Organisation

QoL:

Quality of life

RLTC:

Residential long-term care facilities

R-RLTC:

Residents of residential long-term care facilities

C-RLTC:

Children of residents of residential long-term care facilities

CD:

Community-Dwelling older people

EG:

Experts/Gerontologists

References

  1. Commission of the European Communities. (1999). Towards a Europe for all ages. Promoting prosperity and intergenerational solidarity.

  2. Walker, A. (2002). A strategy for active ageing. International Social Security Review, 55, 121–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. World Health Organisation. (1998). Statement developed by WHO. Geneva: Quality of Life Working Group.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bowling, A. (2009). Perceptions of active ageing in Britain: Divergences between minority ethnic and whole population samples. Age and Ageing, 38(6), 703–710.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. World Health Organisation. (2002). Active ageing: A policy framework. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bowling, A. (2008). Enhancing later life: How older people perceive active ageing? Aging Ment Health, 12(3), 293–301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. World Health Organization. (2001). Active ageing: from evidence to action. Geneva: WHO.

    Google Scholar 

  8. World Health Organisation. (2001). Health and ageing. A discussion paper. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

  9. O’Shea, E. (2006). Developing a healthy ageing policy for Ireland: The view from below. Health Policy, 76(1), 93–105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Stenner, P., McFarquhar, T., & Bowling, A. (2011). Older people and ‘active ageing’: Subjective aspects of ageing actively. Journal of Health Psychology, 16(3), 467–477.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Edmondson, R., & Von Kondratowitz, H.-J. (2009). Valuing older people. A humanist approach to ageing. Bristol: The Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Buys, L., Boulton-Lewis, G., Tedman-Jones, J., Edwards, H., Knox, M., & Bigby, C. (2008). Issues of active ageing: Perceptions of older people with lifelong intellectual disability. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 27(2), 67–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Cloos, P., Allen, C. F., Alvarado, B. E., Zunzunegui, M. V., Simeon, D. T., & Eldemire-Shearer, D. (2010). ‘Active ageing’: A qualitative study in six Carribean countries. Ageing and society, 30, 79–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Chong, A. M., Sink-Hung, N. G., Woo, J., & Kwan, A. Y. (2006). Positive Ageing: The views of middle-aged and older adults in Hong-Kong. Ageing and society, 26, 243–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Martinez-Maldonado, M. L., Correa-Munoz, E., & Mendoza-Nunez, V. M. (2007). Program of active aging in a rural Mexican community: A qualitative approach. BMC Public Health, 7, 276–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Michael, Y. L., Green, M. K., & Farquhar, S. A. (2006). Neighborhood design and active aging. Health Place, 12(4), 734–740.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Clarke, A., & Warren, L. (2007). Hopes, fears and expectations about the future; What do older people’s stories tell us about active ageing? Ageing and society, 27, 465–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Minichiello, V., Browne, J., & Kendig, H. (2000). Perceptions and consequences of ageism: Views of older people. Ageing and Society, 20, 253–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Soar, J., & Seo, Y. (2007). Health and aged care enabled by information technology. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1114, 154–161.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Vlaams Parlement (Flemish Parliament). (2009). Het ontwerp van woonzorgdecreet (The concept of the Decree on residential and home care). from http://www.vvsg.be/Welzijnsvoorzieningen/woonzorg/Documents/Woonzorgdecreet/Ontwerp%20van%20woonzorgdecreet.pdf.

  21. Gorus, E., Van Puyvelde, K., Corremans, V., & Mets, T. (2011). The use of acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in nursing home residents. Acta Clinica Belgica, 66(5), 361–366.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wadensten, B., & Carlsson, M. (2003). Theory-driven guidelines for practical care of older people, based on the theory of gerotranscendence. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(5), 462–470.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. McLafferty, I. (2004). Focus group interviews as a data collecting strategy. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48(2), 187–194.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. McEwan, M. J., Espie, C. A., Metcalfe, J., Brodie, M. J., & Wilson, M. T. (2004). Quality of life and psychosocial development in adolescents with epilepsy: A qualitative investigation using focus group methods. Seizure, 13(1), 15–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Holloway, I., & Wheeler, S. (2010). Qualitative research in nursing and health care (3rd ed.). West-Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Newman, D. K. (2007). Northern hospitality: Creating a hospitality culture in a nursing home setting, by the staff of Northern Services Group, Inc. Nursing Homes, 56(4), 26–35.

    Google Scholar 

  27. McCabe, B. W., Hertzog, M., Grasser, C. M., & Walker, S. N. (2005). Practice of health-promoting behaviors by nursing home residents. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 27(8), 1000–1016. discussion 1017–1022.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Plouffe, L., & Kalache, A. (2010). Towards global age-friendly cities: Determinang urban features that promote active aging. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 87(5), 733–739.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Adler, J. (2008). A home, not a hospital. Planning, 74(6), 24–25.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Federale Overheidsdienst Economie (Federal State Service Economy). (2009). Sectorstudie Rusthuizen (Sector study Insitutional Long Term Care Facilities). from http://statbel.fgov.be/nl/binaries/studie_rusthuissector_tcm325-96287.pdf.

  31. Buckley, C., & McCarthy, G. (2009). An exploration of social connectedness as perceived by older adults in a long-term care setting in Ireland. Geriatric Nursing, 30(6), 390–396.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Nayak, R., Buys, L., & Lovie-Kitchin, J. (2006). Influencing factors in achieving active ageing. In Proceedings 6th IEEE international conference on data mining—workshops, pp. 858–862.

  33. Isola, A., Backman, K., Voutilainen, P., & Rautsiala, T. (2008). Quality of institutional care of older people as evaluated by nursing staff. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(18), 2480–2489.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Mion, L., Odegard, P. S., Resnick, B., & Segal-Galan, F. (2006). Interdisciplinary care for older adults with complex needs: American Geriatrics Society position statement. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 54(5), 849–852.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Van’t Leven, N., & Jonsson, H. (2002). Doing and being in the atmosphere of the doing: Environmental influences on occupational performance in a nursing home. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 9, 148–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Blair, C. E. (1999). Effect of self-care ADLs on self-esteem of intact nursing home residents. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 20(6), 559–570.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Kari, N., & Michels, P. (1991). The Lazarus Project: The politics of empowerment. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45(8), 719–725.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Lie, M., Baines, S., & Wheelock, J. (2009). Citizenship, volunteering and active ageing. Social Policy and Administration, 43(7), 702–718.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. World Health Organisation. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). Geneva: World Health Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Whiteneck, G. (2005). Conceptual models of disability: past, present, & future. In M. J. Field, A. M. Jette, & L. Martin (Eds.), Workshop on disability in America. Washington DC: National Academics Press.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Yi, Z., Yuzhi, L., & George, L. K. (2003). Gender differentials of the oldest old in China. Research on Aging, 25, 65–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Van Malderen, L., Mets, T., & Gorus, E. (2012). Interventions to enhance the quality of life of older people in residential long-term care: a systematic review. Ageing Research Reviews: Accepted for publication.

  43. Whittemore, R., Chase, S. K., & Mandle, C. L. (2001). Validity in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 11(4), 522–537.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all the participants of the four focus groups, the nursing homes and the Flemish elderly council for the cooperation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frailty in Ageing Research Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Lien Van Malderen, Tony Mets, Patricia De Vriendt & Ellen Gorus

  2. Gerontology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Lien Van Malderen, Tony Mets, Patricia De Vriendt & Ellen Gorus

  3. Geriatrics Department, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Lien Van Malderen, Tony Mets & Ellen Gorus

Authors
  1. Lien Van Malderen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tony Mets
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Patricia De Vriendt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ellen Gorus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lien Van Malderen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Van Malderen, L., Mets, T., De Vriendt, P. et al. The Active Ageing–concept translated to the residential long-term care. Qual Life Res 22, 929–937 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0216-5

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0216-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation