This publication is concerned with gerontechnology - the study of technology and ageing with the aim of improving the functioning of older people in daily life. The first part of the book is a compilation of the key-note addresses describing the background for and the conditions under which the emerging field of gerontechnology can be developed further. The chapters deal with political, socio-economic, ethical, demographic issues related to gerontechnology. Furthermore, methodological approaches in human factors, ergonomics and industrial design are described. Trends in technological developments and innovations conclude the first volume. The second part presents some 80 case studies, divided over 9 sections (1) perception and cognition, (2) communication technology, (3) mobility and transport, (4) health and home care technology, (5) housing, (6) training and education, (7) safety and security, (8) product design and (9) culture and attitudes.
The second edition of this landmark textbook is distinguished by its pioneering approach to encompassing disability and aging policies under one umbrella, in response to the newly developed Administration on Aging and Disability. It addresses policy changes impacting health and disability services resulting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other new legislation, and offers a pioneering approach to transforming policy into practice applications. New to the second edition is current census data and new legislative mandates from the ACA and other policy organizations impacting aging adults and/or disabled populations. Also included is new coverage on Social Media, Motivational Interviewing, Health Literacy, Underrepresented Groups, LGBT, and Rural Communities. Podcasts, available as downloads, present the messages of advocates, lobbyists, policy experts, and consumers who address various aspects of relevant policies and policy development. Unlike other texts, the book focuses on triangulating skills, policies, and programs for graduate students in social work, public health, gerontology, and rehabilitation. It aims thus to enhance understanding of policy development through a critical analysis and review of policy framework, and promotes development of skills in shaping programs and implementing policy. The text lays out tools that facilitate policy and program development to include the media, coalition building, the use of an evidence base, and how each mandated policy addresses these programs and services. Chapters include learning objectives, case studies, review/discussion questions, and resources for additional information. An Instructors Manual, Test Bank, and PowerPoint slides facilitate the teaching process. New to the Second Edition: Addresses both disability and aging policies Includes updated census data Presents new legislation and mandates for the ACA, Veterans and the Military, Caregivers/Caregiver Support Act, Alzheimer Support, Health Lifestyles, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Elder Justice Act, and Substance Use and Misuse Provides new coverage on Social Media, Motivational Interviewing, Health Literacy, Minorities, Incarcerated Individuals, Immigrants/Refugees, LGBT, and Rural Communities Offers podcasts of interviews with key consumers and policy experts Key Features: Lays out tools that facilitate policy and program development Examines major service areas for older adults Addresses philosophical, historical, and demographic challenges Enhances understanding of policy development through critical analysis Includes learning objectives, case studies, review questions, and instructor package
In 1980 old people comprised over half the clients of Local Authority Social Services Departments and accounted for about half of their resources, yet until then residential care of the aged had been a backwater of both research and practice. During the 1970s a large research literature had developed on the subject, particularly in the United States. However, studies had been partial in their focus on issues, making no attempt to draw together their arguments to create a model that described and evaluated competing theories about what it is that determines the quality of residential life. Originally published in 1981, Bleddyn Davies and Martin Knapp filled that gap in this book. The authors discuss not only the theoretical arguments about residential care and the degree to which those theories had been verified by research, but also how far the factors considered to be important had been successfully measured, considering the choices to be made between alternative varieties of care that had grown up so rapidly in the previous five years. The authors conclude with an analysis of how their approach should contribute to the discussion of issues that was to be faced by British policy-makers in the 1980s as our welfare systems attempted to cope with the increasing numbers of the very old.
