Perspectives on ageing: a qualitative study of the expectations, priorities, needs and values of older people from two Canadian provinces - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2021 Sep 11;50(5):1811-1819.

doi: 10.1093/ageing/afab136.

Kate Hardacre 1, Aya Mahder Bashi 1 3, Susan E Bronskill 1 2 4, Colin Faulkner 1 5, Jim Grieve 6, Andrea Gruneir 1 2 7, Lisa M McCarthy 1 8 9 10, Stephanie A Chamberlain 7, Kenneth Lam 1 4 11, Nathan M Stall 1 4 12, Lynn Zhu 1, Paula A Rochon 1 2 4 12

Affiliations

Perspectives on ageing: a qualitative study of the expectations, priorities, needs and values of older people from two Canadian provinces

Rachel D Savage et al. Age Ageing. 2021.

Abstract

Background: Understanding the needs and values of older people is vital to build responsive policies, services and research agendas in this time of demographic transition. Older peoples' expectations and priorities for ageing, as well as their beliefs regarding challenges facing ageing societies, are multi-faceted and require regular updates as populations' age.

Objective: To develop an understanding of self-perceptions of ageing and societal ageing among Canadian retirees of the education sector to define a meaningful health research agenda.

Methods: We conducted four qualitative focus groups among 27 members of a Canadian retired educators' organisation. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach.

Results: We identified four overarching themes: (1) vulnerability to health challenges despite a healthier generation, (2) maintaining health and social connection for optimal ageing, (3) strengthening person-centred healthcare for ageing societies and (4) mobilising a critical mass to enact change. Participants' preconceptions of ageing differed from their personal experiences. They prioritised maintaining health and social connections and felt that current healthcare practices disempowered them to manage and optimise their health. Although the sheer size of their demographic instilled optimism of their potential to garner positive change, participants felt they lacked mechanisms to contribute to developing solutions to address this transition.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest a need for health research that improves perceptions of ageing and supports health system transformations to deliver person-centred care. Opportunities exist to harness their activism to engage older people as partners in shaping solution-oriented research that can support planning for an ageing society.

Keywords: community-based participatory research; healthy ageing; older people; patient engagement; public engagement; qualitative.

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Kotlikoff LJ, Burns S. The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know about America’s Economic Future. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004.
    1. Blair T, Minkler M. Participatory action research with older adults: key principles in practice. Gerontologist 2009; 49: 651–62. -PubMed
    1. Fried LP. Investing in health to create a third demographic dividend. Gerontologist 2016; 56: S167–77. -PubMed
    1. World Health Organization . World Report on Ageing and Health 2015, p. 246. http://www.who.int/ageing/publications/world-report-2015/en/ (9 September 2018, date last accessed).
    1. Hausknecht S, Low LF, O’Loughlin K, McNab J, Clemson L. Older adults’ self-perceptions of aging and being older: a scoping review. Gerontologist 2020; 60: e524–34. -PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources