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Editorial

Editorial Ron Iphofen Helen Chapman and Helen Edwards build on their paper published in the last issue of Quality in Ageing to argue that more productive and effective forms of communication and caregiving can be promoted by modifying the role expectations and behaviour associated with the reciprocal care relationship. Drawing on a lengthy tradition of communication theory and role relationships they introduce a Health Promoting Communication Model that they propose will help guide both prevention and intervention strategies in family caregiving. A few such strategies are outlined and proposed as ways of resolving some of the inherent dilemmas in the caring role relationship. Gill Windle, Rhiannon Edwards and Vanessa Burholt address an issue that is vital to sustained responses to the research engagement from older people – that is, the length and complexity of a questionnaire. We know that commitment to a study and, therefore, response rates might be higher when respondents have something to gain from participation. So people in receipt of care might reason that their participation can help improve their own treatment. Less is known about the response commitment from members of the older population in the community. Moreover research instruments are often only validated in specific settings, which might restrict their more general applicability. Consequently Gill and her colleagues have investigated the validity of a measure that might be of value to others researching the general older adult population. They find the EQ-5D to be short and easy to use and to be commended to other researchers requiring such a generic health status measure – their critical discussion suggests areas for improvement in the instrument that researchers might wish to take into account. Linda Dobrzanska and her colleagues in the North Bradford (UK) Primary Care National Health Service Trust report here on their programme to incorporate a falls exercise element in the care pathways of the older people they have to deal with. They describe the rationale for the exercises recommended and set their programme within the context of current policy. The evidence base for the effectiveness of such exercises is strong and, with limited resources, the team report on their efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of their work. The detail they offer may be useful to other practitioners wishing to introduce such a programme and certainly underscores the need for adequate resources to evaluate work such as this and further add to the evidence base. We continue with the exercise theme in our concluding piece from Jennifer Scanlon-Mogel and Karen Roberto of the Center for Gerontology at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. A comparative life course approach to understanding change in physical exercise in older adulthood raises interesting issues concerning cultural and chronological variations in lifestyle patterns. There were clear physical and psychological gains to the study sample (chosen from a reasonably affluent white population) from engaging in exercise programmes. Jennifer and Karen conclude by pointing out that while time, motivation and opportunity will change in an understandable manner throughout the life course, direct comparisons with other cultures – or even for ethnic minorities in advanced economies – is not always possible and further research investigating cultural variations in exercise practice would be revealing. Quality in Ageing – Policy, practice and research Volume 5 Issue 3 November 2004 © Pavilion Publishing 2004 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Quality in Ageing and Older Adults Pier Professional

Editorial

Iphofen, Ron
Quality in Ageing and Older Adults , Volume 5 (3) – Nov 1, 2004
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Publisher
Pier Professional
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by Pier Professional Limited
ISSN
1471-7794
eISSN
2042-8766
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Abstract

Ron Iphofen Helen Chapman and Helen Edwards build on their paper published in the last issue of Quality in Ageing to argue that more productive and effective forms of communication and caregiving can be promoted by modifying the role expectations and behaviour associated with the reciprocal care relationship. Drawing on a lengthy tradition of communication theory and role relationships they introduce a Health Promoting Communication Model that they propose will help guide both prevention and intervention strategies in family caregiving. A few such strategies are outlined and proposed as ways of resolving some of the inherent dilemmas in the caring role relationship. Gill Windle, Rhiannon Edwards and Vanessa Burholt address an issue that is vital to sustained responses to the research engagement from older people – that is, the length and complexity of a questionnaire. We know that commitment to a study and, therefore, response rates might be higher when respondents have something to gain from participation. So people in receipt of care might reason that their participation can help improve their own treatment. Less is known about the response commitment from members of the older population in the community. Moreover research instruments are often only validated in specific settings, which might restrict their more general applicability. Consequently Gill and her colleagues have investigated the validity of a measure that might be of value to others researching the general older adult population. They find the EQ-5D to be short and easy to use and to be commended to other researchers requiring such a generic health status measure – their critical discussion suggests areas for improvement in the instrument that researchers might wish to take into account. Linda Dobrzanska and her colleagues in the North Bradford (UK) Primary Care National Health Service Trust report here on their programme to incorporate a falls exercise element in the care pathways of the older people they have to deal with. They describe the rationale for the exercises recommended and set their programme within the context of current policy. The evidence base for the effectiveness of such exercises is strong and, with limited resources, the team report on their efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of their work. The detail they offer may be useful to other practitioners wishing to introduce such a programme and certainly underscores the need for adequate resources to evaluate work such as this and further add to the evidence base. We continue with the exercise theme in our concluding piece from Jennifer Scanlon-Mogel and Karen Roberto of the Center for Gerontology at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. A comparative life course approach to understanding change in physical exercise in older adulthood raises interesting issues concerning cultural and chronological variations in lifestyle patterns. There were clear physical and psychological gains to the study sample (chosen from a reasonably affluent white population) from engaging in exercise programmes. Jennifer and Karen conclude by pointing out that while time, motivation and opportunity will change in an understandable manner throughout the life course, direct comparisons with other cultures – or even for ethnic minorities in advanced economies – is not always possible and further research investigating cultural variations in exercise practice would be revealing. Quality in Ageing – Policy, practice and research Volume 5 Issue 3 November 2004 © Pavilion Publishing 2004

Journal

Quality in Ageing and Older Adults – Pier Professional

Published: Nov 1, 2004

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