The authors presented diverse approaches to challenging conventional understandings of successful aging, introducing queer counter-narratives. They subverted the norms that dictated the fixed nature of sexual and gender identities. A challenge was posed to the existing forms of LGBTQ activism by them. Celebrating ageing, with croning ceremonies as an example, and addressing death head-on, were integral parts of their culture. In closing, they deviated from the standard narrative form, presenting personal accounts which displayed qualities of dreamlike evocativeness, poetic beauty, or inconclusive resolution. The reimagining of successful aging, aiming for greater inclusivity, finds valuable resources in counter-normative spaces, exemplified by activist newsletters.

At home, most senior citizens with dementia are primarily cared for by their families and friends. A decline in memory and cognitive functions amongst individuals living with dementia is expected to result in more frequent points of contact with the health care system. STS inhibitor price The impact of care transitions on older people is profound, signifying pivotal life changes and significantly altering the lives of their family caregivers. Hence, a more exhaustive description of the intricate social actions engaged in by people with dementia and their family caregivers when confronted with care transitions is vital. A constructivist grounded theory design was employed for this Canadian study, conducted between the years 2019 and 2021. The 20 interviews involved 25 people; 4 of them had dementia, and 21 were caregivers. Six concepts, deduced from the collected data, are intricately linked to a key process that participants follow throughout their care transition and subsequent life, acknowledging the significance of daily circumstances. This study contributes to the existing literature on care transitions by not only clarifying the palpable work of patient-caregiver dyads during the transition process, but it also brings into focus the consistent efforts undertaken by caregivers as they traverse the health and social care systems while supporting their family members living with dementia. During the care transition, and far beyond its completion, the caregiver is left to pick up the pieces and connect the implications of every action. genetic constructs Although the caring experience is laden with traumatic and immensely challenging situations, many caregivers demonstrate an exceptional capacity to rise above their pain and find motivation in helping their family member and others who face similar circumstances. Theory-driven interventions, grounded in this theory, are designed to support the patient-caregiver partnership during periods of care transition.

The present, past, and future are all examined within the narratives of older adults residing at home to better comprehend their lived experiences concerning the frailty that shapes their lives. The dialogical narrative analysis underpinning this article is based on interviews with three frail older adults residing in their homes, identified by home care services. During eight months, we undertook three interviews with each participant. Our research findings point to the fact that although some elderly individuals view frailty as an inevitable and unchanging condition, others experience it as a significant life transition. A comprehensive view of frailty was presented by some narrators, whereas others conveyed a more specific and fluctuating account. Maintaining a home life was vital, yet a move to a nursing facility frequently coincided with a loss of physical resilience and the severance of treasured bonds with family members and their residence. The experiences of frailty were fashioned and formed by the interplay of the past, present, and future. Crucial to the older adults' narratives were faith, fate, and their prior abilities to navigate adversity. Older adults' accounts provide a window into the many and changing ways of coping with frailty. Older adults can maintain a sense of self, connection, and equilibrium by sharing narratives covering their past, present, and envisioned futures, allowing them to manage challenges. Healthcare and care professionals can empower older adults through exploration of their life stories, enabling them to embrace the ongoing process of recognizing and accepting their transition to becoming 'frail older adults'.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are critically influential in shaping our conceptions of advanced age, providing a substantial framework for anxieties related to the aging process. Employing twenty-five in-depth interviews with older adults (65+) in the Czech Republic, this study scrutinizes how dementia and Alzheimer's disease influence their narratives about future expectations and anxieties related to aging. Three distinct approaches to relating their anxieties about Alzheimer's to their fears of growing older were articulated by the participants. These approaches include: 1) Considering dementia an immediate threat, 2) seeing dementia as a mark of old age, and 3) viewing dementia as a potential, but distant, tragedy not affecting them personally. These methods exhibit differences in their evaluation of dementia risk, the anxiety surrounding future expectations, and how dementia shapes the representation of undesirable aspects of old age. The distinct ways of viewing dementia (as a particular health problem or as a marker of dependence in older years) impacted the participants' medical screening and information-seeking strategies.

The global pandemic, COVID-19, and the subsequent lockdowns imposed brought about significant changes to the lives of people in every segment of society worldwide. The initial UK national lockdown of 2020 brought with it a directive for older adults (70+) to shield themselves indoors, owing to their heightened vulnerability to severe COVID-19 infection when contrasted with other demographics. This study explores the responses and adjustments of elderly individuals living in care housing to the COVID-19 lockdown. The research objective is to evaluate the impact of lockdown measures on the scheme's residents, focusing on their social connections and overall quality of life during this period. Across 26 housing with care schemes, interviews with 72 residents yielded qualitative insights, analysed both longitudinally and cross-sectionally. The experiences of those residing in care housing schemes during the 2020 UK lockdown were investigated through a thematic framework analysis of the data. This paper highlights the detrimental impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the social relationships and interactions of older adults living in care facilities, as well as their feelings of self-sufficiency and personal autonomy. Even with self-isolation regulations in place, residents demonstrated remarkable adaptability, seeking positive approaches for maintaining social links both inside and outside the scheme. The tension between promoting resident autonomy and social connections while maintaining a safe and secure environment, particularly from the threat of COVID-19 infection, was a key concern for senior housing providers. Social cognitive remediation The results of our study encompass not only pandemic scenarios, but also broader considerations for the appropriate mix of independence and support in elder care housing.

Research, care, and support for individuals with Alzheimer's and related dementias are increasingly being guided by a rising call for strengths-based approaches. Person-centered interventions demonstrate positive global quality of life results, but numerous promising approaches lack the precise, strengths-based measurement tools with sufficient sensitivity to accurately document impactful outcomes. Crafting person-centered instruments benefits significantly from the innovative methods of human-centered design. This paper's research process utilizes a human-centered design approach, and emphasizes the ethical considerations throughout the design's transition into the experiential landscape of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The involvement of persons with dementia and their support networks in the design process produces fresh perspectives, albeit necessitating a strong commitment to inclusive, transparent, and patient-oriented ethical considerations.

Television series, capable of captivating a broad audience and reflecting contemporary social trends, offer a significant cultural platform for examining the experience of aging throughout time, owing to the expansive narrative possibilities inherent in serial storytelling. The enduring popularity of Netflix's Grace and Frankie (2015-2022), its longest-running TV series, lies in its masterful representation of aging and friendship within the domain of popular culture. In the contemporary United States, the show intently portrays two female protagonists, Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin), who are newly divorced friends, both over the age of seventy. With Fonda and Tomlin leading the way, the program presents a hopeful vision of growing older, emphasizing the new experiences and opportunities awaiting those who age gracefully. The apparent optimism surrounding aging is, however, subtly qualified by its emergence from the neoliberal restructuring of aging within the US and other Western societies. Through the lens of friendship, entrepreneurship, the aging female form and its sexuality, and care within the narrative, we demonstrate how the show's optimistic outlook is rooted in the creation of the neoliberal, successfully aging subject in the two protagonists, while simultaneously marginalizing the 'fourth age,' the 'black hole' of aging, presented as a period marked by bodily failure, vulnerability, and dependence (Higgs & Gilleard, 2015, 16). In addressing the physical effects of aging, the show may find a particular resonance among older viewers, but its portrayal of the fourth age concurrently amplifies and reflects the existing cultural anxieties. Ultimately, the show's introduction of the fourth age aims to reassert the two principal characters' experience and competence as successful agers.

Magnetic resonance imaging has emerged as a primary imaging technique in diverse clinical settings.