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Older people's views about ageing well in a rural community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2020

Stephen Neville Open the ORCID record for Stephen Neville [Opens in a new window] ,
Sara Napier ,
Jeffery Adams ,
Kay Shannon  and
Valerie Wright-St Clair
Stephen Neville*
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Sara Napier
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Jeffery Adams
Affiliation:
Shore & Whariki Research Centre, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
Kay Shannon
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Valerie Wright-St Clair
Affiliation:
AUTCAA, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author. Email: sneville@aut.ac.nz
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Abstract

Maintaining physical, psychological and social wellbeing is integral to older adults being able to age well in their community. Therefore, an environment that facilitates and supports ageing well is imperative. The aim of this study was to explore the views of older people about their preparation for ageing well in a rural community. Forty-nine community-dwelling older people aged between 65 and 93 years participated in a semi-structured and digitally recorded interview. The resulting qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach. Three main themes were identified: (a) ‘sensible planning: the right place and the right people’; (b) ‘remaining independent: “it's up to me”’; and (c) ‘facing challenges: “accepting my lot”’. Findings from this study identify that across all age groups, these older people were actively and realistically preparing for ageing well. All valued their independence, believing individually they were responsible for being independent and planning for their future. Consequently, environmental planners, policy makers and practitioners need to understand that older people are a heterogeneous group and ageing policies should be geared towards older people's individual abilities and circumstances. Consideration of diversity enables inclusion of older people with a wide range of abilities and needs to achieve the perceived goals of ageing well.

Keywords

age-friendly communitiesruralageing wellgerontologyolder people
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 41 , Issue 11 , November 2021 , pp. 2540 - 2557
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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