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Older adults' adaptations to life events: a mobility perspective
- Thomas A. Lowe, Billie de Haas, Tess Osborne, Louise Meijering
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- Journal:
- Ageing & Society , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 16 November 2022, pp. 1-19
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- Article
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Mobility research tends to focus on physical movement and experiences in later life; however, changes in older adult mobility over time remains underexplored. Furthermore, older adults typically experience many life events, some of which result from cognitive and physical decline, and many of which impact mobility. This article aims to explore how life events affect the mobility of older adults over time. We conducted in-depth interviews with 22 older adults aged 55 years and over from Lancashire, United Kingdom. Of these participants, eight lived with memory problems. The findings show that both anticipated and unexpected life events play a profound role in the participants' mobility over time. Retirement, long-term illness and age-related illness were examples of anticipated life events, while the death of a loved one and developing memory problems were examples of unexpected life events. In both cases, participants' made external adaptations, such as moving home, or internal adaptations, such as self-awareness. The findings also emphasise the layered nature of life events and adaptations playing a role in the participants' mobility. Additionally, life events such as developing memory problems showed a domino effect, triggering further life events and adaptations which impacted the participants' mobility. This article emphasises how transition periods can occur before or after a life event, showing that adaptations can be pre-emptive to a life event. Our article contributes to calls for internal adaptations to be fully incorporated into age-related policy and also for age-related policy to be more inclusive for older adults who experience memory problems and dementia.
Eleven - Exploring Older Adults’ Experiences of Urban Space in the COVID-19 Lockdowns: Dutch and British Perspectives
- Edited by Rianne van Melik, Pierre Filion, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Brian Doucet, University of Waterloo, Ontario
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- Book:
- Volume 3: Public Space and Mobility
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 25 April 2023
- Print publication:
- 22 July 2021, pp 109-118
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Summary
Introduction
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential lockdowns, the importance of urban neighborhoods as public spaces for people in general, and older adults in particular, has increased (see also Chapter Ten, this volume). This importance has increased because the lockdowns forced/encouraged people to spend the majority of their time at home, only leaving to get some fresh air or go shopping, both activities that often take place locally. In this chapter, we explore various areas in urban neighborhoods in which older adults engage most, and how experiences of service use and green and blue space have been impacted.
For older adults, the local neighborhood typically is an important place. It is where they undertake the majority of their daily activities (such as socializing, shopping, and exercising) and thus experience a strong sense of belonging and attachment (Smith, 2009; Buffel et al, 2014). This sense of belonging is a fundamental element of ‘ageing in place’ which, in turn, is important to well-being in later life (Wiles et al, 2012): when older adults live in a neighborhood, they typically have a relatively strong local social network, and know how, when, and with whom to engage with its spaces (Boyle et al, 2015).
Another key element for older adults in urban neighborhoods is the quantity and quality of amenities available, such as supermarkets, green space, and health care facilities. Aside from the functional needs of the amenities, spaces such as gardens, parks, ponds, and waterfronts are considered to have restorative and even ‘therapeutic’ qualities (Korpela et al, 2010; Bell et al, 2017): people go there to relax, to spend time on their own (or with other people) away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. More specifically, green and blue space have been found to positively affect perceived mental, physical, and social health in later life, but complicating these positive effects are negative experiences around safety and accessibility (Finlay et al, 2015). To ensure positive ageing in place, these amenities need to be freely accessible and safe for older adults (Van Hoven and Meijering, 2019). However, even if services are nearby, they may not always be accessible for those who use mobility aids or may not be deemed safe (Van Hoven and Meijering, 2019).
Methodology and contexts
This study is part of Meaningful Mobility (2019–24) project which explores mobility patterns and experiences in later life.