Search

This paper draws on findings from a qualitative study of the social wellbeing of young people caring for a close family member. The research makes a novel contribution to the international literature by examining the moral resilience of young adult carers. Focus groups or individual, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with fifteen young people in South-East England during 2018–2019. The paper explores whether young people with a seriously ill or disabled family member define and conduct themselves in moral terms and how they respond to the moral challenges of a caring life. It was found that the participants saw moral value in their caring role and their actions reflected a desire to provide compassionate care. Previous research into young adult carers had indicated that the caring role stimulated their political consciousness, but this study suggests that the role also strengthens their moral consciousness. However, designating girls as carers in early life shifts the moral responsibility to females and compounds gender inequity in caring. Hence, there is a need to address social and gender inequalities in care. In addition, healthcare professionals should recognise when statutory input is necessary to facilitate young people’s broader lifeplans.

People with dementia have been assumed to possess weak or even no agency, so this paper provides a novel contribution to academic debate by examining their actual potential for agency. The author draws on findings from a qualitative study of everyday decision-making by people with dementia that aimed to identify the role of social factors (such as gender) in influencing their involvement in decisions. Whilst decision-making constitutes a form of deliberative agency, the research also identified when agency was alternatively habituated, embodied or emotional. The Economic and Social Research Council-funded research was undertaken in the North of England. Existing theoretical perspectives on agency are critiqued, particularly in relation to rationality, language and individualised agency. The study highlighted that people with dementia who lack deliberative capacity can nonetheless demonstrate creative capacity for agency. A more expansive concept of agency is needed in social science theory that is informed by the experiences of cognitively disabled people.

The division of household labour in heterosexual couples continues to be unequal, indicating that gender inequality persists in the domestic sphere. Yet, although there is a lack of gender equity in housework, this is less clear-cut in terms of cooking. This paper explores whether men are willing to cook when their wives develop dementia. The paper presents findings from a qualitative study in England (funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)), which explored the everyday decisions made by married couples when one partner had dementia. The author examines the division of labour within the couples and identifies whether women exercised choice and control over who did the cooking. Although research into dementia usually focuses on the social competence of people with dementia (as determined by their carers), this study explored the domestic competence of both spouses, particularly husbands who were carers. It was found that men are often unable or unwilling to cook when their wives develop dementia or, alternatively, they take over cooking altogether, thereby excluding their wives from a task they enjoy. Gendered patterns of authority or control were apparent in the couples' decision-making dynamics, indicating that gender inequality in relationships persists even when women develop dementia.

The objective of the study is to provide a fuller understanding of elected local government decision-making on the use of land, in particular, to examine the notion of universal goal-priorities and the role of site specific information in decision-making. Such an understanding helps in determining the usefulness of various approaches to community planning and is used in the study to assess the 'general plan' concept. The objectives of the study are pursued through an analysis of Regional Board decisions on land owner applications for exclusion of land from the A.L.R. The question of universal goal-priorities is addressed by examining the degree to which Regional Boards exhibit similar support for the preservation of agricultural land and by statistically analyzing the extent to which differences stem from certain regional characteristics (Importance of Agriculture to Regional Economy, Population Growth Pressures in the Region and Level of Urbanism in the Region). The question of the role of site specific information in decision-making is addressed by statistically analyzing the significance of certain site specific information (C.L.I. Rating for Agriculture, Location in Relation to the A.L.R. Primary Existing Use and Primary Surrounding Land Use) to Regional Board decisions. The analysis indicated that a universal priority is not attached to the goal of preserving agricultural land, even when regional characteristics are recognized, and that site specific information has little, if any, consistent effect on land use decisions. From these findings it was concluded that elected local government land use decision-making is characterized by a lack of universal goal-priorities and a lack of a narrowly defined information base. In terms of the 'general plan' concept, these characteristics of elected local government land use decision-making suggest that it is a useful approach to community planning, provided it is used as a process composed of a blend of procedures and participants which vary at different points in time and from community to community. In conclusion, this study illustrates the demanding nature of the environment in which community planners must operate -- an environment in which universal goal-priorities are lacking and where narrowly defined information is inconsequential to decision-making. Under these circumstances, effectiveness demands efforts to understand and clarify the uniqueness of of each planning environment and to adopt a comprehensive approach to the information base of plans and recommendations.

Introduction: \ud As life expectancy worldwide is increasing, the prevalence of frailty is also increasing. This scoping review aimed to identify and collate published information relating to frailty and spousal/partner bereavement in older people. \ud \ud Method: \ud A scoping review framework was used to identify that discussed frailty and spousal/partner bereavement i.e. the death of a life partner whether married or unmarried co-habiting, in community dwelling individuals aged 60+ years old, were included. \ud \ud Results: \ud Four studies were included. Overall, spousal/partner bereavement was negatively associated with the incidence and level of frailty. All four studies reported that elderly widowed females had a higher prevalence of frailty compared to married females and widowed and/or married males. Males were also less likely to be widowed or living alone compared to females. Female longevity and the potential of living alone once bereaved increases the risk of frailty for this population. \ud \ud Discussion: \ud This review identifies the needs of ageing populations and the potential risk of frailty associated with spousal/partner bereavement. \ud \ud Conclusion: \ud This review should help to make nurses more aware of the possible impact of bereavement on the development of frailty in older people and identify those most at risk, and/or in need of specific support/interventions.