Care of Older Persons

This book explores the implications and significant ethical, social, economic and health challenges that an ageing world population presents. It provides valuable insights on concerns related to providing, organizing, planning and managing care for older persons in both formal and informal settings.

As the number of older persons increases rapidly around the globe, caring for them is a very important aspect of all ageing and aged societies. While in most countries the care of older persons is provided informally by family members, the changing social scene, family structures and work and employment patterns are leading many nations to create provisions for formal care through institutions or paid services of caregivers. This book offers perspectives on formal and informal care from countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, the USA, India, South Africa and Poland, among others. The essays in this book underline a rights-based approach and focus on ethical, social, economic, health and legal aspects of care as they pertain to the universal phenomena of ageing as well as the specific demographic and epidemiological realities of the selected countries. They discuss concerns such as long-term care provisions, catering to the needs of people affected by dementia, providing residential care, taking the needs of family care providers into account, the growing requirement for paid care workers and channelizing training of both skilled and semi-skilled care providers to suit the needs of older people.

This volume would be of interest to scholars and those working in the fields of sociology, health studies, age and ageing, psychology, social work, medical sciences, nursing and public policy. It will also be useful to NGO sector workers, administrators, as well as grassroots workers involved with the care of older persons.

?This book offers many ideas in restructuring residential and community-based care. Gerontologists representing different countries share their care perspectives giving us fresh ideas to develop better programs for our elders and persons with dementia. I would highly recommend this book.?

?Christopher J. Johnson, PhD., Clinical Professor, Dementia and Aging Studies Program, Department of Sociology, Texas State University, U.S.A.

?This book is timely and important. Due to an ageing population worldwide, there is an increasing need to provide insight on different perspectives of what constitutes good care for older people. Whether this is within families, communities or in long-term care facilities. Especially people with dementia, a disease which has high human and economic costs due to increasing care needs, need care which is characterised by good theoretical frameworks, is evidence-based and has the correct person-centred perspective. The goal of all care should be to provide the necessary support, but also to be mindful of older people?s dignity and promote their independence and self-efficacy as much as possible. This book brings together expertise around the world to discuss examples of care for older people and as such fills an important area in the literature.?

?Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Biological Psychology, Director of Dementia Research at Loughborough University, UK and visiting Professor at Respati University Indonesia.

?The book, Care of Older Persons, edited by Dr. Mala Kapur Shankardass, an expert on ageing issues is a worthy and valuable resource covering a cross-section of ageing populations in ageing societies. The book highlights many care dimensions from varied perspectives in a meaningful way providing great insights on concerns of care in different countries. It is a very significant and beneficial collection of Chapters for scholars and researchers in the area.?

?Lucy W. Maina, Associate Professor of Sociology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya; Chair, Kenya Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics; Former Secretary, IAGG- Africa Region.