Exploring perspectives of ageing well :a mixed methods study of community dwelling adults aged 85 years and older

Abstract

At the current time, people aged 85 years and over are identified as the fastest growing sector of our ageing population and generally assumed to be the most demanding for care. This thesis challenges this stereotypical assumption and aims to address the gap in current knowledge, bringing a detailed understanding of the influences contributing to ‘ageing well’ by including the voice of older people themselves. Applying a convergent parallel mixed methods approach containing two theoretical strands of data: (i) quantitative from ‘The Newcastle 85+ Pilot Study’, comprising structured interviews with n=116 participants [47 male/69 female]; and (ii) qualitative from additional in-depth interviews with n=17 of these participants [9 male/8 female]. All data collection took place within the participants’ usual place of residence [own home/care home; nursing/residential] and analysis was according to the theoretical foundation of each strand. Meta-inferences were led by qualitative themes with quantitative findings providing context. All participants were born in 1918 and permanently registered with a general practice within the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, North East of England. Findings revealed: (i) past life experiences have relevance as an influencing factor for ‘ageing well’; (ii) perspectives of the older individual need to be included when exploring health needs and planning resource allocation; (iii) the contribution of social connectedness and informal support should be considered as influencing factors of ‘ageing well’. An overarching discussion concluded that ‘ageing well’ is a fluid concept, sensitive to the lived context and history of an individual. Examining ‘ageing well’ in this way not only provides opportunities for future research and practice but also contributes to the development of overall knowledge.