Background: The social networks of adults with intellectual disabilities are often small and may be limited to family, paid staff and others with disabilities. This study explored the social inclusion of six individuals who joined mainstream leisure clubs or became local volunteers. Method: This qualitative intervention study provided structured…

This study describes the barriers and supportive factors for learning about and using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) present during a learning intervention designed to enable older adults to use ICT for fostering healthy aging in terms of promoting functional ability. Forty-one adults, older than 60 years, participated in a…

Background: Food insecurity is an ongoing national problem and is linked to chronic diseases and other poor health outcomes. Concerning are the rates in racial and ethnic minorities. Food insecurity is significantly high in African Americans older adults. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use a Community-Based Participatory Research…

Background: There are a significant number of adults with a learning disability who live with and are cared for by their parents. There is a pressing need for interventions to support older parent carers with their role and to plan for a time when they can no longer continue caring. This article reports on the experiences of older parent carers…

The purpose of this paper was to analyse the core of the quality of life, intended as a complex construct with specific and transversal features. The approach to this issue, by linking it to the great emergency of disability in adulthood, pushes the analysis into deep conceptual pedagogical reflections, which lead the authors' initial reflections…

A collaboration between social work and nursing faculty created a curriculum to improve cultural awareness and knowledge of LGBT older population's health and quality of life. Social work and nursing students completed a pre/post survey following the educational intervention; results from this mixed methods study indicated positive change in…

Purpose: The study considers the social networks of older Americans, a population for whom there have been few studies of social network type. It also examines associations between network types and well-being indicators: loneliness, anxiety, and happiness. Design and Methods: A subsample of persons aged 65 years and older from the first wave of…

Introduction: The pilot study reported here determined the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary group rehabilitation program, Visually Impaired Elderly Persons Participating (VIPP), on psychosocial functioning. Methods: The single-group pretest-posttest pilot study included 29 persons with visual impairments (aged 55 and older) who were referred…

Social network analysis involves the assessment of the individual's interpersonal relationships, of the degree of integration into various organizational settings, and of the availability of supportive services. This analysis reveals strengths within the network to be reinforced, or negative influences. (Author)

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends 2014, taking place in Porto, Portugal, from 4 to 6 of April. Psychology, in our time, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and behavioral…

Aged care research has found that relationships between care-providing staff and residents are often not satisfying for either staff or residents. The study evaluated the effects of a simple relationship intervention, Staff-Resident Quality Time, on staff perceptions of relationship satisfaction and control in two aged care facilities. The…

Recent research has established that the well-being of older adults is very much influenced by the quality and the quantity of their social relationships and their social support network. Weiss has argued that for adults in general, different relationships are needed to meet the diverse requirements of well-being. In this study the Weiss model was…

There are a number of compelling reasons that justify attention to and implementation of non-familial adult participation in the lives of youth, through mentoring and intergenerational activities and programs. This article describes the rationale for activities that connect youth and older non-familial adults together in meaningful and productive…

This paper examines some problems of aging individuals and of the families of the aged and suggests ways in which the family counselor can facilitate the adjustment of both to the aging process. The causes of an increased aged population are presented in an introductory section. Problems associated with aging such as physical changes and the…

This paper suggests that groups are effective modalities for meeting older persons' psychological needs and enhancing their sense of well-being. Following a review of the literature on group work with the aged, the effectiveness of group work as an intervention strategy for the treatment and prevention of mental health problems is demonstrated.…