It's the standard picture, and a depressing one: older adults receiving formal care as passive and alienated. Overlooked in this equation is the capacity of dependent elders for giving back - doing for others - and their need to continue finding meaning to their existence which is an essential aspect of improving their lives and care.

Reciprocity and Dependency in Old Age presents an empowering new paradigm for reframing our conception of the lives of elders who are in need of care. Elegantly reasoned and meticulously researched, the book explores the importance of connectedness in later years, and argues that facilitating reciprocity benefits all parties involved - elders, caregivers, and society at large. Reframing dependent care in a more positive light is highlighted as a crucial step toward recognizing older adults' value, thereby improving their self-esteem and promoting their dignity. The importance of promoting change in care systems in order to facilitate the building up of social capital is also addressed.

This important volume:

• Presents the findings of an extensive research study on reciprocity in later life.
• Provides phenomenologically and sociologically grounded frameworks for understanding reciprocity in the lives of elders.
• Gives voice to frequently neglected perspectives on elders' well-being.
• Relates the study findings to elders' spiritual dimension and aspirations for a future as well as a present and a past.
• Offers a means of transforming deficit models of old age.

• Examines the potential for improving the future of eldercare. With its powerful vision, Reciprocity and Dependency in Old Age is certain to be read and discussed by practitioners, educators and students in a range of fields, including gerontology, sociology, social policy, social work, health and social care, psychology, pastoral care, and by others committed to improving qualityof life for older adults.

  Autorentext

Sue Thompson, PhD works in Wales as a director of Avenue Consulting Ltd and does postgraduate research in the field of eldercare. She received her doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Liverpool, following a masters in social work obtained at University of Wales. Dr. Thompson has extensive experience in the caring professions, both at the practitioner level as a nurse and social worker, and also as a practice assessor, mentor, and educator in social work and social care more broadly defined. She has written and co-written a number of articles, chapters, books, and learning resources pertaining particularly to older people and eldercare. A key theme in her practice, research, and publications is the challenging of ageist practices which compromise dignity and personhood, and the ideologies and discourses which reinforce such practices as morally legitimate. Dr. Thompson is a co-founder of the Welsh Organisation for Practice Teaching and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Zusammenfassung

This book highlights (1) the significance of reciprocity for the maintenance of self-esteem in old age and (2) the negative implications for the well-being of dependent older people when that significance goes unrecognized and, as a consequence, opportunities to give back to society, as well as take from it, are not facilitated by those in a position to do so. The discussion draws on research undertaken in the UK and Southern India into the extent to which having the self-perception of being valued in the world is important to older people in receipt of care support and whether, in their experience, this is recognized by others. The author presents an analysis of theoretical insights from leading thinkers across a broad range of literature and from several disciplines, including social theory, social work, philosophy, and gerontology. The author also gives voice to the perspectives of those dependent older people not often heard because of marginalizing and disempowering processes that contribute to their having little opportunity to be heard in the first place. The emphasis of this book is on aspiration to a meaningful life and continuing personal growth as offering a challenge to dominant discourses the equate old age with decline.

Inhalt
A Matter of Dignity.- Setting the context.- Reciprocity and old age.- Research Design and Methods.- Findings.- The significance of the Findings for the Spiritual Well-being of Older People Dependent on Formal Care.- The significance of the Findings for the Theorising of Old Age.- The Significance of the Findings for Eldercare Practice.- Their Journeys and Mine.