Loading...
3 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
- Attitudes, knowledge, and interest: preparing university students to work in an aging worldPublication . Gonçalves, Daniela C.; Guedes, Joana; Fonseca, António M.; Pinto, Fernando Cabral; Martín, Inácio; Byrne, Gerard J.; Pachana, Nancy A.Background: The underlying goals of the present study were (i) to assess knowledge of and attitudes towards aging in a sample of Portuguese undergraduate students undertaking various degrees in health and welfare subjects, and (ii) to analyze the extent to which knowledge, attitudes and other factors were associated with interest in working with older adults. Methods: The study was cross-sectional in design. The sample comprised 460 Portuguese undergraduate students enrolled in degrees in nursing, social work, and psychology. They were asked to complete questionnaires and quizzes, which were analyzed using contingency tables and one way analysis of variance for inter-group comparison, and then subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Significant differences emerged between groups on knowledge, attitudes towards aging and interest in working with older adults, with both nursing and social work students displaying more positive attitudes, knowledge, and interest in working with older adults, when compared with psychology students. A regression analysis indicated that attitudes, knowledge, and previous formal contact were significant predictors of interest. Conclusion: Interest in working with older adults was significantly related to positive attitudes, more knowledge and formal previous contact. Positive attitudes towards older adults can be promoted through interaction with faculty members and experts, knowledge acquisition about normative changes with age, and contact with healthy and impaired older adults.
- Psychometric properties of the reminiscence functions scale for the Portuguese population: a preliminary reportPublication . Gonçalves, Daniela C.; Guedes, Joana Martins; Fonseca, António M.; Martín, InácioThe aim to the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of a version in Portuguese of the reminiscence function scale. Total sample was composed of 628 participants aged between 18 and 92 years, divided into three groups according to their age (18-24 years, n=249; 26-54 years, n=174; 55 and older, n=205). Results indicated a five-factor solution for the Portuguese version of the reminiscence function scale, which accounted
- Working family carers in Portugal: between the duty and the burden of caring for old vulnerable peoplePublication . Fonseca, António M.; Gonçalves, Daniela C.; Pereira, Sandra M.This paper intends to reflect on some of the predominant traits of caring for older vulnerable people in Portugal, where the most common care model is a mix of informal home-based provision and support from the public and private sectors. We shall address some issues concerning the risks and limits of informal caretaking of older dependent people based on a case study of a woman who has to fulfil multiple roles, pushing her to the limit of her ability to cope. Evidence indicates that solutions to the challenges of caring for an ageing population, especially those in a vulnerable condition, require a consideration of material, social, cultural, and psychological measures. On the basis of the nature of the links between these areas, the quality of the care provided and the consequences for the working family carers, we can define standards of caring solutions for older people and hence derive policies for preventive and optimized interventions. Our final aim is to emphasize the importance of palliative care settings to improve the quality of life and minimize the suffering of both older people and their carers.