At the heart of current debates about the development of modern society and the future of the welfare state is the issue of providing for the growing number of elderly people in every population. Contending that dependency is a social construction, Qureshi and Walker interviewed some 300 elderly people, along with family members who regularly provide some form of assistance, to determine the nature and extent of the "caring relationship" and its ramifications on the formation of public policy. The study, conducted in Sheffield, England, argues that British public policy regarding the aged is misdirected because it misconstrues their needs and regards calls for assistance as a sign that families are shirking their responsibilities of caring for elderly relatives. The authors evaluate different kinds of physical care needed to aid older citizens and examine the social foundations of the caring relationship. Despite the governments prediction that society will soon be overtaxed by the special needs of a dependent elderly population, they found that more people aged seventy-five and older choose independent living situations because of a continued preference for autonomy, that disability and dysfunction are not inevitable burdens of aging people, and that families-especially the women members-continue to provide a great deal of care for their elderly relatives. Still, they observed that for various reasons there exists a "care gap" between the needs of some elderly people and the provision of informal care. Qureshi and Walker conclude that public assistance is not a replacement of family or social network responsibilities and that the level and form of need varies greatly within the elderly population. They recommend that the policy goal should be a more varied menu rather than larger portions of current offerings. Author note: Hazel Qureshi is Research Fellow in the Hester Adrian Research Center, University of Manchester. Alan Walker is Professor of Social Policy and Chair of the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield.
This book takes a close look at family relationships at the end of the life cycle. Based on a representative sample of people aged 75 or more in a major British city, it investigates in depth what the caring relationship actually means to those elderly people and carers, mostly family members, who are involved on a day to day basis. An important book for health and welfare professionals involved in planning and providing services.
This report draws together literature on older people's definitions of quality services and considers evidence about quality of life outcomes and the changes or improvements which may be needed to achieve them. It also examines the ways in which services are delivers and outlines the implications for services in the future, indicating how best practice might be achieved. It also underlines how older people's involvement in quality assessment and quality assurance might affect services and suggests an agenda for possible research.
This study reflects a recognition of contributions studies of the post-war 'welfare state' make to contemporary debates about the restructuring of welfare. It illuminates concerns about key issues such as rationing care and health and social care divide.
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