The Sustainability Spillover: Uncovering the Link Between Informal Elder Care and Eco-Conscious Behaviors Across the European Union.

Background And Objectives: This study explores the association between informal caregiving for older adults and environmentally sustainable behaviors across the 27 European Union countries, aiming to identify how the gendered and domestic nature of environmentalism relates to senior care.

Research Design And Methods: Data from 41,742 respondents aged 16-74 were analyzed from the Survey of Gender Gaps in Unpaid Care, Individual and Social Activities, and conducted by a scientific consortium in 2022. Frequency of sustainable behaviors was measured across 10 indicators.

Gender Differences in the Functional Limitations of Frail Older People Ageing in Place Alone in Italy.

Unlabelled: Background/Objectives Older people with functional limitations find it difficult to age in place alone, without cohabiting with relatives. In light of this, this paper aimed to investigate possible gender differences in this respect among seniors living in Italy.

Methods: The study presents findings from the IN-AGE ("Inclusive ageing in place") study carried out in 2019 in this country assessing the ability of seniors aged 65 years and over to carry out basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs and IADLs), in addition to two mobility limitations (going up/down the stairs and bending to pick up an object) and sensory limitations (hearing and eyesight).

Caregiving burden, social support, and psychological well-being among family caregivers of older Italians: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify factors affecting the psychological well-being of family caregivers of dependent older adults in Italy. Understanding these variables is essential for designing interventions to prevent negative outcomes in at-risk caregivers. The research explored how varying levels of caregiving burden and types of perceived social support influence psychological well-being.

Characteristics of Italian, German and Spanish Socio-Economic, Public Health and Long-Term Care Systems Associated with COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in the First Pandemic Year: Lessons for Future Sustainability in an International Perspective.

The main outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to assess the capability and sustainability of public healthcare and Long-Term Care (LTC) systems. This study aims to identify the population's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as other national resources associated with the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, by comparing three European countries during the first pandemic period (Italy, Spain, and Germany). The results will identify possible strengths and weaknesses that could be considered as hints of the need for health and social intervention.

Mental well-being of children and adolescents during COVID-19: evidence from the Italian context and possible future developments.

The article aims to discuss the increased emergence of mental health problems among children and adolescents, as an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic.The results of a research study conducted among various professionals, such as psychiatrists and psychologists specialized in childhood and adolescence, are presented. The study, which uses both qualitative and quantitative methods, investigates the main consequences of the physical social distancing measures undertaken by the Italian government during the pandemic.

Depends on whom you ask: Discordance in reporting spousal care between older women and men across European welfare states.

Purpose: We aim to investigate systematic differences in reporting spousal care between caregivers and cared-for persons and their possible effects for the analysis of care regimes and correlation of care with health.

Materials And Methods: Using information on care provided/received from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we estimate the prevalence of spousal care and discordance between caregivers and cared-for persons in the reporting of care among caregiving dyads. Multinomial regressions are used to estimate systematic differences in reporting spousal care.

Perceived Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support Resources of Frail Older People Ageing in Place Alone in Italy.

This paper presents some findings from the IN-AGE ("Inclusive ageing in place") study, which the authors carried out in 2019 in Italy. It explores the available social support resources for frail older people with functional limitations ageing in place alone, and possible links between their social isolation and perceived loneliness. The authors conducted qualitative/semi-structured interviews involving 120 participants aged 65 years and over, and used a mixed-methods analysis (quantitative/qualitative).

Impact of a Discontinuous Training Program on Sedentary Behavior in Italian Type 2 Diabetes Older Patients: The Results of the TRIPL-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

: Physical activity is an important predictor of quality of life in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Unfortunately, most T2D adults adopt a sedentary lifestyle. The randomized, controlled TRIPL-A trial aims to verify the effect of a personalized, discontinuous exercise program on a sedentary lifestyle of T2D older adults.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frail older people ageing in place alone in two Italian cities: Functional limitations, care arrangements and available services.

The study aimed to explore and compare effects of lockdown, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, on frail older people living alone at home in Brescia and Ancona, two urban cities located respectively in Northern and Central Italy. This country was the Western epicenter of the first wave of the pandemic (February-May 2020), which affected the two cities differently as for infections, with a more severe impact on the former. A follow-up study of the IN-AGE research project (2019) was carried out in July-September 2020, by means of telephone interviews, involving 41 respondents.

Value-Based Healthcare Delivery: A Scoping Review.

Healthcare systems are transforming from the traditional volume-based model of healthcare to a value-based model of healthcare. Value generation in healthcare is about emphasising the health outcomes achieved by patients and organisations while maintaining an optimal relationship with costs. This scoping review aimed to identify the key elements and outcomes of implementing value-based healthcare (VBHC).

Adolescent Young Carers Who Provide Care to Siblings.

A child's disability, long-term illness, or mental ill-health is known to affect siblings' health, social life, school engagement, and quality of life. This article addresses a research gap by its focus on young sibling carers and the impact of providing care to a sibling. A cross-national survey study was conducted in 2018-2019 (Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK) to examine the incidence of adolescent sibling carers, the extent of care they provide, and their self-reported health, well-being, and school situation.

Long-term care needs and the risk of household poverty across Europe: a comparative secondary data study.

Purpose: Population ageing and rising poverty are two of the most pressing issues today, even in Western European nations, growing as a result of the recent global economic crisis and the COVID-19 containment measures. This study explores the relationship between long-term care (LTC) needs and risk of poverty at household level in eight European countries, representing the different European care regimes.

Methods: The main international databases were scoured for study variables, categorized according to the following conceptual areas: home care, residential care, health expenditure, service coverage, cash benefits, private services, population, family, education, employment, poverty, disability and care recipients, and life expectancy.

Comparing the cross-national impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care received by community-dwelling older adults in 2020 and 2021: restoring formal home care versus polarizing informal care?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the supply of formal and informal home care to older adults in many countries across the world. This study aims to compare the initial picture of how the supply of formal and informal home care to older adults in European countries and Israel changed during the first pandemic year (from mid-2020 to mid-2021) and to examine the changes that these countries made in the provision of adequate care to older adults. Using data from the two COVID-19 waves of SHARE, we show that the provision of formal home care services improved in the investigated period, as in 2021 the share of those who reported difficulties in receiving formal home care dropped significantly compared to the previous year.

Cohort profile: The ENTWINE iCohort study, a multinational longitudinal web-based study of informal care.

Informal care is a key pillar of long-term care provision across Europe and will likely play an even greater role in the future. Thus, research that enhances our understanding of caregiving experiences becomes increasingly relevant. The ENTWINE iCohort Study examines the personal, psychological, social, economic, and geographic factors that shape caregiving experiences.

Adolescent Young Carers Who Provide Help and Support to Friends.

Prior studies emphasize the value of friends' support for children/adolescents who have a disability or suffer from mental ill-health or a long-term illness. However, few studies have explored how a caring role affects those young friend carers themselves. This paper addresses a gap in the research by focusing on this hitherto neglected group of young carers to explore the impact of providing care to friends.

Functional and Psychosocial Profile of Older People Living in Nursing Homes: Findings from the European Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

Background: This paper is based on results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), exploring many aspects (health, economic situation and welfare) of the European population aged 50+. Differently from many other international studies, SHARE includes persons living in nursing homes or residential care facilities as part of its sample. The aim of this paper is to provide a socio-demographic, functional and psychosocial snapshot of older residents in nursing homes in Europe.

Personalized Technological Support for Informal Caregivers of Older People with Dementia: A Co-Design Approach Involving Potential End Users and Healthcare Professionals in Three Focus Groups in Italy.

Informal/family caregivers (ICs) of older people with dementia (PwD) can suffer from depression and burnout. However, digital solutions can potentially provide innovative ways to facilitate care provision. The aim of this study was to analyze the opinions of end users (EUs), i.

The Impact of Long-Term Care Needs on the Socioeconomic Deprivation of Older People and Their Families: Results from Mixed-Methods Scoping Review.

Background: Long-term care (LTC), poverty, and socioeconomic deprivation are globally significant social issues. Ongoing population aging trends and the recent social and health emergencies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis have highlighted the need for macro-level LTC and welfare system sustainability strategies.

Aims: This scoping review (ScR) explores the relationship between LTC needs, the health status of older people, and the risk of socioeconomic deprivation for their households.

Active Aging Policies Targeting Health and Care During the of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis of Italian National and Regional Policies.

A primary objective of active aging policies is to promote health and optimize care for individuals. In aging societies, the maintenance of good physical and mental health and the management of risk factors are of utmost importance. Few research studies have analyzed active aging policies related to health and care from a multi-level governance perspective.

Association of socio-economic deprivation with COVID-19 incidence and fatality during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy: lessons learned from a local register-based study.

Background: COVID-19 has been characterised by its global and rapid spread, with high infection, hospitalisation, and mortality rates worldwide. However, the course of the pandemic showed differences in chronology and intensity in different geographical areas and countries, probably due to a multitude of factors. Among these, socio-economic deprivation has been supposed to play a substantial role, although available evidence is not fully in agreement.

Digital technologies as sources of information for patients and caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on the global economy, society, and healthcare systems. Little is known about the role of digital technologies as sources of information for patients and informal caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the substantial information needs experienced by informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, further understanding of caregivers' use of digital technologies to access COVID-19 information is needed.

Caregivers' willingness to pay for digital support services: Comparative survey.

Background: Considering the substantial information needs experienced by informal caregivers, the increased availability of digital support services for caregivers as well as the potential they offer, further understanding of caregivers' willingness to pay for digital support services is needed.

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify associations between informal caregiver's characteristics and their willingness to pay for digital support services in two countries: Italy and Sweden.

Methods: A sample of 378 respondents participated in a cross-sectional survey.

Health Emergencies, Falls, and Use of Communication Technologies by Older People with Functional and Social Frailty: Ageing in Place in Deprived Areas of Italy.

Frail older people ageing alone in place need help to perform daily living activities, especially when functional limitations are increasing and formal/informal supports are lacking. This context represents a risk of experiencing health emergencies, in particular falls. It is thus important to understand how seniors manage these potential difficulties and who helps them.

Changes in Volunteering of Older Adults in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Motivations.

This paper elucidates the relationship between possible changes in volunteering experienced by older people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their motivation to volunteer, as well as the direct or indirect experience of COVID-19 symptoms. Given the well-known positive benefits of volunteering in older age both for individuals (in terms of improved health and wellbeing) and society at large, there is a paucity of studies on older volunteers in the time of COVID-19. In this context, older people's volunteering was highly challenged due to age-based physical and social restrictions put in place by national governments, which have been considered as ageist by a large part of the gerontological scientific community.