Active Ageing for Older Persons with Dementia through Fourth Age Learning: An Action Research Study

Supervisor: Prof. Marvin Formosa
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Jocey Quinn

For decades, the highly publicised and progressive concept of lifelong learning has been solely targeted to functionally independent and cognitively healthy older persons who are nearing retirement age or are recently retired. Younger members of older persons have been enthusiastically celebrated as adept at participating in third age learning lifestyles, be it formal or informal. Yet, this notion has not lent itself to the relatively older and more vulnerable peers. In contrast, fourth agers, who experience a significant decline in cognitive and physical wellbeing, have been consistently undervalued, nullified, excluded, and categorised by mainstream scholars and policy makers and rendered as an objectionable cohort; unworthy of an inclusionary active ageing strategy. In recent years, such disparity and ageist attitudes have been heavily criticised, which instigated advocacy towards redefining the active ageing paradigm itself, with a renewed focus on the realms of developing educational and learning services for this minority cohort. Yet, research in this field is by far limited and further investigation is deemed necessary. Adopting a post-humanism approach, this study seeks to promote research in this field through educational gerontology, which is limited even in our local scene, and investigate the potential of our fourth agers with dementia as active learners and collaborators in learning processes.

The Role of Community Service Provision for Individuals Living with Dementia and their Caregivers by a Dedicated Dementia Team in the Maltese Islands

Supervisor: Prof. Charles Scerri
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Karen Harrison Dening

With an ageing population and increasing number of individuals with dementia, understanding the effectiveness of a given service on the quality of life of the individuals with dementia and their caregivers, will pave the way for better policy and practice. The Dementia Intervention Team is the first service of its kind within the Maltese Islands. This service is now in its sixth operational year and although it has increased in popularity, to date, there is no research to inform about its effectiveness and impact on the quality of life of the individuals with dementia and their informal caregivers.

The main objectives of this research work include:
1. To provide knowledge about the effectiveness of the Dementia Intervention Team in improving the quality of life of individuals with dementia and their informal caregivers living in the community
2. To determine the level of service satisfaction of community-dwelling individuals with dementia and their informal caregivers making use of such service
3. To investigate and document the experience and point of views of professional staff making part of the Dementia Intervention Team as well as those of service users

Aim:
This research has the main aim of contributing towards the academic understanding of the effectiveness of the Dementia Intervention Team on the quality of life of individuals with dementia and their informal caregivers and the possible impact on dementia health and social care policies.

Bringing Men in! The Lived-Experiences of Old Men as Caregivers to their Spouse in Malta

Supervisor: Prof. Marvin Formosa
Co-supervisor: Prof. Toni Calasanti

Despite an increase in studies exploring the growing number of men in caregiving roles, the caregiving literature is still characterised by a dominant focus on women careworkers, and related caregiving dynamics, roles and trends. In view of the projected reduction in life expectancy gap between men and women living into the oldest ages and as the incidence of dementia rises, it is foreseen that more men will be accountable to take on the primary care of their spouse/partner, especially those whose spouse/partner is living with dementia. Therefore, understanding how old men careworkers negotiate their role within the feminised context of care is crucial to yield a deeper understanding into the ways in which gender might effect carework in later life. Despite the pressing needs for spousal caregiving will increase markedly in the next two decades, and bearing in mind that there is (yet) no local research focusing specifically on the lived-experiences of old men as careworkers to their spouse/partner, this study investigates the diverse experiences, needs, expectations and challenges encountered by older men careworkers in Malta. It is augured that findings from this study will shed light on whether the local Maltese cum Mediterranean context resonates with Continental and European contexts.

Older gay men, and lesbians in long-term care: Voices, experiences and implications for social policy

Supervisor: Prof. Marvin Formosa

Co-supervisor: Prof. Trish Hafford-Letchfield

When it comes to care of older persons, family members are considered to be a resource, even more so in the case of dementia. However, those who do not fit into the assumed heteronormative life-course, namely the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older persons, may end up alienated by their families. Furthermore, prevalent heteronormative care plans assume all older persons to be cisgender and heterosexual, with administrators, direct care professionals, and other residents overlooking life histories and significant relationships, to the detriment of their dignity and mental health, thus forcing many LGBT residents to re-enter ‘the closet’.  Indeed, despite Malta’s top standing on LGBTIQ equality rights in Europe, no reference is made to older generations, with the needs and interests of the older LGBTIQ community being almost completely overlooked. 

The study acknowledges the void within local research, and the invisible reality that many health and social service providers overlook due to lack of knowledge of such unique long-term care needs. Within this context, including non-heteronormative residents as a research population is imperative, in both the Maltese and global context. This study will do so by adopting a narrative approach, through the voices and experiences of older lesbian, and gay (LG) persons living in long-term care facilities, in order to determine the implications thereof for service provision and social policy.