The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the everyday experience of community-dwelling elders, with particular attention to seniors' perceptions of safety, fear of falling, independence, and quality of life. We also aimed to identify contextual factors that influence the health of elders who had fallen and/or had a fear of falling. Data from in-depth interviews with a purposeful sample (n = 9) of elders were analysed using interpretative analysis procedures. Both individual and team analysis was undertaken until interpretations of the experiences of the participants were inductively developed and crystallized into a holistic interpretation of the participants' shared experience. The holistic experience was comprised of two opposing, dynamic life forces: exercising precaution and striving for independence. Within each life force, participants used five major strategies that simultaneously constrained and expanded their life space. Health-promoting practice and policy implications, as well as areas for further research, are discussed.

Urinary incontinence is common in the elderly. The epidemiology of fecal and double (urinary and fecal) incontinence is less known. The Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA) is a national study of elderly living in the community at baseline (n = 8,949) and interviewed in 1991–1992, 1996, and 2001. Using data from the CSHA, we report the prevalence of urinary, fecal, and double incontinence in each wave and the cumulative incidence between waves and investigate the predictors of urinary and fecal incontinence. Urinary incontinence increased rapidly in old age, being almost twice as high in women as in men. Fecal and double incontinence were less common, but also increased rapidly with age. In women, parity showed a positive relationship with (prevalent) urinary incontinence. In men, diabetes was a risk factor for urinary and fecal incontinence. We conclude that urinary, fecal, and double incontinence increase rapidly with age and that inquiry about incontinence should be part of routine medical and nursing assessment of all elderly.

Narrative approaches in the field of aging are receiving increasing attention by theorists and practitioners alike. This article draws on recent thinking in narrative gerontology to look at three aspects of aging on which a narrative perspective can shed further light. In relation to the temporal aspects, the notion of storytime is examined. Concerning its poetical aspects, the article considers the stages, styles, genres, contexts, and selves of self-storying. Under spiritual aspects, the topics of meaning and identity are explored. A discussion of these aspects may be seen to converge on the theme of wisdom and the possibility of wisdom environments.

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a French version of the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) (Troyer & Rich, 2002). The MMQ, which is suited to clinical and research purposes, evaluates subjective memory functioning (i.e., affect related to memory abilities, frequency of problems remembering in different situations, and strategy use in everyday life). The questionnaire was administered to 294 French adult or elderly subjects (46–94 years old). The results allowed us to conclude that the French version of this scale is psychometrically sound. Indeed, the scores proved to be highly reliable (Cronbach's α for the subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.88) and correlated in the expected directions with measures of other constructs (correlation coefficients ranged from −0.34 to 0.39). Convergent validity evidence for MMQ scores was provided by their statistically significant positive correlations (from 0.56 to 0.73) with several dimensions of the Metamemory in Adulthood scale (MIA) (i.e., the anxiety, change, capacity and strategy dimensions). However, the three-factor model found in the original version was not validated here. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that a four-factor solution offered the most interpretable pattern for the factor scores. Two of the dimensions proposed by Troyer and Rich (2002) were replicated: ability and contentment. The third subscale (strategy) was divided into two factors: internal strategies and external strategies.

This paper describes a new measure, the Worry Questionnaire for Nursing Home Residents (WQNHR), designed to assess the frequency of specific worries. It was administered to 67 residents. Psychometric evaluation showed an average item-to-total correlation of 0.20 (range = 0.15 to 0.58), an internal consistency estimate of 0.79, and a test-re-test reliability coefficient of 0.80. The WQNHR showed good convergent validity with other measures of worry obtained from residents, good discriminant validity with measures of health, but poor discriminant validity with self-ratings of depression. Psychometric results also indicated that the WQNHR performed better for residents with higher cognitive functioning. In addition, a collateral form (WQNHR-C) was administered to family or friends; however, it was not significantly correlated with the WQNHR. Overall, the WQNHR is a promising screening instrument for assessing worry in nursing home residents.

In 1999 Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) implemented the Overseas Service Veterans (OSV) At Home Pilot Project in response to the problem that a growing number of clients were on waiting lists for beds in long-term care facilities. The At Home pilot offered certain clients on waiting lists, who met nursing-level care and military-service requirements, access to home care and treatment services for which they had previously been ineligible. A review of the pilot showed that a large majority of clients preferred to remain at home, with support, rather than accept a long-term care placement, even when a bed became available. The pilot has helped reduce waiting times for nursing home beds and may have important implications for reducing costs and the demand for long-term care beds.