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About Age NI

About Age NI. Vision: to create a world in which older people flourish. Mission: to improve and enhance the lives of older people. What we do. Age NI delivers distinctive high impact services that support independence, wellbeing and improve the quality of life of older people. Policy. Advice.

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About Age NI

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  1. About Age NI Vision: to create a world in which older people flourish Mission: to improve and enhance the lives of older people

  2. What we do Age NI delivers distinctive high impact services that support independence, wellbeing and improve the quality of life of older people. Policy Advice Our policy team influences government to make Northern Ireland a better place to age We provide confidential advice to 14,000 older people, their carers and families every year Age Sector Support Services We support older people’s networks and groups to increase their voice and grow participation in the sector We provide expert services to over 1,200 older people every day First Connect Products & Services First Connect offers emotional and practical support at difficult times to people in later life We offer tailor-made products and services designed with the over 50s in mind.

  3. Rural Policy Work • Limited knowledge- No rural policy focus to date • Strategic Policy Advisers • Health and Social Care • Poverty and Social Inclusion • Citizenship • Lack of rural policy focus challenged by Trustees, other stakeholders

  4. Questions • Should Age NI have a rural focus in its policy work? • If yes, what issues should Age NI prioritise, based on research? • How should Age NI focus its rural policy work? • How can academic research better inform policy development?

  5. Process • Rural research • Rural roundtable • Continued engagement • Recommendations paper

  6. Age NI Research • Research Questions - Is ageing in a rural area better or worse? What are there unique predictors of life satisfaction in rural areas? • Methods- Quantitative analysis to pick up on any broader trends • Sample – Wave 1 English sample of Understanding Society, longitudinal study based on a household panel design • Over 9000 in sample; 7000 urban, 2000 rural • Statistics- T-tests Broad differences in variables for physical health, income, range of deprivation measures, mental well-being, life satisfaction, contact with family Hierarchical regression- Life satisfaction models for urban and rural

  7. Results • Broad differences physical health, mental health, life satisfaction, income, perceptions neighbourhood belonging, contact with children etc all better for rural dwellers • Difference negligible • No convincing evidence for an urban and rural dichotomy found. • BUT- Rural may not be a useful overarching category Heterogeneity of rural landscape

  8. Regressions- what predicts life satisfaction? • Controlled for ‘level of rurality’, year of move • Predictors of life satisfaction almost identical in rural and urban environments • Significant variables: neighbourhood belonging, sex, separated/ divorced, material deprivation, health • Predicted 25% variance urban, 22% rural • Self reports of health found to be the variable of greatest importance in both samples- around 18%

  9. Limitations • English sample • Proxy measures eg family contact, health • Only 22-25% variance explained

  10. Conclusions • Broad urban rural distinctions are not helpful • No convincing evidence that predictors of successful ageing are different in rural and urban environments • Fuel poverty is an issue • Literature older rural males at risk of disengagement • Lack of research of farmers

  11. Questions Is rural aging unique? Does it matter? What do we need to focus on?

  12. Thank You www.ageni.org You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter

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