The coincidence of retirement and aging, experienced in the later stages of life, can trigger a recurrence of the bipolar tensions of earlier stages described in Erikson’s model of personality development. The model provides a means for retirees to understand the ground from which their present identity has developed and how the psychodynamics of previous life stages can be reactivated by the onset of retirement and aging. Stages of the model are illustrated by experiences within the context of retirement. The utility of Erikson’s model is suggested as a means of enhancing self-awareness, self-understanding, and adjustment to retirement.

Using data from the 2001 Census Public Use Microdata Files on Individuals, we examine the role of cultural preferences and economic constraints in elderly Canadians’ choice of living arrangements (living with one’s children and/or other relatives versus living independently). We find that members of ethnic groups holding familistic cultural values (Italian, Chinese, South Asian, and East Indian) are more likely than their individualistic counterparts (British, German, and Dutch) to live with kin. Economic disadvantage also entails a greater likelihood of living with kin. However, the relative importance of cultural preferences and economic constraints as determinants of living arrangements among the elderly depends on marital status. Among the married, cultural preferences explain a greater proportion of the variation in living arrangements; among the non-married, economic constraints do. This research contributes a more nuanced understanding of living arrangements among the elderly than its predecessors, which neglected the role of marital status.

In the absence of a universally agreed-upon definition of successful aging, researchers increasingly look to older adults for layperson views of aging and definitions of successful aging. To use lay definitions in studies of aging, however, researchers must address the definitions’ consistency. In 2004, surviving members of the Manitoba Follow-up Study male cohort (mean age: 83 years) were asked twice for their definition of successful aging. A consistency category was assigned based on the similarity of themes in each of 654 pairs of definitions. At least half of the main themes were similar in 70 per cent of the definition pairs; 80 per cent of respondents repeated at least one theme. Positive or negative health events in the four-week interval between definitions and specific respondents’ characteristics did not vary across consistency categories. This evidence for consistency supports our continued reliance on lay definitions of successful aging.

The aim of this study was to assess the usability of a new Internet-based Caregiver Support Service (ICSS) and evaluate its effects on health outcomes of Chinese Canadians who cared for a family member with dementia. Demographic and questionnaire data were collected from 28 participants, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants. Results showed that non-users reported higher levels of burden post-intervetion, and frequent users showed post-intervention reduction in experienced burden. Traditional beliefs shaped caregivers’ needs; also, ethno-cultural-linguistic contexts affected system usability and were associated with usage behaviour. This study indicates that caregivers can benefit from receiving professional support via asynchronous e-mails and a dedicated information web site. The ICSS is a feasible approach for supporting caregivers who prefer an alternative service model. This emerging service requires more research in: enhanced technology design, service delivery models for immigrant caregivers, and evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of aging on the ability a) to name famous faces and b) to access biographical knowledge about famous people from different modalities of presentation (faces and names). Healthy elderly subjects (n = 117) divided into three different age groups were assessed using a semantic memory test of famous people. Results of this study indicate a decline in naming performance between oldest and youngest groups. In contrast, no difference between groups was found in terms of the ability to access semantic knowledge about famous people. Finally, a main effect of modality of presentation (faces vs. names) was found, revealing greater ability to identify famous people in the verbal (names) than in the visual modality (faces). Taken together, results of this study may contribute to developing new cognitive intervention programs in older adults presenting with proper-name anomia.

This study was aimed at providing normative data for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The norms were built from a sample (n = 2409) of community-dwelling French speaking residents from Québec aged 65 and older. The analyses indicated that socio-demographic variables such as education level, age, and gender of individuals influenced significantly the scores of older adults on the MMSE. More precisely, MMSE scores increased with education level and decreased with age. Moreover, women had significantly higher scores than men. On this basis, distinct tables of normative data were produced for women and men. In each table, the MMSE scores corresponding to percentiles 5, 10, 15 and 50 were identified according to four age categories and three education levels. Overall, the use of the present normative data by clinicians will improve their accuracy in detecting cognitive impairment in older adults from Québec.

The article examines where older adults seek help in caring for a parent with dementia and the factors associated with their identification of community health and support services as sources of assistance. The authors conducted telephone interviews, using random digit dialing, of 1,152 adults aged 50 and over in the city of Hamilton. Respondents received a vignette that raised issues related to parental dementia. In identifying support sources, over 37 per cent of respondents identified their physician, 33 per cent identified informal support such as family and neighbors, and 31 per cent identified home health services. Only 18 per cent identified community support services. Female participants having higher levels of education were more likely to identify their physician as a source of support. Knowing where to find information about community support services was associated with an increased likelihood of mentioning physicians and home health services as sources of assistance.

This article presents two studies dealing with ageism. The objective of the first study was to adapt to French language and validate the Fraboni of Ageism Scale-Revised (FSA-R) which contains 23 items, while the objective of the second study was to test a structural model containing ageism as measured by the FSA-R and the “Big Three”: empathy, social dominance orientation, and dogmatism, controlled for by sex and age. The results of the first study (n = 323) generated a version of the FSA-R comprising 14 items, of which the psychometric properties were very satisfactory. Using structural equation modelling and bootstrap procedure, the results of the second study (n = 284) showed a direct negative and significant effect of empathy on agism. They also showed that this negative effect was mediated by dogmatism and social dominance orientation, which both exerted a positive effect on ageism.