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RESILIENCE:Older People & Social Care
Monday 29 October 2018
Transitions in Later Life
‘Restor(y)ing Retirement’
Helping people in mid to later life feel better supported to manage changes as they age
Dave Martin
Transitions in Later LifeCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation
https://gulbenkian.pt/uk-branch/our-work/transitions-in-later-life/
https://gulbenkian.pt/uk-branch/our-work/transitions-in-later-life/
Is it possible to teach resilience?
When planning the five year Transitions in Later Life programme, research indicated that resilience is strongly related to an optimistic outlook on life, and that there are modern therapeutic approaches which essentially ‘teach’ it.
By testing interventions such as Mindfulness training, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Positive Psychology at the stage in life just before retirement the hope is to add to the evidence base surrounding what works in managing what is potentially a destabilising and distressing transition.
Supporting people in mid and later life to develop the coping skills they need to manage transitions as they age.
https://transitionsinlaterlife.wordpress.com/
“The Lurch”
“This unstable space that has no name, no clear beginning and end, no rites or routes of
passage, face a contradictory culture, incoherent policies, institutions tailored for a
different population, and a society that seems in denial that this period even exists.”
Marc Freedman – The Big Shift
The Centre for Ageing Better is a supporting partner on the Transitions in Later Life programme.
The projects which have been evaluated are:
Age and Opportunity Beth Johnson Foundation, in partnership with Ageing Without Children The Centre for Policy on Ageing Manchester MIND NHS Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Foundation Trust Positive Ageing Associates Workers Educational Association (WEA)
The CGF/Ageing Better partnership evaluated seven pilots which were group-based interventions aimed at building the resilience and emotional wellbeing of people aged 50 and over who are approaching the retirement transition, using:
➢Planning and goal setting➢Self-reflection➢Story-telling➢Relaxation techniques➢Mindfulness➢Meditation➢Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
‘Restor(y)ing Retirement’The CPA course is delivered over three sessions –
two half days and one full day.
The course has been delivered through Local Delivery Partners (LDPs) who recruited participants and arranged the venues, whilst CPA delivered the courses. These LDPs were chosen because they were already working to change attitudes towards ageing in their locality and were well networked for recruiting participants.
Leeds City Council is a member of the Age Friendly City Network, one of the Big Lottery Ageing Better Fulfilling Lives partners and aims to be the best city to grow old in.
Ageless Thanet is the umbrella organisation which oversees delivery of the Big Lottery Ageing Better Fulfilling Lives partnership in Thanet, Kent.
In addition to delivery by CPA, staff from Time to Shine (Leeds Ageing Better organisation) have now been trained to deliver the course in Leeds.
‘Restor(y)ing Retirement’
Intended outcomes
1. The approach is person-led and flexible. The content is based on people’s lived experience no matter what that is; and is appropriate for mixed cultures and ages from 50+.
2. Participants experience new insights into ‘retirement’ and mid-late life transitions by learning from each other.
3. Participants develop self knowledge and reflective practice to identify their needs and desires for this phase of life.
4. Participants start planning purposeful activity which will take them towards a life they have good reason to value, moving out of passivity and into action.
5. Participants learn how to manage themselves positively when things change.
‘Restor(y)ing Retirement’
“We create our destinies by the questions we ask”;
David Cooper-Rider
Reflective practice, mindfulness and reflective walk: Session 2 includes a reflective walk based on the ancient practice of walking the labyrinth. Participants are given a set route with prompt questions along the way to help them invite insights from the external world into their perspective of this life stage.
Storytelling:The nature of retirement is explored through real life personal story. Participants hear real life retirement stories gathered by the CPA and collect a retirement story from a friend. They hear each other’s stories and begin to tell the story they want to ‘live’ into. Story allows the complexity of situations and experience to be held together without judgement, feelings of freedom and loss, frustration and excitement. Telling our story is an opportunity to be witnessed and understood.
Personal Coaching: Coaching exercises help people gain insights into themselves based on what they can evidence about themselves, rather than what they or others expect of themselves. The coaching approach can help people identify and clarify what they want and to set out the steps needed to bring about change.
Finding purpose, and opportunity:An important aspect of emotional resilience is to have a sense of purpose. We present a range of different opportunities available locally. The course is careful to present not only the obvious routes to purposeful activity such as volunteering and leisure but also to explore paid work, internships, entrepreneurship and learning.
‘Restor(y)ing Retirement’
Reflective walk: Thanet
Part 1: Distractions and barriers (15 mins)Leaving Dreamland cross the Canterbury Rd and turn left onto royal crescent promenade, as you walk slowly, with the beach onyour right and road on your left notice the noise and the strong railings separating you from the beach. You may like to consider:
Are there any distractions or barriers keeping me from moving into what I want?
Part 2: things to leave behind (15 mins)Join the beach taking the steps just after passing the swimming pool (see map). And slowly zig-zag your way towards the water and back up towards the road but avoiding the two meter stretch closest to the incoming waves.The following questions may be helpful:What do I want to put down in my life?What do I want to stop doing or let go of?Is there anything I want to change about the people I spend time with in my life?
When you have zig-zagged for about 15 mins or whenever you feel ready, move towards the waters edge
Part 3: What’s at the centre (10 mins)Walking , standing or sitting (whichever is most comfortable for you) place yourself near to the waves, even get a bit wet, you may want to look in detail at what has been washed up on the sore and see if they speak to you about any of the things you have beenthinking about.The following question may be helpful:What do I want to be at the heart of my life?Where is life flowing for me?What gifts would I like to emerge from the depths?
Part 4: What do you want to pick up or start?On the way back to the road, more or less retracing your steps, You may like to ask yourself one of the following:What do I want to pick up or start?What do I want to create?What do I want to include in my life going forward?
CPA Evaluation: Course Content
0
2
4
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Not bothered
Nice to have
Fundamental
We asked each person to score each component of the course with respect to whether it was fundamental, nice to have, or
if they were not bothered about it. The following graphs show responses for Leeds cohorts.
Figure 1. Leeds 1st cohort (n=11) participant feedback on importance of each component of the course the Y axis shows frequency of
response.
Participant comments The walk opened my eyes to me limiting me, listening to others
has made me aware of possibilities.
The labyrinth walk with the structured questions was a revelation, it was profound, and really struck a chord with me - totally unexpected.
[I’ll take this forward by taking] longer time reflecting on what I've learned re-doing exercises with a friend/on my own. Doing a more concrete 'flexible' plan.
[I have realised] that it is time for me to do things I want to do and not be dictated to.
I appreciated the elements such as mindfulness and the labyrinth walk that are not usually included in such training.
Participant comments [This course] is different in that it's focus is more on the mental/thought process and
getting the tools to cope with the change.
I feel more confident and positive.
[This course has effected what I understand] more on the emotional impact.
I realise that I am not ready/prepared and I know more about what I need
It's exciting, it's on my terms. I'm looking forward to enjoying it, even the scary bits
I feel more confident and positive
I no longer feel 'old' just in a different phase of my life. Challenging but not as frightened
I appreciated the [coaching] tools to help you make decisions.
I realise it's not about filling time but finding what I am longing for.
I appreciated the stories - they made it all real.
The programme evaluation
The evaluation was conducted by Brightpurpose and investigated the following questions:
What have been the types of outcomes for participants? How have the interventions contributed to these outcomes? Who engaged with the projects and why? What worked well and what were the challenges, in terms
of:
◦ Recruitment ◦ Sustaining engagement throughout the courses ◦ Intervention design and delivery ◦ What has been the impact of the programme on the project
delivery organisations?
RESILIENCE
Brightpurpose used a validated tool in the surveys to measure changes in this for participants – the 14-item Resilience Scale.
The scale was developed by The Resilience Centre, who define resilience as ‘the capacity each of us can develop that prepares us for life’s ups and downs and promotes positive adaptation to any situation no matter how serious and stressful it might be’.
RESILIENCE ‘Resilience has been expressed as the ability to ‘cope’ when change comes and
the ability to ‘bounce back’ after a knock.
The evidence provided in the evaluation suggests that people gained skills and tools to improve their resilience.
But inherent in this framing of resilience is the assumption that people will be able to maintain psychological stability or regain it quickly, it does not look towards a potential growth or flourishing beyond where they have been.
The evidence indicates that for some the course has/will enable them to grow into new areas of personal aspiration and activity.’
RESILIENCE
The quantitative resilience findings tell a modestly positive story.
However, the feedback from interviewees presents a more meaningful change in perceived resilience, and in the many components that contribute to resilience, such as:-
➢ confidence➢ managing difficult situations➢ self-belief➢ being interested in different things, and ➢ having a sense of purpose.
WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADE THE DIFFERENCE
Interviews with participants identified the following six interdependent aspects of the courses to be most important in achieving their outcomes:
➢ Space and time– dedicated time where they could reflect on the changes, challenges, and opportunities ahead.
➢ Facilitation– to create the safe space, support the discussions and facilitate productive reflection.
➢ Provocation– scenarios, case studies and discussion points that encouraged participants to think about different situations and to think differently about them.
➢ Reframing– presenting later life as a life stage with positive opportunities, challenging stereotypes about ageing and encouraging participants to take control of their future.
➢ Tools and techniques – providing a range of practical tools and frameworks to enable reflection, thinking differently, decision-making and planning, for example, goal-setting tools, wheel of life, mindfulness.
➢ Group process– sharing experiences and hearing different perspectives from people in the ‘same boat’.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSES MAKE FOR PARTICIPANTS?
Qualitative interviews indicated a transformative change in attitude and outlook as a result of the courses, in terms of:
Confidence and readiness for the future;
Resourcefulness;
Positive attitudes to ageing and the future;
Social connections and reduced loneliness;
Sense of purpose.
“I’m hoping that instead of feeling like I’m battling through life and that it is likely to only get worse, that I develop a more optimistic, confident attitude that enables me to recognise and take opportunities that enrich my life instead of letting difficulties increasingly limit it as I get older.
I want to be exuberant, enthusiastic and engaging in my later years, not fearful, reticent and retiring!”
Does resilience have a future?
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