Resource centre

Attitudes and aspirations of older people: a qualitative study

A hard copy of this report summary can be obtained by contacting Paul Noakes  [E-Mail: Paul.Noakes@dwp.gsi.gov.uk] or by writing to him at the 'Social Research Division, Department for Work and Pensions, 4th Floor, Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT'.

top of page

Research Report No. 102

By Carol Hayden, Annette Boaz, and Francesca Taylor

This report presents findings of a qualitative study of the attitudes and aspirations of older people. Fifteen focus groups and 20 in-depth interviews were carried out with a range of older people (aged 50 and over) to examine their lifestyles, their relations with government and their views on representation.

This study forms the second stage of a programme of research, commissioned by the Department of Social Security, and carried out by the Local Government Centre, the University of Warwick, to inform the work of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Older People. The qualitative study was preceded by a review of existing literature on the attitudes and aspirations of older people which is published in a companion volume (DSS Research Report No. 101) titled ‘Attitudes and aspirations of older people: a review of the literature’.

The main findings from the qualitative study are:

top of page

Background

This report presents findings of a qualitative study of the attitudes and aspirations of older people. Fifteen focus groups and 20 in-depth interviews were carried out with a range of older people (aged 50 and over) to examine their lifestyles, their relations with government and their views on representation.

The study forms the second stage of a programme of research, commissioned by the Department of Social Security, and carried out by the Local Government Centre, the University of Warwick, to inform the work of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Older People. The qualitative study was preceded by a review of existing literature on the attitudes and aspirations of older people which is published in a companion volume (DSS Research Report No. 101) titled ‘Attitudes and aspirations of older people: a review of the literature’.

The research focuses on the following three themes identified by the Inter-Ministerial Group:

The research comprises two interconnected parts: firstly a literature review was conducted to ascertain what was already known about the attitudes and aspirations of older people, focusing on UK literature produced during the last ten years. This also identified gaps in the literature in terms of the coverage of particular subjects and the perspectives of different groups of older people.

One of the key themes that emerged from the literature review was the diversity of attitudes and aspirations held by older people. Age alone is an inadequate predictor of attitudes and aspirations; many other factors come in to play. Wealth, health status, gender, mobility and living status each mediate the effect of age. When discussing attitudes it is also important to recognise that these also change over time. The way older people experience later life can also be shaped by their attitude to life in general. Experiences are thus reflecting, as well as informing, older people's attitudes.

The review informed a second phase of qualitative research on the attitudes and aspirations of older people, using focus groups and individual in-depth interviews, which is reported in this volume. The qualitative research therefore concentrated on those issues on which less research had already been carried out. These included aspects of active ageing, such as life long learning and work in retirement, independence and older people's own attitudes to consultation and involvement.

Qualitative research is particularly effective when exploring complex issues, attitudes, beliefs and decision making processes. It yields understanding and provides an indication of the range of views that are held. However, it cannot provide statistical evidence that is representative of the general population. The qualitative research phase explored older people’s views on the key issues of interest through talking directly to a range of older people. This enabled the research to ground older people’s views in their lifestyles and experience, and thus provided context and insight in order to understand some of the different factors influencing the attitudes and aspirations of older people.

top of page

Methodology

The qualitative research involved 15 focus group discussions of between six and eight older people and 20 in-depth interviews with a total of 96 people aged 50 and over across the UK. Three of the focus groups (and five in-depth interviews) were carried out with Asian and Afro-Caribbean men and women. The groups covered a range of older people. Sampling criteria included location, level of independence, retirement status, income, health, gender and ethnicity.

The focus groups allowed for a broad ranging exploration of key issues, related to the three themes of interest to the Inter-Ministerial Group. In-depth interviews with one or two participants from each focus group provided case study data. This data was used to construct pen-portraits of respondents that help to explain and contextualise some of the focus group discussions. The in-depth interviews also allowed for some of the attitudes emerging from the focus groups to be explored in greater depth with individual respondents.

This research contributes to the existing literature by adding the strong voices of a broad range of older people around the issues of involving and consulting older people and the ways in which older people can be supported in their efforts to enjoy an active and independent older age. The key findings are summarised below.

top of page

Active ageing

Attitudes towards work

Most older people in the study felt that they got a lot out of work and didn’t necessarily feel ready to stop either before or at the state pension age. These people thought opportunities to work in some form should be available after retirement, albeit in different jobs and for different lengths of time to previous employment. However for some groups, particularly those in arduous or mundane work or highly paid professionals, retirement was seen as a positive opportunity.

Ageism and age discrimination

Notwithstanding positive attitudes to work, many respondents felt that there was discrimination against older people in the workforce and a negative attitude to the value of older workers. However some positive changes in the labour market were noticed and welcomed, including schemes run by large retailers that sought to employ older workers, although no one in the study was working for any such organisations.

The changing work environment

The majority of respondents felt there was limited respect for age and experience in the workplace and that the current work environment favoured youth, qualifications and technological skills, as opposed to experience. Some participants felt that adapting to aspects of the changing work culture such as new technologies and the end of a ‘job for life’ required active support and understanding. People’s outlook had an impact on their views of work, but structural factors such as opportunities available to them, also had a significant role to play.

The concept of retirement

Participants’ understanding of what retirement means was very variable. For example, for most older women in the study without experience of working full time outside the home, the concept of retirement was fairly meaningless. Often their husband’s retirement resulted in increased work in the home. Attitudes towards retirement were influenced by a range of structural and psychological factors including the experiences of different pathways into retirement, such as early retirement or retirement due to ill health.

Planning for retirement

There were different types of planning for retirement ranging from hopes and dreams for the future to making formal arrangements. Most respondents felt that they had not formally planned for their retirement. Of those who had planned financially, most were on higher incomes and felt they had had opportunities to do so. Reasons for not planning included the complexity of the process, fear of the future, insufficient income and lack of information. Some people felt that they had already planned for retirement through their National Insurance contributions.

Paid, unpaid and voluntary work in retirement

Among older participants who had retired, paid work in retirement was seen as distinct from pre-retirement employment. For example, participants referred to benefits such as more flexibility, less commitment, and the ability to achieve a balance between paid work and other activities. Some older people in the study had chosen to undertake unpaid or voluntary work.

Unpaid work covered a range of activities, which included formal volunteering arrangements, caring and family support. Some unpaid work, including caring, was not necessarily seen to be ‘voluntary’ in that people did not perceive that there was choice involved, rather that it was a ‘way of life.’ Respondents had chosen to get involved as ‘volunteers’ for very personal reasons including a specific interest or hobby, wanting to help or contribute to their families or the wider community, and getting out and meeting people. Often these reasons were interlinked. Older volunteers felt that they played a crucial role, often filling gaps between public services, for example, in relation to community transport, luncheon clubs or personal assistance.

Advantages and disadvantages to volunteering

The research elicited a number of perceived advantages as well as disadvantages to volunteering. From a positive perspective, volunteering was seen as enabling older people to remain involved in society after retirement from formal employment. It was considered a means of engaging the mind, keeping active and staying independent. However, voluntary work was felt by some people to be exploitative because it tapped people’s years of experience without any financial reward. Some participants involved in voluntary work clearly felt that at times they were put under pressure to do more work than they would have ideally liked.

Barriers to work and volunteering in retirement

Older people in the study identified a number of barriers to both paid and voluntary work in retirement. These included ageism; health; lack of public transport and other access problems; lack of confidence and qualifications; and limited opportunities in certain localities. There was also a feeling expressed in a number of focus groups that volunteering and caring should be more appreciated for their contribution to society, and better acknowledged by government.

Attitudes to learning

Although the older people participating in the research acknowledged the importance of learning as a positive part of life, they didn’t necessarily see it as relevant to them. However, for those who were involved in both formal and informal learning, there often needed to be a clear purpose and benefit. Examples of activities included learning Italian for a trip to Italy, health and safety training for cafe volunteers, and learning to use computers.

Barriers to learning

Specific barriers to learning were identified. These included health, time, paying for courses and equipment, transport to venues especially at night, confidence about ability to learn, a perceived lack of necessary qualifications and unavailability of relevant and interesting courses. It was suggested that more could be done to bring education to the learners through outreach work, such as teachers coming to day centres and community venues, rather than older people having to go to the college.

Attitudes to ageing

The whole idea of labelling older people through the use of specific terms was questioned in the research although for participants who had a preferred term, ‘senior citizens’ was the most popular. Many participants felt that age was no longer valued in a society increasingly geared to younger people. However, they felt that grandparenting and other inter-generational activities were important ways to bridge the perceived gap between generations.

Intergenerational activities

Grandparenting included spending time with grandchildren in both active and sedentary hobbies and pursuits, with many participants commenting on the mental and physical stimulation they gained from sharing activities with the younger generation. Specific suggestions for other activities included older people playing a mentoring role to younger people, either on a one-to- one basis or through local schools.

Health and social care

The qualitative research concentrated on the issue of independence in relation to the theme of health and social care. Other aspects of health and care, such as attitudes to community care service provision and NHS services were not therefore specifically covered in the topic guides for the focus groups and in-depth interviews. Likewise, attitudes to crime and community safety, pensions and other income issues have been“ ”addressed in a number of recent studies and were therefore not covered in detail in this research.

Independence

Independence was valued very highly by all the participants. Although independence meant different things to different people, all the focus group discussions showed respondents wanted to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible: physically, mentally and socially.

For many healthy and active participants living in their own homes, independence was defined within a physical context as being able to look after oneself on a daily basis without the need to resort to any support or assistance from others. Participants who were less healthy and used the support of care services, could still perceive themselves as independent in the sense that the services allowed them to maintain their physical independence, by enabling them to remain in their own homes. Participants living in residential care homes saw independence as being able to exercise choice over their day to day living arrangements.

Factors supporting and encouraging independence

Respondents felt that access to relevant, timely and effective government benefits and services would be a major contributor to independence. The older people stressed the need for services that supported their independence, rather than undermined it, albeit unintentionally. In particular, most older people felt that if they could have more appropriate home help services, targeted to their individual needs, and practical assistance in maintaining the home and garden, they could remain living in their own homes indefinitely. Older people who had needed a ‘package’ of services provided by more than one agency, often emphasised the need for improved co-ordination.

Respondents living in residential homes identified how a sense of independence could be achieved by allowing them some degree of control over their own lives and how they spent their time.

Relationships with family and friends were seen to enhance independence and complement the support provided through government services. Some participants gained a feeling of independence through caring for other people, such as for their grandchildren as a support to their children. Participants’ independence was also enhanced by having a group of friends ready to give support and advice when necessary.

Fear of dependence

In all the focus group discussions, respondents expressed worries about future dependence and their inability to plan for it. A widespread concern among those older people living in their own homes was the possibility of having to move to go into residential care. There was also some concern about loss of independence through means testing arrangements for benefits and care services. Means testing was seen to be demeaning by a number of participants. It served to emphasise a feeling of dependence on the state while at the same time often resulted in the older people having to make payments which reduced their own ‘independent income’.

Barriers to independence

A number of barriers to independence were identified by the research. The inadequacy of public transport was considered by many respondents to be a key obstacle to living an independent life. In particular, buses were viewed as unsafe and infrequent, with uncomfortable bus stops located too far from people’s homes, and bus drivers who were insensitive to older people’s needs. A fear about their security when travelling also restricted independence of movement for many of the older people. Many were wary of going out, particularly at night, because of a fear of intimidation or attack from youngsters.

An absence of any of those factors that encouraged independence, such as a lack of family and friends, inflexible or uncoordinated care packages or unnecessary rules in residential care homes, also acted as barriers to independence.

Use of advice and information

The older people’s views of information depended on their experiences of accessing information during their lives. There tended to be a spectrum from those who confidently and actively sought out information, to those who were passive recipients and tended to rely on personal networks as their main source of advice.

Nevertheless, there was widespread concern about the growth of new technology in information delivery, such as touch-tone phones. For all focus groups, complicated forms and procedures were also raised as a barrier to accessing services. These were experienced as unduly complex, unfriendly and inflexible by those trying to access services for themselves, and by those negotiating the system on behalf of older relatives and friends.

Improving advice and information

Most respondents felt that there was a need for better information on a whole range of issues, although they were unsure in what ways information could be best improved. Better information was thought to be about quality as much as quantity. When discussing the quality of information, the focus groups highlighted the importance of appropriate methods of delivery, co-ordination between information providers and the use of formats that are accessible to older people.

Participants felt that information and advice needed to be personalised and customer focused. Some people mentioned the advantages of having a named person attached to their particular case and the benefits of a ‘one-stop shop’ for all information. A number of focus groups suggested developing an enhanced information role for the ‘professionals’ that older people already have contact with, e.g. GPs, community centre and day centre workers, Asian language speakers.

Public Services

Older people in the study were particularly high users of certain services, such as public transport, social care and health services, but they did not feel these necessarily met their needs. As mentioned above, it was felt that public transport required major improvements, and that personal services, such as domiciliary care, should be more flexible to reflect individual circumstances.

Whatever their living situation, participants valued a safe, clean and comfortable home and local environment. Some respondents explained how they were heavily reliant on family members to provide help and support for day to day living – shopping, cooking, washing, cleaning and transport. Without this assistance, they felt that they would have to depend far more on public services.

top of page

Consultation and involvement

Perceptions of government

Participants felt that government has an important role to play both as a direct service provider and in overseeing a wider range of services delivered by a variety of providers. However, the older people generally felt let down by what they described as a “broken contract” with government in relation to the Welfare State. On their side, they believed they had delivered their responsibilities by paying taxes and National Insurance over long working lives. However, they did not feel that government had fulfilled its obligations in the form of free and accessible care and support for all people in old age.

Despite this commitment to government, most of the focus groups were unclear what services government is currently responsible for. There was little knowledge of the structures and functions of government including different tiers and the roles of elected representatives. Cynicism about politics and politicians existed, particularly because many participants had experienced of a lack of action when their elected representatives had been following up specific issues that they had raised. There was also a more general view held that politicians were not interested in issues relevant to older people.

Attitudes to consultation

Older people in all the focus groups felt strongly that they had something to say about all issues which affected their lives (not just ‘older people’s issues’), but have often not had the opportunity to contribute. Specifically they felt that government should draw positively on their considerable experience. Additionally, it was apparent that a number of respondents saw consultation as a two way process which could act as a means by which they might be able to obtain information, particularly about government services and benefits available for older people, as much as about conveying their views.

Expectations from consultation

Across all focus groups, older people had very limited expectations of consultation leading to change, often based on previous experiences. They suggested that consultation would be improved if it was followed by clear and positive action, with feedback to those involved on what had happened as a result.

Forms of consultation

The research showed the need for a variety of forms of consultation, as different people, in different circumstances, wanted to be consulted in different ways. Many respondents voiced a preference for accessible consultation through small groups, using local venues and based around dialogue, rather than formal public meetings. However, a minority of people said they preferred consultation through questionnaires, as they could complete the forms in their own homes at their leisure with no further commitment required.

Attitudes to citizenship

Political participation by older people in the study generally took the form of voting. Participants felt that it was their responsibility as citizens to vote in elections. However, there was a feeling that government (at all levels) has become more detached and remote, and needed to be more local for older people to influence decision-making.

Active engagement and involvement

Stronger advocacy was thought to be required to promote issues relevant to older people. However, respondents generally had a limited knowledge of charitable organisations and initiatives working in this area. At the time of the study, very few people had heard of either the Millennium Debate of the Age or the UN Year of Older People. There was some enthusiasm about participation in advocacy or lobbying activities to raise the voice of older people, but less interest in organising these.

Barriers to consultation and involvement

Barriers to consultation and political participation identified in the study included health, lack of information, transport and lack of confidence. These were felt most acutely by ethnic minority respondents and those on lower incomes. The three ethnic minority focus groups also felt most strongly that their thoughts and attitudes would not be understood and their views would not be taken seriously.

top of page

Conclusions and reflections

The qualitative research confirmed the findings of the literature review that older people are a diverse population group, living in different circumstances and having had different life experiences, which contribute to influencing a wide range of individual attitudes and aspirations. Where the data from the focus groups and in depth interviews was able to support clear differences between particular demographic or socio-economic groups of older people, these are highlighted. More detailed comparative research would require further studies specifically designed for this purpose.

The research does show that income and employment status affected attitudes to work and early retirement, and gender was clearly a factor in explaining differences in attitudes to the concept of retirement. Older people in the focus groups comprising ethnic minority participants, and those on low incomes, were noticeably less confident that they would be listened to, if consulted by the government, than those in other groups. Similarly, older people in the focus groups in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales raised views about the perceived remoteness of central government more so than members of groups held in England.

Despite the diversity of experiences and attitudes of the older people in the research, there was a considerable degree of agreement expressed about participants’ desire to be as active and independent as possible, for as long as possible. The attitudes of the older people in the focus groups also showed that the three key themes of interest to the Inter Ministerial Group are clearly interconnected. For example, opportunities to participate can foster independence, make people feel more valued and build links between the generations.

The research identifies current barriers to active ageing, independence and participation experienced by older people. The older people who participated in the research felt many of these barriers could be overcome with a more positive attitude to ageing by government and society, an improved infrastructure, and services which are appropriate to older people’s needs. Government clearly has a major role in tackling these barriers in order to support older people in realising their aspirations. Older people may then begin to feel that they are appreciated for their experience of life and that they continue to have something to contribute in their older age.

top of page

Relevant publication

Other publications on older people:

Boaz, A, Hayden, C and Bernard, M (1999) “Attitudes and Aspirations of Older People: A review of the literature” (DSS Research Report No. 101) Leeds: CDS (£34.00)

Costigan, P, Finch, H, Jackson, B, Legard R and Ritchie, J (1999) “Overcoming Barriers: Older People and Income Support” (Department of Social Security Research Report No. 100) Leeds, CDS (£29.00)

Disney, R, Grundy E and Johnson, P (1998) “The dynamics of retirement” (DSS Research Report No. 72) London: The Stationery Office (£36.00)

Finch, H and Elam, G (1995) “Managing money in later life” (DSS Research Report No. 38) London: HMSO (£22.00)

top of page