http://hdl.handle.net/10379/1172 2017-10-30T00:10:03Z 2017-10-30T00:10:03Z Walsh, Kieran http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3818 2017-03-08T15:29:20Z 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

Care relationships, quality of care and migrant workers caring for older people. Ageing & Society Walsh, Kieran Migrant care workers make a substantial contribution to older adult care in Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK). However, little is known about the relational aspects of care involving migrant care workers and older people. Given that the care relationship is closely linked to quality of care, and that the Irish and UK sectors are increasingly restricted by economic austerity measures, this lack of information is a concern for care practice and policy. Our paper explores the relationship between migrant care workers and older people in Ireland and the UK and draws on data collected in both countries, including focus groups with older people (N = 41), interviews with migrant care workers (N = 90) and data from a survey of and interviews with employers. The findings illustrate the complexity of the migrant care worker/older person relationship; the prevalence of need orientated, friendship and familial-like, reciprocal, and discriminatory interlinking themes; and the role of individual, structural and temporal factors in shaping these relationships. Journal article

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z Scharf, Thomas Walsh, Kieran http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3514 2015-10-15T13:15:19Z 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

Imagery and imaginary of islander identity: Older people and migration in Irish small-island communities Scharf, Thomas; Walsh, Kieran This article examines the imagery and imaginaries of islander identity and makes an original contribution to the fields of gerontology and nissology. Drawing on data collected through in-depth interviews with 19 older residents of two small-island communities located off the island of Ireland, we address the central roles played by older people in creating and sustaining islander identities. Reflecting both public and private representations of islander identity, the article contrasts an island 'imagery' with an island 'imaginary', resulting in a complex 'imag(in)ery' of islander identity. We explore three main themes. To what extent do older residents of island communities perceive an 'imag(in)ery' of islander identity? In what ways do older islanders contribute to, substantiate or perpetuate the imag(in)ery of the islander identity? Are there alternative imag(in)eries of the islander identity for different groups of older people who live in island communities? Our analysis identified two imag(in)eries of islander identity. An historical islander identity was structured by the shared hardships and enforced self-sufficiency associated with residence in remote communities. Contemporary islander identities are founded on the positively perceived isolation of islands, an historical and cultural sense of belonging, frequent social interaction within cohesive, safe and secure communities, and a persistence of 'traditional' values. Older people were actively engaged in the (re)production of islander identity, such as helping visitors discover their island origins, producing traditional cultural artefacts, passing knowledge of culture down through the generations, and acting to maintain the civic life of the island community. Knowledge of local and traditional skills imbued some older islanders with the ability to perform island-specific symbolic rituals. Our study revealed subtle forms of differentiation between over-arching categories of island residents based on migration histories. In particular, older people's narratives revealed a hierarchy in relation to claims to islander status.

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z Walsh, Kieran O'Shea, Eamon Scharf, Thomas http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3241 2017-03-08T15:32:44Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ageing in changing community contexts: cross-border perspectives from rural Ireland and Northern Ireland Walsh, Kieran; O'Shea, Eamon; Scharf, Thomas Ongoing demographic, social, economic and cultural changes point to the dynamic and continually changing contexts of rural areas in Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, the influence of such changes on the lives of older people remains under-explored, particularly the question of how older people perceive, connect to and engage in their communities. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with indigenous and non-indigenous older people in three case-study sites in Ireland, Northern Ireland and a cross-border region, this article presents a comparative analysis of how changing community contexts have shaped the lives of rural-dwelling older people. The analysis focuses on four key areas: economic structure and service access; social relations and social cohesion; meanings and attachments; and community engagement. While the findings demonstrate that some dimensions of participants' lives were affected by complex economic and social changes, others dimensions were connected in a more significant way to life course and residential history and the desire to maintain community capacity.

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Walsh, Breda Dempsey, Laura http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3207 2015-10-15T12:09:33Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Investigating the Reliability and Validity of the Waterlow Risk Assessment Scale: A Literature Review Clinical Nursing Research Walsh, Breda; Dempsey, Laura The aim of this review was to examine health literature on the reliability and validity of the Waterlow pressure sore assessment scale. A systematic review of published studies relating to the topic was conducted and literature was examined for its relevancy to the topic under investigation. Findings suggest that despite the availability of over 40 assessment tools, the Waterlow assessment scale is the most frequently used by health care staff. Research suggests that the Waterlow Scale is an unreliable method of assessing individuals at risk of pressure sore development with all studies indicating a poor interrater reliability status. Its validity has also been criticized because of its high-sensitivity but low-specificity levels.

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z