When walking becomes wandering: representing the fear of the fourth age.

Dementia is linked to behavioural changes that are perceived as challenging to care practices. One such behavioural change is 'wandering', something that is often deeply feared by carers and by people with dementia themselves. Understanding how behavioural changes like wandering are experienced as problematic is critically important in current discussions about the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. In this article we draw on our secondary analysis of qualitative interviews and focus groups with carers of people with dementia to critically question 'when does walking become wandering'? Drawing on theoretical perspectives from anthropology, sociology and human geography to explore experiences of carers and of people with dementia, we argue that a conceptual shift occurs in how pedestrian activity, usually represented as something purposeful, meaningful and healthy (walking) is seen as something threatening that needs managing (wandering). We demonstrate how this shift is connected to cultural assumptions about the mind-body relationship in both walking and in dementia. We further argue that the narratives of carers about wandering challenge the notion of 'aimless' walking in the fourth age. This is because, as these narratives show, there are often pronounced links to specific areas and meaningful places where people with dementia walk to.

Rescued back from extinction in the wild: past, present and future of the genetics of the Arabian oryx in Oman.

The Arabian oryx was the first species to be rescued from extinction in the wild by the concerted efforts of captive programmes in zoos and private collections around the world. Reintroduction efforts have used two main sources: the 'World Herd', established at the Phoenix Zoo, and private collections in Saudi Arabia. The breeding programme at the Al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve (WWR) in Oman has played a central role in the rescue of the oryx. Individuals from the 'World Herd' and the United Arab Emirates have been the main source for the WWR programme. However, no breeding strategies accounting for genetic diversity have been implemented. To address this, we investigated the diversity of the WWR population and historical samples using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found individuals at WWR contain 58% of the total mtDNA diversity observed globally. Inference of ancestry and spatial patterns of SNP variation shows the presence of three ancestral sources and three different groups of individuals. Similar levels of diversity and low inbreeding were observed between groups. We identified individuals and groups that could most effectively contribute to maximizing genetic diversity. Our results will be valuable to guide breeding and reintroduction programmes at WWR.

Ageing in place and technologies of place: the lived experience of people with dementia in changing social, physical and technological environments.

Abstract This paper explores the varied meanings and lived experiences of older people with dementia, in relation to everyday technologies in public spaces outside the home, through re-analysis of qualitative data generated from research that focused on the use of technology in supporting people with dementia to carry on with their everyday outside activities. The data have been re-analysed to critically examine how people with memory loss manage being outside in both familiar and unfamiliar public environments. In doing so the authors explore how technologies mediate between the physical and social environment in which people with dementia live. This paper highlights the importance of a neglected space within dementia research, namely the outside public environment. Although the outside environment and activities that take place in that space, for some, are curtailed, for others the physical and social security of familiar environments enables them to carry on with everyday activities in this public realm. Outside space can be both therapeutic and frightening and this paper demonstrates that people with dementia can sometimes feel out of place in public space. It however also shows the variety of ways people with dementia use everyday technologies to manage 'feeling out of place'.

The social consequences of living with and dealing with incontinence--a carers perspective.

Incontinence is a discrediting and stigmatising condition for those who experience it, as it signifies a person who is lacking in self-control. For their carers, the very nature of undertaking 'dirty work' signifies a low status and low paid job. Those health care professionals higher in status and financial reward put distance between themselves and bodywork, especially bodywork that deals with bodily decay. However, little is known or has been highlighted about the social consequences that living with and dealing with incontinence can have on informal carers. In this paper we examine the notion of dirty work and 'unbounded' bodies in the role of informal carers. Through qualitative interviews with carers of stroke survivors the negative social consequences of dealing with incontinence for both the survivor and the carer are explored. We also examine the strategies employed by carers and stroke survivors in order to manage the symptom in an attempt to prove the adult status of the survivor and to protect both the identity of the survivor and the carer. The embarrassment of leakage and the moral danger of odour can lead some carers and survivors to make decisions that can isolate both within the confines of their home. In this sense the very meaning of home is transformed into an isolated and marginalised space.

Isolated urinary, fecal, and double incontinence: Prevalence and degree of soiling in stroke survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of isolated urinary and fecal incontinence and double incontinence in community-living stroke survivors and to assess the degree of soiling. DESIGN: Community-based postal survey. SETTING: Leicestershire, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-four thousand seven hundred forty-nine community-dwelling residents (aged > or = 40) were randomly selected from the Leicestershire Health Authority register. Residents living in institutional settings were excluded. MEASUREMENTS: Respondents were asked about previous stroke, urinary and bowel symptoms, and general health and demographic details including age, sex, and ethnicity. Urinary incontinence was defined as leakage several times a month or more often. Major fecal incontinence was defined as soiling of underwear, outer clothing, furnishings, or bedding several times a month or more often. RESULTS: A 65% response rate to the postal survey was obtained, with the return of 39,519 eligible questionnaires; 4% (n = 1,483) reported stroke. Five percent of stroke survivors reported major fecal incontinence, with 4.3% reporting fecal and urinary incontinence and 0.8% reporting isolated fecal incontinence. Major fecal incontinence was four and a half times as prevalent in stroke survivors as in the nonstroke population, and stroke survivors were also twice as likely to report soiling of furnishings or bedding. Functional limitations influence the presence of fecal incontinence in the stroke and nonstroke population. CONCLUSION: Fecal incontinence is common in stroke survivors, and the degree of soiling can be considerable. Future research needs to explore the effect fecal incontinence can have on the lives of stroke survivors and on how it can best be managed in those living in the community.