Older people's perceptions and understandings of well-being

With the growth in the proportion of the population
of older people more attention is being given to
their well-being. Occupational therapy has much to
offer older people and their well-being, ensuring
that they live well as they understand it. However
examination of occupational therapy and other health
related literature reveals that the meaning of well-
being is often not articulated, how people achieve
well-being is unclear and the perspective of the
older person with regard to well-being is missing.
This book reports on a study that uses
grounded theory to explore how older people perceive
and understand well-being. To experience well-being
older people have to perceive that they are in
control. The social process of trading off is used
to increase the perception of being in
control. Trading off is used to exchange
occupations that are no longer within their
capacity, for occupations that are, or for other
people to complete those tasks for the person to
perceive that they are in control. The major
contribution that this book makes is an explication
of the dynamic process that older people engage in
to achieve well-being.