A framework for understanding old-age vulnerabilities
Open accessAbstract
Identifying vulnerable older people and understanding the causes and consequences of their vulnerability is of human concern and an essential task of social policy. To date, vulnerability in old age has mainly been approached by identifying high risk groups, like the poor, childless, frail or isolated. Yet vulnerability is the outcome of complex interactions of discrete risks, namely of being exposed to a threat, of a threat materialising, and of lacking the defences or resources to deal with a threat. In this article, we review approaches to vulnerability in various disciplines in order to develop a systematic framework for approaching vulnerability. This framework distinguishes and examines the interactions among the domains of exposure, threats, coping capacities and outcomes. Drawing on European and Asian gerontological literature, we discuss what might be meant by these domains and their place in the understanding of vulnerability in old age. Two case studies are presented – one on homelessness in Britain, the other on familial care provision in Indonesia – to illustrate the ways in which specific vulnerabilities are created and distributed over the lifecourse.
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Elderly persons are considered vulnerable, so conceptual adjustments were made to address aspects of vulnerability.
“In general, elderly persons are considered as vulnerable and therefore conceptual adjustments had to be made to address the different aspects of vulnerability (Schroder-Butterfill and Marianti 2006).”
From Advanced Sensing and Human Activity Recognition in Early Intervention and Rehabilitation of Elderly People (2020) · cites this paper as Schroder-Butterfill and Marianti 2006
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- Authors
- SCHRÖDER-BUTTERFILL, E., & MARIANTI, R.
- Venue
- Ageing and Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2006-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 9-35
- ISSN
- 0144-686X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1779
- PMC
- PMC3672844
- OpenAlex
- W2119412223
- Cited by
- 324
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 18.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Ageing and Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (076032)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- vulnerability in old age, older adults, coping capacity, risk and resilience, vulnerability framework, life course, social policy for older people
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