Women and Ageing provides a better understanding of what ageing is like for women and challenges the myths which have grown up around the ageing process. Blending the scholarly, the personal and the political, it reveals the range of strategies and identities women adopt to manage the transitions of the second half of the lifecourse. In doing so it uncovers not only the commonalities and similarities between mid-life and older women, but also some of the variation and diversity relating to ethnicity and race, class, disability and sexual orientation.
Women Ageing makes ordinary lives of ordinary women, as, in this instance, they grow older, more visible. Its findings have important implications for policy and practice. All those studying or working with older people, will find it an illuminating text.

Contents:
1.Introduction 2.The Change: Challenges and Opportunities Gill Granville 3 Working Women: Paid and Unpaid Carers Judith Phillips and Sandra J McIsaac 4.Something for Me: Women Aged 50 Plus in Higher Education Patsy Marshall 5 Our Ageing Selves: Midlife Professionals Reflect on Growing Older Val Davies and Miriam Bernard 6.From Pin Money to Needlepoint Miriam Bernard and Julie Skucha 7 Widowhood in Later Life Pat Chambers 8.Love and Romance in Later Life Julia Ryan 9.Older Women, Long-term Marriage and Care Mo Ray 10.Loss and Change: Women's Experience of Grief Linda Machin 11.Conclusion

Exploring contemporary theory and practice surrounding loss and bereavement for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), this book brings together international contributors with a range of academic, professional and personal experience. This authoritative edited book looks at diverse experiences of loss across this population whether it be loss due to transition, the loss or death of others, or facing their own impending death. The book begins by offering theoretical perspectives on loss and compassion, bereavement, disenfranchised grief, spirituality, and psychological support. It then addresses contemporary practice issues in health and social care contexts and explores loss for specific communities with ID including children, individuals with autism, those in forensic environments, and those at the end of life. Identifying inherent challenges that arise when supporting individuals with ID experiencing loss, and providing evidence and case studies to support best practice approaches, this book will be valuable reading for students, academics and professionals in the fields of disability, health and social care.

This updated second edition of Working with Loss and Grief provides a model for practitioners working with those who are grieving a significant life loss. Making clear connections between theory and practice, the 'Range of Response to Loss' model provides a theoretical 'compass' for recognising the wide variability in reaction to loss and the 'Adult Attitude to Grief' scale is a tool for 'mapping' individual grief and its change over time, providing an individual grief profile. Together these offer a framework for practitioners to:

-listen to stories of grief told by clients

-identify common patterns in grief

-recognize individual difference in grief response

-make assessments

-prompt therapeutic dialogue

-guide therapeutic focus and

-evaluate outcomes.

This edition includes: a new chapter on 'The RRL Model and a Pluralistic Approach to Counselling'; two new case studies; additional content on vulnerability; new grief assessment tools and systems, and the latest research.

Dr Linda Machin is Honorary Research Fellow at Keele University, having been a Lecturer in Social Work and Counselling at Keele. She established a counselling service for the bereaved in North Staffordshire and continues to work as a researcher and freelance trainer.