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Family life has changed rapidly over te past fifty years and the number of people living longer increases year on year Family and Community Life of Older People revisits three areas (Bethnal Green in London, Wolverhampton in the Midlands and Woodford in Essex) which were the subject of classic studies in the late 1940s and 1950s and explores changes to the family and community lives of older people. The book examines issues such as:*changes in household composition*changes in the geographical proximity of kin and relatives*the extent and type of help provided by the family*contact and relationships with neighbours*relationships with friends*involvement in social and leisure activities*experiences of minority ethnic groups.These questions are explored through a unique set of data including census material, and survey data from interviews with over 600 older people. A key finding is that over the past 50 years we have moved from an old age experienced within the context of the family group to one shaped by personal communities in which friends may feature as significantly as immediate kin and relatives.Family and Community Life of Older People is a major contribution to the sociology of the family, of ageing, and of urban life and points up the social policy issues for an ageing society.

Aim To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) in two defined populations in the West Midlands of England. Methods A 5-year retrospective study of patients who underwent surgical repair of their RRD between April 1994 and March 1999. Statistical analysis was done by the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 10.0. Results The total demand incidence of RRD was 11.3 and 6.3 per 100 000 in Wolverhampton and Walsall, respectively. The Asian subgroup had a low demand incidence of 4.6 and 2.0 per 100 000 in each area, respectively. In Wolverhampton the highest age-specific demand incidence was in the 70 to 79-year age group at 29.1 per 100 000, whereas in Walsall it was 98.6 per 100 000 in the 85+ age group. Nontraumatic phakic detachments had the highest demand incidence of 9.7 per 100 000, whereas nontraumatic pseudophakic and aphakic R/D were much lower at 1.2 and 0.3 per 100 000, respectively. There was a 1 : 1.5 female-to-male ratio, with a mean age of 57.8 years (95% CI 54.7–61.0) in females and 55.5 years (95% CI 53.1–57.9) for males. A total of 41.6% (142) of patients presented initially to the Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary Accident and Emergency Department (A&E). Conclusion This is the first UK-based study. The demand incidence in Caucasians is similar to worldwide figures. Asians have a three times lower incidence of retinal detachments. The demand incidence increases with age. Females have a higher mean age than males. Males (89.5%) were more likely to suffer from traumatic detachments. Younger patients were more likely to present to the optometrist initially. Less than half of the patients will present initially to the eye A&E.