Attitudes of health care professionals towards care of the elderly

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 797-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuula Saarela ◽  
Matti Viukari
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The Elderly

scholarly journals Travel, Pilgrimage and Health Hazards

JMS SKIMS ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-90
Author(s):  
Shariq Rashid Masoodi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Anticipatory Guidance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Potential Risks

Today more people are travelling than ever before. Travel uWith more people travelling, health care professionals should become more familiar with some of the unique health issues associated with travel and pilgrimage.Travel has some unique safety and health issues, especially for the young and the elderly. Physicians need to be aware of the health issues related to travelling, identify people at risk for health problems during travel, and provide appropriate anticipatory guidance. Many guidelines have been developed to help inform physicians about some of the health issues of people travelling. These guidelines are to provide information on the risks of travel to people, determine which pre-existing health conditions may be complicated by a particular mode of travel, and offer preventative measures that can minimize potential risks to people during the travel. sed to be a leisure which could only be afforded by a few.... JMS 2012;15(2):87-90

scholarly journals Romanian GPs Involvement in Caring for the Mental Health Problems of the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raluca Sfetcu ◽  
Daciana Toma ◽  
Catalina Tudose ◽  
Cristian Vladescu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
National Society

The mental health of the elderly is a matter of increased concern in the context of an aging population since currently only a small fraction of this population is receiving adequate care. The provision of treatment in primary care by the General Practitioners (GPs) has been proposed for over a decade as a potential solution, as services offered by GPs are more accessible, less susceptible to stigma, and have a more comprehensive view of the other health care problems that the elderly might suffer from. In this study, we explored the perception of Romanian GPs regarding their practice and roles in caring for the mental health of the elderly as well as the willingness to increase their future involvement in the management of dementia and other mental health problems. Data was collected via an online questionnaire structured on four dimensions: (1) GPs' sociodemographic profile and practice characteristics, (2) GPs assessment of the services available for elderly with mental health problems, (3) GPs current involvement in mental health care for different categories of problems, and (4) factors that might influence the future involvement of GPs in providing care for elderly with mental health problems. The survey was sent via the member mailing lists of the National Society for Family Medicine. Results show that GPs are currently limited by prescribing possibilities, available resources and knowledge in the area, but they are willing to expand their role in the areas of early recognition and prevention of mental health problems as well as providing disease management and collaborative care. An improved communication with mental health care professionals, a better access to resources and having more financial incentives are the three most important categories for GPs to increase their involvement. In conclusion, increasing the access to personal and professional resources and setting up functional communication channels with specialized mental health care could motivate GPs to provide timely mental health support to elderly patients.

Les motifs du suicide gériatrique: une étude exploratoire

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-205
Author(s):  
Luc Legris ◽  
Michel Préville
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Basic Needs ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Need To Belong ◽  
Psychological Autopsy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care System

ABSTRACTFive semi-structured interviews were conducted, using the psychological autopsy method, in order to document the causes of geriatric suicide and to describe the interaction among suicidal elderly persons, their personal and social environments, and health care professionals. The results of this study support our hypothesis that elderly persons view suicide as a means of alleviating the psychological suffering associated with the frustration they experience on account of their inability to satisfy their basic needs. Three types of basic needs that affect the suicidal tendency of elderly persons were identified: the need to self-actualize, the need to belong, and the need to feel safe. The results also show that the people who make up the social and personal environment of elderly persons have a limited role in the prevention of suicide. This is due to their unfamiliarity with the problems surrounding the fulfilment of the basic needs of the suicidal elderly. Furthermore, as revealed in the cases studied here, the intervention of the health care system has centred mainly on the use of medication as a treatment for symptoms of psychological distress. The health care system pays little attention to the dissonance associated with the frustration suicidal elderly persons experience on account of their inability to satisfy their basic needs. Finally, the outcome of this qualitative study suggests that understanding the basic needs of the elderly can be very useful in understanding geriatric suicide.

Professional Practice and Patient Care: Multidisciplinary Teamwork in Geriatric Wards

1982 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Evers
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Geriatric Patient ◽  
Geriatric Patients ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Professional Literature ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teamwork

ABSTRACTThis paper aims to examine aspects of the nature of multidisciplinary teamwork in geriatric care. First, some of the medical profession's current views of teamwork in geriatrics will be summarized. Second, case studies from a research project on care of geriatric patients in hospital will be used to illustrate some of the strengths and limitations of the adoption of a teamwork approach by health care professionals. Evidence from research suggests that under only a few circumstances does care of the geriatric patient match the images of teamwork as portrayed in the professional literature. This finding in part reflects piecemeal developments in interprofessional responsibilities and relationships in policy and practice of care of the elderly.

A Quick Guide for the SLP on Vestibular and Balance Disorders in the Elderly

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-25
Author(s):  
Jorge E. González
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Vestibular System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Geriatric Patients ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Balance Disorders ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Treatment Techniques ◽  
Functional Understanding ◽  
The Common

The complaint of dizziness and balance disorders is among the most common reasons for visits to health care professionals by geriatric patients. As part of a multi-disciplinary approach to health care, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may be called upon to refer patients with vestibular and balance disorders to other professionals for evaluation and treatment. In order to do this properly, the SLP should have a functional understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the vestibular system, the common symptoms and possible disorders, and the diagnosis and treatment techniques available to the patients. The purpose of this article is to present the SLP with information on these topics. Although it cannot cover all of the topics that are associated with these disorders, the information provided will help the SLP provide the best possible care to the patients.

Supporting a Virtual Community for the Elderly

2011 ◽  
pp. 428-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis M. Camarinha-Matos ◽  
Filipa Ferrada
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Technological Infrastructure ◽  
Community Concept ◽  
Human Actors

An important application context for virtual communities is elderly care. One of the key challenges facing modern societies is the increasing speed at which the population is aging. In Europe, for example, during the last three decades the number of people aged 60 years or more has risen by about 50%. Traditional approaches to care provision are based on support from either the relatives or the elderly care centers. Nevertheless, these two solutions have become increasingly insufficient due to (1) the impractical responsibility onto relatives¾given the fact that more and more family members have to work to secure steady incomes; (2) the costs of providing sufficient care centers, which leads to a relocation of the elderly people, often beyond their home communities; and (3) the fact that many elderly people preserve enough robustness to be in their homes, a situation that is often preferable to them, and as such, better for their welfare (Castolo, Ferrada, & Camarinha-Matos, 2004). This will inevitably place a considerable strain on resources and finances. To deal with this challenge, new ways of providing elderly assistance and care must be found, including the creation of a new technological infrastructure. An integrated elderly care system comprises a number of organizations, such as social security institutions, care centers/day centers, health care institutions and so forth, and involves the cooperation of a number of different human actors; for example, social care assistants, health care professionals, the elderly people and their relatives. If supported by computer networks and adequate assistance tools, such systems may evolve towards operating as a long-term virtual organization, and the various involved actors become part of a virtual community. Furthermore, virtual communities can bring the sense of community and of recognition, respect and belonging, which gives the elderly a strong feeling of usefulness along with better support for their own needs. In this context, the IST TeleCARE project (Camarinha-Matos & Afsarmanesh, 2002, 2004) was launched with the aim of designing and developing a configurable framework, based on mobile (software) agents, focused on the establishment of virtual communities for elderly support. In this article, the TeleCARE Time Bank virtual community concept is presented and the developed supporting infrastructure is discussed.

Fall-Contributing Adverse Effects of the Most Frequently Prescribed Drugs

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Actual Number ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Traumatic Injuries ◽  
Fall Injuries ◽  
Induced Changes

The 200 most frequently prescribed medications in 2000 were reviewed for adverse effects that have the potential to cause fall injuries. The actual number of different medications reviewed was 169 after eliminating duplicates due to listing of medications by both brand and generic names. Of these 169 medications, adverse effects of documented traumatic injuries and falls were reported for 9.5% (n = 16). Four hundred forty-eight adverse effects were identified and organized into 13 broad categories representing drug-induced changes in nervous, circulatory, and muscular systems. These changes were reported for 157 medications reviewed (92.9%) and could result in fall injuries. The accompanying list of medications can serve as a ready reference for podiatric physicians and other health-care professionals when monitoring and counseling patients regarding the potential for medication-induced fall injuries, which are especially common in the elderly population. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 93(1): 42-50, 2003)

Falls Suffered by Elderly People From the Perspective of Health Care Personnel: A Qualitative Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 675-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo J. López-Soto ◽  
A. García-Arcos ◽  
F. Fabbian ◽  
R. Manfredini ◽  
M. A. Rodríguez-Borrego
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Thematic Content Analysis ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Set Up

An exploratory interpretative study was carried out to recognize the factors regarded by health care professionals as potential obstacles to the evaluation, prevention, and documentation of falls in persons above 65 years of age. Focus groups and questionnaires were carried out. Audio recordings were made, and these were subsequently transcribed and analyzed in accordance with the Bardin’s thematic content analysis. Four focus groups of four persons were set up, and 16 questionnaires were returned. Four thematic categories were obtained. The analysis showed a lack of data in records of falls, perhaps for reasons of overwork, lack of motivation, awareness, or consistency in the registration systems in use. Health care professionals document two types of fall, depending on the elderly person’s ability to carry out everyday tasks. There is not a rigorous and systematic approach for recording falls. Perspectives from health care professionals could help in analyzing the causes of falls and suggesting comprehensive preventive measures.

scholarly journals ‘This won’t hurt a bit!’ – A descriptive review of health care professionals’ pharmacological management of pain in minor trauma

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan M. Havenga ◽  
Jaykumaran Govender ◽  
Carolyn Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Minor Trauma ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Prescribing Habits

Background: Emergency Centres (ECs) have a prominent trauma burden requiring effective pain management. This study aimed to review analgesia-prescribing habits in minor trauma, reviewing the patient demographics and diagnoses, analgesia-prescribing habits of health care professionals (HCPs) managing these cases, and differences in prescribing noted by patients’ age group, gender and triage code.Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in a regional EC in KwaZulu-Natal. HCPs managing minor trauma patients completed a closed-ended questionnaire which indicated the patients’ demographics, diagnosis and analgesia prescribed.Results: The study comprised of 314 cases of which the demographic most represented were male patients aged between 20–30 years with soft tissue injuries. Simple analgesics and weak opioids (paracetamol, ibuprofen and tramadol) accounted for 87.9% of prescriptions. Referral clinics prescribed less analgesics than that provided in the EC. There were mostly no significant differences in prescription habits by patients’ age group, gender and triage code.Conclusion: Presenting complaints in our study were varied and likely to result in mild to moderate pain. Only a minority of patients received analgesics at initial contact. Standardised protocols providing treatment guidance for nurse-initiated pain management at initial contact is thus important. There were no significant differences in analgesics prescribed for adults and the elderly, which is worrisome given the potential negative side effects of analgesics in the elderly. Similar concerns in our paediatric population were not noted. Ensuring adequate analgesia with cognisance for safety at the extremes of age is of paramount importance.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document