China Elderly Care: A Confucian Legacy

This paper explores the Confucian roots of elderly care expectations and how these expectations may influence the current state of the elderly and elderly care in modern China. This paper posits that the outdated expectations combined with recent urbanization trends has put unrealistic pressures on society to adequately care for a rapidly aging population. Until expectations are adjusted to reflect modern day families and realities, the elderly will continue to struggle with a sense of inadequate care, which can lead to mental health issues and feelings of isolation. Once the shackles of Confucian expectations are removed, families, governments and private institutions will have the freedom to be more creative in the way they imagine solutions for elderly care.

Annual Report on the Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction at a Pneumophthisiology Hospital

Patients realize how care was provided, but it is difficult for them to know when expectations were reasonable or when unwanted outcomes were caused by inadequate care or special circumstances. Research in the field shows that satisfaction is related to the perception of technical skills, intelligence and qualification of medical staff, but, in general, the perception of interpersonal communication skills of medical staff is more important. A number of studies have shown that patients tend to be more satisfied with the care provided if the behaviour of the service provider (doctor, nurse, etc.) “conforms” their expectations. Communication skills, empathy, the care offered, attention to personal issues influences how a patient will evaluate the care received.(1,2,3)

A 24-Year-Old Female Transplant Recipient with Type 2 Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis and Disseminated Shingles: A Cautionary Tale of Deferring to Primary Care

In this report, the case of a 24-year-old Caucasian female with type 2 membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis status post-living donor kidney transplant managed on triple regimen immunosuppressive therapy who developed shingles is discussed. With its onset, she promptly reached out to her nephrologist who deferred her to primary care. Prior to seeing her primary provider, she developed disseminated herpes zoster. She consulted emergency services where she was given inadequate care and again deferred to primary care. One day later, the dissemination included her entire torso, face, oral cavity, and all extremities. Fortunately, the patient had the insight to again reach out to her nephrologist who arranged for her to be admitted for appropriate care 6 days after her initial inquiry that carried 6 days of zoster progression. This case demonstrates how it is pertinent that specialists recognize potentially lethal complications associated with the conditions they follow. Although convenient to defer to primary care, if specialists were to take on the responsibility of providing a broader scope of care for their unique subsets of patients, it would likely result in a reduction in the 80% of serious medical errors that occur as a result of miscommunication, or lack thereof, between care providers.

Policies, Laws and Schemes Supporting Foster Care and Adoption in South Asia

Families are the natural environment for children to grow. Children have the right to be cared for by their parents; parents have a responsibility to provide for their children’s upbringing and development. States have the responsibility to provide special protection and assistance to millions of children in South Asia who no longer have families, who have become separated from their families, or whose families represent a serious danger to their health or development. There is a spectrum of services available to children whose parents no longer provide adequate care, known as Out of Home Care or Alternate Care. There are growing concerns about the situation of children outside parental care and the provision of suitable alternatives in South Asia. These children often find themselves at a high risk of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect, and their well-being is often insufficiently monitored. An inadequate care environment can impair a child’s emotional and social development, and leave children extremely vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, including sexual abuse and physical violence. Across the South Asian region, the combined impacts of widespread poverty, prolonged armed conflict, frequent natural disasters and the spread of COVID-19 is exerting extreme pressure on families and communities, as well as on the limited social services available to support them. The present article aims to study the various policies, laws & schemes supporting two forms of alternate care, namely, foster care & adoption in South Asia, identify the gaps in the implementation and make certain recommendations.

Status of breast care during pregnancy with milk production and disease

BACKGROUND: Breast care is an important routine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Its absence leads to inadequate milk production before and after childbirth. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the status of breast care during pregnancy, which is related to milk production and disease after childbirth in the Tinggede Health Center, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi. METHODS: The method used was an analytic survey with a cross-sectional approach and the samples were 82 breastfeeding mothers in the working area of the Tinggede Health Center. The sampling used a total population, and data were obtained by interview and observation. Furthermore, the analysis technique used Chi-Square. RESULTS: The results showed there was a relationship between breast care during pregnancy with milk production (p = 0.001), and breast care status with a disease (p = 0.012). The common diseases suffered by breastfeeding mothers due to inadequate care are non-protruding nipples, infections, blocked milk ducts, mastitis, and lumps. CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding mothers’ failure to care for their breasts during pregnancy can lead to lack of milk production and diseases such as non-protruding nipples, infections, blocked milk ducts, mastitis, and lumps.

Determinant of Stunting in Gandasuli Community Health Center, South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku

Background: Stunting is a linear growth disorder that is not appropriate for age indicating a long-term event and is an accumulative impact of insufficient nutrient consumption, poor health conditions and inadequate care. Objectives: This study aims to analyze or explore in depth the causes of stunting in toddler. Methods: The research was conducted in ​​Gandasuli Community Health Center, South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku. This research is a qualitative research with a sampling of researchers using non-probability sampling techniques, or rather researchers using purposive sampling technique. Subjects were determined based on inclusion criteria and obtained as many as 12 toddlers over 24 months. Data analysis in qualitative research is presented based on the data that has been collected and then conclusions are drawn. Results: The results showed that the knowledge about stunting was still lacking, children were not exclusively breastfed causing malnutrition, errors in giving complementary foods which resulted in stunting, low family economic factors, inadequate use of integrated service post, as well as poor environmental sanitation, food taboo culture for pregnant women, breastfeeding women and toddlers themselves so they can reduce their food intake which in turn reduces their nutritional status.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a more common condition than you may think

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive incurable lung disease that affects a significant amount of people in the UK. Many health professionals have a limited understanding of IPF, which can result in a delayed diagnosis and inadequate care for individuals and their families. This article aims to provide an overview of IPF and help to enhance health professionals' understanding of the disease, thus contributing towards improving the care that IPF sufferers receive. This article provides a definition of IPF and explores its pathophysiology. It discusses the causes and risk factors for developing the condition, examines how IPF is diagnosed and details the treatment options available for IPF patients.

Analysis of the Causes of Stunting in Toddlers in the Work Area of Gandasuli Community Health Center South Halmahera Regency North Maluku (Qualitative Study)

Stunting is a linear growth disorder that is not appropriate for age indicating a long-term event and is an accumulative impact of insufficient nutrient consumption, poor health conditions and inadequate care. This study aims to analyze or explore in depth the causes of stunting in toddler. The research was conducted in the working area of ​​Puskesmas Gandasuli Kab. Halmahera Selatan, North Maluku. This research is a qualitative research with a sampling of researchers using non-probability sampling techniques, or rather researchers using purposive sampling technique. Subjects were determined based on inclusion criteria and obtained as many as 12 toddlers over 24 months. Data analysis in qualitative research is presented based on the data that has been collected and then conclusions are drawn. The results showed that the knowledge about stunting was still lacking, children were not exclusively breastfed causing malnutrition, errors in giving complementary foods which resulted in stunting, low family economic factors, inadequate use of posyandu, as well as poor environmental sanitation, food taboo culture for pregnant women, breastfeeding women and toddlers themselves so they can reduce their food intake which in turn reduces their nutritional status.

Evaluation of prevalence and risk factors for postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale: a cross-sectional analytic study

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and associated risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD) using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Study design: The population of this cross-sectional analytic study consisted of 311 women who were admitted to our hospital at 4-6 weeks after birth. The data were collected between April-June 2018 by applying a sociodemographic data form consisting of 44 questions and the EPDS consisting of 10 questions. We used the EPDS in postpartum period to divide parturients into those with (n=47) and without (n=264) PPD using a cut-off score of ³ 13. The primary outcome is the prevalence of PPD, while the secondary outcomes are associated risk factors.Results: The PPD prevalence was 15.1% (n=47). In the PPD group, the difference was highly significant in terms of abortion, antenatal depression, inadequate care for the baby and health problem in the newborn [0.6±0.9 vs. 0.2±0.6, 13 (37.1%) vs. 27 (10.5%), 9 (56.3%) vs. 38 (12.9%), 12 (36.4%) vs. 35 (12.6%), respectively] (p<0.001). The logistic regression analysis revealed that abortion increased PPD by 1.64 fold (1.13-2.37% at 95% CI), antenatal depression by 5.04 fold (2.38-10.68% at 95% CI), inadequate care for the baby by 6.28 fold (1.89-20.86% at 95% CI), and health problem in the newborn increased PPD by 3.59 fold (1.43-8.99% at 95% CI).Conclusion: PPD is a health problem that can affect primarily mother and child. Therefore, it is important to determine highly predictable risk factors using a scale (e.g. EPDS) for early diagnosis and timely treatment of symptoms.