What does client ‘engagement’ mean in aged care? An analysis of practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1350-1376 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREA PETRIWSKYJ ◽  
ALEXANDRA GIBSON ◽  
GLENYS WEBBY
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Client Engagement ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Connection Building

ABSTRACTClient engagement is an important part of contemporary aged care. However, the extent to which decisions are delegated to the older person, and the scope of issues about which decision making occurs, vary. The types of engagement that are offered to, and taken up by, aged-care clients have implications for the extent of power and influence older people hold. This paper reports on a qualitative study conducted in a large Australian service provider. It identifies the forms that client engagement takes in the aged-care context, the roles for staff and older people that are enacted through these activities, and the implications these have for power relationships and older people's influence. An inverse relationship was seen between the depth and scope of client influence, but a desire to address this suggested potential spaces for greater empowerment. A relationship was evident between the retention of control by staff and the perceived effectiveness of existing engagement strategies, highlighting the limitations of traditional power dynamics in engagement practice. An expanded model of engagement in aged care is proposed that recognises the foundational role of connection building as a facilitator of greater empowerment for older people. Implications for theory regarding engagement in aged care, and the practice of engagement in aged-care organisations, are discussed.

Older people’s news dependency and social connectedness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1329878X2110064
Author(s):  
Caroline Fisher ◽  
Sora Park ◽  
Jee Young Lee ◽  
Kate Holland ◽  
Emma John
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
News Media ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Older Citizens

Social isolation has become a growing issue, particularly among older citizens. The ‘digital divide’ has been identified as one of the contributing factors leaving many older citizens behind. While increasing digital literacy among seniors has been identified as one of the remedies, less attention has been paid to the role of news media on the wellbeing and connectedness of older people. Through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory, this article reports on the findings of a survey of 562 news consumers aged 50 years and above who live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The analysis highlights the important role of news in reducing feelings of social isolation, particularly for those who spend more time alone and older people with cognitive impairment. Older participants who had difficulty concentrating and learning new tasks were also more dependent on news. We suggest this is due to the habitual, predictable and concise nature of news. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of news in the wellbeing of older people and point to the need for policymakers and those in the aged care sector to ensure access to news for older citizens to improve the quality of life.

Foot problems

2017 ◽  
pp. 585-590
Author(s):  
Hylton B. Menz
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Vascular Disorders ◽  
Foot Problems ◽  
Detrimental Impact

Foot problems affect one in four people aged over 65 years and have a major detrimental impact on mobility and quality of life. With advancing age, the foot undergoes several cutaneous, vascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal changes, all of which may impair this important weight bearing function and predispose the older person to the development of foot symptoms. This chapter provides an overview of the prevalence and impact of foot problems in older people, and briefly discusses the management of common foot problems in older people including skin and nail disorders, vascular disorders, and structural deformities. The important role of footwear in the management of foot problems is also highlighted.

scholarly journals 10 Playing Our Part - Are The Occupational Therapists Completing A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment?

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Paula Lavery ◽  
Sinéad O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Geriatric Assessment ◽  
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Retrospective Audit ◽  
Interdisciplinary Assessment

Abstract Background 10% of people over 65 years have frailty, rising to between a quarter and a half of those over 85. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is the gold standard for the management of frailty in older people; it’s a process that involves a holistic, interdisciplinary assessment of the older person. Evidence shows that CGA is effective in improving outcomes for older people. The National Clinical Programme for the Older Person outlines the role of the occupational therapist in CGA. A clinical audit was completed to investigate whether the occupational therapists in the Medicine for the Older Person service are adhering to guidelines for CGA. Methods Following a literature review, a retrospective audit of occupational therapy (OT) initial assessments was completed using paper count method. Data pertinent to CGA OT assessment was collected. Audit results were presented to the OT team alongside a CGA education session. A re-audit was completed, using above methods. Results 10 inpatient initial assessment forms reviewed pre and post audit. Activities of Daily Living Assessment: Pre result: 60%  Post Result: 90% Home Environment: Pre: 80% Post: 100% Performance Components Assessment: Vision: Pre:  90%  Post: 100% Hearing: Pre: 80% Post: 100% Upper Limb: Pre: 70% Post: 100% Mood: Pre: 60% Post: 80% Cognition: Pre: 90% Post: 100% Sleep: Pre: 70% Post: 80% Social Assessment: Pre: 60% Post:90% Falls Assessment: Pre: 60% Post: 90% Drving: Pre: 60% Post: 90% Conclusion This audit identified that the occupational therapists in the medicine for the older person service were not CGA compliant. CGA training now forms an important part of our OT induction programme. We are now “playing our part” in CGA with improvements in all domains. CGA is now commonplace practice within our team, in line with international and national best practice guidance for management of frailty.

Cancer-related fatigue: mechanisms, assessment and treatment in older people

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ollie Minton ◽  
Patrick C Stone
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Disease ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Clinical Tools

SummaryCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a debilitating symptom that affects the majority of cancer patients. It can occur at all stages of treatment, worsening in advanced disease. It can be especially troublesome in the older person. CRF is often under-recognized and insufficiently treated routinely. This review will discuss both the postulated mechanisms and clinical tools for identifying and monitoring CRF during cancer treatment. The role of drug treatment and exercise to manage CRF is also assessed. Further studies, particularly in older people, are required to improve the poor levels of evidence for current CRF management options.

Diagnostic investigations for stroke in older people: A practical approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 65-84
Author(s):  
Senthil Raghunathan
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Brain Imaging ◽  
Clinical Examination ◽  
Practical Approach ◽  
Cardiac Monitoring ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Diagnostic Investigation ◽  
Comprehensive History ◽  
Diagnostic Investigations

‘Diagnostic investigations for stroke in older people: A practical approach’ examines in some detail the challenges of formulating a thorough and simultaneously pragmatic approach to investigating older people with stroke. Diagnostic investigation plays an important role along with a comprehensive history and thorough clinical examination in assessing severity, prognosis, and initiating appropriate management. This chapter describes emergency investigations, brain imaging, biochemical and haematological investigations, the importance of electrocardiography and prolonged cardiac monitoring (including evidence from recent trials), echocardiography, the role of vascular imaging including ultrasonography and angiography. It also discusses the importance of performing all the essential investigations and the evidence for investigating stroke in the frail older person.

scholarly journals BUILDING CAPACITY TO CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE! HOW IS CARE OF THE OLDER PERSON TAUGHT IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS OF NURSING?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S3-S3
Author(s):  
Deirdre M Fetherstonhaugh ◽  
Jo-anne Rayner ◽  
Elizabeth Beattie ◽  
Ann Harrington ◽  
Yun-Hee Jeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Royal Commission ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Clinical Placements ◽  
Schools Of Nursing

Abstract As the Australian population ages the demand for nursing care which focuses on responding to the needs of the older person will increase. Few newly graduated Registered Nurses (RNs) currently enter the aged care workforce and few select a career in caring for older people; yet older people are the largest patient group in most health care environments. This research, conducted by the Australian Hartford Consortium of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (Aus-HCGNE), explored how care of the older person is currently taught in Australian schools of nursing (SoN). The interview guide included questions about: whether care of the older person is taught in separate subjects or integrated across the curriculum; academics’ qualifications; subject content; and aged care clinical placements. The head of each of the 33 Australian schools of nursing was contacted, invited to participate and asked to nominate the appropriate academics (undergraduate/curriculum co-ordinators) who would be the most appropriate person to participate in the interview. These academics were then contacted, written informed consent was obtained, interviews were scheduled and completed. This research is timely given the current Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in Australia, one focus of which is nurses in residential aged care in respect to numbers, education and competence. This research will be completed by mid-2019. The results will be fed back to SoN to inform the development of their curricula and the preparation of future RNs who will undoubtably need to be expert in the care of older people across the health sector.

Helping when desire is low: The role of Expectancy in helping

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Kossowska
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Helping Behavior ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Do So

One might assume that the desire to help (here described as Want) is the essential driver of helping declarations and/or behaviors. However, even if desire to help is low, helping behavior may still occur if the expectancy regarding the perceived effectiveness of helping is high. We tested these predictions in a set of three experimental studies. In all three, we measured the desire to help (Want) and the Expectancy that the aid would be impactful for the victim; in addition, we manipulated Expectancy in Study 3. In Studies 1 and 3, we measured the participants’ declaration to help while in Study 2, their helping behavior was examined. In all three studies, we used variations of the same story about a victim. The results supported our hypothesis. Thus, the studies help to tease apart the determinants of helping behavior under conditions of lowered desire to do so, an issue of great importance in public policymaking.

Designing for older people: But who is an older person?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghavendra Reddy Gudur ◽  
◽  
Alethea Blackler ◽  
Vesna Popovic ◽  
Doug Mahar
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Older Person

Role of Rasayana in Geriatric Care - A Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yagyik Mishra ◽  
Negalur Vijay ◽  
Thakor Krunal ◽  
Bhat Nagaraj ◽  
Shubhasri B.
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Geriatric Care ◽  
The Body ◽  
Psychological Improvement

The growth of any country or society depends on the number of youth dwelling in that country but according to recent statistical data we soon will have older people more than children and more people at extreme old age than ever before. The number of people aged 65 or older is projected to grow from an estimated 524 million in 2010 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2050. Geriatrics (Jarachikitsa) is the branch of medicine dealing exclusively with the problems of aging and the diseases of elderly. The term Rasayana (rejuvination) refers to nourishment or nutrition. Rasayana therapy act essentially on nutrition dynamics and rejuvenate the body on both physical and mental levels. The problems of health due to modernization can be solved by increasing resistance against diseases and psychological improvement by implementing Rasayana therapy. Aging (Jara) is one among the Swabhavika Vyadhis. Jara Chikitsa is one among the Astanga of Ayurveda which is specifically dedicated for geriatric care. As per estimation, India currently has around 75 million persons over 65 years. By proper administration of Rasayana therapy as preventive tool one can delay Jara Janita Vyadhis to occur. This paper highlights the role of Rasayana in geriatric care.

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