Older people readmitted to hospital for acute medical care – Implications for occupational therapy

Perhaps no single policy topic better illustrates the tensions within American politics at the beginning of a new millennium than does Medicare, the nation's thirty-five year commitment to ensuring senior citizens' financial protection against the costs of acute medical care. Our politics seems nearly overwhelmed by conflicting promises to balance the budget and pay down the national debt, enact tax cuts and protect broadly popular “entitlements.” Medicare, one of the largest of such entitlement programs, has become a lightning rod for conflicts over how to resolve these competing goals. As a result, the nation finds itself in the midst of a bewildering mix of crisis talk, fact throwing and ideological name calling, with all the confusion and distortion one would expect from such a mix.

Download Full-text

ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes: implications for Older Adults

The Senior Care Pharmacist ◽

10.4140/tcp.n.2020.258 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 258-265

Author(s):

Catherine E. Travis ◽

Caren McHenry Martin

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

Medical Care ◽

Microvascular Complications ◽

Cost Of Care ◽

Individualized Treatment ◽

Treatment Goals ◽

Long Term Outcomes ◽

New Literature

Each year, new literature and recommendations are incorporated into updates in the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. The 2020 update increased the focus on the rising cost of care for diabetes, long-term outcomes of newer antihyperglycemics in reducing macrovascular and microvascular complications of diabetes, and the importance of individualized treatment goals. These principles are of particular significance when managing older people with diabetes. This article focuses on updates pertinent to care of the older people.

Download Full-text

E-HEALTH AND ONLINE HEALTH COMMUNITIES IN THE DAILY LIVES OF OLDER RURAL RESIDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC

Успехи геронтологии ◽

10.34922/ae.2021.34.4.005 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 538-544

Author(s):

К. А. Галкин

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Medical Care ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Computer Literacy ◽

Self Care ◽

Leningrad Region ◽

Rural Medicine ◽

Online Health Communities ◽

Health Communities

Ситуация пандемии COVID-19 в очередной раз напомнила о необходимости использования онлайн-сообществ здоровья, особенно в тех районах, где не хватает мест в местных больницах или существуют проблемы с получением качественной медицинской помощи. Это, например, сельские районы, где медицина ориентирована на лечение экстренно возникающих заболеваний и у врачей существуют сложности с возможностью лечения новой коронавирусной инфекции. Онлайн-сообщества здоровья в таком случае предоставляют возможность узнать необходимую информацию, а также общаться со специалистами, которые знают особенности нового коронавируса и могут дать необходимые советы. В настоящей статье на примере глубинных интервью с пожилыми людьми из сёл Ленинградской обл. и Республики Карелия рассмотрена роль телемедицины для пожилых людей и общения в онлайн-сообществах здоровья в контексте преодоления одиночества и изолированности, которая существует в сельской местности. В статье проанализированы особенности и основные препятствия для использования пожилыми людьми телемедицины и общения в онлайнсообществах здоровья - это проблемы с инфраструктурой и отключением электричества, отсутствие у пожилых людей компьютерной грамотности для общения и взаимодействия в онлайн-сообществах здоровья. Роль последних рассмотрена с точки зрения развития самозаботы пожилых людей в сельской местности в периферийных поселениях из-за отсутствия необходимой медицинской помощи. The situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has once again reminded of the need to use telemedicine and online health communities, especially in areas where there are not enough places in local hospitals or there are problems with obtaining quality medical care, such as rural areas where rural medicine is focused on treatment of emergency diseases and doctors have difficulties with the possibility of treatment, as well as explaining about the new coronavirus infection to patients and how this disease can be treated. In this case, online health communities provide an opportunity to find out the necessary information, as well as communicate with specialists who know the features of the new coronavirus and can give the necessary advice. Using the example of in-depth interviews with older people from villages in the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia, the article examines the role of telemedicine for older people and communication in online health communities in the context of overcoming loneliness and isolation that exist in rural areas. The article analyzes the features of the use of telemedicine and the key barriers to the use of telemedicine and communication of older people in online disease communities. In rural areas the main barriers to telemedicine use are infrastructure problems and power outages, as well as the lack of computer literacy for communication and elder people’s interaction in online health communities. In the article the role of online health communities is considered in the context of the self-care of older people and from the point of view of the development of self-care of older people in rural peripheral settlements due to the lack of necessary medical care.

Download Full-text