scholarly journals In-hospital dementia-related deaths following implementation of the national dementia plan: observational study of national death certificates from 1996 to 2016

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e023172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miharu Nakanishi ◽  
Syudo Yamasaki ◽  
Atsushi Nishida

ObjectiveTo examine changes in places of dementia-related death following implementation of the national dementia plan and other policy initiatives.DesignObservational study.SettingJapan between October 1996 and September 2016. Four major changes in health and social care systems were identified: (1) the public long-term care insurance programme (April 2000); (2) community centres as a first access point for older residents (April 2006); (3) medical care system for older people (April 2008) and (4) the national dementia plan (April 2013).Participants9 60 423 decedents aged 65 years or older whose primary cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease, vascular or other types of dementia or senility.Main outcome measuresPlace of death which was classified into ‘hospital’, ‘intermediate geriatric care facility’ (rehabilitation facility aimed at home discharge), ‘nursing home’ or ‘own home’.ResultsThe annual number of deaths at hospital was consistently increased over time from 1996 to 2016 (age-adjusted OR: 6.01; 95% CI 5.81 to 6.21 versus home deaths). Controlling for individual characteristics, regional supply of hospital and nursing home beds and other changes in health and social care systems, death from dementia following the national dementia plan was likely to occur in hospital (adjusted OR: 1.21; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.24), intermediate geriatric care facility (adjusted OR: 1.53; 95% CI 1.48 to 1.58) or nursing home (adjusted OR: 1.64; 95% CI 1.60 to 1.69) rather than at home.ConclusionsAs the number of deaths from dementia increased over the decades, in-hospital deaths increased regardless of the national dementia plan. Further strategies should be explored to improve the availability of palliative and end-of-life care at patients’ places of residence.

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Katreniakova ◽  
M Levyova ◽  
M Giertl ◽  
I Nagyova

Abstract Issue/problem In Slovak Republic (SR) old-age dependency will rise rapidly in the near future and will more than double in the next 15 years. This profound demographic changes will require restructuring of health and social care systems with more people working in the long-term care (LTC) sector and most likely a higher level of public spending to cover the growing LTC needs. Description of the problem Providing LTC in Slovakia has many problem areas. It is governed by several acts and regulations, which are not always linked and sometimes do not cover the situation entirely. There is not coordinated and integrated LTC model implemented and the distribution of the roles between the health and social care systems is lacking. Results Since 2017 a policy dialog between the key stakeholders - the Ministry of Health of the SR; the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the SR; and civic societies led by the Association for the Patients’ Rights Protection has been in place with aim to improve the current LTC Strategy Proposal. Online survey was carried out in May - June 2018, which brought deeper insights into the needs regarding demand and supply, and uncovered the main limitations of the current LTC system, e.g. insufficient capacity of LTC beds or a malfunctioning information system. This was followed by six workshops for professional and lay public, organised between February and March 2019 with aim to collect further evidence on regional level. Lessons The LTC Strategy Proposal development is one of 12 pilot projects within the national project - Promoting partnership and dialogue on participatory public policy making in SR. The initiative takes into account the needs and demands of LTC target groups and will serve as a starting point for further action in this area. [Grant Support: APVV-15-0719]. Key messages In Slovakia, a complex solution of long-term care issues is essential. Developing the LTC Strategy Proposal through participatory approach is an important starting point for future action.


Author(s):  
Syed Fahad Javaid ◽  
Aishah Al-Zahmi ◽  
Munir Abbas

Dementia represents a significant problem in the Middle East. Sociocultural and political factors that shape conceptions of health and care tend to stifle research and the dissemination of knowledge throughout the Middle East. These socio-political challenges concerning engagement with individuals living with dementia and their carers include language barriers, stigmatization, logistical constraints, lack of informal support outside of hospitals, and over-dependence on clinicians for dementia information. There is an urgent need in the Middle East to increase care and support for adults with dementia and their carers, enhance research efforts and improve the dissemination of information related to dementia in the region. One possible way to do so is to begin to promote a knowledge-based culture throughout the Middle East. This can be achieved by aligning traditional deterministic and spiritual perspectives of mental health with more Western, scientific, and evidence-based models. We suggest employing practical, multidimensional approaches to deal with the stated challenges, both at individual and societal levels. Doing so will improve knowledge of dementia and allow health and social care systems in the Middle East to begin to address a growing problem.


Author(s):  
Anna Coleman ◽  
Jolanta Shields ◽  
Tim Gilling

2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (8) ◽  
pp. 312-319
Author(s):  
Anett Mária Tróbert ◽  
Zsuzsanna Széman

Abstract: According to statistical data, the number of healthy life years is not increasing in proportion with the longer average life expectancy. In the ageing societies, the long-term care systems are increasingly overburdened; cost-efficient operation and the related coordination of services is one of the key questions for their sustainability. The present separation of the health care and social care systems causes numerous difficulties. One aim of the online research by questionnaire was to survey the attitude of general practitioners – who play a very important part in care for the elderly – towards their elder patients, the patients’ family members, and social workers providing eldercare. The other aim was to gather information on shortcomings experienced by doctors in the care system and on what possibilities general practitioners see for the improvement of eldercare. Semi-structured questionnaires were applied and analysed by descriptive and content methodology. The questionnaires were sent out to 5060 addresses around the country: a total of 145 were returned filled in. The respondents made many recommendations for the improvement of eldercare in the categories of development of social services, family support, development of health services, and societal cooperation. The areas in need of development named by the general practitioners are closely interrelated: the reform of social care would support the health care system and vice versa. More effective operation of the health and social care systems would ease the burdens of families, and at the same time encourage more active participation of families in the care process. And the systematic education of society and communities is a long-term investment that would strengthen a positive attitude towards old age and a value-oriented view of the ageing process that is one of the basic conditions for successful social integration of the elderly. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(8): 312–319.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-363
Author(s):  
John Duncan Edmonstone

Purpose This paper aims to make the case that there is a need to move beyond a focus on an approach to leadership development which is confined to health care only. It argues that, given the economic, financial, social and organisational context within which health and social care organisations in the UK operate, there is a need to develop leadership within health and social care systems, rather than within the existing “siloed” sectors. Design/methodology/approach The paper considers the context within which health and social care organisations in the UK operate; examines the nature of those organisations; makes the case for focusing on the health and social car system through systems leadership; and identifies the need for leadership, rather than leader development. Findings There is a danger of health and social care organisations “walking backwards into the future” with eyes fixed on the past. The future lies with treating health and social care as a system, rather than focusing on organisations. The current model is individual leader focused, but the emerging model is one of collective multi-agency teams. Originality/value The paper seeks to go beyond a health-care-only focus, by asserting that there is a need to regard health and social care as a single system, delivered by a multiplicity of different organisations. This has implications for the kind of leadership involved and for how this might be developed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1165-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Harrop ◽  
Mala Mann ◽  
Lenira Semedo ◽  
Davina Chao ◽  
Lucy E Selman ◽  
...  

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has left health and social care systems facing the challenge of supporting large numbers of bereaved people in difficult and unprecedented social conditions. Previous reviews have not comprehensively synthesised the evidence on the response of health and social care systems to mass bereavement events. Aim: To synthesise the evidence regarding system-level responses to mass bereavement events, including natural and human-made disasters as well as pandemics, to inform service provision and policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Design: A rapid systematic review was conducted, with narrative synthesis. The review protocol was registered prospectively ( www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero , CRD 42020180723). Data sources: MEDLINE, Global Health, PsycINFO and Scopus databases were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2020. Reference lists were screened for further relevant publications, and citation tracking was performed. Results: Six studies were included reporting on system responses to mass bereavement following human-made and natural disasters, involving a range of individual and group-based support initiatives. Positive impacts were reported, but study quality was generally low and reliant on data from retrospective evaluation designs. Key features of service delivery were identified: a proactive outreach approach, centrally organised but locally delivered interventions, event-specific professional competencies and an emphasis on psycho-educational content. Conclusion: Despite the limitations in the quantity and quality of the evidence base, consistent messages are identified for bereavement support provision during the pandemic. High quality primary studies are needed to ensure service improvement in the current crisis and to guide future disaster response efforts.


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