scholarly journals Improving Care for Older Adults in China: Development of Long-Term Care Policy and System

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 123-126
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Marc A. Cohen ◽  
Zhen Cong ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Changmin Peng

This special issue covers several important topics related to long-term care (LTC) systems and policy development in China. It provides a good contextual background on the development of the LTC system in China as well as the needs and preferences of LTC from family and older adults’ perspectives. In addition, this issue covers the topic of evaluation of a recently developed long-term care nursing insurance and provides an example of family caregiving for persons with dementia within the Chinese context. The authors in this special issue also provided insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults’ life and LTC quality, and explored potential strategies to handle the challenges during and post-pandemic.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 629-629
Author(s):  
Silke Metzelthin ◽  
Sandra Zwakhalen ◽  
Barbara Resnick

Abstract Functional decline in older adults often lead towards acute or long-term care. In practice, caregivers often focus on completion of care tasks and of prevention of injuries from falls. This task based, safety approach inadvertently results in fewer opportunities for older adults to be actively involved in activities. Further deconditioning and functional decline are common consequences of this inactivity. To prevent or postpone these consequences Function Focused Care (FFC) was developed meaning that caregivers adapt their level of assistance to the capabilities of older adults and stimulate them to do as much as possible by themselves. FFC was first implemented in institutionalized long-term care in the US, but has spread rapidly to other settings (e.g. acute care), target groups (e.g. people with dementia) and countries (e.g. the Netherlands). During this symposium, four presenters from the US and the Netherlands talk about the impact of FFC. The first presentation is about the results of a stepped wedge cluster trial showing a tendency to improve activities of daily living and mobility. The second presentation is about a FFC training program. FFC was feasible to implement in home care and professionals experienced positive changes in knowledge, attitude, skills and support. The next presenter reports about significant improvements regarding time spent in physical activity and a decrease in resistiveness to care in a cluster randomized controlled trial among nursing home residents with dementia. The fourth speaker presents the content and first results of a training program to implement FFC in nursing homes. Nursing Care of Older Adults Interest Group Sponsored Symposium


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Briony Jain ◽  
Viktoryia Kalesnikava ◽  
Joseph E. Ibrahim ◽  
Briana Mezuk

Abstract This commentary addresses the increasing public health problem of suicide in later life and presents the case for preventing suicide in residential long-term care settings. We do so by examining this issue from the perspective of three levels of stakeholders – societal, organisational and individual – considering the relevant context, barriers and implications of each. We begin by discussing contemporary societal perspectives of ageing; the potential impact of ageism on prevention of late-life suicide; and the roles of gender and masculinity. This is followed by a historical analysis of the origin of residential long-term care; current organisational challenges; and person-centred care as a suicide prevention strategy. Finally, we consider suicide in long-term care from the perspective of individuals, including the experience of older adults living in residential care settings; the impact of suicide on residential care health professionals and other staff; and the impact of suicide bereavement on family, friends and other residents. We conclude with recommendations for policy reform and future research. This commentary aims to confront the often unspoken bias associated with preventing suicide among older adults, particularly those living with complex medical conditions, and invoke an open dialogue about suicide prevention in this population and setting.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Leona Konieczny

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on long term care (LTC) have been published in the literature and experienced by residents, their support persons and nursing staff. The morbidity and mortality, as well as the threats of isolation and psychosocial distress continue. Both LTC residents and staff experience physiological and psychological impacts. Nurses can use the current threats produced by the pandemic to advocate for alternate models of care and reduced isolation for residents. The pandemic is an opportunity for nursing advocacy in LTC for shared governance and empowerment, involvement in policy development, and oversight in policy implementation. Nurses are presented with the opportunities for advocacy related to resources and reshaping the paradigm of residential care for older adults.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1396-1402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Nerius ◽  
Kristina Johnell ◽  
Sara Garcia-Ptacek ◽  
Maria Eriksdotter ◽  
Britta Haenisch ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 705-705
Author(s):  
Cynthia Chen Huijun ◽  
Ngee Choon Chia

Abstract Public systems for long term care (LTC) redistribute resources between generations. Population aging is one of the most significant transformations in the 21st century, where the number of older persons aged 60 years and above is expected to double by 2050, rising to 2.1 billion. We used the Future Elderly Model (FEM) to project the impact of population aging in Singapore up to the year 2050. The FEM is a dynamic economic and demographic microsimulation model. By 2050, the total number of older adults with potential limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) was projected to increase to 275 thousand (18.9%). With the increasing prevalence of disability and chronic diseases, older adults might not have sufficient savings to meet future needs sustainably, despite the expansion of disability insurance from ElderShield to CareShield Life. Lessons and best practices for LTC could be transferred from our experiences to other aging cities globally. Part of a symposium sponsored by International Comparisons of Healthy Aging Interest Group.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-339
Author(s):  
Susan. M. Tupper ◽  
Heather Ward ◽  
Jasneet Parmar

Family presence in long-term care (LTC) homes is crucial for meeting the health, psychosocial, and practical needs of residents. Initially during the COVID-19 pandemic, visitation restrictions essentially locked-out families as public health orders prioritized prevention of harm from spread of infection. Although telephone and technology-assisted communication with families was encouraged, many residents were unable to participate. The outcry from families on the injustice of disruption of family units and emerging reports of harms arising from prolonged restrictions highlight the need for provincial and organizational policies to recognize the impact of resident and family separation on well-being. In this commentary we describe family caregiving, review the impact of visitation restrictions on residents, families, and LTC staff, and provide a resident- and family-oriented perspective on policy implications that challenge the outdated notion that extreme restrictions to family presence protect resident health.


2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752092356
Author(s):  
Rong Peng ◽  
Bei Wu

This study examined the impact of current and future long-term care (LTC) policies on the family caregiving burden in China. System dynamics (SD) methodology was used to construct an LTC delivery system model that simulates the demand of LTC, living options, and LTC service use for disabled older adults. The model was based on three policy variables including the proportion of payment from LTC insurance, the growth rate of beds in LTC institutions, and the time to adjusting the capacity of community-based care. Results showed that the percentage of older adults with disabilities cared for by family members was projected to increase from 92.6% in 2015 to 97.8% in 2035, assuming no policy changes; under the mixed policy scenario, this percentage would reduce significantly to 63.8% in 2035. These findings illustrate that changes in LTC policy and delivery system have a significant impact on family care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1267-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mineko Wada ◽  
Sarah L. Canham ◽  
Lupin Battersby ◽  
Judith Sixsmith ◽  
Ryan Woolrych ◽  
...  

AbstractAlthough moving from institutional to home-like long-term care (LTC) settings can promote and sustain the health and wellbeing of older adults, there has been little research examining how home is perceived by older adults when moving between care settings. A qualitative study was conducted over a two-year period during the relocation of residents and staff from an institutional LTC home to a purpose-built LTC home in Western Canada. The study explored perceptions of home amongst residents, family members and staff. Accordingly, 210 semi-structured interviews were conducted at five time-points with 35 residents, 23 family members and 81 staff. Thematic analyses generated four superordinate themes that are suggestive of how to create and enhance a sense of home in LTC settings: (a) physical environment features; (b) privacy and personalisation; (c) autonomy, choice and flexibility; and (d) connectedness and togetherness. The findings reveal that the physical environment features are foundational for the emergence of social and personal meanings associated with a sense of home, and highlight the impact of care practices on the sense of home when the workplace becomes a home. In addition, tension that arises between providing care and creating a home-like environment in LTC settings is discussed.


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