Capabilities in care for older adults in Finnish familialistic policy transformations: a longitudinal, one-case study

Author(s):  
Sarah Åkerman ◽  
Minna Zechner ◽  
Fredrica Nyqvist ◽  
Mikael Nygård

As public provision of health and social care to older adults remains fixed or is scaled back, informal care is increasingly emphasised in policy and in practice. This is also the case in the Nordic welfare state of Finland. Little is known about how individual care arrangements are made. In this study, the capability approach is used to investigate the processes from resources to the actual functionings of receiving care of one older informal care recipient across time. The results reveal difficulties, discontinuity and unpredictability that challenge the capabilities to achieve valued beings and doings.

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Selwood ◽  
Claudia Cooper

SummaryPeople with dementia are particularly vulnerable to abuse. It is inherently difficult to study as it is a hidden offence, perpetrated against vulnerable people with memory impairment, by those on whom they depend. In the general population, 6% of older people have experienced abuse in the last month and this rises to approximately 25% in vulnerable populations such as people with dementia. We know that various factors in the carer and the care recipient can predispose to a higher rate of abuse and this knowledge can be harnessed to try and improve prevention. There are also valid and reliable scales available to help detect abuse in vulnerable older adults. All health and social care professionals have a responsibility to act on any suspicion or evidence of significant abuse or neglect in order to ensure that appropriate management is taken.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36
Author(s):  
Margaret Jamieson ◽  
Anna Cooper Reed ◽  
Emma Amaral ◽  
Jill I. Cameron

In Ontario, the number of older adults (≥65) is expected to increase from 2.4 million in 2017, to 4.6 million by 2046. This substantial increase necessitates a spectrum of care delivery options for older adults who wish to age in their homes. Self-directed care refers to a growing trend in healthcare that provides care recipients with more autonomy to determine what care they need, and how that care should be delivered. This research explores self-directed care in Ontario, Canada, examining an Ontario-based home care agency, Gotcare, as a case study. Semi-structured interviews were completed with eight of Gotcare’s care workers, three of their management team, and 11 home care experts from the healthcare sector. Analysis of these interviews generated four key themes: the circumstances under which self-directed care is an appropriate model for a care recipient; the experiences of home care workers offering self-directed care; the risks of self-directed care; and the opportunities of self-directed care. Findings suggest Gotcare’s model of self-directed home care is responding to a lack of home care options in Ontario, especially in rural and remote regions. The model should be seen as a viable option within the home care sector, but further research should be conducted to ensure that the highest standard of care is delivered to care recipients, and to inform evidence-based policy decisions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1604-1624 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIANNE JACOBS ◽  
THEO VAN TILBURG ◽  
PETER GROENEWEGEN ◽  
MARJOLEIN BROESE VAN GROENOU

ABSTRACTIn ageing societies, policy makers aim for more contact between informal and formal care-givers as it may enhance the quality of care. So far, the linkage between formal and informal care-givers is generally studied from a one-sided or a single dyadic perspective, without taking into account that care networks of community-dwelling older adults often exist of multiple informal and formal care-givers. The current study examines discussion of care between all potential informal–formal care-giver dyads in a care network, and relates this to characteristics of the older care recipient, the care network and the care-givers. Seventy-four Dutch older care recipients provided information on all care-givers who helped with five different types of tasks; 410 care-givers reported on the contact between all care-givers identified. Multi-level logistic regression was conducted in 2,150 informal–formal care-giver dyads and revealed that in 26 per cent of all these dyads discussion on care occurred. This was more likely when both care-givers performed multiple types of tasks, the informal care-giver was residing with the care recipient, and contact within the formal and the informal sub-network was higher. To enhance discussion of care between informal and formal care-givers in care networks where no discussion occurs at all, home-care organisations may need to allocate formal care-givers who form a bridge with an extra-residential care-giver of care recipients living alone.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp20X711569
Author(s):  
Jessica Wyatt Muscat

BackgroundCommunity multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) represent a model of integrated care comprising health, social care, and the voluntary sector where members work collaboratively to coordinate care for those patients most at risk.AimThe evaluation will answer the question, ‘What are the enablers and what are the restrictors to the embedding of the case study MDT into the routine practice of the health and social care teams involved in the project?’MethodThe MDT was evaluated using a mixed-method approach with normalisation process theory as a methodological tool. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a questionnaire consisting of the NoMAD survey followed by free-form questions.ResultsThe concepts of the MDT were generally clear, and participants could see the potential benefits of the programme, though this was found to be lower in GPs. Certain professionals, particularly mental health and nursing professionals, found it difficult to integrate the MDT into normal working patterns because of a lack of resources. Participants also felt there was a lack of training for MDT working. A lack of awareness of evidence supporting the programme was shown particularly within management, GP, and nursing roles.ConclusionSpecific recommendations have been made in order to improve the MDT under evaluation. These include adjustments to IT systems and meeting documentation, continued education as to the purpose of the MDT, and the engagement of GPs to enable better buy-in. Recommendations were made to focus the agenda with specialist attendance when necessary, and to expand the MDT remit, particularly in mental health and geriatrics.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 942-950
Author(s):  
Vania Dias Cruz ◽  
Silvana Sidney Costa Santos ◽  
Jamila Geri Tomaschewski-Barlem ◽  
Bárbara Tarouco da Silva ◽  
Celmira Lange ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the health/functioning of the older adult who consumes psychoactive substances through the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, considering the theory of complexity. Method: Qualitative case study, with 11 older adults, held between December 2015 and February 2016 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, using interviews, documents and non-systematic observation. It was approved by the ethics committee. The analysis followed the propositions of the case study, using the complexity of Morin as theoretical basis. Results: We identified older adults who consider themselves healthy and show alterations - the alterations can be exacerbated by the use of psychoactive substances - of health/functioning expected according to the natural course of aging such as: systemic arterial hypertension; depressive symptoms; dizziness; tinnitus; harmed sleep/rest; and inadequate food and water consumption. Final consideration: The assessment of health/functioning of older adults who use psychoactive substances, guided by complex thinking, exceeds the accuracy limits to risk the understanding of the phenomena in its complexity.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e046600
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Hill ◽  
Rachael Moorin ◽  
Susan Slatyer ◽  
Christina Bryant ◽  
Keith Hill ◽  
...  

IntroductionThere are personal and societal benefits from caregiving; however, caregiving can jeopardise caregivers’ health. The Further Enabling Care at Home (FECH+) programme provides structured nurse support, through telephone outreach, to informal caregivers of older adults following discharge from acute hospital care to home. The trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of the FECH+ programme on caregivers’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after care recipients’ hospital discharge.Methods and analysisA multisite, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial with blinded baseline and outcome assessment and intention-to-treat analysis, adhering to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines will be conducted. Participants (N=925 dyads) comprising informal home caregiver (18 years or older) and care recipient (70 years or older) will be recruited when the care recipient is discharged from hospital. Caregivers of patients discharged from wards in three hospitals in Australia (one in Western Australia and two in Queensland) are eligible for inclusion. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. The intervention group receive the FECH+ programme, which provides structured support and problem-solving for the caregiver after the care recipient’s discharge, in addition to usual care. The control group receives usual care. The programme is delivered by a registered nurse and comprises six 30–45 min telephone support sessions over 6 months. The primary outcome is caregivers’ HRQOL measured using the Assessment of Quality of Life—eight dimensions. Secondary outcomes include caregiver preparedness, strain and distress and use of healthcare services. Changes in HRQOL between groups will be compared using a mixed regression model that accounts for the correlation between repeated measurements.Ethics and disseminationParticipants will provide written informed consent. Ethics approvals have been obtained from Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Health Care Group, Curtin University, Griffith University, Gold Coast Health Service and government health data linkage services. Findings will be disseminated through presentations, peer-reviewed journals and conferences.Trial registration numberACTRN12620000060943.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 694-694
Author(s):  
Tammy Mermelstein

Abstract Preparing for or experiencing a disaster is never easy, but how leaders communicate with older adults can ease a situation or make it exponentially worse. This case study describes two disasters in the same city: Hurricane Harvey and the 2018 Houston Texas Ice Storm and the variation in messaging provided to and regarding older adults. For example, during Hurricane Harvey, the primary pre-disaster message was self-preparedness. During the storm, messages were also about individual survival. Statements such as “do not [climb into your attic] unless you have an ax or means to break through,” generated additional fear for older adults and loved ones. Yet, when an ice storm paralyzed Houston a few months later, public messaging had a strong “check on your elderly neighbors” component. This talk will explore how messaging for these events impacted older adults through traditional and social media analysis, and describe how social media platforms assisted people with rescue and recovery. Part of a symposium sponsored by Disasters and Older Adults Interest Group.


Author(s):  
Abdullah Al Mahmud ◽  
Katrina M. Long ◽  
Karra D. Harrington ◽  
Kit Casey ◽  
Sunil Bhar ◽  
...  

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