scholarly journals Older people’s challenges and expectations of healthcare in Ghana: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245451
Author(s):  
Confidence Alorse Atakro ◽  
Abigail Atakro ◽  
Janet Sintim Aboagye ◽  
Alice Aluwah Blay ◽  
Stella Boatemaa Addo ◽  
...  

Background The increase in the number of elderly persons in developing countries has not had a corresponding increase in social and health care support systems for the elderly. There is a substantial difference in the quality of healthcare received by older people in developing and developed countries. Elderly persons in developing countries including Ghana are increasingly becoming marginalised and isolated. There is, however, limited evidence of healthcare challenges and expectations by elderly persons in Ghana. This study explored healthcare challenges and expectations of elderly persons to inform policy that could lead to improved quality of life for elderly persons in Ghana. Materials and methods Qualitative exploratory descriptive study design was used in conducting this study. Semi-structured interviews were used in collecting data from 30 participants from three regions in Ghana (10 from each region). Data analysis was carried out through content analysis. Results Four themes were extracted from data. These themes were: 1. Inadequate information from health workers regarding care of the older person. 2. Queuing frustrations. 3. Financial burden. 4. Focused elderly care demand. Conclusion The elderly in Ghana experience challenges of healthcare which include inadequate information, queuing frustrations and financial burdens. Elderly persons also have expectations of healthcare which include having dedicated professionals and units that will attend to them during their hospital visits. Academic and clinical gerontology experts could collaborate and help improve gerontology knowledge of health workers through workshops and conferences. Improving knowledge of health workers in gerontology may be a positive step towards meeting healthcare expectations of older Ghanaians.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S299-S299
Author(s):  
Grace Karikari ◽  
Lesa L Huber ◽  
David K Lohrmann

Abstract Aging is a global phenomenon, and the population of elderly persons continues to increase in many communities around the world. Ghana is not an exception. As the demographics are changing, it is vital that health care providers are trained to effectively diagnose, care for, and manage aging-related conditions to improve the quality of life of the elderly. The aim of this study is to explore the underlying reasons for medical students’ interest in geriatrics and their intentions, likelihood of selecting geriatrics as a specialty for future practice. This exploratory study involved (n =12) fourth, fifth and sixth year medical students in a Ghanaian public university. Semi-structured interviews guided by the theory of planned behavior were conducted. The findings show a lack of geriatric education or training for students in this institution and region. Students’ interest and preferences for geriatrics were mainly influenced by the lack of knowledge and exposure to the specialty, as well as what it entailed to be a geriatrician. Although some students expressed interest in working with older patients, none had the intention to pursue geriatrics as a career option. Creating positive exposure to geriatrics through educational and vocational opportunities are necessary. The findings from this study can be instrumental in developing a knowledge-base of aging and caring for the elderly. Findings can also serve as the foundation for a more comprehensive study, leading to effective geriatrics education interventions in Ghana and Africa at large.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nur ◽  
Hamid Mukhlis

Families have a significant role in developing, preventing, adapting, and improving health problems found in families. Family health issues are interconnected with the problems of other family members if one family member with health problems will undoubtedly affect the implementation of the functions Family. Similarly, the elderly will affect the quality of family life as a whole will affect the quality of life of the elderly. The purpose of this study to determine the relationship of family knowledge about elderly care with the quality of life in the elderly in pekon Ambarawa East 2017. type of research using quantitative design with cross-sectional.sampel in this study as many as 48 people. The results of the study were obtained from 48 people, and it is known some respondents with poor quality of life that is as many as 24 people (50 percent) and good quality of life as many as 24 people (50 percent) .of 48 people, it is known most respondents with poor quality of life that is as much 24 people (50 percent) and good quality of life as many as 24 people (50 percent), there is a relationship of knowledge with quality of life of elderly with p-value 0,037 and OR 4,491. Based on the results of the study, it is suggested to the family to increase knowledge about health care for the elderly, and families to be more active to ask health workers about the good elderly care for the sake of the quality of life of the elderly is good.


2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (49) ◽  
pp. 1926-1936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bor ◽  
Mária Matuz ◽  
Péter Doró ◽  
Réka Viola ◽  
Gyöngyvér Soós

The aging population in developed countries is a growing problem nowadays. The burden on healthcare is particularly high, since the prevalence of the diseases, especially chronic diseases increases with age. Prevalence of polypharmacy is common among elderly patients. While comorbidities require usage of several active agents with evidence based indication, polypharmacy increases the likelihood of interactions and adverse drug reactions, reduces patient compliance, affects quality of life and puts a significant financial burden on the patient and society. In order to reduce drug-related problems among the elderly, different lists of potentially inappropriate drugs and doses were created. One of the earliest known lists is the “Beers criteria”. The use of listed drugs is risky and not recommended for elderly patients. Following foreign examples, a list was compiled and adapted to the Hungarian drug spectrum based on the main concerns and alternative therapeutic suggestions. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 1926–1936.


1992 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir N. Banoob

Developing countries are facing multiple problems in establishing and funding sociomedical services for the elderly. This study outlines the need for such services especially in the transitional stage of urbanization, changes in the structure and role of families, and the inadequate resources for establishing community-based elderly care programs. The study focuses on the analysis of human resource needs for training of the different categories of health workers, both educational degree and non-degree training for elderly care programs. It proposes an integrated approach for short-term training of physicians, nurses, and social workers. This concept was accepted and adopted by the Expert Group Meeting of the International Institute on Aging in Malta, 1989. The study also presents applications of this model in Romania, Barbados, and Kuwait.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 480-487
Author(s):  
Esmeraldino Monteiro de Figueiredo Neto ◽  
José Eduardo Corrente

Abstract Objective: the aim of the present study was to evaluate the quality of life of elderly people enrolled in specialized elderly care centers in Manaus and compare the findings with the results of already published studies. Method: a cross-sectional study was conducted with 741 elderly people enrolled in three of the centers in the city, from November 2015 to March 2017 using a socioeconomic and demographic questionnaire and the Flanagan Quality of Life Scale (FQLS). Interviews were carried out by previously trained physiotherapy students of the Federal University of Amazonas. Results: the majority of the elderly were female, with a mean age of 69±6.6 years, married, retired but still working, with a low income and low educational level. When they assessed their quality of life, however, they appeared satisfied. When compared to populations in other countries and regions of Brazil, despite their low socioeconomic profile, they demonstrated a higher quality of life than populations of developed countries. Some domains of the scale were inverted in relation to the original scale. Conclusion: the results allow us to conclude that even elderly persons with low socioeconomic status are satisfied with their quality of life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
Yati Sri Hayati ◽  
Asti Melani Astari

The family has an important role in elderly care at home, where the majority of assistance and long-term care for the elderly is provided by the family. The nurse is responsible for assisting the family in caring for the elderly, so that in the end the family is able to provide elderly care independently at home. This study aims to explore family experiences in caring for the elderly at home. Researchers used qualitative research methods with a phenomenological approach. Data obtained through semi-structured interviews with 6 (six) participants. The research produced 5 themes: care for the elderly is a form of devotion to parents, care for the elderly requires physical and mental readiness, care for the elderly requires knowledge related to the elderly and how to care for the elderly, care for the elderly requires support from extended families, and feel the importance of supporting cadres and health workers. For conclusion, elderly families have a responsibility to meet the needs of the elderly, so that efforts are needed to improve the knowledge and skills of the family in order to properly care for and meet the needs of the elderly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Hardiyanti Fitrah Awaliyah ◽  
Sri Ratnaningsih

Background: Primiparous mother has an essential role in reducing mortality and pain in newborns. One of the efforts to increase the success of Breastfeeding (ASI) is by practicing Early Initiation of Breastfeeding (IMD) by newborns to their mothers. The practice of IMD will greatly assist in the continuity of exclusive breastfeeding, so that the baby will be fulfilled up to the age of 2 years, and prevent malnourished children. Aim: To review the evidence regarding to the practical experience of Early Initiation of Breastfeeding (IMD) in primiparous mother. Method: This scoping review method used the Arksey & O'Malley framework which consisted of 5 stages, namely identifying scoping review questions with the PICO framework; identifying relevant articles by determining inclusion and exclusion criteria; searching for articles through relevant databases, namely Pubmed, Science Direct and Wiley, search for Gray Literature through the Search Engine, namely Google Scholar; Selection of articles with Prism Flow Chart which is used to describe the flow of search for articles, conduct Critical Appraisal to assess the quality of articles; undertake the charting data; compile, summarize and report results Results: Dealing with the 4 articles obtained, there were 3 articles with grade A from the RCT method, quantitative non-randomized, and qualitative. 1 grade B article with non-randomized quantitative method. Furthermore, 4 themes were obtained, namely social support, childbirth factors, the needs of primiparous mothers, and psychological factors. Conclusion: It indicated that there was a gap between the results of review articles in developed and developing countries, namely that primiparous mother in developing countries, the primiparaous mother tended to focus on the issue of support from health workers. Meanwhile the results of research in developed countries, primiparous mother focused on psychological problems.


i-com ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verena Zimmermann ◽  
Paul Gerber ◽  
Karola Marky ◽  
Leon Böck ◽  
Florian Kirchbuchner

AbstractSmart Home technologies have the potential to increase the quality of life, home security and facilitate elderly care. Therefore, they require access to a plethora of data about the users’ homes and private lives. Resulting security and privacy concerns form a relevant barrier to adopting this promising technology. Aiming to support end users’ informed decision-making through addressing the concerns we first conducted semi-structured interviews with 42 potential and little-experienced Smart Home users. Their diverse concerns were clustered into four themes that center around attacks on Smart Home data and devices, the perceived loss of control, the trade-off between functionality and security, and user-centric concerns as compared to concerns on a societal level. Second, we discuss measures to address the four themes from an interdisciplinary perspective. The paper concludes with recommendations for addressing user concerns and for supporting developers in designing user-centered Smart Home technologies.


BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Cheng ◽  
Jiong Tu ◽  
Xiaoyan Shen

Abstract Background With China’s population ageing rapidly, stroke is becoming one of the major public health problems. Nurses are indispensable for caring for older patients with acute and convalescent stroke, and their working experiences are directly linked to the quality of care provided. The study aims to investigate registered nurses’ experiences of caring for older stroke patients. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 26 registered nurses about their lived experiences of caring for older stroke patients. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Two main themes were identified. First, the nurses identified an obvious gap between their ideal role in elderly care and their actual practice. The unsatisfactory reality was linked to the practical difficulties they encountered in their working environment. Second, the nurses expressed conflicting feelings about caring for older stroke patients, displaying a sense of accomplishment, indifference, annoyance, and sympathy. Caring for older stroke patients also affects nurses psychologically and physically. The nurses were clear about their own roles and tried their best to meet the elderly people’s needs, yet they lack time and knowledge about caring for older stroke patients. The factors influencing their working experiences extend beyond the personal domain and are linked to the wider working environment. Conclusions Sustaining the nursing workforce and improving their working experiences are essential to meet the care needs of older people. Understanding nurses’ lived working experiences is the first step. At the individual level, nurse mangers should promote empathy, relieve anxiety about aging, and improve the job satisfaction and morale of nurses. At the institutional level, policymakers should make efforts to improve the nursing clinical practice environment, increase the geriatric nursing education and training, achieve a proper skill mix of the health workforce, and overall attract, prepare and sustain nurses regarding caring for older people in a rapidly aging society.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1050-1059
Author(s):  
И. Л. Сизова ◽  
Н. С. Орлова

В статье рассматриваются социальные процессы, сопровождающие реализацию политики «активного долголетия» в российской социальнотрудовой сфере. В первом разделе статьи кратко представляются основы концепции «активного долголетия» и обсуждаются возможные социальные механизмы ее применения. Особое место здесь отводится анализу социальных прав, которые формируют основу для разных моделей развития общественного благосостояния и качества жизни населения. Во втором разделе на базе парадигмы конструктивизма в социальных науках и теории символической власти П. Бурдьё предлагается авторский вариант изучения структур восприятия и оценивания населением реализованных государственных реформ. В третьем разделе представлены результаты эмпирического анализа серии полуструктурированных интервью с основными субъектами социально-трудовой сферы и текстов обращений граждан в органы государственной власти. В заключение интерпретируется символическая борьба вокруг восприятия политики «активного долголетия» в России. Авторы приходят к выводу о том, что ожидается новый всплеск программ социальной помощи пожилым и рост пассивности в их трудовом поведении. The article examines the social processes accompanying implementation of the policy «active aging» in the Russian social and labor spheres. The basic concepts of «active aging» are briefl y introduced and possible social mechanisms of its application are discussed in the first section of the article. Special importance is given to the analysis of social rights which form the basis for different models of the development of public welfare and the population’s quality of life. In the second section, author’s version of studying the perception and assessment structures by the population of the implemented reforms of the State are proposed on the basis of the paradigm of constructivism in the social sciences and the theory of symbolic power by P. Bourdieu. In the third section the results of an empirical analysis of a set of semi-structured interviews with the main subjects of the social and labor spheres and the texts of citizens’ appeals to government bodies are presented. In conclusion, the symbolic struggle around the perception of the «active aging» policy in Russia is interpreted. The authors conclude that a new surge in social assistance programs for the elderly and an increase in passivity in their work behavior are expected.


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