scholarly journals Implementing long-term care systems in the Americas: a regional strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Villalobos Dintrans ◽  
Mallika Mathur ◽  
Emmanuel González-Bautista ◽  
Jorge Browne ◽  
Jorge Browne ◽  
...  

The Region of the Americas is facing accelerated demographic and epidemiological changes. As these trends will continue in future years, long-term care needs are expected to rise. How can countries respond to these challenges? We propose that countries in the Region should invest in the implementation of long-term care systems. Considering the heterogeneity in the Region, we propose a strategy based on three components: (i) understanding the problem; (ii) thinking about solutions; and (iii) building support and consensus. Depending on each country’s needs and capacities, these three elements suggest short-term and long-term actions and goals, from generating better information on long-term care needs to the implementation of long-term care systems. Longterm care is a relevant issue for the Region today. The task is challenging, but countries need to embrace it and move forward before it is too late.

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 208-230
Author(s):  
Peter Lloyd-Sherlock ◽  
Bridget Penhale ◽  
Nelida Redondo

AbstractThis paper reports on an innovative survey of long-term care facilities for older people in the Argentine city of La Plata. It applies a range of qualitative methodologies, including a clandestine audit conducted by older people living in the community. The paper pays particular attention to the types and availability of services, perceived quality and the rigour of regulatory processes. It finds that there has been a rapid growth in the availability of formal services, but that there are many gaps in provision, especially for older people with complex care needs. There are strong indications that service quality is uneven and, in some cases, this amounts to the contravention of basic human rights. State regulation is hampered by institutional fragmentation and weak governance. A wider set of expert interviews and the limited available published information indicate that these findings are unlikely to be exceptional, and that similar issues affect rapidly emerging long-term care systems in many low- and middle-income countries.


Author(s):  
Henglien Lisa Chen

To address the risks to families of the availability of care for their older family members, this chapter explores the impact of different care systems on the way that relevant care actors contribute to the long-term care of older people. It focuses on how front-line professionals and formal/informal carers meet the needs of older people who are frail and disabled, since caring for older people has become one of the potential family risks in East Asia and many industrial countries in the West for a number of reasons. On the one hand, the rise in life expectancy and multiple disabilities means the number of older people requiring long-term care has increased. On the other hand, the decreased younger population with increased female employment calls into question the continued availability of family carers and requires support from public and formal carers to help them to care for their older family members for as long as possible.


2021 ◽  
pp. 523-539
Author(s):  
August Österle ◽  
Heinz Rothgang

This chapter describes and analyses the current state of long-term care and long-term care policies around the world. In the first part, after briefly retracing historical developments, the chapter examines the ways in which welfare state policies address long-term care. It studies regulation, finance, and delivery of long-term care. In the second part, the interconnectedness of welfare state policies, the role of families, non-profit, and for-profit market sectors, as well as novel arrangements between state, market, and family, in particular migrant care work, move to the centre of analysis. The third part focuses on major challenges and perspectives for long-term care systems and for long-term care research. Starting from a discussion of future long-term care needs and costs, it addresses the role of families in long-term care, workforce issues, financial sustainability, the quality of care, and the role of technological advancement for long-term care. With increasing needs and the changing contexts in which care is organized, long-term care has become a key concern of welfare state development in the twenty-first century.


2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (12) ◽  
pp. 1315-1324

Background: Factors related to long-term care needs have been studied widely, but there is limited research about the influence of health literacy on long-term care needs among the elderly in rural communities where the social context and care environment are uniquely different. Objective: To examine factors influencing long-term care needs among Thai elderly in rural communities. Materials and Methods: The present study used the cross-sectional design. The study sample included 477 elderly persons, who were members of the communities in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Multi-stage random sampling was used to select participants. They were interviewed using the demographic and health information questionnaire, the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS), the health literacy scale of Thai adults and long-term care needs questionnaire. The selected factors examined as independent variables included some demographic factors, depressive symptom, and health literacy. Results: The present study results revealed significant positive relationships existing between long-term care needs with age and depressive symptom, while negative relationships between income and health literacy were reported. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that four of nine determinants of long-term care needs: age, depressive symptom, health knowledge and understanding, and ability managing their health condition significantly predicted long-term care needs at a level of 18% (R² adjusted=0.18, p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study results showed associations between personal and health literacy factors with long-term care needs. These findings prove that it is vitally important for healthcare professionals to consider the rural elderly’s mental health status and health literacy when providing care and planning treatment. Keywords: Health literacy, Long-term care needs, Rural community


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 725-725
Author(s):  
Yoko Ibuka ◽  
Yui Ohtsu

Abstract Socioeconomic status (SES) is generating considerable interest in terms of health of individuals, but how it is associated with long-term care has not been established yet. We study the relationship between SES and long-term care provision to parents among the Japanese adults using JSTAR. We use the following six measures of SES for the analysis: income, asset, expenditure, living condition, housing condition and education. We find a greater probability of care provision to parents among those in higher SES categories for some SES measures, compared to the lowest category. However, after considering the survival probability of parents, the relationship is reversed and the probability of care provision is found to be greater among lower SES individuals. The association is more pronounced among males. The association is likely to be partly mediated by care needs of parents. These results suggest a higher burden of care disproportionately falls in low SES individuals.


Author(s):  
Marsha Love ◽  
Felipe Tendick-Matesanz ◽  
Jane Thomason ◽  
Davine Carter ◽  
Myra Glassman ◽  
...  

The home care workforce, already at 2.7 million caregivers, will become the nation’s fastest growing occupation by 2024 as the senior boom generation accelerates the demand for in home services to meet its long-term care needs. The physically challenging work of assisting clients with intimate, essential acts of daily living places home care workers (HCWs) at risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs); yet, HCWs typically receive little formal job training and may lack appropriate assistive devices. In this qualitative pilot study, HCW focus groups described workplace MSD risk factors and identified problem-solving strategies to improve ergonomic conditions. The results revealed that HCWs rely on their behavioral insights, self-styled communications skills and caring demeanor to navigate MSD risks to themselves and increase clients’ physical independence of movement. We suggest changes in employer and government policies to acknowledge HCWs as valued team members in long-term care and to enhance their effectiveness as caregivers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1018-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Villalobos Dintrans

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rumi Seko ◽  
Shuji Hashimoto ◽  
Miyuki Kawado ◽  
Yoshitaka Murakami ◽  
Masayuki Hayashi ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document