Use of Telephone- and Internet-Based Support to Elicit and Address Financial Abuse and Mismanagement in Dementia: Experiences from the Care Ecosystem Study

Background: Financial mismanagement and abuse in dementia have serious consequences for patients and their families. Vulnerability to these outcomes reflects both patient and contextual factors. Objective: Our study aimed to assess how multidisciplinary care coordination programs assist families in addressing psychosocial vulnerabilities and accessing needed resources. Methods: Our study was embedded in a clinical trial of the Care Ecosystem, a telephone- and internet-based supportive care intervention for patients with dementia and caregivers. This program is built around the role of the Care Team Navigator (CTN), an unlicensed dementia care guide who serves as the patient and caregiver’s primary point of contact, screening for common problems and providing support. We conducted a qualitative analysis of case summaries from a subset of 19 patient/caregiver dyads identified as having increased risk for financial mismanagement and abuse, to examine how Care Ecosystem staff identified vulnerabilities and provided support to patients and families. Results: CTNs elicited patient and caregiver needs using templated conversations to address common financial and legal planning issues in dementia. Sources of financial vulnerability included changes in patients’ behavior, caregiver burden, intrafamily tension, and confusion about resources to facilitate end-of-life planning. The Care Ecosystem staff’s rapport with their dyads helped them address these issues by providing emotional support, information on how to access financial, medical, and legal resources, and improving intra-familial communication. Conclusion: The Care Ecosystem offers a scalable way to address vulnerabilities to financial mismanagement and abuse in patients and caregivers through coordinated care by unlicensed care guides supported by a multidisciplinary team.

Evaluation of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management: example of agro-processing enterprises of Ukraine

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to suggest an evaluation method of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management by example of agro-processing enterprises of Ukraine. Methodology / approach. The research described in the article was carried out according to the method developed by the authors for evaluation of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management on the enterprise. This method is based on the self-evaluation of social instruments for human resource management by HR managers together with top managers of the enterprise, comparing these results with the desired indicators of development of each of the social instruments in accordance to strategic guidelines, and development of a Plan of actions on the development of social instrument for human resource management. Results. According to the results of authors’ method approbation of analysis of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management on the agro-processing enterprises of Ukraine it is established that the usage of social instruments of human resource management by these enterprises is estimated as average (41–58 points). The predominant social instruments for human resource management on the enterprises under investigation are the welfare of employees and working life, planning and development of employees’ career, efficiency management and conflict management. The low level of the usage of social instruments of employees’ participation in enterprise management, setting-up of effective social partnership, feedback, counseling and coaching reflect the out-of-date understanding of the staff as a work force rather than the most important resource. On the basis of the conducted analysis it was determined that unsystematic usage of social instruments for human resource management is observed at the enterprises of agro-processing industry of Ukraine. Neglecting of the social instruments as an important factor of formation of human resource of an enterprise and increasing its competitiveness reduces industrial and innovative development of an enterprise in general. Originality / scientific novelty. The methodical provisions for evaluation of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management on the enterprise are improved. For the first time the content of each social instruments of human resource management is offered and a total scale for evaluation of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management on the enterprise and the characteristics of each level are submitted. Practical value / implications. The proposed authors’ evaluation method of the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management of the enterprise is successfully tested at the agro-processing enterprises of Ukraine and it demonstrates its viability and practical usefulness. The evaluation method is recommended for enterprise’s HRM services as a tool to evaluate the level of the usage of social instruments for human resource management.

«Individual curriculum» as a way of planning by students of vocational and technical education of their employment

The article deals with the problem of student’s employment in the specialty of graduation at vocational education institutions. Considering the plans of some students on relearning or developing new skills in courses or internships, they need awareness of right specialty to choose and job preferably to find after graduation. The paper considers the relevant issue of research and development of individual planning methods for vocational education students in terms of their employment. The emphasis is made on this factor impact for future employment, namely its impact on the individual professional orientation and career, which can be planned through an individual curriculum i.e. balanced life planning. An individual curriculum is a set of activities that help taking responsibility for the future by combining educational activities at school, college, work and in general throughout the career. It determines the sequence, form and pace of mastering the educational program components, own experience and other successful experiences, methods and activities necessary for achievement of the main planning goal. An individual plan is important as planning efficiently turns knowledge into skills. The study considered based upon the "Individual curriculum" method and auxiliary test methods: "Success motivation and failure fear (questionnaire by Rean A.O.)", a test to determine the motive for a profession choice – the method of professional self-determination by J. Holland. The research was implemented on the basis of the Sumy Chemical-Technological Center for Vocational Education, consisting of two stages of online testing with further explanation to students and their individual curricula development. The first research stage involved students’ participation in an online quest, tests performance and obtaining explanations based on the methods of comprehensive interpretation. The second research stage involved the method of "individual curriculum planning" based on a plan template according to the study year.

New Approach to D&A Late Life Planning and Preparation: Era of Innovative Solutions

New approach to Decommissioning and Abandonment (D&A) during late life planning and preparation is essential to the Operators to make D&A a more affordable and sustainable aspect of the Oil & Gas (O&G) business. D&A of offshore structures is a necessary requirement in the life cycle of hydrocarbon production. Removal of the structural components of an offshore platform, including the topside and jacket, represents up to 20% of the total decommissioning cost. This includes removal and transportation of the platform structure, substructures and other materials for further remediation, e.g., disposal at onshore via scrapping, repurpose, reefing, etc. The objectives of this paper include reviewing the current methods and efforts in Malaysia to remove and transport end-of-life structures and to propose innovative solutions to optimize the structural removal cost in decommissioning. The proposed recommendations consist of two categories; firstly, this research suggests improvements from the current available technologies and investigates more effective expenditure options on methods of structural removal. Secondly, this actionable insight explores novel solutions of maximising in-situ solutions. Few recommendations are proposed to be implemented in the platform decommissioning strategy. There is a huge Potential Value Creation (PVC) of adopting these recommendations as an attempt to reduce high cost of structural removal in decommissioning. This paper presents an overall review of the current capabilities and available technologies in the region. Decommissioning in Southeast Asia (SEA) presents a unique challenge and opportunity compared to other parts of the world. Decommissioning capabilities in SEA possess a huge growth potential to match the maturity, in terms of experience and portfolio, of the D&A players in other regions such as Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and North Sea. This will improve as increasingly number of decommissioning projects will be completed by PETRONAS in the future. In addition, the distinct and rich marine ecosystems present great opportunities for various in-situ solutions to be maximized for the benefits beyond oil & gas applications.

Systemic Factors Impacting Mortality and End-of-Life Issues in Critical Care

This chapter reviews issues related to mortality in the intensive care setting. Relevant literature is summarized and emphasizes the common need patients have for more frequent assessment, dependency on technology support, and psychosocial intervention. The authors stress the importance of interdisciplinary teams and the unique staffing and workforce challenges they encounter. Despite agreement on its importance, the authors maintain that end-of-life care is associated with a lack of consensus around its implementation at the bedside. The diversity within patient groups, diseases and conditions, and health care providers results in an environment in which the interplay of a growing number of variables influences the engagement of patients and families in discussions about end-of-life planning and care, futility, palliation, or withdrawal of support.

Time Management and Self-Organisation in Academia

To succeed in academia requires excellent professional skills and also effective self-organisation that integrates research, teaching, and administration into a balanced life. This book offers adapted tools for time management and explains scholarly project management, stress prevention, and life planning. Its practical questions and exercises lead to a personalised approach to the challenges of an academic career.

Research on the goal setting by modern students

The article presents a study of the goal setting by modern students. The authors analyze the role of goal setting in educational and future professional activities. The authors consider goal setting in the structure of valueoriented activity. They reveal the correlation of prosocial and egoistic values of students. The article provides a brief overview of modern approaches to goal setting. The authors consider various aspects of goal setting related to future professional activities, family life planning and the formation of material prosperity. The practical part of the study includes an analysis of goal setting based on a survey of 479 respondents (172 male, 307 female). The respondents were senior students of Novosibirsk universities. The researchers asked the respondents to formulate their life goals for one year, for five years, and for life. The results of this study are diverse. On the one hand, it reveals disturbing trends (a low level of prosocial motives expressed in the goal setting by students, as well as a small percentage of students who associate their future with research activities). Consumer motivation is expressed in student’s goal setting much more strongly than prosocial motivation. On the other hand, the results of the study allow us to speak about the preservation of the importance of family values in the views of modern students. There is a desire to acquire housing in the property, which indicates a tendency to settle down. This contradicts the ideas about the prospect of increasing the mobility of labor resources in Russia. It is also significant that only less than a third of young men and less than a third of girls expressed their intention to start their own business, which indirectly indicates the relatively modest prospects for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. Finally, the study showed a low level of emigrant sentiment among the surveyed students. The authors consider it expedient to organize such studies everywhere on an ongoing basis.

Short interpregnancy interval: circumstance or choice?

IntroductionDespite the knowledge of pregnancy risks attributable to inadequate birth spacing, over one-third of pregnancies occur within 18 months of a preceding birth. In this qualitative study we sought to interview women with a short interpregnancy interval (sIPI) to explore their knowledge of contraception and birth spacing and their experience of counselling on these themes.MethodsWe conducted in-depth interviews with women with a sIPI (live-birth less than 18 months prior to conception of current pregnancy) at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Canterbury Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Women were recruited at the second antenatal visit or day 3 postpartum. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The six-phase thematic analysis framework described by Braun and Clarke was used to perform qualitative data analysis.ResultsTwenty women were interviewed (IPI range: 3–18 months). The three central themes that arose were that perceptions of IPIs are shaped by individual circumstances, a lack of information from healthcare providers (HCPs) on IPI and contraception limited women’s ability to make informed decisions, and that reproductive life planning is an important element of pregnancy care.ConclusionsIn this study, women with a sIPI did not feel informed about birth spacing, had poor knowledge of reliable contraceptives, and remained at risk of further closely spaced pregnancies. There was a desire among women with a sIPI to receive clear and consistent education on these topics. HCPs need to do more to educate women in the antenatal and postnatal period to help them space their pregnancies appropriately.