Aging and Disabilities in Australia - Literature review Example

RUNNING HEAD: AGING AND DISABILITIES Aging and Disabilities [The Writer’s name] [The name of the Institution] Outline Introduction 3 Nutritional Needs of the Elderly 5 Drug evaluation tools 7 References 11 Appendix 13 Aging and Disabilities Introduction Australian population is ageing. It has been widely disseminated that the over-60s now outnumber the below 16s and this development is set to persist. (MacKinlay, 2009) Increased average wealth, advances in medical science, better living conditions and the foremost ‘baby boomers’ getting withdrawal all contribute to the growth in numbers of older citizens. Longer Living is a truth to rejoice. However, people do not essentially exist these additional years in high-quality health. (Brown, 2004) What does this demographic explosion mean in practice? Services should be set up to promote quality of life and support people to manage ill-health in their own homes and communities. This means health and social care working in unison, along with a range of other community-based services. All public services, not just the NHS, must carry out their work with lifelong health in mind, as well as the needs of people with health problems. (Brown, 2004). There is much that can be done in mid-life and beyond to promote both physical and mental health in older age. But public health strategies have not fully embraced the message ‘never too early, never too late’. (Bowling, 2005) Much of this we have known for some time. Brown (2008) flagged up the issues of access to quality care over the healthcare spectrum, and primary and community-based health services came under scrutiny. But there has been some progress through the Transforming Community Services programme of work, these include: Commitments for better access to general practitioners, the launch of 16 new integrated care pilots and the announcement of a prevention package seeking to improve foot care, and falls services are all to be tentatively celebrated. (Bowling, 2005) There are, however, some significant gaps in service provision, for instance, take continuity and choice of service; what older people and other patients want and need is access to good quality, consistent care. For the majority of older people, having one individual you know and trust who can track your ailments and support you to manage complex conditions are hugely important. But the conveyor belt approach to healthcare represented by walk-in clinics or general practitioner-led health centres does not necessarily meet this need. (Sherman, 1999) Older people also don’t want to ‘shop around’ for health services, not least because for many there is little or no choice. (Bowling, 2005) For people with limited mobility, the ability to vote with your feet is simply not an option—they need a high quality service on their doorstep. Making information about service quality available online isn’t the answer either as the majority of older users have never used the internet. (MacKinlay, 2009) Improving quality of life Investment is needed to be safe from illness and to save independence. Many widespread situations experienced in older life are not harmful for life, but if they are not expressed they ends in disability and increasingly they affect on life quality. For example blindness, hearing problems, poor body movements, foot ache, poor verbal health and general psychological health troubles such as stress. (Ustun, Chatterji, Bickenbach, Trotter, Oliver, 1990) Mostly older adults cannot access NHS services to their community areas, which is very important to keep the sound health and maintaining good health, pressurising many adults to decide between taking private service or nothing. (MacKinlay, 2009) The close integration, and co-location, between health and support services is a key to ensuring older people receive the help they need. At the moment, for many older people the general practitioner operates as a trusted gateway to wider services and support—whether that is for advice or care. In one area a general practitioner was referring individuals at risk of depression due to isolation to a local community centre where many subsequently became involved in volunteering; this transformed their lives. There is, of course, no reason why? Health care workers should have the monopoly on being a trusted individual and there is, potentially, a huge role for community nurses to play. The ability of nurses to recognize the signs of social problems or ill-health, for example, incontinence, a risk of falling, or depression caused by isolation, means they can signpost individuals to appropriate advice and support. (Ustun, Chatterji, Bickenbach, Trotter, Oliver, 1990) Community nurses could also have a fundamental role in devising commissioning strategies. Services behind older people to live freely in their homes are notoriously patchy. (Sherman, 1999) Therefore, the use of community nurses as eyes and ears on the ground could be a real boost in identifying hidden need and this key information could be fed into decision-making around commissioning across both health and care services. However, this does not seem to be consistently happening. Nutritional Needs of the Elderly Until recently when the Dietary plans for aged Australians were featured by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC 2008) there were no specific dietary recommendations for elderly people, with the exception of the recommended dietary intakes, which are of limited use. (Squire, 2002) Lots of fibre, liquid and normal use of salt, is good for digestion and body function. Raising more fibre meals like wholegrain stuff will also boost the use of other vitamins and minerals including magnesium, folic acid, iron, vitamins C, D and B6. The Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (2008) recognise the special nutrition needs of older people. These include: • enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from each essential food group • keep energetic to preserve muscle power and a strong body Weight eat minimum three times a day • Concern for your foodstuff: arrange and store up it properly • eat abundance of vegetables and fruit • eat low saturated fat • drink sufficient amounts of water and fluids like milk and juices • limit your alcohol intake • reduce your salt intake • use calcium rich food • control added sugar (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2008) The above guidelines represent the agreement of scientific information and community health advice presently accessible. They provide guidance to older Australians about vigorous food selections so that their standard food intake adds to a healthy way of life and is constant with minimum risk for the growth of nutrition-related diseases. The guidelines were developed specifically for use by healthy, independent older Australians aged 65 and over. For more information and details go to http://www.health.gov.au Drug evaluation tools Two latest drug assessment toolkits on laxative use and hypnotics have been built up to assist nurses effective in aged care services. The Drug Use Evaluation (DUE) kits have been produced by the National Prescribing Service (NPS) and allow nurses to evaluate their existing medication application with greatest practice. The Laxative utilisation for constant constipation plans to decrease constipation and get better value of life of disable old people. Up to half of tending home inhabitants has stated constipation and 74% have at least one approved laxative drugs, NPS data illustrates. (Nay, Garratt, 2006) The Benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics for sleeplessness is the initial electronic DUE toolkit offered to be downloaded. Two toolkits by now accessible are: • Antipsychotics for attribute and mental signs of dementia; and • Analgesics for constant ache. For more knowledge, visit: www.nps.org.au/due A broad variety of occasions and actions has been created to honor the International Year of Older Persons together with a wide message to promote optimistic descriptions of aged and disabled citizens by the Commonwealth Government. The main features of the plan comprise the growth of a community resources, information resources media policy, state website, and bulletin. (http://iyop.health.gov.au) The Government's main strategy answer to the International Year is the growth of a National policy for an Ageing Australia. The approach is a cross collection response to the confront of an ageing civilization and will generate a wide ranging national structure for accomplishment recognising challenges and potential reactions for regime, industry, the community and persons to convene the requirements of Australians as they age. (http://iyop.health.gov.au) For additional information about Commonwealth Government proposal for the International Year of Older Persons contact the Office for Older Australians, Department of Health and Aged Care, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or visit the national IYOP website on http://iyop.health.gov.au. The Ageing Council has 2008-2009 budget features a sequence of suggestions which the Council trusts would create a strong foundation for the state to attain the outlined objectives in these subjects: district care; aged people residential care; special care requirements, health investment; health care facilities; medicals; tooth care; older indigenous Australians; pensions; job barriers for aged people. (Council of the Ageing, 2008) Council of the Ageing (COTA) over 50s, Budget ‘same old’ for older Australians, media release, Canberra, 13 May 2008, http://www.cotaover50s.org.au/news.php?item.75.1 OBESITY AND NEED FOR LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES. Sands, L. P., 1, 5 J. Daggy, 2W.W. Campbell, 3 M.G. Flynn,4 A. J. Lemon.1 1. School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; 2. Lafayette, IN; 5. Registries Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Supported By: NIH R01 AG-022090 to L. Sands Compared to non-obese older adults, obese older adults have similar life expectancy, but higher rates of disability. (Sands, 2008) The dramatic rise in rates of obesity among older adults suggests that obesity-related demand for long-term care services will increase in the next decade. The purpose of this study was to inform long-term care planning by estimating obesity-related risks for activities of daily living (ADL) disability and by assessing rates of use of personal care services among overweight and obese older adults. (Sands, 2008) Study findings reveal that moderate to extreme obesity rather than mild obesity or being overweight increases risk for ADL disability and rates of use of personal care services (Sands, 2008). The results propose that nearly all obesity-related enhances in acquiring long time care in the coming era will be attributed from normal to acute obesity. Measuring self-reported quality of life prior to a palliative intervention in a nursing home. McCullough. A, N. Bolla,3 B. J. Messinger-Rapport.1 1. Section of Geriatric Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH; 2. Medicine, Medical University of Toledo, Toledo, OH; 3. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. The study is written by the university student McCullough, which describes that symptom palliation in the nursing home (NH) is needed, but targeting appropriate residents and demonstrating intervention impact is limited without appropriate measurement tools. The study used focus groups in the nursing home to identify a spectrum of themes relating to quality of life (QOL) and palliative care (PC). Study found that 2 tools validated in older adults but not specifically in the NH did reflect much of the content of the focus groups: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). (McCullough, 2008) (See Appendix) Elders’ Use of Diverse Adaptive Strategies Improves Recovery after Major Abdominal Surgery. V. A. Lawrence, 1, 2 J. E. Cornell, 1, 2 H. P. Hazuda.1 1. South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX; 2. University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX. Health Services Research and Development Program PURPOSE: To characterize sources of support and adaptive strategies associated with improved recovery in elders undergoing major open abdominal operations. (Lawrence, 2008) Elders’ sources of postoperative support were primarily social but also included spirituality. Adaptive strategies were both mental and physical and consistent across demographic groups. Using multiple types of strategies independently predicted recovery. (Lawrence, 2008) To information, this study is the first of its type and sets the stage for simple; generalize interventions to improve postoperative recovery. References Bowling, A., (2005). Ageing well: quality of life in old age. New York: Open University Press. Brown, R., (2004). Living, striving, achieving; an Australian perspective on disability. Canberra: National Library of Australia. Lawrence VA, Cornell JE, Hazuda HP. (2008) Elders’ use of diverse adaptive strategies improves recovery after major abdominal surgery. Presidential Poster Session, American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting. Washington, DC MacKinlay, E., (2009). Ageing, disability and spirituality: addressing the challenge of disability in later life. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. National Health and Medical Research Council, 2008; http://www.health.gov.au Nay, R; & Garratt, S. (2006). Nursing older people: Issues and innovations 2nd Ed... Sydney: Churchill Livingstone. Rehm, R, Saxena, J.S. (2001). Disability and culture universalism and diversity. Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber Publishers. Sands LP, Daggy J, Campbell W, Flynn M, Lemon A. Obesity and need for long-term care services. Accepted for presentation to the 2008 meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, Washington DC. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 56(4), 2008. Sherman, B. (1999) Dementia with Dignity. Australia: Mc Graw Hill. Squire, A. (2002). Health and well-being for older people: Foundations for practice. Sydney: Bailliere Tindall. Ustun, T.b., Chatterji, S., Bickenbach, J. E., Trotter , R., Oliver, M., (1990). The politics of disablement. London: The Macmillan Press. Appendix Dr. Sands' present study is pointed on recognising care trails that covers health, performance and superiority of life in aged adults, mainly persons who are not physically and mentally active. Dr. Sands is a Director at Purdue University of Research School of Nursing. She gives her services to the nursing school graduate committees. Dr. Sands is also a part of the steering committee of the Center on Aging and Life Course at Purdue University. Valerie Lawrence, MD, MSc, VERDICT Investigator, is a lecturer of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and team Physician of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. She is a key care trained in scientific epidemiological studies and health finances. National Institute on Aging has financed Dr. Lawrence for her support finding to discover the original history and of adults practical well being after a big abdominal operation and for Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development to research pulmonary risk. Alexis McCullough is the president of a unit of students involved in a profession in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Toledo. The committee aims to promote knowledge of sex disparity in health issues. The group aims to support interdisciplinary attempts linked to women's fitness projects. Read More