Families Caring for an Aging America

Families Caring for an Aging America
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2016-11-08
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309448093

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

Home- and Community-Based Services for Older Adults

Home- and Community-Based Services for Older Adults
Author: Keith Anderson
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0231546998

As older adults and their families opt out of nursing homes, a range of home and community-based services (HCBS) have risen up to provide care. HCBS span platforms and approaches, from home health care to assisted living to community-based hospice to adult day services. These models are, for most, preferable to nursing homes and allow older adults to “age in place”—live longer in their own homes and communities. Home- and Community-Based Services for Older Adults examines the existing and emerging models of HCBS, including the history, theory, research, policy, and practices across care settings. Emphasizing the multidisciplinary and interprofessional practice approaches used to deliver care, this book is an essential learning tool for students interested in medicine, nursing, social work, allied health professions, case management, health care administration, and gerontology. As the population of older adults grows, the authors ask, how can we best meet the needs of older adults and their families in the most effective, cost-conscious way while honoring their care choices?

Retooling for an Aging America

Retooling for an Aging America
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2008-08-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309131952

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.

Patient Safety and Quality

Patient Safety and Quality
Author: Ronda Hughes
Publisher: Department of Health and Human Services
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2008
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2020-05-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309671035

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community

Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2012-06-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309253101

The U.S. population of older adults is predicted to grow rapidly as "baby boomers" (those born between 1946 and 1964) begin to reach 65 years of age. Simultaneously, advancements in medical care and improved awareness of healthy lifestyles have led to longer life expectancies. The Census Bureau projects that the population of Americans 65 years of age and older will rise from approximately 40 million in 2010 to 55 million in 2020, a 36 percent increase. Furthermore, older adults are choosing to live independently in the community setting rather than residing in an institutional environment. Furthermore, the types of services needed by this population are shifting due to changes in their health issues. Older adults have historically been viewed as underweight and frail; however, over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of obese older persons. Obesity in older adults is not only associated with medical comorbidities such as diabetes; it is also a major risk factor for functional decline and homebound status. The baby boomers have a greater prevalence of obesity than any of their historic counterparts, and projections forecast an aging population with even greater chronic disease burden and disability. In light of the increasing numbers of older adults choosing to live independently rather than in nursing homes, and the important role nutrition can play in healthy aging, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a public workshop to illuminate issues related to community-based delivery of nutrition services for older adults and to identify nutrition interventions and model programs. Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community summarizes the presentations and discussions prepared from the workshop transcript and slides. This report examines nutrition-related issues of concern experienced by older adults in the community including nutrition screening, food insecurity, sarcopenic obesity, dietary patterns for older adults, and economic issues. This report explores transitional care as individuals move from acute, subacute, or chronic care settings to the community, and provides models of transitional care in the community. This report also provides examples of successful intervention models in the community setting, and covers the discussion of research gaps in knowledge about nutrition interventions and services for older adults in the community.

Community Care for an Aging Society

Community Care for an Aging Society
Author: Carole B. Cox
Publisher:
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2005
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN:

Most older persons desire to remain living in the community, but those requiring care are often at risk of not having their needs met. Families may find themselves unable to care for their older relatives, while formal services are often unavailable or inaccessible. Policies and services are beginning to focus on the community rather than institutions as the primary axis for care. This book examines the many factors contributing to needs for care among older persons as well as the ways in which impairments are defined and responded to by both the individual and society. Focusing on practice and policy issues, Dr. Cox describes many of the early stage community care innovations that hold the promise of making contributions to the well-being and independence of the older population.

Health Care for an Aging Society

Health Care for an Aging Society
Author: David Haber
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 210
Release: 1989
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9781560322276

First Published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Encyclopedia of Elder Care

The Encyclopedia of Elder Care
Author: Eugenia L. Siegler, MD, FACP
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Total Pages: 901
Release: 2007-10-25
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0826103537

Focusing on the broad but practical notions of how to care for the patient, The Encyclopedia of Elder Care, a state-of-the-art resource features nearly 300 articles, written by experts in the field. Multidisciplinary by nature, all aspects of clinical care of the elderly are addressed. Coverage includes acute and chronic disease, home care including family-based care provisions, nursing home care, rehabilitation, health promotion, disease prevention, education, case management, social services, assisted living, advance directives, palliative care, and much more! Each article concludes with specialty web site listings to help direct the reader to further resources. Features new to this second edition: More extensive use of on-line resources for further information on topics Thoroughly updated entries and references Inclusion of current research in geriatrics reflecting evidence-based practice New topics, including Assisted Living, Nursing Home Managed Care, Self-Neglect, Environmental Modifications (Home & Institution), Technology, Neuropsychological Assessment, Psychoactive Medications, Pain--Acute and Chronic Still the only reference of it kind, The Encyclopedia of Elder Care will prove to be an indispensable tool for all professionals in the field of aging, such as nurses, physicians, social workers, counselors, health administrators, and more.

Community Care and Older People

Community Care and Older People
Author: Christina R. Victor
Publisher: Nelson Thornes
Total Pages: 208
Release: 1997
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9780748732920

Providing a concise review of the demographic context underpinning the development of community care for older people, and a critical review of community care in post-war Britain, this textbook discuss the current data and research regarding service provision and the costs and effectiveness of such services. The author integrates available data about the use of different types of service, and considers the implications of the 1993 policy and demographic change on the provision of community care in the future, comparing data relating to Britain with that of other developed countries, especially in Europe.