Journal of Social Work in Long-Term Care, 3(3/4), 2005, pp.103-120.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
London
This American study reviews the conceptualization and measurement issues related to unmet service needs of older adults receiving home and community-based services. The authors summarize and synthesize the recent literature on unmet service needs to examine (1) how this concept is conceptualized and measured and (2) how this concept could be used to advance the provision of home and community-based services. The findings suggest that measures of unmet needs varied in terms of their focus (e.g., function-specific or service-specific) and sources of information (e.g., care receivers, caregivers, or professions). The findings underscore the need to further refine the conceptualization and measurement of unmet service needs and to assure the proper use of existing measures by social service providers. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
This American study reviews the conceptualization and measurement issues related to unmet service needs of older adults receiving home and community-based services. The authors summarize and synthesize the recent literature on unmet service needs to examine (1) how this concept is conceptualized and measured and (2) how this concept could be used to advance the provision of home and community-based services. The findings suggest that measures of unmet needs varied in terms of their focus (e.g., function-specific or service-specific) and sources of information (e.g., care receivers, caregivers, or professions). The findings underscore the need to further refine the conceptualization and measurement of unmet service needs and to assure the proper use of existing measures by social service providers. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Subject terms:
home care, literature reviews, older people, unmet need, assessment;
Mental Health Review Journal, 18(2), 2013, pp.65-72.
Publisher:
Emerald
The authors draw on a general review of both the literature and current UK policy guidance to determine the current state of provision for older people with a serious mental illness (SMI). Much of the relevant literature the authors identified originates from the USA, with older adults with SMI perceived as an under-served population in need of urgent attention. Additionally, UK policy provision is patchy with very limited pockets of good practice currently available to guide clinicians and inform service users. The paper highlights the distinct lack of literature, evidence and policy which currently exists in the UK addressing the needs of older adults with a serious mental illness. The authors call for clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders to engage with service users, their family and/or friends to produce quality and meaningful research to improve outcomes for this vulnerable group of citizens. Finally, the policy, practice and service user communities need to collaborate in a spirit of “boundary spanning” working across disciplines to generate practical policies which can be operationalised by organisations and individuals.
(Edited publisher abstract)
The authors draw on a general review of both the literature and current UK policy guidance to determine the current state of provision for older people with a serious mental illness (SMI). Much of the relevant literature the authors identified originates from the USA, with older adults with SMI perceived as an under-served population in need of urgent attention. Additionally, UK policy provision is patchy with very limited pockets of good practice currently available to guide clinicians and inform service users. The paper highlights the distinct lack of literature, evidence and policy which currently exists in the UK addressing the needs of older adults with a serious mental illness. The authors call for clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders to engage with service users, their family and/or friends to produce quality and meaningful research to improve outcomes for this vulnerable group of citizens. Finally, the policy, practice and service user communities need to collaborate in a spirit of “boundary spanning” working across disciplines to generate practical policies which can be operationalised by organisations and individuals.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
older people, severe mental health problems, ageing, policy, literature reviews, unmet need;
Family care-givers are increasingly expected to find, understand and use information to meet the complex needs of older adults in their care. A significant number of studies, however, continue to report that care-givers’ information needs are unmet. Following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework, this study examined 72 articles for the range and extent of available research on the information work done by family care-givers of community-dwelling older adults living with dementia. To untangle the complex relationship between information and care, this scoping review maps out (a) the ways scholarly literature conceptualises the informational components of family care-givers’ work and (b) the degree to which scholarly research acknowledges these components as work. An institutional ethnography inflection enhanced the scoping review framework, enabling the privileging of lived experiences, questioning of assumptions of language used, attending to authors’ positioning and highlighting care-givers’ information work made invisible throughout the processes of academic research.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Family care-givers are increasingly expected to find, understand and use information to meet the complex needs of older adults in their care. A significant number of studies, however, continue to report that care-givers’ information needs are unmet. Following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework, this study examined 72 articles for the range and extent of available research on the information work done by family care-givers of community-dwelling older adults living with dementia. To untangle the complex relationship between information and care, this scoping review maps out (a) the ways scholarly literature conceptualises the informational components of family care-givers’ work and (b) the degree to which scholarly research acknowledges these components as work. An institutional ethnography inflection enhanced the scoping review framework, enabling the privileging of lived experiences, questioning of assumptions of language used, attending to authors’ positioning and highlighting care-givers’ information work made invisible throughout the processes of academic research.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
literature reviews, carers, information needs, informal care, unmet need, older people, dementia, information skills, ageing, access to information;
Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, 23(3), 2018, pp.168-175.
Publisher:
Sage
Place of publication:
London
Objectives: Globally, populations are rapidly ageing and countries have developed health promotion and wellbeing strategies to address increasing demand for health care and old-age support. The older population is not homogeneous however, and includes a large group in transition between being active and healthy to being frail, i.e. with early frailty. This review explores the extent to which policy in England has addressed this group with a view to supporting independence and preventing further progression towards frailty. Methods: A narrative review was conducted of 157 health and social care policy documents current in 2014–2017 at three levels of the health and social care system in England. Findings: the policy problem analysis, the shifts over time in language from health promotion to illness prevention, the shift in target populations to mid-life and those most at risk of adverse outcomes through frailty, and changes to delivery mechanisms to incentivize attention to the frailest rather than those with early frailty. Findings: that older people in general were not identified as a specific population in many of these policies. While this may reflect a welcome lack of age discrimination, it could equally represent omission through ageism. Only at local level did we identify some limited attention to preventative actions with people with early frailty. Conclusion: The lack of policy attention to older people with early frailty is a missed opportunity to address some of the demands on health and social care services. Addressing the individual and societal consequences of adverse experiences of those with the greatest frailty should not distract from a more distinct public health perspective which argues for a refocusing upstream to health promotion and illness prevention for those with early frailty.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Objectives: Globally, populations are rapidly ageing and countries have developed health promotion and wellbeing strategies to address increasing demand for health care and old-age support. The older population is not homogeneous however, and includes a large group in transition between being active and healthy to being frail, i.e. with early frailty. This review explores the extent to which policy in England has addressed this group with a view to supporting independence and preventing further progression towards frailty. Methods: A narrative review was conducted of 157 health and social care policy documents current in 2014–2017 at three levels of the health and social care system in England. Findings: the policy problem analysis, the shifts over time in language from health promotion to illness prevention, the shift in target populations to mid-life and those most at risk of adverse outcomes through frailty, and changes to delivery mechanisms to incentivize attention to the frailest rather than those with early frailty. Findings: that older people in general were not identified as a specific population in many of these policies. While this may reflect a welcome lack of age discrimination, it could equally represent omission through ageism. Only at local level did we identify some limited attention to preventative actions with people with early frailty. Conclusion: The lack of policy attention to older people with early frailty is a missed opportunity to address some of the demands on health and social care services. Addressing the individual and societal consequences of adverse experiences of those with the greatest frailty should not distract from a more distinct public health perspective which argues for a refocusing upstream to health promotion and illness prevention for those with early frailty.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
very old people, health education, policy, older people, prevention, unmet need, literature reviews, early intervention, planning;
Northern Ireland. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Social Services Inspectorate
Publication year:
2006
Pagination:
27p., bibliog.
Place of publication:
Belfast
The need for an inspection of social care support services for carers was identified during the consultation on the Social Services Inspectorate's (SSI) roll-forward inspection programme for 2002-2005. The report identifies what carers value and assesses their unmet needs.
The need for an inspection of social care support services for carers was identified during the consultation on the Social Services Inspectorate's (SSI) roll-forward inspection programme for 2002-2005. The report identifies what carers value and assesses their unmet needs.
Extended abstract:
Author
CONN Lorna;
Title
Literature review to inform the inspection of social care support services for carers of older people in Northern Ireland .
Publisher
Northern Ireland. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Social Services Inspectorate, 2006
Summary
This literature review was produced to inform the development of standards for the Social Services Inspectorate's Inspection of Social Care Support Services for Carers of Older People.
Context
The aim of the inspection was to evaluate support services across the four Health and Social Services Board areas against draft standards which have been developed after comprehensive consultation with the statutory, voluntary, education and private sectors. Particular attention was paid to ensuring that both individual carers and carers' groups were central to the consultation process and informed the draft standards development and the inspection process.
Contents
The literature review highlights the historical development of services for carers, examines the extent of caring and looks at both national and international developments over recent years. In particular, it identifies what carers value, which should inform the development of services within both the statutory and voluntary sector and enhance support for carers in their important and invaluable caring role. A foreword explaining the aims and definitions is followed by an introduction outlining the history of the recognition of caring (a term which only began to appear in the literature in the 1970s) and research on caring in its own right. Sections discuss historical development, definitions of carers, the extent of caring, characteristics of carers, age, gender, race and diversity, duration of caring, poverty, social class, policy/legislative basis and tensions in policy, what carers value, the complexity of caring, perceptions of family involvement in caring and the impact on service provision, factors impacting in uptake of services, and international perspectives.
Conclusion
The development of professional practice both in assessing carers' needs and in providing appropriate services to meet those needs represents a significant challenge. Research has focused on specific areas of care giving, but has been limited, regarding the duration and types of care provided within Northern Ireland and the extent to which ethnic minority groups are able to access services. Additionally, little is known regarding assessment practice and how best to involve carers in service planning and delivery. There is insufficient clarity regarding what constitutes support services for carers as opposed to services for the care-for person and the extent to which agencies are responding appropriately to carers' needs. Progress has been made in carers' rights compared with other European countries and Australia . In the UK the political will exists to advance service provision for carers and to further involve them in the planning of such services. Statutory agencies continue to strive to find mechanisms for identifying carers. Professionals need to receive additional training to continue to identify and respond to carers in an individual, empowering, skilled and sensitive manner. An examination of progress regarding carers' assessments, the extent to which social care services meet the needs of carers and best practice in carer involvement are essential pre-requisites for the systematic planning of future work in this area.
72 references
ISBN 0 946932 18 2
Subject terms:
inspection, literature reviews, older people, social care, social care provision, unmet need, access to services, carers;
Reviews literature on unmet need among older people. Begins by surveying commonly overlooked needs identified by older people, and reasons why older people may resist support or help, and then describes studies which examine the processes by which social services departments identify and respond to the needs of older people. The final section suggests a number of alternative strategies for identifying unmet needs.
Reviews literature on unmet need among older people. Begins by surveying commonly overlooked needs identified by older people, and reasons why older people may resist support or help, and then describes studies which examine the processes by which social services departments identify and respond to the needs of older people. The final section suggests a number of alternative strategies for identifying unmet needs.
Subject terms:
literature reviews, needs, older people, social services, unmet need, user views, access to services, assessment, health care;
Explores the meaning of need and unmet need from the perspective of policy, service providers and older people themselves. Argues that need is socially constructed and examines existing research evidence to make explicit the assumptions underpinning policy; review what is known about unmet need within this framework; examine the barriers which prevent older people seeking help; and consider how a user conception of need might be developed.
Explores the meaning of need and unmet need from the perspective of policy, service providers and older people themselves. Argues that need is socially constructed and examines existing research evidence to make explicit the assumptions underpinning policy; review what is known about unmet need within this framework; examine the barriers which prevent older people seeking help; and consider how a user conception of need might be developed.
Subject terms:
literature reviews, needs, older people, service users, social services, unmet need, user views, access to services, community care;
Great Britain. Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Publication year:
2001
Pagination:
30p.
Place of publication:
London
Summary of a report presenting the findings of an investigation into the transport needs of older people. Aim of the study was to audit current and future needs, taking into account future demographic changes. Surveys existing research and presents its own findings from findings from focus groups and a household survey. Found that key issues include accessibility, safety, cost and availability. Makes recommendations for future policy and practice.
Summary of a report presenting the findings of an investigation into the transport needs of older people. Aim of the study was to audit current and future needs, taking into account future demographic changes. Surveys existing research and presents its own findings from findings from focus groups and a household survey. Found that key issues include accessibility, safety, cost and availability. Makes recommendations for future policy and practice.
Subject terms:
literature reviews, mobility impairment, older people, physical disabilities, policy, surveys, unmet need, user views, transport, access to services, central government, demographics;
Great Britain. Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Publication year:
2001
Pagination:
105p.
Place of publication:
London
Presents the findings of an investigation into the transport needs of older people. Aim of the study was to audit current and future needs, taking into account future demographic changes. Surveys existing research and presents its own findings from findings from focus groups and a household survey. Found that key issues include accessibility, safety, cost and availability. Makes recommendations for future policy and practice.
Presents the findings of an investigation into the transport needs of older people. Aim of the study was to audit current and future needs, taking into account future demographic changes. Surveys existing research and presents its own findings from findings from focus groups and a household survey. Found that key issues include accessibility, safety, cost and availability. Makes recommendations for future policy and practice.
Subject terms:
literature reviews, mobility impairment, older people, physical disabilities, policy, surveys, unmet need, user views, transport, access to services, central government, demographics;
Contains sections on: primary health care services; care at home; professions allied to medicine (chiropody, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics, hearing services); institutional care; carers; mental health; responsiveness; and access to services.
Contains sections on: primary health care services; care at home; professions allied to medicine (chiropody, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics, hearing services); institutional care; carers; mental health; responsiveness; and access to services.
Subject terms:
literature reviews, mental health, NHS, occupational therapy, older people, residential care, unmet need, user views, access to services, carers, community care, health care, health needs;