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SCIE research briefing 28: assistive technology and older people
- Authors:
- SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE, BEECH Roger, ROBERTS Diane
- Publisher:
- Social Care Institute for Excellence
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 11p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The term ‘assistive technology’ incorporates a wide variety of devices. Assistive technology can be supportive, preventive or responsive. The increasing proportion of older people in the population makes the use of assistive technology an attractive option in social services. Perceptions vary as to whether or not assistive technology has sufficient benefits. Existing research supports the greater use of assistive technology but further evaluation and ‘local learning’ is needed. The views and needs of people using assistive technology need to be taken into account.
Rethinking needs assessment in planning services for older adults
- Authors:
- CHERNESKY Roslyn H., GUTHEIL Irene A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51(1/2), 2008, pp.109-125.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
A comprehensive needs assessment of older adults carried out in 2004 in Bermuda is described. Informal discussions and a preliminary synthesis of existing data were designed to scope the issue and gauge support for the needs assessment before the exercise was designed. This encompassed home-based interviews with 304 randomly selected adults aged 65 to 97; six focus groups conducted with a total of 53 family carers; and a questionnaire survey of all identifiable service providers. The findings are reported, together with the questions they raised, and it is argued that even when needs assessment is carefully planned, it cannot always provide the desired information. A revision of some key assumptions about what needs assessment can do is offered. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Service barriers of Chinese family caregivers in Canada
- Authors:
- LAI Daniel W.L., SURWOOD Shireen
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51(3-4), 2008, pp.315-336.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The growing numbers of older people in North America means that more elderly people require care, and family carers have become an important part of the health system. The challenges they face can be made greater by “service barriers”. Community services are not taken up by 44% of Canadian carers, particularly those from ethnic minorities, and this article studies the barriers faced by Chinese carers in Calgary, which include the length of waiting lists, professionals not using the language of the service users, professionals who do not understand Chinese culture and who are not ethnically Chinese. A telephone survey to 315 Chinese households used16 service barriers identified in a previous study and results indicated that these could be grouped into five different types – cultural barriers, administrative problems, circumstantial challenges, perceived negative quality of services and personal attitudes. Financial factors significantly influenced the number and types of service barrier carers experienced, and findings indicate the importance of culturally sensitive support for carers in order to improve access to services.
Culture, place of origin, and service delivery for Latino older adult immigrants: the case of Puerto Rican older adults
- Authors:
- ORTIZ Daniel Velez, COLE Susan A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51(3-4), 2008, pp.300-314.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article proposes a conceptual model for the design and implementation of effective social services for older Latino immigrants in the United States. Previous research has shown that conditions in the country of origin are important determinants of service take up and outcomes, and the case of older Puerto Rican immigrants is used to demonstrate how the model can be used to design services for other older Latino adults. Although Latino populations in the US are growing fast and they will soon be the largest minority, their different ethnicities, histories and cultures will affect social services delivery, and the dynamic model proposed shows how these can be used to develop more effective programs and services for older adults.
Developing multidisciplinary assessment - exploring the evidence from a social care perspective
- Authors:
- SUTCLIFFE Caroline, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23(12), December 2008, pp.1297-1305.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper provides an initial evaluation of the impact of the Single Assessment Process (SAP) in England upon practice regarding multidisciplinary assessment. The objectives were to investigate changes in recorded health needs of older people and in the number of multidisciplinary assessments undertaken using social care agencies' case files. Also to examine differences in approaches to the use of multidisciplinary assessment for older people with different health needs. An audit of case files of older people living in the community in receipt of social care in three areas carried out at two time periods before and after implementation of the SAP in 2004. Information extracted from files covered a number of domains including evidence of multidisciplinary assessments, and presence of mental and physical health problems. Data from 144 files at Time 1 were compared with 145 files from Time 2. Little evidence emerged that older people at Time 2 were more dependent. However, significantly more multidisciplinary assessments were undertaken following the introduction of the SAP, in particular by occupational therapists and secondary health care teams. Cognitive impairment was a significant predictor of multidisciplinary assessment at both time periods. The impact of the introduction of the SAP has been mediated by the influence of other policies in England: intermediate care and integrated health and social care provision. Nevertheless, the data suggest that consideration be given to more effective targeting of multidisciplinary assessments on the grounds of both cost and more accurate identification of those who will benefit from the process.
The specialisation of needs-assessment in Swedish municipal care for older people: the diffusion of a new organisational model
- Author:
- BLOMBERG Staffan
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 11(4), 2008, pp.415-429.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The 1990s were characterised by strong pressure for organisational reform at the municipality level in the Swedish welfare provision. In social care services for older people, care management reform was one of the many proposals circulating. Within a short time span, a large number of municipalities had implemented this new model and this paper reports and analyses the process of change. A key finding was that the success of the new organisational model was ascribed to new problem-solving functions and a lack of internal (professional) resistance.
Never too late for living: inquiry into services for older people
- Authors:
- SILLETT Janet, COOKSON Ameila, ELLIOTT Craig
- Publisher:
- Local Government Information Unit
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 44p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This is the report of the All Party Parliamentary Local Government Inquiry in to services for older people. The inquiry was chaired by Clive Betts MP and supported by the LGiU. It looked at how the place of older people in society can be improved over the next decade within the context of rapid demographic change, rising expectations and increasing financial constraint. The report proposes a radical shake-up that would break down boundaries between councils and health, and between the public, private and voluntary sectors. It aims to ensure everyone in the country can expect the same kind of services and have a single place to go to access them.
The future of community-based services for older persons in South Africa
- Author:
- STRYDOM Herman
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 20(2), June 2008, pp.103-111.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article provides an overview of the needs of older persons in South Africa today. It acknowledges the strong policy lead being given by government to ensure the positive integration of older persons within society, support for them within their families, their access to proper community-based services, their protection from abuse and ageism and promoting their general quality of life. At the same time the article stresses the size of the challenge that exists to turn government policy into reality in the lives of older people. As elsewhere in the world increasing numbers of older persons with a wide range of complex needs can be expected. Within South Africa migratory patterns, HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty may impede the growth in the number of the older population. At the same time those same phenomena will make the delivery of the necessary community-based services particularly difficult. A number of recommendations are made as to what the priorities should be for service delivery organisations within this context of ambitious policy but limited resources.
Towards an ageing society: final evaluation of HACT's older people's programme
- Authors:
- RISEBOROUGH Moira, FLETCHER Peter
- Publisher:
- Housing Association Charitable Trust
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 125p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Hact's Older People's Programme set out to improve housing for older people. Of the 19 projects that it funded, 17 achieved their targets. All worked with, as well as for the benefit of, older people, and listened closely to their views. All worked in partnership with other organisations, including housing associations, social services, health authorities, local authorities and representative bodies. This document includes insights about specific policy areas, lessons for programme funders, government and local authorities. Additional information about each of the policy areas is contained in a series of insight documents.
Direct referrals from social services to community teams for older people with mental illness
- Authors:
- DAS Sujata, BOUMAN Walter P.
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatric Bulletin, 32(4), May 2008, pp.164-165.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
The aim of the study was to evaluate the open referral system from social services to a community mental health team (CMHT) for older people. Referral letters from social services to the specialist team were reviewed, as were the case notes. Of the 40 referrals, 95% (n=38) were accepted by the CMHT. Only 15% (n=6) fulfilled the team’s existing referral criteria. The majority of referrals (n=36, 90%) had details of the patient’s mental health problems. None of the referrals with memory problems had a cognitive assessment. Of the 38 referrals accepted by the CMHT, 36 were found to be suffering from a mental illness. The open referral system from social services did not increase the total number of annual referrals. Social services play an important role in identifying and referring older people with mental illness and ensure a potentially rapid referral route bypassing primary care. The practice of accepting direct referrals from social services should be encouraged and made an integral part of the referral system.