Care of the Elderly: Survey of Teaching in an Aging Sub-Saharan Africa

Frost, Linda; Liddie, Navarro; Lynch, Mary Pat; Campbell, Mark; Orcutt, Miriam; Trelfa, Anna; Dotchin, Catherine; Walker, Richard

doi:10.1080/02701960.2014.925886

Cited by 30 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Geriatric care is associated with hospitalization irrespective of the form it takes. A study conducted by Frost et al (2015) shows that 4% of medical schools in SSA taught geriatrics while 40% had no geriatrics teaching. Additionally, the most significant perceived barriers to geriatric education and the attendant care were a lack of staff expertise (72%), lack of funding (52%), and absence of geriatrics in the national curricula (48%).…”

Section: Concerns With Care Provision For Older Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

The Status of Older Adult Care in Contemporary Ghana: A Profile of Some Emerging Issues

Dovie

2019

Front. Sociol.

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The paper examines how the healthcare and social care pillars of social policy for aging societies shape inequalities in health and well-being at old age, utilizing qualitative and quantitative datasets. The results intimate the lack of geriatric infrastructure, hence the inadequacy of geriatric care provision for older adults. Systemic problems or gaps existent in Ghana led to private individuals taking advantage of the situation, turning it into an opportunity for service providers. Thus, the evolution of recreational/residential homes in Ghana is situated along three distinct patterns or forms namely the occasional, the adult day care center and residential archetypes. Collectively, these constitute formal and informal care facilities. These are often privately owned and at a cost. The nature of quality of care may be affected by the types of homes available, especially in the globalized cultural setting. A growing number of older adults resort to care homes as an alternative measure. These are discussed from two viewpoints. First, geriatric data generation, the absence of which impedes healthcare provision. Second, cash-for-care policies may exacerbate existing inequalities in care with negative consequences for health and well-being. In short, policies for aging populations are being implemented across Ghana with too little known about their consequences for inequalities in health and well-being in later life. The paper sought to address this knowledge gap by exploring a significant infrastructure by undertaking a systematic examination of how recent policy developments for aging exacerbate or reduce inequalities in health and well-being among older adults. The paper concludes that social policy for aging societies' specific key pillars (healthcare and social care research) offers opportunities for analyzing and understanding internal dynamics including the effects of policy implementation for inequalities in health and well-being at older ages, therefore enabling the identification of strategies to improve older adults' circumstances, without which older adult population will far outpace elder care provision.

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Section: Concerns With Care Provision For Older Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

The Status of Older Adult Care in Contemporary Ghana: A Profile of Some Emerging Issues

Dovie

2019

Front. Sociol.

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“…SSA populations can ill-afford a productivity gap resulting from cognitive limitations among mature and older adults. In SSA, a high prevalence of poor CH is also likely to have substantial repercussions for individual well-being and day-to-day functioning, arguably even more so than in higher income contexts, as the health services and infrastructure for addressing and ameliorating cognitive decline and related aspects of aging are vastly insufficient (Frost et al, 2015). The currently poor evidence basis on CH limits the ability of research to inform policies and health system investments that can help reduce the individual, familial and social implications of poor CH among adult and older individuals.…”

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confidence: 99%

Cognition, Health, and Well-Being in a Rural Sub-Saharan African Population

et al. 2017

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Cognitive health is an important dimension of well-being in older ages, but few studies have investigated the demography of cognitive health in sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) growing population of mature adults (= persons age 45+). We use data from the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) to document the age and gender patterns of cognitive health, the contextual and life-course correlates of poor cognitive health, and the understudied linkages between cognitive and physical/mental well-being. Surprisingly, the age-pattern of decline in cognitive health is broadly similar to that observed in the U.S. We also find that women have substantially worse cognitive health than men, and experience a steeper age-gradient in cognitive ability. Strong social ties and exposure to socially complex environments are associated with higher cognitive health, as is higher socioeconomic status. Poor cognitive health is associated with adverse social and economic well-being outcomes such as less nutrition intake, lower income, and reduced work efforts even in this subsistence agriculture context. Lower levels of cognitive health are also strongly associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety, and are associated with worse physical health measured through both self-reports and physical performance. Our findings suggest that cognition plays a key—but understudied—role in shaping late-life well-being in low-income populations.

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“…(1-3) Currently, health systems and health professions training in SSA provide little coverage of age-related health conditions prevalent in the geriatric population in SSA. (4,5) Healthcare systems in SSA prioritize communicable diseases, maternal and child health in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). (6) In contrast, there has been limited planning for the health needs of the growing geriatric population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, there is little inclusion of geriatric core competencies in health professions training to prepare primary care providers to care for the increasing number of geriatric patients. (4) Health professions education must be socially responsive to local communities, and consider the needs of the geriatric population.…”

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confidence: 99%

A scoping review of age-related health conditions among geriatric populations in sub-Saharan Africa

Naidoo¹,

Wyk

2020

Preprint

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Background Globally people are living longer, resulting in an increased demand for primary care services to be responsive to geriatric health needs. There is however, little data on the nature and prevalence of age-related health conditions among people aged 60 years and older in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) region. This scoping review was undertaken to synthesise evidence on the scope and nature of age-related health needs among people aged 60 years and older in SSA, in order to inform reforms in health systems and health professions education. Methods We systematically searched five electronic databases for studies published prior to 30 June 2019. Using the keywords “Africa”, “older adult” or “geriatric”, and “health”, two independent reviewers used a set of eligibility criteria to extract and screen the abstracts and full-text publications. Particular focus was given to age-dependent disorders in people over 60 years such as dementia, disability and falls. Results Sixty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. The review revealed a noticeable absence of studies from the majority of Sub-Saharan African countries. Publications included for review represent twelve countries from this region. The morbidities reported on included dementia, functional impairment, mental health, falls, sarcopenia and nutritional disorders, sensory impairment, frailty and musculoskeletal disorders. Many of these conditions co-existed among older adults, resulting in impaired quality of life and disability. Modifiable factors for geriatric morbidity such as hypertension, depression, cognitive and sensory impairments were under-diagnosed and often untreated. Conclusions The body of empiric research and evidence on age-related health conditions in geriatric people in SSA remains small. The prevalence of reported age-related health conditions was comparable to that in high-income countries. However, chronic conditions in the elderly were underdiagnosed and undertreated, often resulting in disability. An urgent review of current health systems and health professions training is required, taking into consideration the findings of this study. Ethics and dissemination : This study did not include human participants. Data was sourced from published literature. Keywords: older adult - geriatric - aged - health - Africa

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Care of the Elderly: Survey of Teaching in an Aging Sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 30 publications

References 8 publications

The Status of Older Adult Care in Contemporary Ghana: A Profile of Some Emerging Issues

The Status of Older Adult Care in Contemporary Ghana: A Profile of Some Emerging Issues

Cognition, Health, and Well-Being in a Rural Sub-Saharan African Population

A scoping review of age-related health conditions among geriatric populations in sub-Saharan Africa

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