Education and training of aged-care providers

Abstract

Abstract:Population ageing has become a global concern. As persons age they are likely to experience multiple changes, declines, and losses, resulting in multifaceted needs. Psychosocial needs are varied and diverse, reflecting the extreme heterogeneity of the older population and the frequent co-morbidity of physical and mental problems. Training of care providers to work with older people requires an interdisciplinary focus, with biological, psychological, and social aspects of ageing as integral parts of the curriculum. Models for training of aged care professionals include the integration, separate course, area of concentration, and interdisciplinary approaches. In addition, supervised experiences and training in interpersonal skills are required for all service providers. The applications of training models in gerontological and counselling training are described. Implications for education and training of aged-care providers are discussed. Keywords: careers, elderly, training Article: Introduction As a group, older persons (i.e. those 65 years of age and older) are known to experience the greatest amount and type of disabling conditions and to require proportionately more care services than persons of other ages. For example, older persons account for 36% of total personal health care expenditures, with an average of four times more dollars spent for each person over 65 years than for each person under that age. Older persons average more contact with physicians and account for 34% of all hospital stays and 45% of all days of care in hospitals . 1Among the more than 26 million older Americans, at least 86% experience one or more chronic physical conditions which limit their daily living activities. 2,3 In spite of these conditions, most are functionally independent. However, 23% of older people living in the community have health-related difficulties with one or more personal care and home management activities. While less than 5% of all older persons live in nursing homes, over 80% of such individuals require assistance with daily living activities. 4 Physical illness and disability do not occur in isolation. Rather, biological processes are known to interact with psychological and social factors. Epidemiological studies by mental-health researchers have drawn attention to the interaction between physical and mental-health problems, which leads to substantial co-morbidity among older adults. 5,6 That is, physical problems can lead to mental and emotional disturbance, emotional distress can exacerbate physical symptoms, and the combination of both can lead to significant clinical impairments. If effective services are to be planned and provided for older persons, it is necessary to assess and evaluate the synergistic impact of both physical and mental conditions. 7 No single discipline -psychiatry, medicine, nursing, biology, sociology, counselling, rehabilitation -can claim to provide a comprehensive explanation of older individuals, the multiple determinants of their behaviours, or the multiple treatm...