GEP Medicine in Society Handbook 2019/20
5. Secondary Care Themed Days
5.12. Day 13 Theme: Healthcare of the Elderly
Introduction – Older patients (over 75 years old) make up a significant proportion of the care load of any acute hospital trust within the
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Challenge Box: How may ageism manifest itself in society in general, in the hospital environment, in the community? What are your experiences of the elderly? |
Many people have very negative images of the older person and within Western culture their wisdom and experience is too easily dismissed and overlooked. Many of the other NSFs have recognised their specialty shortcomings and have made active inroads into offering equality of care and treatment based on need, desire and quality of life issues rather than age and life expectancy. This placement should give you an overview of the care of older patients in various settings within Newham Hospital.
Learning Issues
- How does the care of older patients differ in the various settings you have experienced?
- What do the patients and their relatives feel about their care?
- What were the good features of care?
- How may the care of older patients differ to that of younger adults in the hospital setting?
- Why may older patients be advantaged and disadvantaged by admission to an acute care of the elderly ward?
Suggested Learning Tasks
- Make a written record of a conversation you have had with an older patient including their housing situation, its facilities and the patient’s care provision (if any).
- Using one of the patients you have spoken to as an example, design an ‘ideal’ care pathway for an older patient’s admission to hospital.
Reference
The National Service Framework for Older People