Acute Care for Elders


Book Description

Acute Care for Elders (ACE) is a model of care designed to improve functional outcomes and to improve the processes for the care of older patients. This model includes: an environment of care designed to promote improved function for older patients; an interdisciplinary team that works together to identify/address the vulnerabilities of the older patients; nursing care plans for prevention of disability; early planning to help prepare the patient to return home and a review of medical care to prevent iatrogenic illness. Acute Care for Elders: A Model for Interdisciplinary Care is an essential new resource aimed at assisting providers in developing and sustaining an ACE program. The interdisciplinary approach provides an introduction to the key vulnerabilities of older adults and defines the lessons learned from the Acute Care for Elders model. Expertly written chapters describe critical aspects of ACE: the interdisciplinary approach and the focus on function. The fundamental principles of ACE described in this book will further assist hospital leaders to develop, implement, sustain and disseminate the Acute Care for Elders model of care. Acute Care for Elders: A Model for Interdisciplinary Care is of great value to geriatricians, hospitalists, advance practice nurses, social workers and all others who provide high quality care to older patients.




Geriatrics Models of Care


Book Description

This book describes geriatrics practice models that are used to guide the care of older adults, allowing seniors to remain at home, prevent functional disability and preserve quality of life. The models include specific interventions which are performed by health care workers to address the needs of older persons and their caregivers. These models respect patient values, consider patient safety and appreciate psychosocial needs as well. Divided into six parts that discuss hospital-based models of care, transitions from hospital to home, outpatient-based models of care and emergency department models of care, this text addresses the needs of vulnerable patients and the community. Geriatric Models of Care is an excellent resource for health care leaders who must translate these programs to address the needs of the patients in their communities.




Aging Well


Book Description

This open access book outlines the challenges of supporting the health and wellbeing of older adults around the world and offers examples of solutions designed by stakeholders, healthcare providers, and public, private and nonprofit organizations in the United States. The solutions presented address challenges including: providing person-centered long-term care, making palliative care accessible in all healthcare settings and the home, enabling aging-in-place, financing long-term care, improving care coordination and access to care, delivering hospital-level and emergency care in the home and retirement community settings, merging health and social care, supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers, creating communities and employment opportunities that are accessible and welcoming to those of all ages and abilities, and combating the stigma of aging. The innovative programs of support and care in Aging Well serve as models of excellence that, when put into action, move health spending toward a sustainable path and greatly contribute to the well-being of older adults.




Geriatric Emergency Medicine


Book Description

This book discusses all important aspects of emergency medicine in older people, identifying the particular care needs of this population, which all too often remain unmet. The up-to-date and in-depth coverage will assist emergency physicians in identifying patients at risk for adverse outcomes, in conducting appropriate assessment,and in providing timely and adequate care. Particular attention is paid to the commonpitfalls in emergency management andmeans of avoiding them. Between 1980 and 2013, the number of older patients in emergency departmentsworldwide doubled. Compared with younger patients, older people suffer from more comorbidities, a higher mortality rate, require more complex assessment and diagnostic testing, and tend to stay longer in the emergency department. This book, written by internationally recognized experts in emergency medicine and geriatrics, not only presents the state of the art in the care of this population but also underlines the increasing need for adequate training and development in the field.




Evidence-Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice


Book Description

This new edition of one of the premier references for geriatric nurses in hospital, long-term, and community settings delivers current guidelines, real-life case studies, and evidence-based protocols developed by master educators and practitioners. With a focus on improving quality of care, cost-effectiveness, and outcome, the fifth edition is updated to provide the most current information about care of common clinical conditions and issues in older patients. Several new expert contributors present current guidelines about hip fractures, frailty, perioperative and postoperative care, palliative care, and senior-friendly emergency departments. Additionally, chapters have been reorganized to enhance logical flow of content and easy information retrieval. Protocols, systematically tested by more than 300 participating NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Health system Elders) hospitals‚ are organized in a consistent format and include an overview, evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies, and an illustrative case study with discussion. Additionally, protocols are embedded within chapter text, providing the context and detailed evidence for each. Chapter objectives, annotated references,and evidence ratings for each protocol are provided along with resources for additional study. New to the Fifth Edition: Reorganized to enhance logical flow of information and ease of use Updated and revised Includes new contributions from expert educators and practitioners Provides new chapters on perioperative and postoperative care, general surgical care, care of hip fracture, palliative care, and the senior-friendly emergency department Key Features: Includes PowerPoints and a test bank for instructors Delivers evidence-based, current guidelines and protocols for care of common clinical conditions in the older person Illustrates the application of clinical protocols to real-life practice through case studies and discussion Edited by nationally known geriatric leaders who are endorsed by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing and NICHE Written for nursing students, nurse leaders, and practitioners at all levels, including those in specialty roles




Restorative Care Nursing for Older Adults


Book Description

The purpose of restorative care nursing is to take an active role in helping older adults maintain their highest level of function, thus preventing excess disability. This book was written to help formal and informal caregivers and administrators at all levels to understand the basic philosophy of restorative care, and be able to develop and implement successful restorative care programs. The book provides a complete 6-week education program in restorative care for caregivers, many suggestions for suitable activities, and practical strategies for motivating both older adults and caregivers to engage in restorative care. In addition, the book provides an overview of the requirements for restorative care across all settings, the necessary documentation, and ways in which to complete that documentation.




Retooling for an Aging America


Book Description

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.




Patient Safety and Quality


Book Description

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/




Geriatric Emergency Medicine


Book Description

This comprehensive volume provides a practical framework for evaluation, management and disposition of this growing vulnerable patient population.




The Role of Nutrition in Maintaining Health in the Nation's Elderly


Book Description

Malnutrition and obesity are both common among Americans over age 65. There are also a host of other medical conditions from which older people and other Medicare beneficiaries suffer that could be improved with appropriate nutritional intervention. Despite that, access to a nutrition professional is very limited. Do nutrition services benefit older people in terms of morbidity, mortality, or quality of life? Which health professionals are best qualified to provide such services? What would be the cost to Medicare of such services? Would the cost be offset by reduced illness in this population? This book addresses these questions, provides recommendations for nutrition services for the elderly, and considers how the coverage policy should be approached and practiced. The book discusses the role of nutrition therapy in the management of a number of diseases. It also examines what the elderly receive in the way of nutrition services along the continuum of care settings and addresses the areas of expertise needed by health professionals to provide appropriate nutrition services and therapy.