A população idosa está aumentando em todo o mundo, no Brasil, este processo de envelhecimento populacional ou transição demográfica vem seguido por consequências que interferem na sociedade. A dependência social, fatores econômicos, baixo valor das aposentadorias, ausência de familiares ou a incapacidade destes em cuidar do idoso são apontados como principais causas que poderiam levar a internação de um idoso numa Instituição de Longa Permanência (ILP). O objetivo desta pesquisa foi caracterizar o perfil dos cuidadores de idosos em práticas e conhecimento de saúde bucal em instituições de longa permanência de Bauru. As Instituições Filantrópicas (IF) quanto as Instituições Privadas (IP) foram selecionadas de acordo com lista fornecida pela Promotoria de Justiça do Idoso de Bauru. Foram utilizados como instrumento na coleta de dados uma ficha com um roteiro estruturado e um questionário a ser entregue aos cuidadores. A partir dos resultados concluiu-se que: O sexo feminino entre os cuidadores foi predominantemente maior com idade entre 40 e 50 anos de idade; Metade dos cuidadores de ambas as Instituições são casados; Nas IF é maior o número de cuidadores que ganham até dois salários mínimos; O percentual de profissionais com curso Técnico em Enfermagem é maior nas IF e maior com formação em cuidador de idosos; Nas IF é maior o número de profissionais que atuam como cuidadores e menor em número que atuam como auxiliar de enfermagem; Nas IP os profissionais possuem mais experiências do que nas Filantrópicas. A satisfação em cuidar de idosos foi maior para os profissionais das IF; Atividades de cuidados com higiene bucal nos idosos, os que realizam este tipo de atividade foram menores nas IF e maior nas IP os que se preocupam em acompanhar estes procedimentos com supervisão; Dentre as maiores dificuldades encontradas pelos cuidadores o lidar com a morte foi a que mais se destacou em ambas as instituições; Nas IF foi maior o aprendizado na prática diária na própria instituição; Nas IP o aprendizado em curso técnico foi em maior número; O número de cuidadores que recebeu treinamento após a admissão foi menor nas IF; Nas IP a quantidade de profissionais que sabem executar higiene bucal foi maior; Para a grande maioria dos cuidadores de ambas as Instituições, realizar cuidados bucais de higiene em idosos é uma tarefa fácil. A maior dificuldade encontrada pelos cuidadores das IP na realização dos cuidados de higiene bucal foi a resistência do próprio idoso. / The social dependence, lack of family or the inability of these in caring for the elderly and economic factors such as low value of pensions are cited as the main causes that could lead to hospitalization of an elderly in a long-stay institution (ILP). The elderly population is increasing worldwide, in Brazil, this process of population aging and demographic transition is followed by consequences that affect society. The objective of this research was to characterize the profile of elderly caregivers in practice and knowledge of oral health in long-term institutions of Bauru. The Philanthropic Institutions (FIs) and the Private Institutions (IP) were selected according to the list provided by the Prosecutor\'s Office of Elderly Bauru. A plug having a structured interview and a questionnaire to be given to the caregivers were used as a tool for data collection. From the results it was concluded that: The female among caregivers was most predominantly aged between 40 and 50 years old; Half of the caregivers of both institutions are married, In the IF is greater the number of caregivers who earn up to two minimum wages, the percentage of professionals with technical Nursing course is higher in IF and with greater training in elderly caregiver, IF in a greater number of professionals who work as caregivers and smaller in number working as a nursing assistant; on IP professionals have more experience than in Philanthropy; satisfaction in caring for the elderly was higher for professional IF; Activities oral hygiene care for the elderly, those who carry out this type of activity were lower in IF and higher in the IP that bother to follow these procedures under supervision; Among the major difficulties encountered by caregivers to cope with death was the one that stood out at both institutions; All IF was higher learning in daily practice within the institution; on IP learning in technical course was in greater numbers, the number of caregivers who received training after admission was lower in IF, IP in a number of professionals who know how to perform oral hygiene was higher; for the vast majority of caregivers of both institutions, performing oral care hygiene in the elderly is an easy task; the greatest difficulty encountered by caregivers of IP in implementing the care and oral hygiene was the resistance of the elderly.

Em termos de atenção à saúde é reconhecido que a parcela da população que mais utiliza de serviços especializados, como internações hospitalares, são os indivíduos com mais de 60 anos de idade. No Rio Grande do Sul (RS), a maior concentração de idosos se encontra nos municípios pequenos, com menos de 10 mil habitantes e com atividades econômicas relacionadas à produção agrícola. E pouco se sabe sobre essa população, principalmente do idoso aposentado rural, seus riscos de fragilização, sua condição de saúde-doença e utilização de serviços de saúde. Este estudo, então, propôs-se a avaliar a mobilidade corporal da população rural idosa e os riscos de internação hospitalar em diferentes regiões do estado do RS. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa exploratória de base populacional e delineamento ecológico e transversal. A construção do processo investigatório se deu em 3 etapas. A primeira consistiu em uma pesquisa direta com 604 trabalhadores rurais aposentados e com mais de 60 anos de idade, residentes em diferentes regiões do estado, em que, foram avaliadas a mobilidade funcional através do Timed Up and Go test, a fragilidade referida e a Probabilidade de Internações Repetidas (PIR), através de teste e instrumentos validados para o Brasil. Na segunda parte, foram investigadas as Internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária (ICSAP) de pessoas com mais de 60 anos de idade residentes no RS, no ano de 2015, através do departamento de informática do Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil (DATASUS). Na terceira etapa da pesquisa, foram estabelecidas relações entre ICSAP, PIR, Fragilidade e mobilidade da população idosa rural do estado, considerando a idade, sexo e local ou região de residência. O estudo resultou em 6 artigos: o primeiro, uma revisão da literatura sobre a população rural idosa do RS; o segundo, assim como o terceiro e quarto, foram produtos da primeira etapa do estudo, que resultaram nos títulos Síndrome de fragilidade em idosos rurais no estado do RS, Risco de internação hospitalar em trabalhadores rurais idosos no estado do Rio Grande do Sul e Mobilidade funcional e a fragilidade de idosos agricultores do RS; o quinto artigo é sobre Internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária de idosos no Rio Grande do Sul e é resultado da segunda etapa da pesquisa; o último artigo, Risco de hospitalização e mobilidade de idosos rurais no Rio Grande do Sul, corresponde à última etapa do estudo, que estabelece relações entre ICSAP no estado, a PIR, a fragilidade referida e a mobilidade da população idosa rural. O processo de investigação, bem como os desfechos, identifica uma população de idosos trabalhadores rurais, jovens em franca atividade, homens em sua maioria, que percebem a sua saúde como frágil e mantêm um baixo risco de internação. O estudo nos mostrou uma relação entre fragilidade, mobilidade funcional e ICSAP compatível com riscos de internação de idosos no estado. Também identificou algumas particularidades em relação a questões de saúde-doença da população rural idosa gaúcha, que sugerem a necessidade de incremento da atenção primária à saúde do trabalhador do campo. No entanto, há necessidade de se promover outras pesquisas com essa população, considerando as suas características culturais, sociais e demandas de políticas sociais adequadas a uma manutenção de qualidade de vida, visto que a área oferece obstáculos em relação a serviços públicos e outros inerentes à condição do envelhecimento no campo. / When it comes to attention to health, the share of population who most uses specialized services, such as hospital admissions, are those with more than 60 years of age. At Rio Grande do Sul (RS), the biggest concentration of elderly people is found at small towns, with less than 10 thousand inhabitants and who perform economic activities related to agriculture. Little is known about this population, mainly the rural elderly, their risk of frailty, their health-disease conditions and their use of health services. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating corporal mobility in the rural elderly mobility and the risks of hospitalization in different regions inside RS. To this end, an exploratory research, with populational basis, and ecological and cross-sectional basis was conducted. The construction of the investigatory process happened in three different stages. The first one consisted of a direct research with 604 retired rural elders, with more than 60 years of age, residing in different locations within the state, evaluating the functional mobility through the Time Up and Go Test, the referred frailty and the Probability of Repeated Hospitalizations (PIR), through tests and instruments validated in Brazil. In the second part, hospitalizations due to primary care-sensitive conditions (ICSAP) of people with over 60 years of age, residing in RS, in the year of 2015. The data was collected from the Brazilian Unified Health System (DATASUS). In the third phase of this research, the relationships between ICSAP, PIR, Frailty and mobility from the rural elderly population in the State were established; considering their age, sex and their place or region of residency. The study resulted in 6 papers: the first, a review of the literature about the rural elderly population at RS; the second, as well as the third and fourth, were products of the first part of the study and that resulted in the titles Frailty syndrome in rural elderly people in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Risk of hospitalization in rural elderly people in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and Functional mobility and the frailty of elderly farmers from RS. The fifth paper is about the hospitalization due to primary care-sensitive conditions of elderly people in Rio Grande do Sul and results from the second phase of the research. The last paper, Risk of hospitalization and mobility in rural elderly people in Rio Grande do Sul, corresponds to the last part of the study and stablishes the relationships between ICSAP within the state, the PIR, the referred frailty and the mobility of the rural elderly population. The investigation process, as well as its disclosures, identifies a population of rural elderly, young in activity, mostly male, who perceive their health as frail and maintain a low risk of hospitalization. The study showed a relationship between frailty, mobility and ICSAP compatible with risks of hospitalization of elders in the state. It also identified some particularities regarding health-disease conditions from the rural elderly population in RS, which suggest the necessity of improvement in primary health care for farmers. However, there is a necessity of promoting other researches with this population, considering their cultural and social characteristics and the demand of social policies adequate to the maintenance of their life quality, since the area offers obstacles with respect to public services and others inherent to aging in the country.

O envelhecimento populacional é, hoje, fenômeno mundial consequente a um crescimento mais elevado da população idosa com relação aos demais grupos etários. O declínio da habilidade física e mental freqüentemente associado ao envelhecimento tem implicações sociais, econômicas e com a saúde pública. O presente estudo realizado com idosos residentes no município de Batatais-SP, objetivou estudar algumas características dos idosos, a prática de exercício físico e a cognição. Pesquisou-se 400 idosos de ambos os sexos, com idade igual ou superior a 60 anos, utilizando-se um questionário estruturado;o Questionário de Atividade Física Internacional (IPAQ)-versão curta e para a avaliação cognitiva o mini-exame do estado mental (MEEM). Os dados receberam tratamento estatístico para observações de associações de variáveis através de regressão logística utilizando o procedimento PROC SURVEYLOGISTIC do programa SAS versão 9. Os resultados mostraram que 161 (40,2%) eram do sexo masculino e 239 (59,8%) do feminino. A idade média encontrada foi de 72 anos (DP= 8,3). A maioria, 62,7% dos idosos possuía baixa escolaridade com até 4 anos de estudo. Dos idosos 224(56%) morava com companheiros, sendo maior este percentual entre os homens (72,7%). Entre os que moravam com parentes verificou-se uma associação com déficit cognitivo (OR = 2,13 [1,27; 3,58]). Eram sedentários 86,7% dos idosos, sendo que as mulheres (15,5%) praticavam mais exercícios do que os homens (9,9%).Apenas 4,7% dos idosos foram classificados como ativos e 8,5% como irregularmente ativos. O uso de medicamentos foi mais freqüente entre as mulheres (89,2%). Dos idosos 40,5% de ambos os sexos não faziam nenhuma atividade intelectual. As mulheres tiveram maior participação nas atividades em grupo (58,7%). Nas atividades individuais 86,7% dos idosos realizavam de 1 a 2 atividades. A maior freqüência de déficit cognitivo foi encontrada nas mulheres (45,6%) (OR = 1,64 [1,10; 2,45]) e nos idosos com idade de 80 anos e mais 61,9% (OR = 3,26 [1,92; 5,51]). Os resultados indicam a importância da adoção de um estilo de vida saudável, com prática de exercício físico e em outras atividades de integração, que podem melhorar a qualidade de vida promovendo a autonomia dos idosos para a realização das atividades do cotidiano. / The population aging is a present worldwide phenomenon, consequence of a higher growth on the old age population compared to the other age groups. The decrease of mental and physical ability usually linked to aging has social and economical implications and with public health. The current study made with the elderly who live in Batatais-São Paulo, aims at studying some characteristics of the elderly, the practice of physical exercise and cognition. A group of 400 elderly of both genders with the age of 60 or over was researched, by using a structured questionnaire; the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) short version and for the cognitive evaluation the mini exam of the mental state (MEEM) was applied. The data were statistically analyzed for observations of associations of variables through logistic regression using the procedure PROC SURVEYLOGISTIC of the SAS program version 9. The results obtained showed that 161 (40,2 %) were male and 239 (59,8%) were female. The average age was 72 years old (DP= 8,3). Most of them, 62,7% of the elderly had low academic level up to 4 years of study. Most of the elderly lived with partners, 224 (56%), and the highest percentage was among men (72,7). Among the ones who lived with relatives, an association with cognition deficit was checked (OR= 2,13[ 1,27;3,58]). It was also observed that 86,7% of the elderly belong to the sedentary group and that the women (15,5%) practice more exercise than men (9,9%). Only 4,7% of the elderly were classified as active and 8,5% as irregularly active. The women are the ones who most use medicine (89,2%). From the elderly, 40,5% of male and female elderly dont have any kind of intellectual activity. The women have a greater participation in group activities (58,7%). Concerning to individual activities 86,7% of the elderly practice 1 or 2 activities. The most incidence of cognitive deficit is found among the women (45,6%) (OR= 1,64] 1,10;2,45]) and from the 80-year-old elderly on, 61,9%(OR=3,26]1,92;5,51]). The outcomes show that both the habit of a healthy way of living through the practice of physical exercises and in other group activities can enhance the life quality, this way promoting the old people more self confidence to the fulfillment of the everyday activities.

Introdução: O número de idosos representa uma parcela crescente da população devido ao aumento da expectativa de vida. Na epidemiologia, há diferenças importantes, em relação aos casos de hepatites virais que acometem os idosos quando comparados à população mais jovem. A Hepatite B é um problema de saúde pública mundial e uma das principais causas de doença hepática avançada, como cirrose hepática e hepatocarcinoma. O risco de hepatocarcinoma entre pessoas infectadas pelo Vírus da Hepatite B é maior em homens com mais de 60 anos, expostos cronicamente ao vírus. Alguns estudos apontam que a probabilidade de cronificação e complicações são maiores nos idosos, sendo uma preocupação para a saúde pública. Nota-se, todavia, escassez de estudos sobre Hepatite B para este grupo etário, sendo o intuito deste trabalho acrescentar informações nesta direção. Objetivo: Verificar a prevalência e fatores associados à infecção pelo vírus da Hepatite B entre idosos. Métodos: Estudo transversal de base populacional, realizado por meio de entrevista domiciliar e exames laboratoriais. Trata-se de amostra representativa de idosos (60 anos ou mais) residentes no Município de São Paulo, Brasil, participantes do Estudo Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento, no ano de 2010. Resultados: No município de São Paulo, 14,7% (IC95%: 12,5-17,3%) dos idosos apresentaram diagnóstico positivo para infecção por Hepatite B. Na análise univariada, observou-se maior prevalência para Hepatite B no sexo masculino (19,8%), faixa etária entre 80 anos e mais (19,4%), sem companheiro (16,5%), residindo só (20,8%), com atividade sexual no último ano (19,8%). Na análise múltipla, observou-se que homens (OR= 1,60; IC95%: 1,01-2,52), indivíduos que indicaram morarem só (OR= 1,95; IC95%: 1,07-3,57) e pessoas idosas com relato de atividade sexual no último ano (OR= 1,76; IC95%: 1,05-2,94) apresentaram maior probabilidade de ter infecção pelo vírus da Hepatite B, em modelo controlado por idade e estado civil. Conclusão: A constatação desses fatores pode servir de base para a organização de ações educativas e a implementação de estratégias de prevenção da Hepatite B direcionadas para essa população. / Introduction: The elderly represent a growing portion of the population due to the increase in life expectancy. Epidemiologically, there are important differences between the cases of viral hepatitis in the elderly and those of the younger population. Hepatitis B is a public health concern in the whole world, and one of the major causes of severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in the population infected by Hepatitis B virus is higher among men with more than 60 years of age, with chronic exposure to the virus. Some studies indicate that chronification and complications are more likely to occur in the elderly, making this a health care concern. However, there is a shortage of studies on Hepatitis B for this age group, and the purpose of this study is to add information in this direction. Objective: To verify the prevalence and associated factors of the Hepatitis B virus infection among the elderly. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study, accomplished through home interviews and laboratorial blood tests. This is a representative sample of older adults residing in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, participants of the \"Health, Well-Being and Aging\" Survey, in the year of 2010. Results: In São Paulo, 14,7% (CI95%: 12,5-17,3%) of older adults showed positive diagnostic for Hepatitis B virus infection. In the univariate analysis, the highest prevalence of Hepatitis B was shown in the male population (19.8%), aged 80 or more years (19.4%), with no partner (16.5%), living alone (20.8%), reporting sexual intercourse in the last year (19.8%). In the multiple analysis, it was observed that men (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01-2.52), individuals living alone (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.07-3.57) and elderly people that reported sexual activity in the last year (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.05-2.94) were more likely to have Hepatitis B virus infection in a model controlled by age and marital status. Conclusion: The realization of these associations can ground the organization of educational practices and the implementation of strategies to prevent Hepatitis B virus -infection in this age group.

INTRODUÇÃO: Com o envelhecimento da população, a prevalência de doenças crônico-degenerativas sofreu aumento progressivo. A repercussão dessas doenças sobre a capacidade funcional foi reconhecida. Outro parâmetro de saúde é a \"qualidade de vida\" ou, preferivelmente, \"qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. A avaliação destes parâmetros emergiu como parte importante do exame clínico do idoso. Na população idosa, as doenças cardiovasculares destacam-se pelo enorme impacto epidemiológico e clínico. Elas, geralmente, vêm associadas a outras afecções, inclusive neuropsiquiátricas. Esse conjunto de problemas pode comprometer a independência e a qualidade de vida do idoso que busca tratamento cardiológico. Esses parâmetros de saúde têm sido relativamente pouco contemplados pelos cardiologistas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar, em uma população de idosos atendidos em um ambulatório de cardiologia de um hospital de referência, se os determinantes clínicos mais relevantes de dependência e de qualidade de vida são doenças e fatores de risco cardiovascular ou ainda comorbidades, particularmente as neuropsiquiátricas. MÉTODOS: Os idosos deste estudo foram selecionados aleatória e consecutivamente. Aqueles com déficit cognitivo não foram considerados para o cálculo da qualidade de vida. A avaliação clínica dos pacientes foi feita por uma única médica de acordo com os dados obtidos em seus prontuários clínicos. Os pacientes foram ainda atendidos por uma única psicóloga que aplicou um conjunto de quatro questionários: HAQ, SF-36, PRIME-MD e Mini Exame do Estado Mental. RESULTADOS: O estudo incluiu 1020 idosos, 646 (63,3%) mulheres e 374 (36,6%) homens, entre 60 e 97 anos (média: 75,56 ± 6,62 anos). Nesta população, 61,4% mostrou-se independente ou com dependência leve. O escore total de qualidade de vida foi elevado (HAQ: 88,66 ± 2,68). 87,7% dos pacientes apresentou escore total do SF-36 > 66. No domínio emocional, 44,7% apresentou índices elevados de qualidade de vida (SF-36 > 66). Idosos entre 90 e 97 anos apresentaram escores do SF-36 acima da média: 66,66 ± 4,59, no domínio emocional. A regressão logística mostrou que a associação entre os diagnósticos e graus elevados de dependência foi significante (p<0,05) para: ausência de atividade física (OR: 0,08), obesidade (OR: 2,24), acidente vascular cerebral prévio (OR: 1,97), déficit cognitivo (OR: 3,17), osteoartrite (OR: 1,64) e depressão maior (OR: 2,76). A associação entre os diagnósticos e graus mais baixos de qualidade de vida permaneceu significante para: fibrilação atrial (OR: 0,61), osteoartrite (OR: 1,79), depressão maior (OR: 6,09) e depressão menor (OR: 1,91). CONCLUSÃO: Em uma população de idosos atendidos em um ambulatório de cardiologia de um hospital de referência, os determinantes clínicos mais relevantes de prejuízos para dependência e qualidade de vida são as comorbidades não cardiovasculares, particularmente as neuropsiquiátricas / INTRODUCTION: The population aging promotes a progressive increase of chronic-degenerative diseases. The repercussion of these diseases on the functional capacity was well recognized. Another health parameter concerns quality of life or, rather, quality of life related to health. Such parameters evaluation emerged as an important part of the elderly clinical examination. Among the elderly population, cardiovascular diseases stand out due to a huge epidemiological and clinical impact. Usually, these diseases have been associated with others, including neuro-psychiatric ones. This set of problems may compromise both independence and quality of life in elderly patients who look for a cardiologic treatment. These health parameters havent been well contemplated by cardiologists. OBJECTIVE: Evaluating, among the elderly population attended in an outpatient cardiologic service, if the clinical determinants more relevant concerning dependence and quality of life are cardiologic diseases or cardiologic risk factors or even comorbidities, especially the neuro-psychiatric ones. METHODS: The elderly in this study have been selected randomly and consecutively. People with cognitive impairment have not been considered for accountability matters of quality of life. The clinical evaluation has been made by a physician according to the hospital clinical notes. The patients have also been evaluated by a psychologist who applied a set of four questionnaires: HAQ, SF-36, PRIME-MD e Mini Mental State. RESULTS: The population consisted of 1020 elderly, 63.3% women and 36.6% men, between 60 and 97 years of age (75.56 ± 6.62 years of age). Among these elderly, 61.4% were independent or slightly dependent. The quality of life total score was high (HAQ: 88.66 ± 2.68). 87.7% of the patients had SF-36 total score > 66. Regarding emotional domain, 44.7% had high quality of life scores (SF-36 > 66). Elderly between 90 and 97 years had SF-36 scores above the average: 66.66 ± 4.59, regarding emotional domain. The logistic regression model showed a significant association (p<0.05) between high dependence scores and: absence of physical activities (OR: 0.08), obesity (OR: 2.24), stroke (OR: 1.97), cognitive impairment (OR: 3.17), osteoarthritis (OR: 1.64) and major depression (OR: 2.76). The same logistic regression model showed a significant association (p<0.05) between quality of life low scores and: atrial fibrillation (OR: 0.61), osteoarthritis (OR: 1.79), major depression (OR: 6.09) and minor depression (OR: 1.91). CONCLUSION: Among an elderly population attended in an outpatient cardiologic service, dependence and quality of life clinical determinants are not cardiovascular comorbidities, especially the neuro-psychiatric ones

Bakgrund: Smärta är ett vanligt problem hos äldre, vilket hanteras olika av sjuksköterskor. Det finns vissa svårigheter kopplade till åldrandet och läkemedel, bland annat ändrad fysiologi. De äldre kan ha föreställningar om att smärta är naturligt förekommande med åldern. Sjuksköterskors uppgift är att ge adekvat omvårdnad och därmed smärtlindring. Syfte: Att belysa sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av smärta inom äldrevården. Metod: Allmän litteraturöversikt med innehållsanalys. Nio artiklar ingår i resultatet. Resultat: I litteraturöversikten framkom två teman och åtta subteman som visar att det finns olika anledningar till att smärtan underbehandlas, exempelvis en rädsla för att övermedicinera eller svårigheter att tolka smärtuttryck på grund av tvetydigt kroppsspråk. Sjuksköterskor anser själva att de inte besitter tillräcklig kunskap för att utföra adekvat smärtbedömning och smärtbehandling. Slutsats: Det behövs fler riktade utbildningsinsatser för sjuksköterskor, både på arbetsplats och inom grundutbildningen. För att ge en adekvat smärtbehandling behöver sjuksköterskan förhålla sig till personcentrerad och evidensbaserad omvårdnad. / Background: Pain is a common problem in the elderly population, which is handled differently by nurses. There are some difficulties related to aging and drugs, including altered physiology. The elderly may have beliefs that pain is naturally occurring withage. The nurse's role is to provide adequate care and thus pain treatment. Aim: To elucidate the nurses’ experience of pain in the elderly care. Method: General literature review using content analysis. Nine articles were included in the result. Results: The literature review revealed two main themes and eight sub themes which show that there are different reasons for why the pain treatment is lacking, such as a fear of over-medicating or difficulties interpreting the painful expressions because of ambiguous body language. The nurses considered that they did not possess sufficient knowledge to perform adequate pain assessment and pain management. Conclusion: There is need for more targeted training for nurses, both at work and during the nursing education. To provide an adequate pain management the nurses need to relate to the person-centered and evidence-based nursing.

There is a national, state and local concern that focuses upon the rapid growth of our elder population as well as those within the cohort that suffer with mental illness. However, other than the numerous Alzheimer’s related headlines, there is little national or state consideration being given to non-dementia-related elder mental illnesses. The lack of existing mental health service programs to assist the elderly community merits attention. The Constructionist paradigm was the basis for this study, due to its reliance upon recognized leaders in the field engaging in an interactive group process. These leaders included politicians, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and other community leaders. Outcomes from this study produced five action oriented initiatives: Leadership, Funding Campaign, Elder Sensitivity Campaign, Enhancement of Existing Programs, and New Program Expansion. These initiatives, if implemented, could drive change and positively affect the elderly population with mental illness within this central California county research site.

We are aware of the fact that elderly people suffering from alcoholism doesn’t stop their be-haviour the day they turn 65. But when they do turn 65, they might become a case for social workers who only handle cases regarding people over 65, and we wanted to find out if they have any experience of working with elderly who have problems related to alcohol. We de-cided that a group interview, a focus group, would be the best method when our purpose was to try discovering their own experiences, so we interviewed seven social workers in the Stockholm area. The interview was based on four main questions: the social workers experi-ences, difficulties in the cases, how to handle the difficulties and how the social workers talk about these cases among themselves. These questions were analysed with the theory of social construction, Bourdieu´s theory of doxa and Goffman´s theory of stigma. The analyse showed that the social workers had experience but that they didn’t want more recourses, they wanted a cooperation with social workers who specializes on clients with alcohol related problems. They currently focus on the individual, not the alcohol issue which we believe might be a problem in the future.

Brukare och brukarinflytande har på senare tid, blivit allt mer uppmärksammat inom den offentliga sektorn i socialt arbete (Svensson., Johansson &amp; Laanemets, 2008, sid. 133-136). Frågan är huruvida brukare inom äldreomsorgen, kan göra sina röster hörda och vilka möjligheter till inflytande det finns för äldre i samhället? Det övergripande syftet med denna studie är att söka kunskap om äldres möjligheter till brukarinflytande, inom äldreomsorgen i Kumla kommun. Ett delsyfte är att undersöka vilka former av brukarinflytande som tillvaratas i Kumla kommun, efter genomförandet av projektet ”Vägar till ökat brukarinflytande och medborgerligt inflytande över kvaliteten i äldreomsorgen”. Frågan om på vilket sätt brukarinflytande kan ske i det praktiska arbetet med äldre med demenssjukdom, utgör även det fokus för denna studie. Genom en kvalitativ forskningsansats, har intervjuer genomförts med tre respondenter; en tidigare projektledare, en representant från Väntjänsten i kommunen samt med nuvarande äldreomsorgschefen i kommunen. Kvalitativ data har därefter analyserats genom meningskoncentrering, i syftet att utmynna i tematiseringar. Resultaten av studien påvisar att det i Kumla kommun, finns flera olika möjligheter till inflytande för brukare inom äldreomsorgen. Bland annat kan äldre ges inflytande över sitt eget ärende genom talesombud eller så kan de äldre genom att ingå i brukarråd, ges möjligheter till inflytande mellan omsorgsgivare och omsorgstagare. Brukarinflytande bland äldre med demenssjukdom, innebar vanligen att vårdpersonal förde de äldres talan och att anhörigas önskemål för den äldre prioriterades sekundärt. / Users and user influence has in recent years, become more noticed in the public sector in social work (Svensson., Johansson &amp; Laanemets, 2008, p. 133-136). The question is whether users of the elderly care, can make their voices heard and what possibilities there is for older people to influence in society? The overall aim of this study is to learn about older people´s opportunities to user influence, in elderly care in Kumla community (in Sweden). A second aim is to examine which forms of user influence that are procured in Kumla, after the implementation of the project "Vägar till ökat brukarinflytande och medborgerligt inflytande över kvaliteten i äldreomsorgen ". The question of how user involvement can occur in the practical work with older people with dementia is also the focus of this study. Through a qualitative research approach, interviews were conducted with three respondents; a previous project manager, a representative from Väntjänst in the municipality and with the current elder care manager in the municipality. Qualitative data were then analyzed by sentence concentrator, with the purpose to culminate in themes. The results of the study indicate that in Kumla community, there are several possibilities to influence by patients in nursing homes. One example is that elderly people are given control over their own case through spokespersons or by the elderly thought participating in user councils, and thereby be provided opportunities for influences between caregivers and care recipients. User influence among elderly with dementia usually meant that health workers helped the elderly with their claims and that relatives requests for the elderly where prioritized secondary.

The objective of this study is to test if the hypothesis of the environmental gerontology theory can be applied to a cross-cultural environment. This study examined the applicability and functionality of the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP), a tool based on the environmental gerontology theory, and assessed the quality of elderly care facilities in Taiwan. Special emphasis was placed in examining the functionality of the MEAP from the cross-cultural standpoint and also in identifying the associations or potential impacting factors of care quality. This is the first study with the application of the MEAP to examine the quality of the two major care facilities in Taiwan. Results of this study provide not only an insight into the characteristics of the elderly care facilities ,and a reference for policy making and regulation, but also valuable data for cross-cultural comparisons. The study employed the MEAP to achieve the stated objectives and further evaluated the differences in the characteristics of the two major elderly care facilities, namely the nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Kaohsiung city in Taiwan. This cross-sectional research was conducted with questionnaires by 687 employees (excluding foreign workers) and 429 residents in 35 nursing homes and 41 assisted living facilities in Kaohsiung city were interviewed. Participants were selected from residents who were conscious and without cognitive disorder for face-to-face questionnaire interviews. For facilities with ten or more residents, 50% of the eligible residents were selected for this interview. For facilities having less than ten residents, all those qualified residents were interviewed. Results were analyzed on the basis of institutional units rather than the individual basis. Results showed that the MEAP effectively evaluated the associations of the multiple environmental factors with the quality of life of the two major elderly care facilities in Kaohsiung city. Standardized multiple quality indexes mode showed that the assisted-living facilities have better overall quality than nursing homes do. The major findings are: 1.The major residents of elderly care facilities in Kaohsiung city were the socioeconomically less privileged residents, including house wifes, the disabled, and widowed. The service most needed was personal care such as bathing. 2.Based on the MEAP, a total of eight significant variables were compared between nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Among these variables, nursing homes were better in staff resource than that of the assisted living facilities. Assisted-living facilities were better in all other seven variables including functional abilities, activities in community, acceptance of problem behavior, physical amenities, social-recreational aids, and orientational aids and staff facilities. 3.The staff members of both nursing homes and assisted living facilities have better SCES than that of their residents. 4.Compared to assisted living facilities, the nursing homes were superior in staff level and staff resources but inferior in comfort, security, and control. No differences were observed in services, autonomy, rapport and morale. 5.The characteristics of organizational management, such as ownership, type and size, were important impacting factors of care quality. The nonprofit-nursing homes were better scored in six of the eight quality indexes than the ones owned by privately-for-profit. 6.Factors that influenced the quality of the nursing homes include number of workers, number of beds, number of residents, ownership, functional abilities, actively level, activities in community, occupancy rate and type of elderly care facility. 7.Factors that influenced the quality of assisted living facilities include occupancy rate, number of residents, number of workers, activity level and type of elderly care facility. 8.The regression model for the outcome of multiple environmental quality indexes with the structure and process indexes is related in nursing homes. The regression model indicates that the model significantly predicted outcome quality index (morale) (R2 = 49.4%). Both structure quality index (comfort and safety) and process quality index (autonomy and rapport) were significant predicting factors of outcome quality index (morale). Autonomy was a negative predicting factor. 9.Standardized multiple environmental quality index indicated that based on the MEAP, assisted living facilities had a little bit higher quality than that of nursing homes in Kaohsiung city. In conclusion, this study confirmed the hypothesis that the MEAP can be applied effectively to evaluate the quality of elderly care facilities in a cross-cultural environment. However, cultural differences do have an impact on the functionality of the tool. Results of this study indicate that the two major elderly care facilities in Kaohsiung city have relatively similar characteristics, but the assisted living facilities are slightly better in overall quality than that of nursing homes. The major factors that impact the quality of elderly care facilities are the operational characteristics and efficience. Results of this study indicate that the MEAP provides very useful indicators for assessing the quality of elderly care facilities in Taiwan, especially for nursing homes. The MEAP identified more structure and process-related impacting factors than outcome-related impacting factors in this study. Concerning cultural difference, the MEAP could be benefited from some modification in certain measurements, especially in facility atmosphere(SCES), when applied in Taiwan.