As older adults live longer, demand for supportive care will increase. Older adults will need a form of long-term care to manage their health and quality of life. As older adults age, they’re susceptible to having one or more chronic conditions. In taking measures to manage the chronic conditions of many older adults, in-home supportive services is a supportive program that provides non-medical personal and instrumental services to help older adults with their activities of daily living. An in-home supportive service allows an older adult to receive assistance and remain comfortably living in his or her home. However, an older adult of low-income status may not receive this information on supportive services. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the level of awareness low-income older adults have on in-home supportive services. This research design was quantitative focusing on measuring the level of awareness among low-income older adults. A survey instrument was created and given to older adults at a senior center of the County of San Bernardino. IBM SPSS Manual on Windows Software was used to input and analyze data. The findings of the study found a low level of awareness of the program called In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and participants understanding of in-home supportive services was unclear. This study provides recommendations for social workers to address the barriers of low-income older adults acquiring information on in-home supportive services.

No description available.

O envelhecimento populacional no Brasil é um fenômeno que ocorre rapidamente, alterando o perfil de morbi-mortalidade da população, com conseqüente aumento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Dentre essas doenças estão inseridas as demências, que produzem grande impacto para os indivíduos acometidos, tanto no que diz respeito à funcionalidade e manutenção da independência, como também a necessidade, muitas vezes, do auxílio de um cuidador para o desempenho das tarefas do cotidiano, afetadas pelo declínio cognitivo. Para conhecer as demandas de saúde que poderão emergir da população que se tornou rapidamente idosa, a Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde, desenvolveu em 2000, um estudo multicêntrico denominado Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento na América Latina e Caribe (SABE), realizado em sete países, entre eles o Brasil, sendo desenvolvido na área urbana do Município de São Paulo, com 2.143 idosos com 60 anos ou mais, divididos em duas partes: uma probabilística e uma intencional. Em todos os países envolvidos foi aplicado um instrumento único, padronizado, composto por onze seções. Para o estudo presente, a composição da amostra foi de idosos que, na avaliação do estado cognitivo, obtiveram uma pontuação de 12 ou menos no MEEM (Mini Exame do Estado Mental) e 6 ou mais no Questionário de Pfeffer para Atividades Funcionais (QPAF). O MEEM é um instrumento utilizado para avaliação das funções cognitivas e para o SABE utilizou-se uma versão modificada e validada do MEEM desenvolvido por Folstein. A combinação desses dois instrumentos indica uma maior especificidade para a medida de declínio cognitivo mais grave, sugerindo a presença de demência ou outros transtornos associados. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: traçar o perfil sócio-demográfico e as condições de saúde desses idosos com declínio cognitivo, bem como conhecer as reais necessidades de ajuda e a ajuda recebida pela rede de apoio, segundo arranjos domiciliares e rede de suporte social. As variáveis foram agrupadas em blocos temáticos de interesse: informações pessoais, condições de saúde, avaliação funcional, medicações utilizadas e suporte social. Os resultados se mostraram equiparados com a literatura, principalmente no que diz respeito às características sócio-demográficas, com maior número de mulheres, em faixas etárias mais velhas e com menor nível de escolaridade. Esses idosos também são mais acometidos de comorbidades, sendo que mais que a metade deles sofre de hipertensão arterial, possuem maior perda funcional, principalmente em relação às atividades instrumentais de vida diária, 30,8% sofrem de incontinência urinária e 13,0% de fecal, 37,2% deles apresentaram queda nos últimos 12 meses e 22,6% moram sós, sendo que a ajuda oferecida, pela maioria dos arranjos domiciliares chega muitas vezes em 100,0%, ficando também quase em sua totalidade, a responsabilidade e o oferecimento de ajuda pela família. / The Brazilian aging population is a phenomenon that occurs rapidly, changing the population morbid-mortality profile, consequently increasing the chronic non-transmissible diseases. Among these diseases there are dementias that produce a great impact to the attacked individuals, in their functionality as well as in the being able to be independent, often times needing extra caregiver for daily living, affected by cognitive decline. To understand the health demands that may emerge from the population that became rapidly aged, the Pan-American Health Organization, developed in 2000, a multi center study, named Well Being and Aging in Latin America and Caribbean (SABE), comprising of 7 countries, including Brazil, with 2,143 aged people 60 years and older in the urban area of the Sao Paulo county, divided in two parts: one probabilistic and one intentional. In all studied countries it was used only one instrument, standardized, consisting of eleven sections. For this present study, the sample composition was of aged people that presented 12 or less points in the Mini Mental State Test (MEEM) of the cognitive test and 6 points or more in the Pfeffer Examination for the Functional Activities (QPAF). The MEEM is an instrument used to evaluate the cognitive functions and to the SABE test, it was used a modified and validated version of the MEEM developed by Folstein. The combination of these two instruments shows a higher specificity to measure the worst cognitive decline, suggesting the presence of dementia and other associated problems. The objectives of this study were: to trace the socio-demographic profile and the health conditions of these aged people with cognitive decline, as well as to learn the real need for help and aid provided by the support group, as per the home arrangements and the web of social support. The variables were grouped in interest theme blocks: personal information, health conditions, functional evaluation, used medication, and social support. The results were demonstrated to be comparable with the literature, mainly related to the socio-demographic characteristics, with a larger number of women, in older age levels and lesser levels of schooling. These aged people are more susceptible of comorbidities, more than half of them have high blood pressure, and greater functional, mostly related to the loss of instrumental activities of the daily life, 30.8% suffer with urinary incontinence and 13.0% of fecal, 37.2% of them have fallen in the last 12 months, and 22.6% live alone, and the offered home support comes to 100%, coming to be the responsibility almost totally dependent of the family support.

O envelhecimento populacional no Brasil é um fenômeno que ocorre rapidamente, alterando o perfil de morbi-mortalidade da população, com conseqüente aumento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Dentre essas doenças estão inseridas as demências, que produzem grande impacto para os indivíduos acometidos, tanto no que diz respeito à funcionalidade e manutenção da independência, como também a necessidade, muitas vezes, do auxílio de um cuidador para o desempenho das tarefas do cotidiano, afetadas pelo declínio cognitivo. Para conhecer as demandas de saúde que poderão emergir da população que se tornou rapidamente idosa, a Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde, desenvolveu em 2000, um estudo multicêntrico denominado Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento na América Latina e Caribe (SABE), realizado em sete países, entre eles o Brasil, sendo desenvolvido na área urbana do Município de São Paulo, com 2.143 idosos com 60 anos ou mais, divididos em duas partes: uma probabilística e uma intencional. Em todos os países envolvidos foi aplicado um instrumento único, padronizado, composto por onze seções. Para o estudo presente, a composição da amostra foi de idosos que, na avaliação do estado cognitivo, obtiveram uma pontuação de 12 ou menos no MEEM (Mini Exame do Estado Mental) e 6 ou mais no Questionário de Pfeffer para Atividades Funcionais (QPAF). O MEEM é um instrumento utilizado para avaliação das funções cognitivas e para o SABE utilizou-se uma versão modificada e validada do MEEM desenvolvido por Folstein. A combinação desses dois instrumentos indica uma maior especificidade para a medida de declínio cognitivo mais grave, sugerindo a presença de demência ou outros transtornos associados. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: traçar o perfil sócio-demográfico e as condições de saúde desses idosos com declínio cognitivo, bem como conhecer as reais necessidades de ajuda e a ajuda recebida pela rede de apoio, segundo arranjos domiciliares e rede de suporte social. As variáveis foram agrupadas em blocos temáticos de interesse: informações pessoais, condições de saúde, avaliação funcional, medicações utilizadas e suporte social. Os resultados se mostraram equiparados com a literatura, principalmente no que diz respeito às características sócio-demográficas, com maior número de mulheres, em faixas etárias mais velhas e com menor nível de escolaridade. Esses idosos também são mais acometidos de comorbidades, sendo que mais que a metade deles sofre de hipertensão arterial, possuem maior perda funcional, principalmente em relação às atividades instrumentais de vida diária, 30,8% sofrem de incontinência urinária e 13,0% de fecal, 37,2% deles apresentaram queda nos últimos 12 meses e 22,6% moram sós, sendo que a ajuda oferecida, pela maioria dos arranjos domiciliares chega muitas vezes em 100,0%, ficando também quase em sua totalidade, a responsabilidade e o oferecimento de ajuda pela família. / The Brazilian aging population is a phenomenon that occurs rapidly, changing the population morbid-mortality profile, consequently increasing the chronic non-transmissible diseases. Among these diseases there are dementias that produce a great impact to the attacked individuals, in their functionality as well as in the being able to be independent, often times needing extra caregiver for daily living, affected by cognitive decline. To understand the health demands that may emerge from the population that became rapidly aged, the Pan-American Health Organization, developed in 2000, a multi center study, named Well Being and Aging in Latin America and Caribbean (SABE), comprising of 7 countries, including Brazil, with 2,143 aged people 60 years and older in the urban area of the Sao Paulo county, divided in two parts: one probabilistic and one intentional. In all studied countries it was used only one instrument, standardized, consisting of eleven sections. For this present study, the sample composition was of aged people that presented 12 or less points in the Mini Mental State Test (MEEM) of the cognitive test and 6 points or more in the Pfeffer Examination for the Functional Activities (QPAF). The MEEM is an instrument used to evaluate the cognitive functions and to the SABE test, it was used a modified and validated version of the MEEM developed by Folstein. The combination of these two instruments shows a higher specificity to measure the worst cognitive decline, suggesting the presence of dementia and other associated problems. The objectives of this study were: to trace the socio-demographic profile and the health conditions of these aged people with cognitive decline, as well as to learn the real need for help and aid provided by the support group, as per the home arrangements and the web of social support. The variables were grouped in interest theme blocks: personal information, health conditions, functional evaluation, used medication, and social support. The results were demonstrated to be comparable with the literature, mainly related to the socio-demographic characteristics, with a larger number of women, in older age levels and lesser levels of schooling. These aged people are more susceptible of comorbidities, more than half of them have high blood pressure, and greater functional, mostly related to the loss of instrumental activities of the daily life, 30.8% suffer with urinary incontinence and 13.0% of fecal, 37.2% of them have fallen in the last 12 months, and 22.6% live alone, and the offered home support comes to 100%, coming to be the responsibility almost totally dependent of the family support.

Le développement professionnel infirmier (DPI) constitue une condition sine qua non d’une prestation de soins de qualité dans un contexte de vieillissement de la population qui présente des problèmes de santé complexes et d’intensification des soins à domicile (SAD). Des infirmières décrient cependant une inquiétude grandissante quant aux barrières susceptibles de freiner leur DPI ainsi que l’intégration de leurs apprentissages à la pratique. Parmi ces barrières se trouvent notamment une difficulté d’accès à des activités de DPI pertinentes, des contraintes de ressources pour participer aux activités de DPI, un équilibre difficile entre la vie personnelle et professionnelle ainsi qu’un climat organisationnel rigide. Pour relever ces barrières et répondre aux défis de la complexité des soins et des environnements évoluant rapidement, la nécessité d’utiliser des stratégies intégrant l’apprentissage au travail afin de soutenir le développement professionnel des infirmières s’impose. À cet égard, des stratégies d’enseignement-apprentissage actives comme la simulation clinique, des clubs de lecture et des groupes de codéveloppement ont fait l’objet d’études dans un contexte de DPI et d’autres, comme l’apprentissage collaboratif (AC), beaucoup moins. Pourtant, l’AC permettrait de réduire certaines barrières au DPI en tenant compte des caractéristiques contextuelles et individuelles des apprenants. Cette recherche collaborative vise à explorer comment l’AC contribue au DPI d’infirmières de SAD auprès d’aînés présentant des problèmes de santé complexes en répondant à deux questions de recherche qui visent à identifier : (1) les éléments contextuels qui influencent la participation d’infirmières de SAD à des groupes d'AC ainsi que (2) les caractéristiques de l’AC qui contribuent à la réalisation d’apprentissages chez ces mêmes infirmières de SAD. Les résultats témoignent que (1) le rapport au temps, (2) le soutien du gestionnaire ainsi que (3) l’accompagnement des groupes d’AC sont des éléments contextuels qui influencent la participation d’infirmières de SAD à un groupe d’AC ainsi que le processus d’AC qui se veut évolutif, itératif et réflexif. Cette étude a aussi permis d’identifier cinq caractéristiques de l’AC qui contribuent à la réalisation d’apprentissages. L’AC : (1) exige une motivation à apprendre pour améliorer la qualité des soins; (2) conduit à une réflexion sur sa pratique professionnelle pour mieux la comprendre; (3) crée un espace de partage valorisant le développement de relations égalitaires empreintes de respect et d’écoute; (4) oriente vers une recherche collective de solutions pragmatiques aux problèmes rencontrés dans la pratique et (5) suscite un sentiment de réalisation et d’accomplissement de soi. Bien que cette recherche collaborative soit parmi les premières du genre à être réalisée en SAD au Québec, le futur du DPI devrait consister à créer des environnements d’AC en milieu clinique. Pour ce faire, un changement de culture doit s’opérer profondément pour embrasser une perspective plus holistique et scientifique du DPI qui valorise sa pertinence et sa signifiance, notamment par l’AC. / Nursing professional development (NPD) is a sine qua non condition for quality care in a context of aging population with complex health problems and increasing home care (HC). However, nurses describe a growing concern about the barriers that may impede their NPD and the integration of their learning into practice. These barriers include difficulty accessing relevant NPD activities, resource constraints to participate in NPD activities, difficult work-life balance, and inflexible organizational climate. To address these barriers and meet the challenges of complex care and rapidly changing environments, there is a need to use strategies that integrate learning at work to support nurses' professional development. In this regard, active teaching-learning strategies such as clinical simulation, journal clubs and co-development groups have been studied in a NPD context and others, such as collaborative learning (CL), much less so. However, CL could reduce some of the barriers to NPD by considering the contextual and individual characteristics of learners. This collaborative research aims to explore how CL contributes to the NPD of HC nurses working with seniors with complex health problems by answering two research questions that aim to identify: (1) the contextual elements that influence the participation of HC nurses in CL groups as well as (2) the characteristics of CL that contribute to the achievement of learning in these same HC nurses. The results show that (1) the relationship to time, (2) the manager's support and (3) the support provided for CL groups are contextual elements that influence the participation of HC nurses in a CL group as well as the evolutionary, iterative and reflective CL process. This study also identified five characteristics of CL that contribute to learning. CL: (1) requires motivation to learn in order to improve the quality of care; (2) leads to reflection on one's professional practice in order to better understand it; (3) creates a space for sharing that values the development of egalitarian relationships marked by respect and listening; (4) leads to a collective search for pragmatic solutions to the problems encountered in practice; and (5) creates a sense of accomplishment and self-fulfillment. While this collaborative research is among the first of its kind to be conducted in HC in Quebec, the future of NPD should be in creating CL environments in clinical settings. To do so, a profound cultural shift must occur to embrace a more holistic and scientific perspective of NPD that values its relevance and meaning, particularly through CL.

Home First is an Ontario transition management approach that attempts to reduce the pressure on hospital and Long Term Care (LTC) beds through early discharge planning, the provision of timely and appropriate home care, and the delay of LTC placement. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to obtain descriptions from South Eastern Ontario Home First clients and their family caregivers of their experiences with and thoughts about care transitions, the provision of care, and the Home First approach. The goal was to enable insight into the Home First approach, care transitions, and the provision of care through access to the perspectives of study participants. Nine semi structured interviews (and one or more follow-up calls for each interview) with Home First clients discharged from hospitals in South East Ontario and their family caregivers were conducted and their content analyzed. All participating Home First clients were pleased to be home from hospital and did not consider LTC placement a positive option. All had family involved with their care and used a mix of formal and informal services to meet their care needs. Four general themes were identified: (a) maintaining independence while responding (or not) to risks, (b) constraints on care provision, (c) communication is key, and (d) relationship matters. Although all Home First clients participating in the study were discharged home successfully, a sense of partnership between health care providers, families, and clients was often lacking. The Home First approach may be successfully addressing hospital alternative level of care issues and getting people home where they want to be, but it is also putting increasing demands on formal and informal community caregivers. There is room for improvement in how well their needs and those of care recipients are being met. Health professionals and policy makers must ask caregivers and recipients about their concerns and provide them with appropriate resources and information if they want them to become true partners on the care team. / Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2013-05-23 16:10:53.323

This research investigates the relationship between the attitude of senior secondary mathematics educators towards school and the achievement of their learners. A literature study examined research into the relationships between an educator's attitude towards his or her school management team, colleagues, learners, parents, the subject of mathematics and the factors influencing mathematics achievement. An empirical investigation used a quantitative research design to collect data from selected senior secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A questionnaire was used to gather data and a statistical data analysis was conducted to calculate frequencies and test hypotheses. Findings indicated the existence of a relationship between educators' attitudes towards school and the achievement of their learners. It was therefore recommended that school managers should be very sensitive to the climate prevailing in their schools in order to encourage mathematics educators and thus, indirectly, learners in this vital subject. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

This research investigates the relationship between the attitude of senior secondary mathematics educators towards school and the achievement of their learners. A literature study examined research into the relationships between an educator's attitude towards his or her school management team, colleagues, learners, parents, the subject of mathematics and the factors influencing mathematics achievement. An empirical investigation used a quantitative research design to collect data from selected senior secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A questionnaire was used to gather data and a statistical data analysis was conducted to calculate frequencies and test hypotheses. Findings indicated the existence of a relationship between educators' attitudes towards school and the achievement of their learners. It was therefore recommended that school managers should be very sensitive to the climate prevailing in their schools in order to encourage mathematics educators and thus, indirectly, learners in this vital subject. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)