Home healthcare and prevention of disability in the elderly
Section: LEARNING TO TEACH
Authors
1Ángela María López Llerena, 2Inmaculada López Martín
Position
1Estudiante de tercer curso de Enfermería. Diplomada en Fisioterapia.2Profesora de Enfermería Comunitaria. Departamento de Enfermería UEM. Diplomada en Enfermería y Licenciada en Humanidades.
Contact address
Universidad Europea de Madrid. C/ Tajo s/n. 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid.
Contact email: angela.maria@wanadoo.es
Abstract
In our healthcare setting there are currently numerous ongoing debates about Home Healthcare (HH), which is in need of adjustment to demographic and sociosanitary changes that are taking place in our country due to an ageing population, an increase in diseases that lead to physical disability, dependence on sociosanitary services, and increased costs generated by healthcare delivery to this particular sector of the population from the use of social and healthcare resources.
Home Healthcare characteristics are going to influence the selection and prioritisation of the type and justification for the Home Healthcare provision that nurses carry out. We have found that home patients most frequently present mobility problems, decreased self-care, elimination problems, and perceptual deficits.
The activities that define nursing practice in Home Healthcare are defined as being mainly related to the technical aspect of the care provided (wound care, wound and skin care, administration of medication, control and follow-up of chronic patients, etc.). However, we have found that home nursing care has been extended to include preventive, educational and psychosocial activities. Hence, the objective of this article is to reflect upon Home Healthcare nursing in primary care as a powerful tool for the prevention, detection and follow-up of the elderly population’s degree of dependency and to establish nursing diagnoses of risk that once identified and implemented will improve disability-free quality of life. This study was presented in an oral presentation at the European Nursing Classroom Conference (a nursing forum compiling European experiences) in january 2007.
Keywords:
home healthcare; home visit; prevention; disability; elderlycommunity nursing
Versión en Español
Título:
Atención domiciliaria y prevención de la incapacidad en ancianos
