Older people and public health Flashcards
What is the 2020 vision for health and social care ?
By 2020 everyone is able to live longer healthier lives at home, or in a homely setting
What is meant by health and social care integration ?
Many NHS and local council care services now operate under one partnership arrangement for each area, shared budgets
What are the benefits of health and social care integration ?
- Shared working and shared aims
- Better communication across health and social care
- Better experience for patients – care where the patient wants it
- Reduction in “unnecessary” hospital admissions for social care reasons
- Faster discharge from hospital
What are some of the challenges of health and social care integration ?
- Shared budgets and competing interests
- How to share information and what to share
- Getting used to a new infrastructure
- Costly to implement
- Asymmetry of power
- Alien cultures
What are the main screening programmes for older people in scotland ?
•National screening programmes
- AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm)
- Bowel cancer
- Breast cancer
•Opportunistic screening
Who is AAA screening offered to and what is done if abnormalities found ?
- Men >65
- An US of aorta
If aneurysm found:
- 3 to 4.4cm - yearly scans
- 4.5 to 5.4cm - 3 monthly scans
- >5.4cm - refer for op assessment
Who is colorectal cancer screening offered to ?
Men and women 50-74 offered screening test every 2 years
What are the recommendations for breast cancer screening ?
Women 50-70 offered scan every 3yrs (mammogram)
What vaccines are offered to elderly people ?
- Influenza annually equal to or > 65
- Pneumoccocal for equal to or > 65 one off vaccine
- Shingles vaccine for 70yr olds, one of thing
What are the physcial activity recommendations for those equal to or >65?
DoH recommends for ≥ 65 years old
150 mins moderate or 75 mins vigorous intensity exercise per week
AND
strength exercises on ≥ 2 days per week
What does WHO suggest is the main way in which disease can be avoided in >60?
The WHO estimates that more than half of the burden of disease among people over 60 is potentially avoidable through changes to lifestyle
What are the consequences of smoking, potential diseases it can cause and the gain of stopping smoking even at an old age ?
Benefits:
- improved lung function, cardiovascular function and wound healing
- Reduced risk of many cancers particularly lung
Consequences:
- Smoking accelerates rate of decline of bone density, muscular strength and respiratory function
Even at 60 years old stopping smoking confers an average life expectancy gain of 3 years
What are some of the common causes of malnutrition in older people ?
- Dementia
- Social isolation
- Reduced mobility
What are some of the symptoms/signs of malnutrition?
- Tiredness
- Susceptibility to infections,
- Difficulty keeping warm
- Depression
- Insufficient calcium & vit D -> loss of bone density, falls, fractures
•Older people are more susceptible to risks of alcohol due to metabolism changes associated with ageing what are some of the increased risks for older people ?
- Increased susceptibility to alcohol-related diseases
- Increased risk of malnutrition
- Increased risk of alcohol-related falls and injuries
