Family health evaluated by family members of older patients and nurses in emergency departments

Abstract

Older patients quite often arrive in an emergency department (ED) with a family member, but little is known about the family member's health evaluated in ED. The aim of this study was to describe family health in EDs evaluated by family members and nurses. Data were collected from Estonian hospital EDs from 111 family members of older patients and from 93 nurses. Family health in EDs was evaluated as being at a moderate level. Family members reported that family health was better when older patients lived with the family. The more time the family spent in the ED, the worse the health-related activities were. Nurses reported that cardiovascular problems in older patients who presented in EDs disturbed the values of family health. We conclude that ED nurses should recognize the level of family health, in order to ensure that the family will be able to cope at home. Family health in EDs should be reviewed over time to help nurses meet the required needs of the family.

Family and Social Variables Associated with Family Health

“…Previous authors have indicated that SLEs can induce conflict and stress in couple relationships, chronic stress at home, family dysfunction, changes in personal habits (e.g., sleep or rest), or work stress (Repetti et al, 2015), apart from affecting the health status of the family caregiver (e.g., presence of symptoms of stress or anxiety) (Buccheri et al, 2018). Demidenko et al (2018) emphasized that stressful situations affect the whole family’s life and worsen family health. For professionals working with families, identifying the family units experiencing the most stress in the previous year will definitely increase awareness regarding what to assess when working with them on functional adaptation strategies as well as the adequacy of their resources.…”

“…Studies that address “family health” frequently equate the term to “family functioning” (Kaakinen, 2018). Moreover, although family health can be determined by various individual, family, or social factors (Lavorgna et al, 2020), several studies have focused on individual factors related to health-disease situations instead of family and social factors (Demidenko et al, 2018). For instance, families that have an elderly with health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases or dementia, could present an elevated risk for stress and family dysfunction (SAGE, 2019).…”

Physician Perceptions of Disposition Decision-making for Older Adults in the Emergency Department: A Preliminary Analysis

“…Second, when an older adult disagrees with their disposition decision, namely hospitalization, families can be persuasive thereby easing the transition process (Lawson & Richmond, 2005). Third, families are often tasked with either providing or supporting the care of the older adult following disposition (Demidenko et al, 2017;Steinmiller, Routasalo & Suominen, 2015), making it pertinent that they are engaged in the disposition decisionmaking process.…”