The older adult: a comparison of long‐term care in Glasgow and San Francisco

Abstract

Population trends show an increasing proportion of people older than 65 years of age. This report aims to describe the facilities/services accessible to the older adult living in Glasgow, Scotland and in San Francisco, United States of America. This comparative study serves to develop a broader understanding of what is involved in the process of ageing, and describes how these two cities are responding to the needs of older people. Long-term caring provision is complex and involves multiple agencies, often leaving both lay and professional individuals ill-informed as to which services exist and how best to use them. The nurse can be instrumental in providing information, viable alternatives and services. In this article, options available for caring of the older adult and financing of care are discussed along with a number of recommendations based on observations described, data collected and literature researched. With the advent of care being provided in the community, there is now a continuum of services ranging from independent living at home to dependent care in hospital. Whether an individual remains at home depends on the availability and affordability of, and access to, other resources/facilities. Creative alternatives are needed for care of the older adult in this millennium. This report describes the need for an integrated system of care, which can adjust to variations in clients' needs. Progressive care facilities, intergenerational sharing, community volunteer service programmes for the older person and Edenizing are a few recommendations discussed by the authors.

‘All elderly people have important service needs’: a study of discourses on older people in parliamentary discussions in Finland

“…When care at home becomes insufficient, long-term care should be provided in community-based facilities rather than in more institutional settings such as residential homes. These objectives are compatible with other countries' policy aims (Joy and Fong 2000).…”

Long-term care use among old people in their last 2 years of life: variations across Finland

“…Second, when care at home becomes insufficient, the goal is for LTC to be provided in community‐based facilities rather than in residential homes or health centre wards. These objectives are compatible with other countries’ political aims (Joy & Fong ).…”

“…In Finland, as in other countries (Joy & Fong ), the spectrum of LTC services is more diversified today, ranging from public to private provision as well as from basic services provided for independent old people in their homes to intensive care provided for dependent old people living in institutional settings. Yet, LTC services are almost certainly not equally available to old people living in different parts of the country (Kokko & Valtonen , Pulkki et al .…”

Chinese community‐dwelling elders' needs: promoting ageing in place

“…To alleviate this situation, many countries have searched for effective and practical ideas that are compatible with their own social, cultural and economic conditions. As early as 1999 in the UK, the Royal Commission on Long‐Term Care proposed that nursing and personal care be provided free to older people, with individuals contributing only to the cost of their room and board (Joy & Fong ). In the Taiwan area, funding for the Program of All‐inclusive Care for older people living in the community involves a payment system whereby each person receives a monthly reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, an arrangement considered essential to the success of this programme (Chan et al.…”