Analysis of the Health Care Delivery System of Nursing Homes
Introduction
Health care delivery systems were previously exclusive to hospital services. However, in the previous decades with the rapid increase in the population of the older age groups nursing homes have become an established specialized health care delivery system. The importance of nursing homes is expected to persist in the future because every person will inevitably experience ageing and the manifestations of ageing. The primary condition requiring health care in nursing homes is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. The disease is not part of the normal ageing process. Nonetheless, the risk of having this disease is higher in older people. (Edwards et. al., 1998). Because it is progressive, the person suffering from the illness is not the only one affected. The entire community of people in which the person is part is affected. The person with Alzheimer’s disease, in the latter stages, may suffer from dementia to the extent of becoming disoriented about their surroundings, oblivious of family members and friends, and unaware of their needs and wants. (Doble, 1997)
Discussion
Nursing homes provide specialized health care services to their patients. The different aspects of health care provided includes the promotion of the health of the ageing population by informing patients, their families and the community on how to take care of their health through information drives and community outreach programs. In the nursing care facility, patients are monitored to prevent them from incurring diseases through supervised exercise and diet. Primary health care is available through the regular check-ups given to patients as well as a clean and healthy environment of patients through assisted hygiene and sanitation regimens. Specialist care is readily available to patients such as geriatric care, psychogeriatric care as well as palliative care services. Nursing homes provide both long term and intermediate care in the nursing care facility, the residence of the patient and in the community in general. In sum, nursing homes provide the health needs of patients who cannot or who have trouble in providing it for themselves.
Nursing care in homes for the aged contributes to the management of health care resources of the facility by implementing a uniform system of guidelines in determining and prioritizing the particular needs of each patient as well as coordinating the tasks of every personnel to achieve optimum results. Although this is difficult to achieve and goes through the trial and error phase prior to arriving at an effective system, resources are effectively managed in the long run. One aspect of resource management system is identifying patients with common needs, scheduling activities to ensure that needs are provided at the right time and choosing activities appropriate to the patient to prevent waste of time, effort and material resources.
Even in nursing homes, there is also a health care continuum because the physical conditions of patients vary. There are patients who can support their body and capable of walking and fending for their needs. However, there are also patients undergoing palliative care that developed serious illness or experiencing the latter stages of ageing. Health care systems play an important role in this transition process through the health care workers and management. On one hand, it is the health care workers who are aware of the condition of the patients and who can determine whether there is need for transition from one aspect of care to another. On the other hand, it is the health care management team that develops a system of determining the appropriate time and manner of transition and the procedure and formalities that should be followed by the staff based on the effective experiences of the staff. A common problem of transition in health care facilities is the requirement of payment prior to the transfer of a patient from one aspect of health care to another. However, in the case of nursing homes, funding involves welfare subsidies that in a way solve the problem of payment.
Conclusion
Nursing homes comprise a significant health care delivery system in every community. Its importance is supported by both the specialized care that it provides and social implications of its existence. However, nursing homes also have different classifications in the same way that hospitals have different accreditation status. To provide effective health care services, there should be a uniform standard issued by the appropriate government authorities that regulate the operations of nursing homes, an in-house standard complying with the national standard but fitted to the particular operations of the facility and health care personnel who are qualified and trained.
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