Integrated Care And Fall Prevention In Active And Healthy Aging

In today’s world, healthy aging and a fulfilling lifestyle are important to older members of society, with many opting to remain as independent and mobile as possible for as long as possible. However, elderly individuals tend to have a variety of functional limitations that can increase the likelihood of debilitating falls and injuries. Assessments of functionality are very often only performed following an accident, which implies a hindsight bias because results do not necessarily reflect pre-accidental performance capacities. Furthermore, these belated measures do little to reduce the likelihood of new falls. As such, it is imperative that personalized preventative approaches are taken to prevent falls. Integrated Care and Fall Prevention in Active and Healthy Aging contains state-of-the-art research and practices related to integrated care, fall prevention, and aging throughout areas ranging from medical to social aspects of care, health economy, standards, pathways and information scopes, practices and guidelines, technology, etc. Covering topics such as active care and healthy aging, it is ideal for doctors, gerontologists, nursing home and long-care facility staff, scientists, researchers, students, academicians, and practitioners working in care pathways involving good practices of fall prevention in home care and community care settings.

The WHO Falls Prevention for Active Ageing model provides an action plan for making progress in reducing the prevalence of falls in the older adult population. By building on the three pillars of falls prevention, the model proposes specific strategies for: 1. Building awareness of the importance of falls prevention and treatment; 2. Improving the assessment of individual, environmental, and societal factors that increase the likelihood of falls; and 3. For facilitating the design and implementation of culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions that will significantly reduce the number of falls among older persons. The model provides strategies and solutions that will require the engagement of multiple sectors of society. It is dependent on and consistent with the vision articulated in the WHO Active Ageing Policy Framework. Although not all of the awareness, assessment, and intervention strategies identified in the model apply equally well in all regions of the world, there are significant evidence-based strategies that can be effectively implemented in all regions and cultures. The degree to which progress will be made depends on to the success in integrating falls prevention strategies into the overall health and social care agendas globally. In order to do this effectively, it is necessary to identify and implement culturally appropriate, evidence-based policies and procedures. This requires multi-sectoral, collaborations, strong commitment to public and professional education, interaction based on evidence drawn from a variety of traditional, complementary, and alternative sources. Although the understanding of the evidence-base is growing, there is much that is not yet understood. Thus, there is an urgent need for continued research in all areas of falls prevention and treatment in order to better understand the scope of the problem worldwide. In particular, more evidence of the cost-effectiveness of interconnections is needed to develop strategies that are most likely to be effective in specific setting and population sub-groups.

Today’s society recognizes that the last decades of an individual’s life are usually those in which health tends to deteriorate and chronic pathologies increase. Action at this level is verified through the increased concern of government officials with the elderly population motivated by the socio-economic impact of costs associated with the provision of healthcare in this group. Global Perspectives on Health Assessments for an Aging Population provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the area of health assessments for an aging population. Covering topics such as ambulatory wellbeing, gerontology, and neuropsychological assessment, this premier reference source is a valuable resource for gerontological healthcare professionals, gerontological social workers, psychologists, students and educators of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

The WHO World report on ageing and health is not for the book shelf it is a living breathing testament to all older people who have fought for their voice to be heard at all levels of government across disciplines and sectors. - Mr Bjarne Hastrup President International Federation on Ageing and CEO DaneAge This report outlines a framework for action to foster Healthy Ageing built around the new concept of functional ability. This will require a transformation of health systems away from disease based curative models and towards the provision of older-person-centred and integrated care. It will require the development sometimes from nothing of comprehensive systems of long term care. It will require a coordinated response from many other sectors and multiple levels of government. And it will need to draw on better ways of measuring and monitoring the health and functioning of older populations. These actions are likely to be a sound investment in society's future. A future that gives older people the freedom to live lives that previous generations might never have imagined. The World report on ageing and health responds to these challenges by recommending equally profound changes in the way health policies for ageing populations are formulated and services are provided. As the foundation for its recommendations the report looks at what the latest evidence has to say about the ageing process noting that many common perceptions and assumptions about older people are based on outdated stereotypes. The report's recommendations are anchored in the evidence comprehensive and forward-looking yet eminently practical. Throughout examples of experiences from different countries are used to illustrate how specific problems can be addressed through innovation solutions. Topics explored range from strategies to deliver comprehensive and person-centred services to older populations to policies that enable older people to live in comfort and safety to ways to correct the problems and injustices inherent in current systems for long-term care.

Falls and fall-related injuries among older adults have emerged as serious global health concerns, which place a burden on individuals, their families, and greater society. As fall incidence rates increase alongside our globally aging population, fall-related mortality, hospitalizations, and costs are reaching never seen before heights. Because falls occur in clinical and community settings, additional efforts are needed to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that cause falls among older adults; effective strategies to reduce fall-related risk; and the role of various professionals in interventions and efforts to prevent falls (e.g., nurses, physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, health educators, social workers, economists, policy makers). As such, this Research Topic sought articles that described interventions at the clinical, community, and/or policy level to prevent falls and related risk factors. Preference was given to articles related to multi-factorial, evidence-based interventions in clinical (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, residential facilities) and community (e.g., senior centers, recreation facilities, faith-based organizations) settings. However, articles related to public health indicators and social determinants related to falls were also included based on their direct implications for evidence-based interventions and best practices.

In today’s rapidly evolving society, there has been an increase in technologies and systems available to support the elderly throughout various aspects of life. We have come a long way in the quality of life we can offer our aging populations in recent years due to these technological innovations, medical advancements, and research initiatives. However, further study of these developments is crucial to ensure they are utilized to their utmost potential in securing a healthier elderly population. The Research Anthology on Supporting Healthy Aging in a Digital Society discusses the current challenges of aging in the modern world as well as recent developments in medicine and technology that can be used to improve the quality of life of elderly citizens. Covering a wide range of topics such as smart homes, remote healthcare, and aging in place, this reference work is ideal for healthcare professionals, gerontologists, therapists, government officials, policymakers, researchers, academicians, practitioners, scholars, instructors, and students.

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The world is in the midst of a mental health crisis. This combined with the complexities of health insurance regulations is putting our most vulnerable populations at risk. Further, mental health stigma influences people’s perceptions and makes it more difficult for vulnerable populations to get the help that they need. It is essential that there are sufficient resources in navigating complex mental healthcare systems. Perspectives and Considerations on Navigating the Mental Healthcare System provides recommendations about seeking mental healthcare in a complex system. It also raises awareness that many of those suffering need to overcome obstacles in seeking treatment. Covering topics such as mental health stigma, self-advocacy, and library support, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for caregivers, counselors, psychologists, therapists, community leaders, librarians, students and faculty of higher education, researchers, and academicians.