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Primary Health Care Providers’ Perspectives: Facilitating Older Patients’ Access to Community Support Services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2016

Jenny Ploeg ,
Margaret Denton ,
Brian Hutchison ,
Carrie McAiney ,
Ainsley Moore ,
Kevin Brazil ,
Joseph Tindale ,
Amina Wu  and
Annie Lam
Jenny Ploeg*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, McMaster University Department of Health, Aging and Society, McMaster University
Margaret Denton
Affiliation:
Department of Health, Aging and Society, McMaster University
Brian Hutchison
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University
Carrie McAiney
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
Ainsley Moore
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University
Kevin Brazil
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast
Joseph Tindale
Affiliation:
Department of Family Relations & Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph
Amina Wu
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, McMaster University
Annie Lam
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, McMaster University
*
†La correspondance et les demandes de tire-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Jenny Ploeg, R.N., Ph.D. Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences Scientific Director, Aging, Community and Health Research Unit and Associate Member, Department of Health, Aging and Society McMaster University Room HSc3N25C 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1 (ploegj@mcmaster.ca)
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Abstract

The purpose of the study examined in this article was to understand how non-physician health care professionals working in Canadian primary health care settings facilitate older persons’ access to community support services (CSSs). The use of CSSs has positive impacts for clients, yet they are underused from lack of awareness. Using a qualitative description approach, we interviewed 20 health care professionals from various disciplines and primary health care models about the processes they use to link older patients to CSSs. Participants collaborated extensively with interprofessional colleagues within and outside their organizations to find relevant CSSs. They actively engaged patients and families in making these linkages and ensured follow-up. It was troubling to find that they relied on out-of-date resources and inefficient search strategies to find CSSs. Our findings can be used to develop resources and approaches to better support primary health care providers in linking older adults to relevant CSSs.

Résumé

Le but de l’étude examiné dans cet article était de comprendre comment les professionnels des soins de santé qui ne sont pas médecins, mais travaillent dans des milieux primaires canadiens de soins de santé, facilitent l’accès des personnes âgées aux services de soutien communautaire (SSC). L’utilisation de SSC a un impact positif pour les clients, mais ils restent sous-utilisés en raison du manque de prise de conscience. En utilisant une approche descriptive qualitative, nous avons interrogé 20 professionnels de la santé de diverses disciplines et modèles de soins de santé primaires sur les processus qu’ils utilisent pour lier les patients âgés à SSC. Les participants ont collaboré intensivement avec des collègues professionnels au sein et à l’extérieur de leurs organisations pour trouver SSC pertinents. Ils faisaient participer activement les patients et leurs familles à faire ces liens et ont assuré le suivi. Il est troublant de constater qu’ils comptaient sur les ressources périmées et des stratégies de recherche inefficaces pour trouver les SSC. Nos résultats peuvent être utilisés pour développer des ressources et des approches afin de mieux soutenir les fournisseurs de soins de santé primaires en reliant les adultes âgés à des CSS pertinents.

Keywords

agingcommunity support servicesolder adultsprimary health carequalitative researchvieillissementservices de soutien communautaireadultes âgés (aînés)services de soins de santé primairesrecherche qualitative
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 35 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 499 - 512
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Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2016 

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