An approach to personal assistance service and its implementation in Spain. The profile of the beneficiary of the provision in Galicia

Introducción: El objetivo de esta investigación es conocer y estudiar el perfil de la persona beneficiaria de la prestación de asistencia personal, una de las prestaciones del Catálogo de servicios y prestaciones del Sistema para la Autonomía y Atención a la Dependencia. Material y métodos: Mediante un estudio observacional descriptivo de prevalencia, se persigue conocer el perfil de las personas beneficiarias de la prestación de asistencia personal y el grado de implantación de la misma. Resultados: Los datos nos muestran que la prestación económica de asistencia personal sigue siendo, dentro del catálogo de servicios y prestaciones del Sistema, una de las modalidades de atención de menor resolución en Galicia y en el conjunto del Estado. Discusión: La figura de asistente personal no ha conseguido establecerse, hasta el momento, como un servicio de referencia para las personas con diversidad funcional. En el presente trabajo identificamos una serie de factores que entendemos dificultan el desarrollo de esta prestación y la implantación efectiva de la misma.Introduction: The main goal of this research is to know and study the profile of the person who receives the economic benefit of personal assistance, one of the compensations in the Catalogue of Services and Benefits of the System for Autonomy and Attention of Dependents. Material and Methods: With a descriptive study of prevalence, this study seeks to understand the profile of the beneficiaries of personal assistance and its degree of implementation. Results: The data shows that the economic support for personal assistance remains, within the Catalogue of Services and Benefits of the System, one of the modalities of care with lower resolutions in Galicia and in the whole State. Discussion: The figure of personal assistant has not been established, so far, as a referral service for people with functional diversity. In the present article we identified a series of factors that hinder the development of this provision and the effective implementation of the same

Supervisión nocturna, diurna y comunicación: tres nuevos ítems para valorar la carga asistencial del paciente con deterioro cognitivo

[Resumen] Fundamentos: Introducir tres ítems en un cuestionario de valoración funcional a fin de valorar más eficazmente la carga asistencial del paciente con deterioro cognitivo. Métodos: Diseñamos un cuestionario basado en los de utilizaci ón común, a los que se le añadió la capacidad de comunicaci ón, y la necesidad de supervisión nocturna y diurna. Este estudio se validó sobre una muestra de 60 sujetos diagnosticados de Alzheimer. Resultados: Encontramos una elevada correlación inter-items, una fiabilidad del 91%, y una validez concurrente con el Katz y el Barthel del 95%. Conclusión: El cuestionario es útil y fiable para evaluar la dependencia funcional en pacientes con deterioro cognitivo y de acuerdo con ella establecer y organizar los servicios y cubrir las necesidades encontradas.[Abstract] Fundaments: To introduce three items in a questionnaire of functional assessment in order to valorise more efficiently caregiver s burden of patients with cognitive impairment. Methods: we designed a questionnaire based on the classic ones, to which we added three items, such as the communicative ability, the necessity of daily supervision and the necessity of supervision during the night. In order to give validity to the instrument, a prospective field work is carried out on a sample of 60 patients with Alzheimer s Disease. Results: We obtained elevated correlation inter-items, reliability of 91% and concurrent validity of 95%.Elevated correlation inter-items, reliability: 91%; concurrent validity: 95%. Conclusion: It is at the same time an useful and reliable instrument for the aims of evaluation of the necessities of the elderly people which favors the planning of the services to offer

Psychological Profile and Consumption of Healthcare Resources in Actively Employed People, Pre-Retirees, and Retirees

Research on personality variables and consumption of health services in actively employed people or retirees has been extensive, but the group of pre-retirees has hardly been studied. This work attempts to determine the mental health and use of health resources of the three groups, hypothesizing that, as the group of pre-retirees does not receive the social stigma of work exclusion, it will present better mental health. A sample of 1332 Spanish participants aged between 51 and 69 years was randomly chosen, and various personality tests were applied, and consumption of healthcare resources was determined. Pairwise analysis of the three work situations using binary logistic regressions showed that pre-retirees present better mental health, although there were no differences in the consumption of healthcare resources. The implications of this study for the creation of health promotion policies targeting older people, depending specifically on their employment status, are discussedS

Hacia nuevos modelos de atención en centros de larga estancia de personas mayores, reflexiones post pandemia

With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, residential care models for people in a situation of dependency, particularly in long-term care centers, have been at the center of the debate. The elderly population, in general, and in particular, the institutionalized elderly, were the most affected by the pandemic. These facts derived from the pandemic, together with the change in the profile of users, make it necessary to create new models that place the elderly person at the center of care and assistance. Objective: To highlight the weaknesses and strengths of the current residential care models in small, medium and large centers and to know the degree of preparation they have to face the implementation of these new models. Methodology: The methodology is qualitative through the collection of information through interviews, observation of workers and users of different centers, as well as carrying out a bibliographic review. Results: The results are structured in 4 dimensions and 22 categories in which the responses of the 30 participants are collected. Conclusions: The different models of residential care are adapted to the characteristics of each center, taking into account architectural aspects, location, labor resources and user profiles. Assessing which is better or worse requires a very deep reflection, being very difficult to satisfy everyone.Con la llegada de la pandemia de la Covid-19 los modelos de atención residencial a personas en situación de dependencia, en particular en los centros de larga estancia, han estado en el centro del debate. La población mayor, en general, y en particular, los mayores institucionalizados, fueron los más afectados por la pandemia. Estos hechos derivados de la pandemia, conjuntamente con el cambio en el perfil de los usuarios, hacen necesaria la creación de nuevos modelos que sitúen a la persona mayor en el centro de la atención y asistencia. Objetivo: Poner de manifiesto las debilidades y fortalezas de los modelos de atención residenciales y, conocer el grado de preparación que disponen para enfrentarse a la implantación de estos nuevos modelos. Metodología: La metodología es cualitativa a través de recogida de información mediante entrevistas, observación de trabajadores y usuarios de diferentes centros, además de llevar a cabo una revisión bibliográfica. Resultados: Los resultados se estructuran en 4 dimensiones y 22 categorías en las que se recogen las respuestas de los 30 participantes. Conclusiones: Los centros que han sido objeto de estudio tratan de potenciar la autonomía e independencia de los usuarios aun cuando son conscientes de las deficiencias actuales y se esfuerzan por adaptarse a las características de un modelo más centrado en la persona

Psychological, social and health-related challenges in spanish older adults during the lockdown of the COVID-19 first wave

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has required a population lockdown. Spain has one of the oldest/most aging populations in the world and was one of the most affected countries. We aim to describe the psychological and social implications as well as health-related behaviors as a result of the lockdown in community-dwelling older adults. Materials and Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. A total of 528 participants of over 60 years of age were recruited using snowball sampling technique during the lockdown of the COVID-19 first wave using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire composed of descriptive questions and validated scales for resilience (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) and emotions (Scale of Positive And Negative Experience). Results: Most participants (76.9%) live with other people and have an open space at home (64%). Only 33.7% continued doing activities to promote healthy aging, 65.7% did less physical activity and 25.6% increased their intellectual activity. Most of them (83%) used electronic communication with family and friends to a greater extent, and left the house to run basic errands. Greater scores on resilience showed significant negative correlations with age and negative feelings, and positive correlations with the size of the social network and positive feelings. Lacking an open space at home was associated with more negative feelings. Discussion: Older people are a vulnerable group severely affected by this pandemic crisis at multiple levels, requiring specific interventions to minimize the effects of changes in lifestyle that may be harmful. Detecting needs is essential to improve care and support from community health and social services, both nowadays and in future similar situationsS

Psychologist’s role in a Psychogeriatric Day Care Center

[Resumen] La progresiva implantación de centros asistenciales para la tercera edad, junto con la interdisciplinareidad de la actuación en valoración y posterior actuación frente a la persona mayor, hacen que el psicólogo desempeñe un papel claramente definido, y que en lo que respecta a los Centros de día psicogeriátricos, papel más importante si cabe, por las características del usuario, cada vez se beneficia más de una actuación altamente cualificada. Mediante el presente trabajo pretendemos realizar una descripción de las distintas funciones del psicólogo en un Centro de día específico para pacientes con demencia, revisando y proponiendo las diferentes actuaciones de acuerdo a sus áreas de investigación.[Abstract] The progressive establishment of assistant centers for the third age, together with the interdisciplinary of the performance in the valuation and later performance dealing with the elderly people, make psychologist plays a clearly defined part, and in what concerns to the Psychogeriatric Day Care centers, a more important role, if possible for the user’s characteristics that benefits more and more of a highly qualified performance. By means of the present work we seek to carry out a description of the psychologist’s different functions in a day care center, specific for Alzheimer’s disease patients, revising and proposing the different performances according to the intervention areas

Depresión en los cuidadores familiares de enfermos crónicos

Chronic illness affects the individual who suffers as all those who maintain relationships with patients, and especially to his family and caregivers. Over 50% of caregivers show high levels of depression and anxiety, which vary depending on the duration and intensity of the clinical condition of the person cared for. Material and Methods We used a non-probability sampling technique of incidental type, selecting a total of 300 people who were divided into three subsamples of 100 subjects each; Relatives caring for people who are totally dependent; Relatives caring for children and youth totally dependent and finally family caregivers of people with diseases of mild dependence, evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory. We created a questionnaire that included questions on personal characteristics, social and labor, both of the dependent person and the family caregiver. Results and conclusions We could observe that most families do not have levels of depression or this is of a mild level unlike other studies reviewed.La enfermedad crónica afecta tanto al sujeto que la padece como a todas aquellas personas que mantienen relación con el enfermo, y muy especialmente a su familia y a sus cuidadores. Más del 50% de los cuidadores muestran altos niveles de depresión y ansiedad, variando estas en función de la duración e intensidad de la situación clínica de la persona cuidada. Material y métodos Se utilizó una técnica de muestreo no probabilístico de tipo incidental y se seleccionó un total de 300 personas, las que se dividieron en tres submuestras de 100 sujetos cada una: familiares que cuidaban a personas totalmente dependientes, familiares que cuidaban a niños y jóvenes totalmente dependientes, y familiares cuidadores de personas con enfermedades de dependencia leve. Estas fueron evaluadas con el Inventario de Depresión de Beck. Se creó un cuestionario en el que se incluyeron preguntas sobre las características personales, sociales y laborales tanto de la persona dependiente como del familiar cuidador. Resultados y conclusiones Se puede observar que la mayoría de los familiares no presenta niveles de depresión o esta es de carácter leve a diferencia de otros estudios revisados