Chronically Homeless: Service Needs

The purpose of this study was to determine the service needs being met and the needs not being met as perceived by the chronically homeless who call the park their home. The authors thought this an important study to examine to better understand the service needs of the homeless. The study used a qualitative design for collecting data which involved face-to-face interviews with ten of the homeless people at the park. Four primary themes, three of which had two subthemes each, were identified through a thematic analysis. The primary theme of mistrust of services had subthemes of safety and restrictions and ineffective services. The primary theme of services needed was subdivided into problem identified and potential solutions. The families theme contained subthemes fractured families and park community as family. The theme of hopelessness did not have any subthemes. It was concluded that research should continue in this field and funding should be used to focus on providing services as specified through these themes

The Experience of Female Nurses Being Cared for: A Phenomenological Analysis

The focus of this phenomenological inquiry was the question: What is the meaning (essential structure) of the experience of being cared for as lived by female nurses? The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience of being cared for. Phenomenologic methodology was used for this study. Data analysis was patterned after the guidelines set out by Colaizzi, and Miles and Huberman. Fifteen female nurses described their experiences of being cared for during two interviews with the researcher. Through analysis of the first audio-taped interview metathemes describing the phenomena and a unity of meaning emerged. During the second interview the participants clarified and verified the findings in this study. Five metathemes emerged. (1) Feelings associated with the nurse being cared for are tacit, and understood holistically as being multidimensional and interrelated. (2) The behaviors associated with the nurse being cared for are understood holistically as having instrumental and non-instrumental components and are equated with giving that is multidimensional. (3) The nurse allowing caring to occur uses a dialectic process to validate her feelings concerning her own independence, vulnerability, and the validity of trusting others. (4) Expectations of the nurse being cared for include care giver sensitivity to the tacit perceptions of the care recipient\u27s notion of being cared for. (5) The consequences of being cared for include personal growth and extension of self to others. The metathemes were merged to provide an exhaustive description of the phenomena, and the unity of meaning, flowing from the exhaustive description, was identified. In the present study, unity of meaning, the essence of being cared for as experienced by nurses, means persons sharing life with another. The findings in this study serve as a beginning description of the meaning of the experience of being cared for as lived by female nurses

Establishing Student Directed Occupational Therapy Services at IU Student Outreach Clinic: Learning in the Changing Health Care Market

Presentation Objectives Recognize the interdisciplinary educational benefits for health professional students at IUSOC Describe the unique contributions of occupational therapy within this primary care setting Discuss future IPE collaborative opportunitie

Expanding Rural Elder Care Options: Models That Work

Rural communities and elders need better access to elder care options that enable them to continue to live in the community. Despite a larger proportion of the population over age 65 than urban and suburban America, rural communities lack the services and care coordination systems older adults need to continue living independently in their own communities as they age. In November 2008, the Rural Long Term Care Workgroup convened a national Rural Long Term Care: Access and Options Workshop to identify lessons and strategies for building and sustaining rural community-based elder care services. Finding and building on successful models is an important step towards addressing the challenges faced by rural elders seeking care options in their communities. These options include home, community, and facility-based care supported by care coordination systems that enhance autonomy and quality of life of rural elders. These proceedings of the Workshop are organized around the following topics: The challenges and opportunities for expanding rural elder care options; Five rural elder care models that work; A Rural Elder Care Options Model, a web-based, interactive tool that rural communities can use to customize the options to their specific community; The organizational attributes and strong partnerships needed to build rural community options for elder care; Strategies for increasing access and options for elder care in rural communities; and Steps to move forward in building rural communities that support elder care

A systematic review of occupational therapy interventions in the transition from homelessness

Background: Although systematic and scoping reviews have identified a range of interventions for persons experiencing homelessness, no known reviews have captured the range and quality of intervention studies aimed at supporting a transition from homelessness. Objectives: To capture the range and quality of occupational therapy intervention studies aimed at supporting a transition to housing following homelessness. Method: Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review including a critical appraisal and narrative synthesis of experimental studies. Results: Eleven studies were included. Critical appraisal scores ranged from 33.3 to 88.9 of a possible score of 100 (Mdn = 62.5; IQR = 33.4). The majority of studies evaluated interventions for the development of life skills (n = 9; 81.8%), and all were conducted in the USA. Several of the included studies were exploratory evaluation and feasibility studies, and all were quasi-experimental in design. Only three studies (27.2%) incorporated a control group. Intervention strategies included (1) integrated group and individual life skills interventions (n = 6); (2) group-based life skills interventions (n = 3); and (3) psychosocial and consultative interventions (n = 2). Conclusions: Research evaluating occupational therapy interventions aimed at supporting homeless individuals as they transition to housing is in an early stage of development. Significance: Implications for research and practice are discussed

Colorectal and Breast Cancer Screening in the U.S. during the COVID-19 Pandemic

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp21/1063/thumbnail.jp

A Time Series Analysis of Air Pollution and Preterm Birth in Pennsylvania, 1997–2001

Preterm delivery can lead to serious infant health outcomes, including death and lifelong disability. Small increases in preterm delivery risk in relation to spatial gradients of air pollution have been reported, but previous studies may have controlled inadequately for individual factors. Using a time-series analysis, which eliminates potential confounding by individual risk factors that do not change over short periods of time, we investigated the effect of ambient outdoor particulate matter with diameter ≤10 μm (PM(10)) and sulfur dioxide on risk for preterm delivery. Daily counts of preterm births were obtained from birth records in four Pennsylvania counties from 1997 through 2001. We observed increased risk for preterm delivery with exposure to average PM(10) and SO(2) in the 6 weeks before birth [respectively, relative risk (RR) = 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–1.18 per 50 μg/m(3) increase; RR = 1.15; 95% CI, 1.00–1. 32 per 15 ppb increase], adjusting for long-term preterm delivery trends, co-pollutants, and offsetting by the number of gestations at risk. We also examined lags up to 7 days before the birth and found an acute effect of exposure to PM(10) 2 days and 5 days before birth (respectively, RR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00–1.21; RR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.98–1.18) and SO(2) 3 days before birth (RR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.99–1.15), adjusting for covariates, including temperature, dew point temperature, and day of the week. The results from this time-series analysis, which provides evidence of an increase in preterm birth risk with exposure to PM(10) and SO(2), are consistent with prior investigations of spatial contrasts

Internet-based psychoeducation for bipolar disorder: a qualitative analysis of feasibility, acceptability and impact

<p>Background: In a recent exploratory randomised trial we found that a novel, internet-based psychoeducation programme for bipolar disorder (Beating Bipolar) was relatively easy to deliver and had a modest effect on psychological quality of life. We sought to explore the experiences of participants with respect to feasibility, acceptability and impact of Beating Bipolar.</p> <p>Methods: Participants were invited to take part in a semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis techniques were employed; to explore and describe participants’ experiences, the data were analysed for emerging themes which were identified and coded.</p> <p>Results: The programme was feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants where they felt comfortable using a computer. It was found to impact upon insight into illness, health behaviour, personal routines and positive attitudes towards medication. Many participants regarded the programme as likely to be most beneficial for those recently diagnosed.</p> <p>Conclusions: An online psychoeducation package for bipolar disorder, such as Beating Bipolar, is feasible and acceptable to patients, has a positive impact on self-management behaviours and may be particularly suited to early intervention. Alternative (non-internet) formats should also be made available to patients.</p&gt