Primary Health Care Providers' Perspectives: Facilitating Older Patients' Access to Community Support Services.
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 It was troubling to find that they relied on out-of-date resources and inefficient search strategies to find CSSs.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.
School of Nursing,McMaster University.
Jenny
J
Ploeg
Department of Health,Aging and Society,McMaster University.
Margaret
M
Denton
Department of Family Medicine,McMaster University.
Brian
B
Hutchison
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences,St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
Carrie
C
McAiney
Department of Family Medicine,McMaster University.
Ainsley
A
Moore
School of Nursing and Midwifery,Queen's University Belfast.
Kevin
K
Brazil
Department of Family Relations & Applied Nutrition,University of Guelph.
Joseph
J
Tindale
School of Nursing,McMaster University.
Amina
A
Wu
School of Nursing,McMaster University.
Annie
A
Lam
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D011320:Primary Health Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012946:Social Welfare
adultes âgés (aînés); aging; community support services; older adults; primary health care; qualitative research; recherche qualitative; services de soins de santé primaires; services de soutien communautaire; vieillissement