Modern level of rendering palliative and in patient kinds of geriatric assistance by nursing staff

Abstract

In the world, a share of elderly and old individuals in the total population is constantly growing. This change in the demographic situation in the modern society certainly arouses a justified interest for the medico-social problems of this category of the population. A special role in this problem is assigned to the medium-grade medical personnel, since a statistically average patient ˃60 years of age suffers from a number of different chronic diseases, including cognitive disorders, senile dementia, syndrome of nutrition deficit, serious disorders in the musculo-skeletal system, etc. Salvation of these and other essential problems requires elaboration of complex targeted programs and special training of the nursing staff for work in hospitals, hospices, palliative beds, etc. In the ‘ageing’ society it is necessary to find appropriate rational forms of organization of medical assistance for aged group of patients and modern ways of interdepartmental interactions that would correspond to the principles of restructure of the healthcare systems. At present in Russia there exist several specialized geriatric and gerontological centers that render different kinds of medical care to the older generation. Integrated character, availability and effectiveness of medico-social assistance for individuals of older age groups is the aim of well-developed geriatric service. Development of such kind of support is also beneficial from the economical point of view in the sense that it permits to reduce duration of repeat stay in hospital, the number of ambulance calls, etc. The mentioned measures will help optimize treatment and diagnosis of age-related diseases and will permit to actualize the term ‘healthy ageing’. In the article, the problems of rendering medical assistance for the older age groups of population are considered with accentuation on the increased role of nursing personnel in realization of medical and social help to the elderly population within the three-level system on an example of the Voronezh region.