On Tuesday the 10th of November 2015 the 16th Nursing Clinical Skills Fair – “Care of the Older Patient” will be held at the H & H Seminar Room and Foyer at the Main Building at St. James’s Hospital.
The fair will kick off from 12.30 pm till 15.00 pm and a lunchtime fair with light refreshments will be provided; no booking needed. The workstations will concentrate on various aspects of taking care of the older patient whilst in hospital and discussions with experts will be held on the day.
Topics covered include:
Discharge –Shared care/Social worker
Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy Services
Bone Health – Osteoporosis/Physiotherapy
Respiratory – COPD/CPAP/BiPaP
Skin Care – Continence/Tissue Viability
Heart Failure – Acute and Chronic/PCI
Neurology – CVA Acute and Rehab
Dementia – Psychiatry for the Elderly
Policies/Protocols/Guidelines
Nutrition and Feeding – Assessment and Treatment
Pharmacology for the Ageing
“It is generally accepted that elderly people fare best when care is provided in their own homes. However, some conditions require more intensive management than can be provided in the community. The admission of elderly patients to hospital, their treatment and subsequent discharge can prove challenging.
Whilst self-sufficiency depends a lot on the underlying condition, delivering a package of care to an acceptable standard can make the difference between an individual who is a self-sufficient functioning member of the community and one who is disabled and dependent,” author Dr Laurence Knott, from an article published called Elderly Patients in Hospitals.
Older patients often feel neglected by the service they receive at hospital and in recent times there has been many reports in the media of elderly patients being neglected or mistreated in hospitals and care homes throughout Ireland.
Remembering back to December, 2014 when a secret filmed investigation uncovered the horrific footage where a 53-year-old woman called Ivy McGinty, was repeatedly abused and pushed around the room of the institution where she has been receiving treatment at Swinford, County Mayo. “If you died Ivy, I wouldn’t bring you to the toilet,” the words uttered to Ivy by one of the most abusive care workers I have ever witnessed.
It is these incidents and also other concerns for their safety or care that have older people feeling that they are better off at home when they get ill, but sometimes a hospital is the only place where treatment can be offered. It is therefore of the absolute necessity that hospitals provide the older patient with reassurance that they will be safe and cared for on the day of their admission.
This talk should be interesting as it will give you the opportunity to get to know the staff in your local hospital and area, and also give you an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions. This should be a good day!
