1.

Strategies to manage illness in the older adult

Chronic illness and other functional impairments results in an increased need for medical care and
supportive long-term care among the older adults. Age increases risks for chronic illness such as
hypertension, type 2 diabetes, disability, arthritis and mental diseases. Older adults with multiple
illnesses and complex needs find it difficult to navigate the healthcare system hence need for special
strategies to manage the illness among the older adults (Edelstein & Koven, 2011).

The best strategies to manage illness among older adults should include providing CDC-recognized
lifestyle change programs to adults to prevent and manage lifestyle diseases and promote physical
activity programs that would reduce pain and likelihood of falls (Gleason & Coyle, 2015). The
caregivers should be issued with resources to help them stay healthy and deliver services to the
older adults. Moreover, the community healthcare workers should be encouraged to use clinical
preventive services such as blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing and cancer screening for the
older adults (Edelstein et al., 2015).

1. Impacts of finances on the quality outcomes in the older adult

Financial literacy and health literacy are increasingly becoming important for older adults. Financial
literacy entails ability to manage healthcare expenses, pay medical bills, determine health needs and
treatment options and make sound healthcare decision with available financial resources (Boult et
al., 2009). Older adults with financial support and knowledge will seek medical services in the best
medical facilities since they can medical expenses hence improving the quality of outcome (Nacio,
2014).  

The older adults with health insurance tend to seek medical services whenever they feel sickly hence
minimizing chances of developing complications hence assuring positive treatment outcome
(Gleason & Coyle, 2015). Older adults without health insurance and financial supports are not likely
to seek medical services early enough until their conditions have developed complication. Such
patients are likely to have poor treatment outcome. As such it is important to provide financial
support to all older adults to improve the treatment outcome among all older adults (O’Connor &
Cauffield, 2016).

1. Access to health care for the older adults and potential solutions to improve access

Access to health care among the older adults is a great challenge due to financial constraints,
immobility and lack of interest. As such there is a need to come up with the ways that would
improve access to health care services among the older adults (Nacio, 2014). The potential solutions
include liaising older adults with independent transport network, use mobile clinics to reach the
older adults, work with the congregational networks to coordinate rides for the older adults to reach
the medical facilities and taking care directly to the targeted older adult population with co-located
clinics. It is also important to take ill old adults patient to community nursing home or elderly homes
where all their medical needs will be taken care (O’Connor & Cauffield, 2016).

1. Models of care management in the older adult population

There are numerous model of care management for older adults however the most common and
widely used model is Care or Case Management. Care or Case Management model is a collaborative
model that includes nurse and social worker helping the older adult and their families to assess
problems, communicate with healthcare providers and navigate the healthcare systems on behalf of
the chronically ill older adult patient (Gleason & Coyle, 2015). The care managers are usually
employees of health insurers or registered healthcare organizations. Care or Case management
model is reported to have better satisfaction, improve quality of care, quality of life and chances of
surviving (Boult et al., 2009). 

References

Boult, C., Green, A. F., Boult, L. B., Pacala, J. T., Snyder, C., & Leff, B. (2009). Successful models of
comprehensive care for older adults with chronic conditions: Evidence for the Institute of Medicine's
Retooling for an aging American€ report. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 57(12), 2328-
2337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02571.x  (Links to an external site.)

Edelstein, B. A., Shreve, A. K., Spira, A. P., & Koven, L. P. (2015). Issues with geriatric populations. The
Health Psychology Handbook: Practical Issues for the Behavioral Medicine Specialist, 14(3), 485-
501. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412976770.n25 (Links to an external site.)

Edelstein, B., & Koven, L. (2011). Older adult assessment issues and strategies. Specialty
Competencies in Geropsychology, 12(3), 41-
57. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195385670.003.0004  (Links to an external site.)

Gleason, H. P., & Coyle, C. E. (2015). Mental and behavioral health conditions among older adults:
Implications for the home care workforce. Aging & Mental Health, 20(8), 848-
855. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2015.1040725  (Links to an external site.)

Nacio, K. (2014). Keeping older adults in the community. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 104(1),
94. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000446-200401000-00074  (Links to an external site.)

O’Connor, J., & Cauffield, C. (2016). Promoting mental health of older people. Nursing Case Studies
on Improving Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults, 12(4), 12-
36. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826127044.0030 (Links to an external site.)