Open AccessComparison of the needs of the elderly patients in care-rehabilitation centers in Wroclaw and in Hamburg
Author(s) -
Justyna Mazurek,
Joanna Rymaszewska,
Jürgen Lurbiecki
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
postępy rehabilitacji/advances in rehabilitation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.14
H-Index - 6
eISSN - 1734-4948
pISSN - 0860-6161
DOI - 10.2478/rehab-2013-0033
Subject(s) - medicine , rehabilitation , gerontology , barthel index , elderly people , physical therapy , geriatrics , psychiatry
Introduction: The central issue of geriatrics amounts to determining the hierarchy of problems (whether health related or other) of people at old age. The healthcare offered to elderly people should be oriented at the possibly broadest approach to their needs Aim: The main goal of the research is developing knowledge about the areas of elderly people’s needs on the basis of a sample consisted of patients from two rehabilitation centers, situated in Poland (PL:Wroclaw) and in Germany (DE:Hamburg) respectively. Material and methods: The sample consists of 80 patients of the age 60+, divided into two groups, 40 patients in each. For the research method/technique the interview is chosen and the questionnaire CANE serves as the main research tool. Other tools used are: GDS, MMSE, Barthel Index and Socio-demographical and Clinical questionnaires. Results: Before the patients’ admission to the center the average estimate for their overall needs was: PL 4.33 (SD=3.52), DE 5.12 (SD=3.26), out of which met needs were estimated as: PL 3.35 (SD=1.03), DE 4.47 (SD=2.99), whereas unmet as: PL 0.97 (SD=1.33), DE 0.65 (SD=1.03) respectively. After the patients’ admission to the center the average estimate for overall needs increased both for PL: 8.93 (SD=2.08) and for DE: 6.53 (SD=2.54), out of which met needs amounted to: PL, 7.55 (SD=1.50) and DE, 5.95 (SD=2.37) respectively, whereas not unmet ones to: PL, 1.38 (SD=1.44) and DE, 0.57 (SD=0.96). Conclusions: The patterns of needs /met and unmet/ of the elderly patients from two researched centers were similar before the patients’ admission to the clinics, but after the admission differences were observed between the two groups. Much from the needs both met (e.g. looking after the home, physical health) and unmet (e.g. psychological distress), mentioned before the admission to the clinic remained in the area of needs also after the admission. That observation is valid both for PL group as for DE one.