Choice, control and person-centredness in day centres for older people

Diverse Care Needs Assessment for Older Adults in China: A Latent Profile Analysis Study

BACKGROUND

Grasping the nuanced needs of older adults is paramount for the efficacious provision of day-care services. Our study sought to identify the demand patterns for day-care services in China and to explore the underlying factors. This study aims to offer useful evidence that can refine nursing care strategies and guide policy development within day-care settings.

METHODS

We implemented a comprehensive electronic survey comprising 46 questions targeting older adults across nine day-care centers in Nanjing, China. Employing latent profile analysis (LPA), we systematically examined and categorized the demand characteristics for day-care services. This analysis was conducted using Mplus version 8.3 and SPSS version 26.0 software, ensuring a rigorous and precise methodological approach.

RESULTS

Our study involved a comprehensive survey of 1016 older adults. The participants were categorized into three groups based on their demand for day-care services: high demand (n = 127), medium demand (n = 197), and low demand (n = 692). The low-demand group exhibited higher levels of social support and better activities of daily living (ADL) scores compared to their counterparts. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that older adults characterized by male gender, advanced age, higher levels of education, receipt of support from a child, presence of chronic diseases, and lower social support and ADL scores exhibited a statistically significant inclination towards moderate to high demand for day-care services (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The demand for day-care services for older adults in China is intricately influenced by a complex array of interrelated factors. Tailoring service offerings to meet the varied physical and emotional needs of older adults is essential, with a particular focus on health and wellness management in day-care centers.

Social Work Education & Support of Gender Expansive People: A Qualitative Analysis of MSW Student Experiences

This study examined Master of Social Work (MSW) student experiences with social work education related to support of transgender, nonbinary, queer or other gender expansive people. Sixty-seven students from a sample of thirty-four MSW programs in the United States provided brief qualitative reflections on their educational experiences related to gender identity or expression. Thematic content analysis of these data revealed five primary emergent themes related to; MSW program capacity, persistent bias/tension, safety issues, emotional and academic burden, and lived-experiences external to social work education. Findings suggest there remains a disconnect between the stated intent of social work to support gender expansive communities and the reality of social work education. Specifically, although most students appear to want more from their schools of social work regarding trans-affirming education, most programs reflect persistent discomfort with this domain, or a hesitance or inability to address the topic appropriately and consistently. Examples of how social work education might work to improve its capacity to reflect support of gender expansive people and communities are discussed.

Fresh news as meaningful? A multi-site ethnographic analysis of meaningful activities at four day centres in Denmark and Norway

Day centres are increasingly being established, as many older persons are isolated and in need of meaningful activities and social interaction with others. Previous research has shown that day centres are still an important arena for older attendees to socialise and engage in meaningful activities, although day centres are increasingly introducing activities as part of rehabilitation programmes to enhance physical and mental enablement. However, little is known about what attendees and staff regard as meaningful activities. Based on a multi-site ethnographic investigation at four day centres in Denmark and Norway in 2018 and 2019, this article examines how staff and attendees alike 'utilise' day care centres to pursue meaningful activities and what is considered meaningful for those attending and working there. Furthermore, this article discusses the potential for person-centred care in communities like day centres. Our study shows that activities are first and foremost perceived as meaningful if they enhance an enjoyable social dimension with 'a touch of fresh news'. Hence, day centres function as a social space where elderly attendees can share stories and news based on personal experiences from the past and present. Consequently, person-centred care in day care centres preferably facilitates communities to give attendees something new and refreshing to bring back home with them-and not only facilitate personal histories, preferences and wishes.