Intersectoral interagency partnerships to promote financial capability in older people.

From the second quarter of 2008, the UK economy entered a period of economic decline. Older people are particularly vulnerable during these times. To promote ways in which older people can be better supported to maintain their financial well-being, this study explored the sources older people utilize to keep themselves financially informed. Interviews with older people (n = 28) showed that older people access trusted sources of information (e.g. healthcare professionals) rather than specialist financial information providers (e.g. financial advisors) which highlighted the need for interagency working between financial services in the private, public and voluntary sectors. An example of how such interagency partnerships might be achieved in practice is presented with some recommendations on directions for future research into interagency working that spans public, private and voluntary sectors.

The impact of the economic recession on well-being and quality of life of older people.

The importance of economic well-being is recognised in the recent UK Government policy. Older people may be particularly vulnerable to economic fluctuations as they are reliant on fixed incomes and assets, which are reducing in value. Within the literature, little is understood about the impact of the current economic downturn on people's general quality of life and well-being and, in particular, there is little research on the financial experiences and capability of the older age group, a concern in light of the ageing UK population. This article reports a qualitative research study into the nature of older peoples' vulnerability by exploring their perceptions of the impact of the economic recession on their well-being and quality of life. It explores specifically a group of older people who are not the poorest within the ageing population, but who may be described as the 'asset rich-income poor' group. Key themes relate to the impact of the recession on the costs of essential and non-essential items and dimensions of mental, physical and social well-being. Implications for health and social care practice in meeting the needs of older people during times of economic recession are then explored. The paper adds to the debate by demonstrating that the recession is having adverse consequences for older people's quality of life in terms of economic, mental and social well-being, although there is also evidence that some of them are equipped with certain resilience factors due to their money management and budgeting skills.

An unfamiliar course of a familiar illness: a rare ophthalmic complication of urinary sepsis.

Uncommon complications may occur in the context of illnesses encountered frequently in later life. They may be difficult to both identify and manage in a drowsy, confused patient, particularly in the absence of collateral information. We present an unusual ocular complication in a patient with systemic sepsis from a urinary tract infection, an unquestionably common diagnosis in older patients admitted to hospital.

Attitudes to restraint for the prevention of falls in hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Fall prevention measures in hospital are often considered to be restraint and unsuitable for clinical practice. The aim of the study was to explore attitudes to restraint and what are acceptable fall prevention measures in hospital. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was completed by 200 subjects (100 patients/relatives and 100 care professionals) in a British hospital. RESULTS: Ninety-nine percent agreed that fall prevention was important. There was 84.5% agreement that restraint is justified to prevent harm and 81.5% disagreement that restraint should never be used if the patient is at risk of falling. Disagreement was stronger among patients/relatives (91 vs. 72%; p = 0.001). Seventy seven percent disagreed that restraint is not acceptable even if discussed with patients and relatives. Significant differences in agreement were identified between patients/relatives and care professionals for the following statements: 'restraint should always be an option in patients if the patient is at risk of falling' (82 vs. 45%; p < 0.0001), 'restraining methods are acceptable at the discretion of care professionals' (91 vs. 43%; p < 0.0001), 'restraint is an infringement of personal freedom' (35 vs. 66%; p < 0.0001) and 'restraint is necessary if it frees staff to do more clinical work' (51 vs. 10%; p < 0.0001). A wide range of acceptability was identified for various measures of restraint: observation beds (95%), bed/chair alarms (80%), bed rails (77%), identification bracelets (95%) and risk labels at the head of the bed (75.5%). Direct binding (5.5%) or tranquilliser use (9%) was considered highly unacceptable. CONCLUSIONS: When there is a lack of evidence of effectiveness, fall prevention guidelines are formulated on the basis of expert opinion influenced by ethical considerations, cultural attitudes and society's values. Such information is important to formulate informed fall prevention policies.