Workplace health promotion programs for older workers in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Italy is the European country with the highest number of citizens over the age of sixty. In recent years, the unsustainability of the social security system has forced the Italian government to raise the retirement age and reduce the chances of early exit, thus sharply increasing the age of the workforce. Consequently, a significant proportion of older workers are currently obliged to do jobs that were designed for young people. Systematic health promotion intervention for older workers is therefore essential. OBJECTIVES: The European Pro Health 65+ project aims at selecting and validating best practices for successful/active aging. In this context we set out to review workplace health promotion projects carried out in Italy. METHODS: To ascertain examples of workplace health promotion for older workers (WHPOW), we carried out a review of the scientific and grey literature together with a survey of companies. RESULTS: We detected 102 WHPOW research studies conducted in conjunction with supranational organizations, public institutions, companies, social partners, NGOs and educational institutions. The main objectives of the WHPOW were to improve the work environment, the qualifications of older workers and attitudes towards the elderly, and, in many cases, also to improve work organization. CONCLUSIONS: The best way to promote effective WHPOW interventions is by disseminating awareness of best practices and correct methods of analysis. Our study suggests ways of enhancing WHPOW at both a national and European level.

Implementing Aging in Place in Hong Kong: Meeting the Needs and Aspirations of Older Adults and Their Caregivers Living in Private Housing.

A policy of aging in place should be accompanied by physical and social environments that support healthy aging. This article describes how a property development company in Hong Kong sought to elicit the views of older people and their caregivers towards elderly services through a market research company, using questionnaire surveys followed by focus groups. Over 80% of all participants rated healthy dietary habits and exercise, maintaining mental and spiritual health, and maintaining a generally healthy lifestyle as important. Current health concerns include long waiting times for care at public hospitals, lack of carer should dependency occur, and lack of information about what services are available in the community. Interests in services in their neighbourhood include medical care (82%), healthy lifestyle activities (66%), and home care support (55%). There was considerable interest in the provision of services that improve brain and physical function, as well as general health checks. Carers were willing to pay more for services compared with older adults themselves. The findings inform the development of pilot models of aging in place as a sustainable financial model.

The Perspective of Rehabilitation Nurses on Physical Exercise in the Rehabilitation of Older People in the Community: A Qualitative Study.

In the face of an increasingly aging population, nurses have to design and implement programs aimed at the elderly in order to keep them healthy and maintain their quality of life. Structured physical exercise and overall physical activity play a major role in maintaining an active lifestyle, improving health, preventing disease, and helping to maintain older people's quality of life. To investigate the importance of implementing physical exercise programs for the older person in the community, taking into account the perspective of the rehabilitation nurse specialist, this is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study with nine rehabilitation nurses from various regions of Portugal who have experience of implementing physical exercise programs with the elderly. This study used semi-structured interviews, one of the most common data collection procedures in social and health research. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study received a positive opinion from the Ethics Committee. The participants' perspectives focused on the following subjects: "Physical exercise program for the elderly in the community", "Importance of physical exercise in the rehabilitation of the elderly in the community", "People's adherence to the programs", "Gains in health resulting from the implementation of these strategies" and "Gains from group activities". A set of indicators emerged from the analysis. Nurses recognize the importance of using structured physical exercise programs adjusted to the rehabilitation of the older person, with gains in promoting active and healthy aging.

Older adults and healthcare professionals have limited awareness of the link between the Mediterranean diet and the gut microbiome for healthy aging.

Objectives: Strategies to improve the gut microbiome through consuming an improved diet, including adopting the Mediterranean Diet (MD), may promote healthy aging. We explored older adults' and healthcare professionals' (HCPs) perspectives of the MD, gut health, and microbiome for their role in healthy aging. Design: Phenomenological qualitative. Setting: Community-dwelling older adults and HCPs in primary and secondary care in Ireland. Participants: Older adults (aged 55 + years), recruited through social, retirement and disease-support groups. HCPs recruited through researcher networks and professional associations. Measurements: Semi-structured 1:1 interviews and focus groups (FGs) conducted remotely with older adults and HCPs separately. Interviews/FGs were recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Forty-seven older adults were recruited (50% male; 49% aged 60-69 years; 28% 70 +), and 26 HCPs including dietitians (n = 8); geriatricians (n = 6); clinical therapists (n = 4); nurses, pharmacists, catering managers, and meal-delivery service coordinators (n = 2 each). Older adults considered the MD "a nice way to enjoy food," good for cardiovascular health and longevity, but with accessibility and acceptability challenges (increased salads/fish, different food environments, socio-cultural differences). HCPs felt the MD is included in healthy eating advice, but not overtly, mostly through the promotion of mixed-fiber intake. Older adults considered "live" yogurt and probiotics, and to a lesser extent fiber, to maintain a "healthy gut," suggesting the gut has "something to do with" cognitive and digestive health. Overall, microbiota-health effects were considered "not common knowledge" among most older adults, but becoming more topical among both professionals and the public with advancing scientific communication. Conclusion: While "gut health" was considered important, specific effects of the MD on gut microbiota, and the significance of this for healthy aging, was under-recognized. Future efforts should explain the importance to older adults of maintaining the gut microbiota through diet, while appreciating perspectives of probiotic products and supplements.

A Preliminary Study on Self-Healing and Self-Health Management in Older Adults: Perspectives From Healthcare Professionals and Older Adults in Taiwan.

The human body has tremendous self-healing capacity and regeneration after injuries and pathogen invasions. These factors are particularly important in older adults which take longer to heal and recover physically. In addition to clinical investigations, perspectives from both experts in the field and the living experiences of the general public could play significant roles to enhance the body's healing mechanisms in older adults. A semi-structured interview was conducted which included 15 participants (9 experts and 6 older adults aged 65 years and older). Content analysis with an inductive approach was employed about participants' experiences and perspectives. All participants in this study revealed that self-healing mechanisms can be enhanced through physiological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors. When more of these factors can be integrated into a recovery management plan, it can hasten self-healing in older adults. Social capability has a profound impact on an individual's mental health while oral health and hygiene significantly affect the nutritional intake status. In regards to physical aspects, regular daily activity patterns, nutritious eating, moderate exercise, and sleep quality are significant, while psychological aspects such as cheerfulness, positive attitudes, and good interpersonal relationships can help control chronic diseases.

Antipodean Perspectives-Aged Care Nursing and the Multifaceted Role of the Aged Care Nurse.

Healthy ageing refers to the development and maintenance of the functional ability of ageing individuals. Aged care nurses provide nursing care to elderly individuals and usually work in aged care residential facilities, nursing homes, home care services, and/or hospital departments. The registered nurse working in the aged care sector has several important roles. Key roles cover both therapeutic and preventative paradigms, as discussed in this paper. The aged care nurse is also "tasked with" holistic patient-centred care and the promotion of healthy ageing via advocacy and sociocultural roles. This paper examined, described, and analysed the multifaceted role of an aged care nurse from an Australian perspective. We conducted meticulous searches using PubMed, Google Scholar, government guidelines, authoritative body regulations, quality control guidelines, and government portals pertaining to aged care nursing in Australia. This paper relied upon the information garnered from publications, reports, and guidelines resulting from these searches and analyses. Multiple aspects of healthy ageing and holistic aged care nursing are discussed. The key roles of the aged care nurse are enumerated next, in accordance with the code of conduct from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The NMBA promotes evidence-based, culturally sensitive, consultative, holistic aged care clinical practice that includes input from care recipients, their decision makers, and/or their health care providers. The difficult issue of loneliness is discussed with strategies to ameliorate aspects of this. Good social networks, community interactions, meaningful friendships, and participation in personalised spiritual/religious practices improve the quality of aged care. The key topic of elder abuse and its forms are discussed apropos of aged care nursing. Healthy ageing is promoted by identifying and reporting elder abuse at the earliest. Current Australian law and recent federal legislation changes pertaining to aged care nursing are discussed next. As a result of these legislation changes, several new quality control imperatives (for aged care organisations/facilities) under the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) have been implemented. Residential and flexible aged care providers should now have robust ongoing documentation and a well-developed behaviour support plan (BSP) for each care recipient who currently requires or may require restrictive practices, which must be reported under the new serious incident reporting scheme (SIRS). Various strategies to promote healthy ageing and approaches to communicate effectively with aged care recipients are also discussed. Healthy ageing is promoted when age care recipients are empowered with making their own autonomous choices in "major and minor" aspects of life. Finally, approaches to optimise quality aged care nursing care are discussed. The Roper-Logan-Tierney model is one of the models used to assess and optimise nursing care. This is premised on the capability of an ageing individual to accomplish 12 basic activities of daily living.

"Think of It Like a Game": Older Adults' and Health Professionals' Perspectives on Interactive Exercise Technology Design.

Purpose: Interactive exercise technology (IET) is an effective and practical way to support physiotherapy for older adults. The purpose of this study was to use design thinking to collect feedback on the first iteration of an IET prototype from older adults and health professionals and to use that feedback to gain an understanding of their needs and values, with the goal of developing recommendations to inform the second iteration of the IET prototype. Method: This study was conducted using three steps of design thinking: (1) test, in which four focus groups were conducted, asking older adults and health professionals about their perspectives on an IET prototype; (2) empathize, in which the focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed and thematic content analysis was conducted; and (3) define, in which the needs and values of the participants were identified. Results: The participants were 19 health professionals and four older adults. Four themes, which represented the values that these groups held regarding IET design, were revealed: instruction, safety, accessibility, and motivation. Conclusions: Older adults and health professionals have specific needs for the design of IET, which should be considered in the development of future IET.

Objectif : la technologie des exercices interactifs (TEI) est un moyen efficace et pratique de soutenir la physiothérapie chez les aînés. La présente étude a fait appel à la réflexion conceptuelle pour colliger les commentaires d'aînés et de professionnels de la santé sur la première itération d'un prototype de TEI, s'inspirer de leurs commentaires pour comprendre leurs besoins et leurs valeurs et formuler des recommandations pour éclairer la deuxième itération du prototype de TEI. Méthodologie : la présente étude a été réalisée au moyen des trois étapes de la réflexion conceptuelle : 1) le test, dans le cadre duquel quatre groupes de travail ont été formés pour demander aux aînés et aux professionnels de la santé leurs points de vue sur un prototype de TEI; 2) l'empathie, visant l'enregistrement et la transcription les discussions des groupes de travail, suivis d'une analyse de contenu thématique et 3) la définition, afin de déterminer les besoins et les valeurs des participants. Résultats : les participants étaient 19 professionnels de la santé et quatre aînés. Quatre thèmes sont ressortis, représentatifs des valeurs de ces groupes à l'égard de la TEI : directives, sécurité, accessibilité et motivation. Conclusion : les aînés et leurs professionnels de la santé ont des besoins particuliers à l'égard de la conception de la TEI, dont il faudrait tenir compte dans l'élaboration de futures TEI.

Health Care Professionals' Perspectives on Life-Course Immunization: A Qualitative Survey from a European Conference.

Today, fewer children die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases than older adults. Health systems need new immunization strategies to tackle the burden of vaccine-preventable disease in an aging society. A life-course immunization (LCI) approach-which entails vaccination throughout an individual's lifespan-enables adults to age with reduced risk to disease, thereby enabling healthy, active and productive aging. We conducted an audience response system (ARS)-based survey to investigate HCP perspectives on LCI in an opportunistic sample of 222 health care professionals (HCPs) from around the world who attended a European infectious diseases conference. Survey results show that LCI is a priority for HCPs (77.4%-88.6%), with most of them stating the need to frame it as a part of a healthy lifestyle (91.0%-100.0%). Insufficient LCI recommendations by vaccine providers (12.9%-33.3%) and governments (15.2%-41.9%) and insufficient targeted budget allocation (6.1%-21.7%) were indicated as the main barriers to implement LCI, ahead of vaccine hesitancy (9.7%-15.2%). HCPs were willing to make LCI a gateway to healthy aging but need support to work together with other stakeholders involved in the vaccination journey. This could be a step towards equitable health care for all of society.

El envejecimiento poblacional: una mirada desde la práctica de enfermería basada en el modelo de Nola J. Pender

El envejecimiento poblacional no es un fenómeno exclusivo de la sociedad moderna; ha estado presente en todas las etapas del desarrollo social y ha sido siempre de interés para la filosofía, el arte y la medicina. Se presenta una revisión bibliográfica, con el objetivo de valorar la aplicación del modelo de Nola J. Pender en la promoción de salud y su aplicabilidad desde su visión teórica en la práctica de enfermería comunitaria en el envejecimiento poblacional. Se analizan los aspectos teóricos expresados por ella, sus principales supuestos y su relación con el envejecimiento poblacional, además de exponer sus aportes teóricos, la importancia de su aplicación para la familia, la comunidad y su contribución al desarrollo de la enfermería no solo de Cuba sino en el mundo; si partimos de que Cuba está entre los países más envejecidos de Latinoamérica. La promoción de la salud motivada por el deseo de aumentar el bienestar y actualizar el potencial humano, es considerada en la actualidad una poderosa herramienta que permite promover actitudes, motivaciones y acciones a partir del concepto de autoeficacia, del compromiso de los individuos con el cambio de conductas para fomentar salud, no solo sobre el envejecimiento en sí, sino desde el envejecimiento. Los principales supuestos de Nola J. Pender en el modelo de promoción de salud la sitúan como marco de referencia en la investigación, al fortalecer la profesión y fundamentar su quehacer de manera objetiva hacia los intereses de los profesionales y las necesidades de las personas.

Population aging is not an exclusive phenomenon of modern society; it has been present in all social development stages and has always been of interest to philosophy, art and medicine. A bibliographical review is presented for evaluating the Nola J. Pender model application in health promotion, and its applicability from its theoretical vision in the community nursing practice in aging population. The theoretical aspects expressed by her, her main assumptions and her relationship with population aging are analyzed, in addition to exposing her theoretical contributions, the importance of her application for the family, the community and her contribution to the development of nursing not only in Cuba but in the world; if we start from the fact that Cuba is among the oldest countries in Latin America. Health promotion motivated by the desire to increase well-being and update human potential is currently considered a powerful tool that allows promoting attitudes, motivations and actions based on the concept of self-efficacy, the commitment of individuals to change of behaviors to promote health, not only about aging itself, but from aging. The main assumptions of Nola J. Pender in the health promotion model place it as a reference framework in research, by strengthening the profession and basing its work objectively on the interests of professionals and the people needs.

Aging: the experience of nurses working in a hospital / Envejecimiento: la experiencia de las enfermeras que trabajan en un hospital / Envelhecimento: a experiência de enfermeiras atuantes em hospital

ABSTRACT Objectives: to understand the experience of aging in the perspective of nurses working in a hospital environment. Methods: descriptive study with a qualitative approach, with interviews based on six guiding questions analyzed through Martín Heidegger's perspective on Phenomenology. Results: eleven nurses with a mean age of 46.2 years old participated in the study. The study unveiled the phenomenon of being a nurse in the process of aging. The speeches were divided into three categories: Being-there and the different faces of aging; Being-in-the-world of work; Being-in-the-world of old age. Final Considerations: there was a trend towards a positive search for aging and active old age, but aspects such as fear of loneliness and abandonment ("Being-in-the-world of old age") emerged through fearful speeches. There is a need for gerontological education so that nurses can properly discuss and plan a healthy aging process and achieve a dignified old age.

RESUMEN Objetivos: comprender la experiencia del envejecimiento según la perspectiva de enfermeras que trabajan en entornos hospitalarios. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, de enfoque cualitativo, mediante entrevistas basadas en seis preguntas orientadoras, analizadas a través de la Fenomenología desde la perspectiva de Martin Heidegger. Resultados: participaron 11 enfermeras con edad promedio de 46,2 años. El estudio permitió desvelar el fenómeno de ser enfermera durante el proceso de envejecimiento. Las intervenciones se dividieron en tres categorías: Ser-allí y las diferentes caras del envejecimiento; Ser-en-el-mundo del trabajo; Ser-en-el-mundo de la vejez. Consideraciones Finales: se observó una tendencia hacia la búsqueda positiva del envejecimiento y la vejez activa, aunque con miedo a la soledad y al abandono ("Ser-en-el-mundo de la vejez") percibidos de discursos temerosos. Es necesaria una formación gerontológica para que las enfermeras puedan discutir y planificar adecuadamente el proceso de envejecimiento saludable y la consecución de una vejez digna.

RESUMO Objetivos: compreender a experiência de estar envelhecendo por meio da perspectiva de enfermeiras atuantes em ambiente hospitalar. Métodos: estudo descritivo com abordagem qualitativa, com entrevistas a partir de seis questões norteadoras, que foram analisadas por meio da Fenomenologia sob a ótica de Martín Heidegger. Resultados: participaram do estudo 11 enfermeiras com idade média de 46,2 anos. O estudo possibilitou desvelar o fenômeno do ser-enfermeiro no processo de envelhecimento. Os discursos foram divididos em três categorias: Ser-aí e as diferentes faces do envelhecimento; Ser-no-mundo do trabalho; Ser-no-mundo da velhice. Considerações Finais: observou-se uma tendência à busca positiva do envelhecimento e à velhice ativa, mas aspectos como medo da solidão e abandono ("Ser-no-mundo da velhice") emergiram por meio de falas amedrontadas. Há a necessidade de educação gerontológica para que as enfermeiras possam discutir e planejar de forma adequada o processo de envelhecimento saudável e o alcance da velhice digna.