Potter Charlotte
Nurs Times. 2009;105(49-50):14-8.
The over 85s is the fastest growing age group in England and a major user of healthcare services. It is vital to understand what quality healthcare means to this group.
To investigate qualitatively what vulnerable older people value in the NHS and whether these aspirations are being met by policy and practice.
Face to face interviews were conducted with 20 vulnerable older adults, most of whom were aged over 80, and the findings matched with current policy and practice.
Nine aspirations were identified: face to face, personalised and flexible appointments; to retain control in their home; respect for property and belongings; company and the opportunity to be listened to; proactive healthcare and support; choice and control over daily routines; a connected relationship between staff and patients; maintenance of privacy in hospital; and joined-up care.
Gaps can be identified in each of these areas and the government, healthcare providers and professionals, as well as regulators and professional bodies, need to take steps to ensure policy and practice meet the needs of vulnerable older people.
There are two main conclusions from this work: older people are more concerned about their needs being met than about who meets them; and if the NHS is serious about delivering quality it needs to listen to patients about what they want rather than making assumptions about this.
85岁以上人群是英格兰增长最快的年龄组，也是医疗服务的主要使用者。了解优质医疗服务对该群体意味着什么至关重要。
定性调查弱势老年人在国民保健制度中重视什么，以及这些期望是否通过政策和实践得到满足。
对20名弱势老年人进行了面对面访谈，其中大多数年龄超过80岁，并将调查结果与现行政策和实践进行了匹配。
确定了九个期望：面对面、个性化和灵活的预约；在自己家中保持控制权；尊重财产和物品；陪伴以及被倾听的机会；积极主动的医疗保健和支持；对日常生活的选择和控制权；医护人员与患者之间建立联系；在医院中保持隐私；以及连贯的护理。
在这些领域中的每一个都可以发现差距，政府、医疗保健提供者和专业人员，以及监管机构和专业团体需要采取措施，以确保政策和实践满足弱势老年人的需求。
这项工作得出两个主要结论：老年人更关心他们的需求是否得到满足，而不是谁来满足这些需求；如果国民保健制度认真致力于提供高质量服务，就需要听取患者的需求，而不是对此进行臆测。
