Understanding the Complexities of Caring for Frail Older People: An Integrated Care Approach - Level

Understanding the Complexities of Caring for Frail Older people: an integrated care approach Level 6 

1. Evaluate the effects of the ageing process on the wellbeing of older people. 

2. Identify the implications of different chronic illnesses and ageing on the lives of older people and critically discuss strategies for reducing the negative impact of such conditions. 

3. Critically evaluate the assessment and engagement skills required to work with older and frail people, their families and carers, living with illness. 

4. Critically analyse the knowledge, attitudes and skills required for the promotion of healthy ageing. 

This summative assessment for level 6, is an essay of 3000 words. The essay is a way of critically analysing and presenting tangible and measurable evidence of your learning and your achievement of the learning outcomes. The essay will enable you to demonstrate your ability to integrate a variety of concepts and guiding principles in relation to your specific topic. The evidence selected and presented will be mapped against the learning outcomes.

You must evaluate the effects of the ageing process on the wellbeing of older people who have or may become frail.

Discuss the ageing process and how it effects the health and wellbeing of older people.  Consider the different theories of ageing in your discussion and examine and discuss how they relate to physical, psychological and social ageing. Consider actions that are taken or may be taken to encourage healthy ageing, including actions taken to address issues of ageism. Evaluate the contribution you may make in your role as a health practitioner as part of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working with families and carers to support your chosen client(s) / client group. 

Introduction

The essay will begin with an introduction that should be very focused on what the essay is about and the way that you will proceed.

In this part, you will give a clear outline of the key areas that you will discuss in the main essay. The key areas must relate to the learning outcomes

Give a rationale for the choice of topic. This must be statistically / evidence based. Provide definitions as appropriate 

• Discuss the theories of ageing and the factors that may have influenced the development of health issues generally as well as the chosen health issue in older age. 

• The client group chosen must have co existing health condition / health needs. e.g. dementia and frailty or frailty and poor nutrition
• Explain the health issue and frailty then discuss how the two may be linked
• Discuss the health and wellbeing challenges that may be experience by the patient with the health issue and how this might contribute to frailty. Use literature as evidence to support the size of the problem.

• Consider how the practitioner may contribute to the assessment, identification and plan support for the client group. Focus on two key issues – Consider how the needs of the client group would be determined.

• Consider in detail, the role of integrated care and the theories of person centred care and shared decision making in addressing the health issue to prevent frailty.
• Discuss in detail the strategies that may be used to guide interventions to address the health issues / concerns. What are the aims and expected outcomes form the strategies?
• Discuss the role of ageism in creating  barriers to optimum support. Discuss the policies, laws and strategies that may be used to prevent or reduce ageism and how these would be considered in the intervention to meet the care needs of the older person.
• Discuss the role of patient and family involvement in shared decision making: Include in your discussion the role of families and those in the person’s life in supporting recovery and healthy ageing.

• Evaluate your contribution as a professional as part of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams in working to optimise your chosen client’s health and wellbeing.
• Consider the skills that you would need as a professional in working to support the chosen patient group.

• Throughout the work you must focus your discussion on the rationale for choice of support with regards to the ‘why’ of the intervention proposed as opposed to ‘what’ might be done. Take into account any alternatives as appropriate. 

Conclusion

• A conclusion should wrap up the whole essay without any new argument.

• Consider how you might adapt your future practice in view of what you have learnt and how this exercise will enable you to practice more effectively with older people.

References

You must use literature from a variety of sources throughout the work to support your ideas. You should therefore include a full reference list at the end of the work.