Luten, M.A. (2012) Successful Ageing for the Elderly : A comparison of the ageing process and its determinants between Australian and Dutch Elderly. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Comparing the ageing process and its determinants between the Australian and Dutch Elderly, setting targets for their care and for successful ageing based on areas considered important by the elderly. BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands 15.6% of the population are currently aged 65 or over. Calculations by the Central Bureau of Statistics in the Netherlands (CBS) show that in 28 years an estimated rate of 25.9% of people will be aged 65 years or over. Within this group of elderly, the group of the very old (80 years and above) will grow dramatically, making up to 40%. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that, by 2041, 21-23% of the Australian population will be people aged 65 years and above. This expected increase in the elderly will dramatically increase/inflate workload for General Practitioners (GPs), due to more time spent per patient and multimorbidity. The elderly dependency ratio is also predicted to change enormously, rising from 26% currently, to 49% in 2039. METHODS: This is a comparative study with combined qualitative and quantitative analysis of data from 22 Australian and 1207 Dutch subjects. Australian elderly were selected based on age and health status and interviewed using the Minimum Data Set (MDS), Groningen Frailty Index (GFI) and Groningen Wellbeing Index (GWI) questionnaires. Similar data of 1207 Dutch elderly were selected from an existing dataset from previous research. RESULTS Data was analysed using SPSS and NVIVO software. A significant predictive relationship was found, for both groups, between the degree of satisfaction for 'Feeling Healthy' and 'Care for Self', and dependency on help in daily life. ' Feeling Healthy' in the Australian group and 'Housing' in the Dutch group were found to be most important in life. A large number of the elderly interviewed in Australia expressed a desire to talk about end of life and euthanasia. CONCLUSION For the Elderly, their levels of satisfaction on “feeling healthy” and “care-for-self” are important predictors of their level of dependence in daily life. A simple and self-assessed mark, by patients for their physical fitness, is a predictor for their unfitness. Together these predictors represent an area for future care and research relating to healthcare and the role of GPs. With the worldwide ageing population, even more people will be needed in the medical field than currently employed. This is likely going to be impossible. Knowing what the elderly want and keeping them satisfied and happy is very crucial and may end up being the only way the health system will be able to cope with the growing ageing population.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Slaets, Prof. J.P.J Professor of Geriatric Medicine UMCG and Molen, Prof. T. Van Der Professor of Primary Care Respirat |
| Supervisor name: | Bonney, Prof. A. Roberta Williams Professor of General Pract and Fardy Dr. H. John, Regional Hospital Academic Leader: Illawa |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jun 2020 10:58 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2020 10:58 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1896 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |