Development of an assessment scale for effective outreach activities for socially-isolated elderly people

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K20800
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Community health nursing
• Research Institution: University of Yamanashi
• Principal Investigator: KANZAKI Yuki 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 准教授 (80381713)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的孤立 / 高齢者 / アウトリーチ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment scale for nursing outreach activities, with the goal of preventing social isolation among the elderly. Nursing staff at the Local Elderly Care Management Center were interviewed. Based on the results of these interviews, as far as the nursing staff were aware, the elderly in the area were not completely isolated from society. The nursing staff were aware of the scope of the lifestyles, relationships with others, and health status of the elderly in their area through reports from local organizations and their own observations. The study found that the nursing staff used their understanding of the temperament and values of the elderly in their area to watch for changes from the way things were until now in terms of factors such as physical condition, emotions, frequency and length of conversations, attitude toward receiving assistance, and scope of interactions with others, using these signs to assess need for care.

Free Research Field

地域看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

看護職は、高齢者を見守る地域の組織（自治体や協力員、近隣住民）からの報告や直接的な関わりから、生活の範囲や他者との関係、健康状態などを把握しアウトリーチ活動につなげていた。アセスメントは、活気やふらつき、体調、表情の変化、理解する力、会話の頻度や長さ、支援を受け入れる姿勢、服の着方や選び方、生活する範囲や生活リズムの変化、他者との交流範囲や交流相手の好み方に焦点を当てていることが明らかとなった。以上のことから、これらの視点を踏まえたアセスメントの必要性が示唆された