Demographic Transition Theory of Aging
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The day hospital is a community‐based option for providing both social and supportive care. Day hospitals were introduced approximately 70 years ago in Russia. This movement reached America and Europe in the 1940s and 1950s. There are day hospitals that address geriatric care, mental illness, and psychological disorders.
Geriatric Day Hospitals Geriatric day hospitals provide interdisciplinary assessment and management of chronic health problems for older individuals. They are designed for individuals recovering from acute events such as stroke, amputation, and fractures. They provide assessment, rehabilitation, and certain medical and nursing procedures. Many also provide services such as transportation, nutrition, and recreational and social activity programs. Day hospitals should be distinguished from day centers. Day centers are designed to maintain function, provide activity and socialization, and give caregivers a respite. Unlike day centers, day hospitals provide specific therapy. Day care centers do not have the staffing found in day hospitals. Staffing in geriatric day hospitals usually consists of a geriatrician or physician, nurses, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. Additionally, some day hospitals employ speech pathologists, nutritionists, and recreational therapists. Patients frequently visit the day hospital when they have suffered a loss of independence. As a result, they require services such as physical therapy, adjustment of their medications, or a new way of planning their daily activities. Patients in day hospitals often suffer from conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Individuals who attend day hospitals often benefit not only from the therapy but also from the interaction with their peers. Typically, a patient will be involved in both individual therapy and group activities. Day hospitals spend a lot of time educating the patients and their families about the patients’ health problems. Patients usually attend day hospitals as outpatients. The amount of time, per day, that a patient spends in
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Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008
a day hospital can vary, e.g., some may spend four hours while others a full day. Patients and their families are generally involved in establishing the patient’s treatment goals. The person is discharged from the day hospital when the goals are met. The length of program could vary from 6 weeks to 6 months. The effectiveness of geriatric day hospitals has been a source of controversy. A study performed in 1999 found that patients attending day hospitals had better outcomes than individuals receiving no comprehensive elderly care. The study further found that day hospitals have a similar impact on patient outcomes as inpatient care, outpatient care, and domiciliary services. However, the study showed that, compared to other forms of care, day hospital attendance could have a positive impact on the need for long‐term institutional care.
Psychiatric Day Hospitals Psychiatric day hospitals are designed to
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