Effects of Preventive Measures on Potentially Bedridden Geriatric Patients at Home.
10.2185/jjrm.43.36
- VernacularTitle:寝たきり予防対策の効果
- Author:
Shinji MIYAHARA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine
1994;43(1):36-40
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
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Abstract:
Home-Care services for aged people are being provided in Nishi-Tosa Village, Kochi Prefecture, to prevent the elderly from being bedridden. The village is one of the so-called “old communities.” About 25% of the village's 4, 250 inhabitants are over the age of 64.
This paper deals with the preventive steps taken by the community health center and the results that have been obtained thus far. The number of bedfast elderly people (ranked as B and C according to the Health and Welfare Ministry criteria of judgment for the lives of ailing old people) has been tending to decrease yearly: from 31 persons in 1985 down to 18 and 19 in 1990 and 1991. The percentage of bedridden old people to the total number of the elderly also decreased from 3.8% in 1985 to 1.9% in 1991.
In working out the preventive measures for the elderly, special emphasis has been laid on the following four points:
1. Opening of health study course more than 200 times a year;
2. Encouragement of dietary cure for the hypertensive and medication;
3. Recommending hospital care after a stroke occurs and early rehabilitation practice;
4. Continued rehabilitation after discharge of hospital and regular visits by nurses and health aides to patients in their homes.
We are convinced that these activities must have contributed to the decline in the number of bedridden old people.
