SINGLE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Single assessment process can impact on the care of older people

Single assessment process can impact on the care of older people

1- Assessment Process and Theory of Assessment

Ans. The Single Assessment process or SAP aims to provide person-centred care to service users and their carers. In other words: "To ensure that older people are treated as individuals and they receive appropriate and timely packages of care which meet their needs as individuals, regardless of health and social boundaries. Under the single assessment process one example of how a client might be assessed is that they would first be seen by a community nurse who would initially assess the client and if there appeared to be a social care need the person would be referred to social services and would be seen by a care manager. This process should be counted as one assessment and since it includes a social care element (i.e. an assessment carried out under section 47 of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990) it should be included in RAP. (Wieland W and Hirth V. 2003 Pp. 554)

2- Nursing models (roper,logan & Teirney) Assessment of older people in various health settings

Ans. The Roper's model is fairly well known and is the basis of the nursing assessment used through the Older People's Mental Health acute assessment and treatment units.

Nancy Roper, Winifred Logan and Alison Tierney devised it in 1980 in response to a research study on the clinical experience of student nurses. (Len Gray 2004 Pp. 77)

This model was the first attempt by British nurses to develop a conceptual model for nursing. The essential basis of the model is the idea that individuals are involved in activities, which enable them to live and grow. These 12 activities are:

Maintains a safe environment

Communication

Breathing

Eating and drinking

Eliminating

Personal cleansing and dressing

Working and playing

Mobility

Sleeping

Expressing sexuality

Controlling body temperature

Dying

Each activity is seen to have 3 components: Physical, Social and Psychological, all of which are considered to be equally significant.

The model also identifies 3 additional types of activities closely interrelated to each other as well as the 12 main activities previously listed. They are:

Preventing Activities: These are intended to prevent those things, which will impair living such as illness and accidents.

Comforting Activities: These are performed to give physical, psychological and social comfort.

Seeking Activities: These are carried out to gain further knowledge, new experience or answers to new problems.

Consequently the main nursing aims of this model is as follows:

Assisting the individual to acquire, maintain or restore maximum independence in the activities of daily living, or enabling him to cope with dependence if circumstances make this necessary.

Enabling the individual to carry out preventing activities independently to avoid ill health.

Providing comforting strategies to promote recovery and eventual independence.

Providing medically prescribed treatments to overcome illness or its symptoms, leading to recovery and eventual independence.

3- Principles of a multi professional pathway relate to assessing needs of older people

Ans. Older people benefit from good, rounded, multi-professional assessment. This is a fundamental part of the process of caring for older ...