Integrated Care for the Elderly in Health Care Centers: A Qualitative Study

Aging population and diseases in old age will increase the need for outpatient and inpatient services and consequently increase the costs of the health system. Studies on health needs and quality of life in the elderly in different countries of the world However, in the field of integrated care for the elderly, with a qualitative approach and considering the experiences of the health care care team, there is a need. Since the care programs in the country do not meet the challenge of providing services the elderly, The researcher decided to conduct a study with the aim of understanding integrated care for the elderly in health care centers with a qualitative method.

This study was conducted using a qualitative design and content analysis approach to explore integrated care experiences for the elderly in nursing health centers. The participants in the present study include 35 people. It consists of 15 physicians, of which 2 are health workers and 13 are family physicians. There are 10 male and 5 female physicians. The age range of physicians in this study was between 30 and 53 years and the average was 42. Fifteen elderly caregivers were health professionals, one was a health services manager, and one was a senior geriatrician. The inclusion criteria in this study were health care providers with the age range of participants between 33 to 51 years and the average was 42 years. The method of data collection was semi-structured interview and the method of content analysis was analysis. 

From the findings of this study, 241 primary codes were extracted and 141 codes emerged by matching similar codes. The codes were analyzed and categorized based on features, which resulted in the emergence of 86 codes and were placed in 14 subcategories. The extracted codes and statements of the participants were divided into 5 main categories. Concerns expressed by the elderly and caregivers, including physicians and health care providers, include: the complexities and concerns of the elderly, the lack of health services in the centers, the lack of health services in the centers, cultural services and the culture of healthy aging in the centers, support The welfare economy was for the elderly to benefit from the services.

In general, it can be concluded that according to the results of this study on the process of integrated care for the elderly, the main success of this care and the provision of services by caregivers in health care centers based on structural, executive, resource reform Human and financial are the center and families of the elderly. In the past, the focus was on the elderly only in some health services in health care centers and less attention was paid to services, welfare and home care services in old age. In Iran, according to the results of this study, providing more developed services but still challenges There is a lot in terms of specialized organizational structure and resources and how to provide services.