Health & Social Care in the Community

Children with disabilities in out-of-home care (OOHC) are an overrepresented group in Australia, yet little is known about their circumstances, needs, and experiences within OOHC. Utilising a systematic scoping review methodology, we explored the state of knowledge about the experiences of children and young people with a disability in out-of-home care in Australia. Findings in this review speak to the unmet needs and challanges that children with disabilities face in child welfare systems and how systemic failures can lead to institutional pipelines of further maltreatment, adversity, and marginalisation. The review discusses the key themes in the literature, including (i) compounding trauma and placement failures, (ii) concerns of safety, stability, and neglect, (iii) limited control and choice, and (iv) disability and multisystem involvement.

Recently, baby healthcare monitoring systems have emerged as a key research area. However, numerous research studies have been conducted on babies and their state of either awakening or sleeping. But there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic review in this area of research. The existing research considers mostly the children’s monitoring vital health parameters, in turn, giving relaxation to the parents in caring of their babies. Still, the fundamental practical issues related to daily life are missing. As a result, the safety of babies against suffocation and falling hazards for employed parents or mothers involved in the workforce has been overlooked. Only a few studies exist that cover the age range of 0 months to 4 years, with further focus on the age range of 6 months to 4 years. In response to these gaps in previous research and existing technologies, this review work proposes a vision for a baby safety system that utilizes various sensors and technologies like machine learning and image processing to ensure a safer environment for babies.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly endangers the development of at-risk young adults across various life domains, with potential enduring consequences. Despite prior reporting on the pandemic’s adverse effects on these individuals, there is a lack of the empirical literature regarding their resilience. Building upon the stress process model (Pearlin, 1978), we explored the challenges of 20 at-risk young adults (aged 18–25 years) and the strategies and resources they employed to cope with these challenges during this period. Thematic analysis revealed that these young adults struggled with worsened family relationships, loneliness, mental health issues, and setbacks in their quest for independence and autonomy. However, resources and character strengths that facilitated coping strategies during this period also emerged, specifically the motivation to become a role model within their family, personal abilities, and the use of formal and informal support. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Internationally, community healthcare is provided by personal health budgets or personalised schemes as part of a consumer-directed care emphasis. Although the introduction of a personalised scheme in Australia has improved the lives of many, people with psychosocial disability (PSD) and their families have experienced many challenges with service integration. Six focus groups with 17 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support workers were conducted between June and November 2022. Participants were asked semistructured questions about their engagement with emergency department (ED) clinicians when presenting with a person with PSD and NDIS plan. They were also asked how they contribute to service integration to improve communication practices between the two services. A qualitative, descriptive thematic analysis approach was used. Results indicate there is a need for improved service integration pathways between the ED and NDIS services. The thematic analyses identified five main themes: the ED is harmful and not safe, but nowhere else to go; make the ED safe; further training for ED staff; improving communication across services; and alternatives to the ED. This study reports NDIS support worker’s experience when supporting a person they are caring for in the ED. NDIS support workers have an understanding of the needs of the people they care for;their wisdom can contribute greatly to ED clinical responses in crisis care. Recommendations are offered to assist with service integration between the two systems.

Moving into a nursing home is a significant transition for older people which can be emotional and stressful. The literature on the decision to move and subsequent residential stress focuses on the time after admission; however, there is less understanding of older people’s management of the process. To fully understand and possibly reduce negative consequences and health-related risks, the aim of this article is to explore how older people manage the transition from home to nursing home. The study is based on 21 longitudinal interviews with seven older people during the process of moving. Following Dorothy Smith’s theory of work, the analysis finds three types of work—practical, relational, and emotional—that older people engage in during the transition process. The results highlight the importance of considering the entire transition process, not only experiences before or after, if we are to reduce the negative, stress-related consequences of relocations of this kind. The findings have practical implications for professionals in health and social care and point to the need to develop practical, relational, and emotional support for older people throughout the transition process.

Purpose. This study aims to elucidate the gender gaps in the strategies for maintaining the social participation and interaction of older adults with people in a local community. Methods. The subjects were 130 older adults aged 65 years or older and independently living in their homes in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The authors conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey on paper and performed multiple regression analysis for men and women separately using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) as the dependent variable. Results. Among the independent variables used for the analysis, those that significantly influenced LSNS-6 in men were social activities related to the daily life satisfaction of the elderly (SARDS). The independent variables that significantly influenced LSNS-6 in women were SARDS, sense of coherence-13 (SOC-13), and the number of family members living with the subjects. Discussion. Health promotion is not associated with interaction with people in men compared with women.