System-Based Support of Improvement of Quality of Life for Elderly People in Russia: Outlook and Challenges.

• Published in: Advances in gerontology = Uspekhi gerontologii Vol. 33; no. 5; p. 825
• Main Authors: Anisimov, V N, Redko, A A, Finagentov, A V, Khavinson, V K, Shabrov, A V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 2020
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; Quality of Life; Russia - epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2; Russia; challenges and outlook of specialty health and social care for elderly people; Federal project Older Generation; quality of life of elderly people
• ISSN: 1561-9125

The article examines the outlook and challenges relating to the provision of system-based support of healthcare providers and social services in the course of delivering their healthcare, mental health and social services to elderly people, in particular amidst a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The article gives the definition of integrated health and social care, its structure and the algorithm of delivering integrated health and social care to elderly people. The article argues that a system of integrated health and social care will improve the quality of life of older populations and extend their active longevity through a person-centered social services plan offered according to an older person's needs. The article gives the definition and a detailed description of the goals of system-based support of integrated health and social care for older populations. It describes the conditions for providing such system-based support in one specific region of the country. The article analyses the structure, aims and type of entity of the Geriatric Service which is viewed by the authors as a building block of the system of integrated health and social care for elderly people, and discusses the issues relating to coordination of activities among various divisions of the Geriatric Service and their cooperation with social services and healthcare providers. The article explains why it is important to establish a special research and methodological unit - the Center for System-Based Support - within the Geriatric Service.