Functional limitations increasingly affect the quality of life among the older adults during the end stage. As the impact of these problems continues to increase widely, it is essential to find the various needs of the older adults and provide comprehensive medical services. This entry explores multiple needs experienced by the elderly during the end stage and functional limitations, including medical, cognitive, daily task, psychological, social, and ethical needs. It also concludes the needs of related stakeholders such as caregivers and family members. The entry reviews existing social support systems from various countries, including government-led, family and community-centered, legal and ethical-led, people-centered, and cultural integrated social support models. Furthermore, it identifies gaps and lacks the different types of needs addressed through technologies and non-technological measures. Socioeconomic, medical, psychological, and ethical factors that relate to these unmet needs are discussed. Strategies for improvement are proposed, focusing on utilization of advanced technology in diagnosing and treatment as well as implementing comprehensive non-technological interventions to enhance quality of life during the end stage among older adults. These include integrated palliative and rehabilitate care, specific family-setting interventions, and individual social support programs. To cope with the unmet needs and provide high-quality support in end stage, targeted and comprehensive measures should be conducted through policymakers, caregivers, researchers, and society force.

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Functional Limitations and Social Support in the Last Year of Life Among Older Adults

  • Hao Zhang,
  • Shanquan Chen

摘要

Functional limitations increasingly affect the quality of life among the older adults during the end stage. As the impact of these problems continues to increase widely, it is essential to find the various needs of the older adults and provide comprehensive medical services. This entry explores multiple needs experienced by the elderly during the end stage and functional limitations, including medical, cognitive, daily task, psychological, social, and ethical needs. It also concludes the needs of related stakeholders such as caregivers and family members. The entry reviews existing social support systems from various countries, including government-led, family and community-centered, legal and ethical-led, people-centered, and cultural integrated social support models. Furthermore, it identifies gaps and lacks the different types of needs addressed through technologies and non-technological measures. Socioeconomic, medical, psychological, and ethical factors that relate to these unmet needs are discussed. Strategies for improvement are proposed, focusing on utilization of advanced technology in diagnosing and treatment as well as implementing comprehensive non-technological interventions to enhance quality of life during the end stage among older adults. These include integrated palliative and rehabilitate care, specific family-setting interventions, and individual social support programs. To cope with the unmet needs and provide high-quality support in end stage, targeted and comprehensive measures should be conducted through policymakers, caregivers, researchers, and society force.