AI Article Synopsis
- Older individuals in care facilities use complementary medicine (CM) to alleviate chronic illness symptoms, but their usage is not well understood compared to those living independently.
- A study involving 71 participants in residential aged-care facilities in Victoria, Australia, revealed that residents often used CM to help with pain and mobility, though they usually did so secretly and relied on family support for financing.
- Facility policies, funding issues, and concerns from healthcare professionals about the safety and effectiveness of CM contribute to limited access and use in care settings, which may impact the incoming wave of "baby-boomers" seeking similar treatments.
Article Abstract
Older people living in the community use complementary medicine (CM) to manage the symptoms of chronic illness; however, little is known about CM use by older people living in care settings. Using focus groups and individual interviews, this study explored the use of CM from the perspective of 71 residents, families, and health professionals from six residential aged-care facilities in Victoria, Australia. Residents used CM to manage pain and improve mobility, often covertly, and only with the financial assistance of their families. Facility policies and funding restrictions constrained CM use at the individual and facility level. An absence of evidence to support safety and efficacy coupled with the risk of interactions made doctors wary of CM use in older people. These findings have relevance for the large number of CM using "baby-boomers" as they move into residential aged-care.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0733464816629852 | DOI Listing |
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