How Well Did the Healthcare System Respond to the Healthcare Needs of Older People with and without Dementia during the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Perception of Healthcare Providers and Older People from the SI4CARE Project in the ADRION Region-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

How Well Did the Healthcare System Respond to the Healthcare Needs of Older People with and without Dementia during the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Perception of Healthcare Providers and Older People from the SI4CARE Project in the ADRION Region

Published:2023-02-01 Issue:1 Volume:8 Page:21
ISSN:2308-3417
Container-title:Geriatrics
language:en
Short-container-title:Geriatrics

Author:

Fragkiadaki Stella¹,Kontaxopoulou Dionysia¹,Stanitsa Evangelia¹^ORCID,Angelopoulou Efthalia¹^ORCID,Pavlou Dimosthenis²^ORCID,Šemrov Darja³^ORCID,Colnar Simon⁴^ORCID,Lustrek Mitja⁵^ORCID,Blažica Bojan⁶,Vučica Inga⁷^ORCID,Matković Roberta⁸^ORCID,Vukojevic Katarina⁹^ORCID,Jelicic Ana⁹^ORCID,Guzzi Pietro Hiram¹⁰^ORCID,Martinović Vlatka¹¹,Medina Amina Pekmez¹²,Piccoli Guido¹³,Menon Margherita¹³,Kozetinac Srdjan¹⁴,Miljković Miodrag¹⁴,Kiskini Chrysanthi¹⁵,Kokorotsikos Themis¹⁵,Zilidou Vasiliki¹⁶^ORCID,Radević Ivan¹⁷^ORCID,Papatriantafyllou John¹^ORCID,Thireos Eleftherios¹⁸,Tsouros Agis¹⁹,Dimovski Vlado⁴,Papageorgiou Sokratis G.¹^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. 1st Department of Neurology, Aiginition University Hospital, Vasilissis Sofias Street 72-74, 11528 Athens, Greece

2. School of Topography and Geoinformatics, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos Str., 12243 Aigalew, Greece

3. Faculty of Civic and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana Jamova cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

4. School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana Kardeljeva ploščad 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

5. Department of Intelligent Systems, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

6. Computer Systems Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

7. Department of Gerontology, Teaching Institute for Public Health of Split and Dalmatian County, Vukovarska 46, 21000 Split, Croatia

8. Department for Research Data Collecting and Analysis, Teaching Institute for Public Health of Split and Dalmatian County, Vukovarska 46, 21000 Split, Croatia

9. Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Šoltanska ul. 2, 21000 Split, Croatia

10. Municipality of Miglierina, Street B. Telesio 88040, Italy and University of Catanzaro, viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy

11. Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

12. Health Insurance and Reinsurance Fund of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trg Heroja 14, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

13. ALOT, SI4CARE-TEAM Street Cipro, 16, 25124 Brescia, Italy

14. Special Hospital Merkur, Cara Dusana 3, 36210 Vrnjaka Banja, Serbia

15. Department of European Union, Projects of Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia, Vas. Olgas 198, 54 655, Thessaloniki, Greece

16. Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation, and Thessaloniki Active & Healthy Ageing Living Lab, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

17. Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, 37 Bulevar Jovana Tomaševića, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro

18. National Health System, Athens Medical Society, Meandrou 23, 115 28 Athens, Greece

19. Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA

Abstract

One major challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic was the limited accessibility to healthcare facilities, especially for the older population. The aim of the current study was the exploration of the extent to which the healthcare systems responded to the healthcare needs of the older people with or without cognitive impairment and their caregivers in the Adrion/Ionian region. Data were collected through e-questionnaires regarding the adequacy of the healthcare system and were anonymously administered to older individuals and stakeholder providers in the following countries: Slovenia, Italy (Calabria), Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia. Overall, 722 older people and 267 healthcare stakeholders participated in the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both healthcare stakeholders and the older population claimed that the healthcare needs of the older people and their caregivers increased dramatically in all countries, especially in Italy (Calabria), Croatia and BiH. According to our results, countries from the Adrion/Ionian regions faced significant challenges to adjust to the special needs of the older people during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was possibly due to limited accessibility opportunities to healthcare facilities. These results highlight the need for the development of alternative ways of providing medical assistance and supervision when in-person care is not possible.

Funder

European Regional Development Fund and IPA II fund

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Geriatrics and Gerontology,Gerontology,Aging,Health (social science)

Link

https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3417/8/1/21/pdf

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