The older adult: a comparison of long-term care in Glasgow and San Francisco

Population trends show an increasing proportion of people older than 65 years of age. This report aims to describe the facilities/services accessible to the older adult living in Glasgow, Scotland and in San Francisco, United States of America. This comparative study serves to develop a broader understanding of what is involved in the process of ageing, and describes how these two cities are responding to the needs of older people. Long-term caring provision is complex and involves multiple agencies, often leaving both lay and professional individuals ill-informed as to which services exist and how best to use them. The nurse can be instrumental in providing information, viable alternatives and services. In this article, options available for caring of the older adult and financing of care are discussed along with a number of recommendations based on observations described, data collected and literature researched. With the advent of care being provided in the community, there is now a continuum of services ranging from independent living at home to dependent care in hospital. Whether an individual remains at home depends on the availability and affordability of, and access to, other resources/facilities. Creative alternatives are needed for care of the older adult in this millennium. This report describes the need for an integrated system of care, which can adjust to variations in clients' needs. Progressive care facilities, intergenerational sharing, community volunteer service programmes for the older person and Edenizing are a few recommendations discussed by the authors.