MEETING THE ESCALATING DEMANDS FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES OF ELDERLY POPULATIONS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE
MALCOLM J PROWLE, NAMARA ARTHUR ARAALIABSTRACT. Population ageing is a phenomenon affecting developed and developing countries alike and represents a major global challenge. This paper is concerned with the impact of ageing populations, in developing countries, on the future provision of health and social care services to the growing elderly population. As well as reviewing previous research and available data, the paper presents the findings of a series of qualitative interviews with policy makers and clinicians in a small number of developing countries in various parts of the world. The paper argues that developing countries cannot expect to see major increases in financial resources available to health and social care for the foreseeable future. Thus, the key issue is establishing how best the available public funding for delivering health and social care services to the elderly can best be used to maximize public value at a time when public services around the world face ongoing austerity measures. The paper focuses on a number of key strategic themes to achieve this which are as follows: the strengthening of public health infrastructure and capabilities; the reconfiguration of existing health systems; a stronger focus on elderly medicine as a distinct specialty; a strengthened role for mobile healthcare, particularly in rural areas; the development of models of generic health and social care assistants; the promotion of community based social care; the utilization of appropriate public/private health care partnerships.
Keywords: health; social care; ageing; resources; austerity; public value
How to cite: Prowle, Malcolm J, and Namara Arthur Araali (2017). “Meeting the Escalating Demands for Health and Social Care Services of Elderly Populations in Developing Countries: A Strategic Perspective,” American Journal of Medical Research 4(2): 127–146.
Received 10 April 2017 • Received in revised form 5 June 2017
Accepted 6 June 2017 • Available online 22 June 2017
doi:10.22381/AJMR4220175