Date of Award

5-2012

Document Type

Independent Study

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Abstract

Retention and recruitment of providers is an ongoing stmggle in small and rural communities and poses a significant public health concern in meeting the needs of our aging population. This unfortunate situation will force many of our aging adults and home bound elders out of their homes and into skilled nursing facilities or assisted living environments long before they would have otherwise required skilled care. Providing primary care visits in the home is one way of addressing this issue. The medical and nursing communities have an obligation and a difficult challenge in providing our aging elders with a continuity of care with a more patient centered approach. Expanding the role of the nurse practitioner to practice as a primary provider in the home-care setting would be a cost effective method in decreasing functional decline, managing chronic disease, reduce the frequency of hospitalizations and nursing home stays, all of which reduce the defragmented care among our older adults.

This project will look at the review of literature regarding primary care visits in the home; focusing on cost effectiveness, improved outcomes of chronic disease management, and reducing the number of nursing home admissions. The evidence from these findings will support the need for primary care in the home and a call for program implementation. Local hospitals and clinics that serve the rural area will be the intended audience, as support from practicing physicians and advance nurse practitioners will be essential in the development and implementation of such programs.

Download

Share

COinS