Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This literature review aimes to evaluate care worker’s viewpoints of older adults in Japan. We searched “Ichushi”(Japan Medical Abstracts Society database) to identify relevant articles. Keywords used for the search were: “care worker” and “observation”.The eligibility criterion was original studies involving older adults that related to key points of observation by care workers. We identified 146 papers; however, most (n=128) were not focused on understanding and care of older adults based on observation by care workers. The remaining eighteen papers were selected and separated into two categories: “Observation viewpoints by care workers” and “Intention or consideration in observation by care workers.” “Observation viewpoints by care workers” described how patients’ behavioral abnormalities and changes were identified through observation, compared with usual behavioral indications (e.g., basic activities of daily living, living conditions, aging symptoms, symptoms due to diseases/disabilities, and feelings). “Intention or consideration in observation by care workers” described how observation was an important tool to provide information on care content and methods, such as health conditions, evaluation of activities of daily living, and judgments related to mental health. Our study suggests that care workers develop their understanding of the physiological and psychological aspects of older adults based on information obtained through daily observation. Care workers use this information to judge and decide how best to care for the older adult. Effective inter-professional work for older adult care needs further exploration from the perspective of detailed observation.