Elaboration of a concept: Old age

Elaboración de un concepto: Vejez

Through didactics and dialectics, the expression and management of concepts are fundamental elements of the teaching and learning process, since their clarity must be such that when professionals communicate with each other, they represent the same in their cognitive processes . This conceptual clarity is fundamental in the clinical and academic performance, for this reason there is an inexhaustible list of words defined in the health glossaries. Seeing that such a daily word as old age has such varied meanings among our nurses and nursing students, an academic concern arose that has a direct impact on the care of the elderly in our Colombian society, taking advantage of and following with rigor the steps for the elaboration of a concept given by Cutcliffe J. and McKenna H. The Essential Concepts of Nursing (2005). I want to socialize this academic year taking into account the reopening of the specialization in gerontology in the faculty of nursing of the University Foundation of Health Sciences.

• Alabaster, Erica S. Students’ ideals for nursing older people in practice. Int J Older People Nurs. 2006 Jun;1(2):66- 74.

• Bernis Cristina. Envejecimiento, poblaciones envejecidas y personas ancianas. Aging, aged populations and elderly people. Antropo [publicación seriada en Internet]. 2004 [citado 02 Feb 2008];6:[aprox. 14 p.]. Disponible en: http://www.didac.ehu.es/antropo/6/6-1/Bernis.pdf.

• Cutcliffe John R., McKenna Hugh P., The essential Concepts of nursing. Edinburgh: Elsevier, Churchil Livingstone; 2005.

• Cheek J, Ballantyne A, Roder-Allen G. Factors influencing the decision of older people living in independent units to enter the acute care system. J Clin Nurs. 2005 Mar;14 Suppl 1:24-33.

• Duran de Villalobos, María Mercedes. Enfermería: desarrollo teórico e investigativo. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia; 2001.

• Fawcett Jacqueline. Contemporary nursing knowledge: analysis and evaluation of nursing models and theories. 2nd. Ed. Philadelphia, FA, Davis Company, 2005.

• Fernández Larrea N, Clúa Calderón AM, Báez Dueñas RM, Ramírez Rodríguez S, Prieto Díaz V. Estilos de vida, bienestar subjetivo y salud de los ancianos. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr. 2000;16(1):6-12.

• Fulton MM, Allen ER Polypharmacy in the elderly: a literature review. Journal of the American Acamedy of Nurse Practitioners. 2005, Apr; 17 (4) 123-132.

• Han Kwee H, Kozo M, Taizo W, Miyuki K, Toru K, Kiyofumi S. Factors associated with ADL dependence: A comparative study of residential care home and community-dwelling elderly in Japan. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2002 Mar;2(2):80-6.

• Heikkilä K, Ekman SL. Health care experiences and beliefs of elderly Finnish immigrants in Sweden. J Transcult Nurs. 2000 Oct;11(4):281-9.

• Hodges HF, Keeley AC, Grier EC. Masterworks of art and chronic illness experiences in the elderly. J Adv Nurs. 2001 Nov;36(3):389-98.

• Kim MI. Nursing research: a worldwide picture. Rev Esc Enferm USP. 1992 Oct;26(Suppl):7-22.

• Meleis Afaf Ibrahim. Theorical nursing: development and progress. San Francisco: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1997.

• Olszewski Walker Lorraine, Coalson Avant Kay. Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing, 4th. Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall; 2005.

• Reyes-Ortíz CA, Camacho ME, Eschbach K, Markides K. El contexto de la familia y el vecindario en la salud de los ancianos del estudio Epese hispano. Colombia Médica. [publicación seriada en Internet]. 2006 [citado 02 Feb 2008];37(1):[aprox. 6 p.]. Disponible en: http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/pdf/283/28337908.pdf.

• Rodríguez Mañas C. Atención domiciliaria para personas ancianas: no todo vale. Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2003 Sep-Oct;5: 523-6.

• Roe B, Whattam M, Young H, Dimond M. Elders' needs and experiences of receiving formal and informal care for their activities of daily living. J Clin Nurs. 2001 May;10(3):389-97.

• Ross MM, Crook J. Elderly recipients of home nursing services: pain, disability and functional competence. J Adv Nurs. 1998 Jun;27(6):1117-26.

• Van Servellen G, Fongwa M, Mockus D'Errico E. Continuity of care and quality care outcomes for people experiencing chronic conditions: A literature review. Nurs Health Sci. 2006 Sep;8(3):185-95.

• Whetsell M, Fredirickson K, Aguilera P, Maya JL. Niveles de bienestar espiritual y de fortaleza relacionados con la salud en adultos mayores. Aquichan. 2005 Oct:5(1):72-85.

• Wissing U, Ek AC, Unosson M. Life situation and function in elderly people with and without leg ulcers. Scand J Caring Sci. 2002 Mar;16(1):59-65.