ArticleAfrican journal of primary health care & family medicine2019
What the elderly experience and expect from primary care services in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Article in African journal of primary health care & family medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Older adults' experiences of health seeking in rural areas in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of qualitative studies.Health policy and planning · 2026Pooled it
- Attributes of family physician encounters valued by older adults: a systematic review.BMC primary care · 2025Pooled it
- Setting priorities for ageing research in Africa: A systematic mapping review of 512 studies from sub-Saharan Africa.Journal of global health · 2021Pooled it
- Waiting times for primary care appointments among older adults: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Factors influencing primary health care service provision to older adults in lagos, nigeria: understanding the experiences of the demand population.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Healthcare providers perspectives on HIV-NCD integration to Meet the needs of older adults living with HIV.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Article
- A 'COMMON SENSE' approach to geriatric patients in clinical practice.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2025Article
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- Social accountability challenges and recommendations by community service rehabilitation therapists.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2024Article
- Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs toward polypharmacy among older people attending Family Medicine Clinic, Nairobi, Kenya.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Exploring the perceptions and lived experiences of family members living with people diagnosed with COVID-19 in South Africa: a descriptive phenomenological study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2023Article
- Medication use problems among older adults at a primary care: A narrative of literature review.Aging medicine (Milton (N.S.W)) · 2022Review
- Antimicrobial Prescribing Confidence and Knowledge Regarding Drug Resistance: Perception of Medical Students in Malaysia and the Implications.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Geriatric Trauma in a High-Volume Trauma Centre in Cape Town: How Do We Compare?World journal of surgery · 2022Article
- The Good Old Days: how Older Adults in Present-Day Ghana Compare themselves to Older Adults in Past Generations.Journal of cross-cultural gerontology · 2022Article
- Respect in the Eyes of Non-Urban Elders: Using Qualitative Interviews to Distinguish Community Elders' Perspective of Respect in General and Healthcare Services.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Estimating waiting times, patient flow, and waiting room occupancy density as part of tuberculosis infection prevention and control research in South African primary health care clinics.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Leveraging HIV Care Infrastructures for Integrated Chronic Disease and Pandemic Management in Sub-Saharan Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Life-Course Trauma and Later Life Mental, Physical, and Cognitive Health in a Postapartheid South African Population: Findings From the HAALSI study.Journal of aging and health · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundPeople aged 60 years and above are predicted to outnumber those aged under 5 years in South Africa for the first time by 2040. This will put increased demands on the health system to address geriatric health needs. However, data on geriatric populations in sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. Health policymakers need to be informed of the expectations of the elderly people regarding health services, especially at primary care level.
aimThe aim of this study was to explore the experiences and expectations of people aged 60 years and above regarding ageing and health services, and the factors that might improve the quality of primary care services for geriatric patients.
settingThe study was conducted at three public health primary care facilities in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa: one in a rural setting, one in a peri-urban and one in an urban setting.
methodsThis qualitative study involved a purposive sample of 28 participants, aged 60 years and above. Four focus group discussions were conducted in either isiZulu or English, depending on the preference of the participants. Data were analysed thematically using an inductive approach.
resultsNineteen of the 28 participants were women. Five key findings emerged from the study: (1) long waiting times - participants were distressed by lengthy waiting times, (2) illness-centred care - participants felt that they were seen as diseases to be treated, (3) lack of caring - health providers were perceived to lack compassion, (4) pill burden - participants experienced adverse effects of prescribed medication and (5) need for priority care - participants wanted a separate queue for the elderly.
conclusionHealth systems and health professions educators should consider the need for patient-centred and integrated care for geriatric populations. Further research is required on the unmet needs of geriatric people in the community.
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