The age structure of the world population is changing, and the number of older people is increasing. In Slovenia, one of the major public health problems is the ageing of the population, which is not a disease but a health phenomenon. Older people are a vulnerable risk group for developing and suffering chronic medical condition complications, the occurrence of acute illnesses, injuries due to falls and other health problems such as dementia, frailty, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy. The health of older people has a decisive influence on the consequences of the ageing trend. Health policy must include healthy ageing by systematically planning the promotion and protection of health throughout all periods of life. Some of the key values of health promotion are social justice, social inclusion, respect for diversity and empowering people to take care of their own health.
The trend of population ageing with a greater risk of injuries and sudden illnesses and the importance of the active involvement of older people, increasing their autonomy in taking care of their own health and preventing diseases and injuries in old age, are some reasons why first aid (FA) knowledge and skills are also important for older people. When injury or sudden illness occurs, appropriate FA measures can improve the outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and trauma. There are organizations in Slovenia and abroad that raise awareness about FA and spread knowledge in the wider population. FA guidelines are supported by scientific evidence, on the basis of which guidelines for recognition and action are written.
However, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the existing coverage of FA training worldwide. Most study findings cannot be generalized to the entire population of the country. Findings on FA knowledge and the application of this knowledge in real situations show conflicting results. In general, the theoretical and practical knowledge of those aged over 60 years is worse than that of the younger population. Older people perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation more rarely and with lower quality. The reasons are that they do not renew their FA knowledge, or they have not yet acquired this knowledge. In Slovenia and elsewhere in the world, educational programs in FA do not consider the capabilities and needs of individual population groups. Older people are unique. In the field of FA training, improvements are thus needed. FA training falls in the area between emergency medicine and public health. Traditionally, it has involved teaching complex medical procedures to laypeople. Only recently have FA training providers simplified terminology and procedures, shortened courses, and introduced elements of digital learning and teaching soft skills. In the field of FA education, we need more evidence on how to reach different populations in different cultures and contexts and how to bridge the gap between emergency response and FA as a public health tool.
To date, several successful FA courses for older people have been conducted in various countries. Based on the evaluation of these FA courses, it has been concluded that it is important to train older people in FA and that there is a need for systematic regulation in this area. Knowing and considering the needs of older people and understanding and maintaining their motivation to learn are essential for planning and implementing education for them. The usual forms of training intended for adults are not suitable for older people, who may have psychophysical limitations. Compared to younger people, this age group is also very heterogeneous in terms of experience and previous training. At the same time, older individuals are very differently motivated to participate in FA training. In Slovenia and elsewhere in the world, FA training does not consider the abilities and needs of older people. The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to empower older people to provide FA, considering the heterogeneity of this large age group of the population.
The core of this doctoral thesis consists of four chapters, which are summaries of articles published in scientific publications. In the collection and data analysis process, we used qualitative and quantitative research methods, described in detail in the Methods section. We verify the hypotheses presented in the Presentation of hypotheses chapter.
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