Data Entry: Please note that the research database will be replaced by UNIverse by the end of October 2023. Please enter your data into the system https://universe-intern.unibas.ch. Thanks
Aging Prisoners' Views on Healthcare Services in Swiss Prisons
Journal
Journal of Applied Gerontology
Pages / Article-Number
733464816681150
Keywords
aging detainees; inmates rights; principle of equivalence of care; prison healthcare
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Due to the higher morbidity prevalent in the increasing older population, prisons are facing new challenges on a structural, ethical, and financial level. This study's goal was to explore older prisoners' views and experiences regarding the quality of medical services. METHOD: In this qualitative study, 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted with older inmates aged 50 years and above in 12 different prisons in the German-speaking (23 interviews) and the French-speaking parts (12 interviews) of Switzerland. RESULTS: The majority of older prisoners in this sample expressed concerns about quality of treatment throughout incarceration. Topics addressed reached from quality of the entrance to routine examinations, quality of the treatment received, and delays in care and services provided. CONCLUSION: This study's findings suggest that healthcare in prison is often perceived as insufficient and inadequate by older inmates.
