Prevalence of self-neglect in the caseloads of public health nurses

Background: The extent of self-neglect on public health nurses' (PHNs) caseloads in Ireland is unknown. People who self-neglect may be vulnerable or hidden and, as a consequence, difficult to profile. PHNs in Ireland profile their areas to identify the nursing needs of their population. Aim: This paper aims to: collate caseloads on self-neglect on the basis of a review of community profile and health need assessments (CPHNA) and identify the geographical and demographic factors within which self-neglect cases were found. Method: A retrospective review of the CPHNA of student PHNs (n=88) was undertaken from 2010 to 2014 in a university in Ireland. In all, 88 community profiles were manually reviewed. Results: A total of 374 self-neglect cases were identified-79 cases were aged between 18-64 years and 295 were over 65 years. The range of self-neglect cases per profiled area was between 0 to 25. The geographic and demographic factors linked to self-neglect across profiles were higher rates of older people, deprivation, disadvantage, and cultural factors. Conclusion: This retrospective review illustrates that self-neglect is a prominent feature in PHN caseloads, which has not been identified previously. Early identification is important to promote the mental health and wellbeing of self-neglecting clients.