Final Assignment
Final Assignment
Question 1: 10 Tips for Changing Health Behavior in Older Adults (Haber, 2013)
One of the challenges regarding this tip is the lack of motivation by the older adult to adopt the new behavior. Overcoming this challenge will require enhanced understanding of the positive implications or outputs of the new behavior, thus, motivation to adopt the new behavior by the target audience. For example, in case of weight loss behavior, I would consider highlighting diseases, which associate with obesity to motivate the older adults on the need to overcome or prevent such diseases.
Modest
One of the challenges regarding this tip is overstating ambitious goals, which might be beyond capabilities of the older adults. In such instances, it is appropriate for the advisor to consider moderating the goals or objectives to manageable elements for effectiveness and efficiency in the adoption of the new behavior. For example, if an older adult decides to set a target of working out at least 6 hours a day, I would consider moderating the objective to 1 hour, which is highly manageable.
Measurable
One of the challenges associated with this tip is the complexity of the components of measurability, thus, difficulties in deciding what to measure regarding the new behavior. In the course of overcoming this issue, the older person should adopt specific behavior and monitor the success on a weekly basis for improved confidence. For example, I would consider encouraging an older adult to measure the number of minutes or hours he or she takes while working out to reduce weight or adopt the new behavior.
Memory
One of the potential challenges in this context is the memory loss in the older adults who might not be in a position to remember the practice of the new behavior. In the course of overcoming this challenge, there is a need to add well-placed cues such as notes near specific tools and apparatus in the house to act as reminders for the new behavior. For example, I would encourage older adults experiencing memory loss condition to consider writing a note, which states, “Did you work out today?” It is valuable to stick this note in open places, which he or she can see while engaging in other duties. The note will act as a reminder to consider integration of the new behavior.
Positive Thoughts
One of the challenges in this tip is trouble in selecting appropriate mechanisms to transform negative thoughts into positive thoughts. To overcome this challenge, older adults should consider associating with their role models regarding the behavior they are pursuing. For instance, I would consider asking the older adults about their role models. Besides, I will use the information to locate images and reputation of their role models while citing desirable behaviors from their role models to encourage them develop positive thoughts. The approach will play critical role in transforming negative thoughts into positive thoughts regarding the desired behavior.
Reinforcement
The major challenge in this tip is the inability to understand the ideal reinforcement strategy for specific contexts. In such instances, strong motivation to achieve a goal should be the determining factor in the adoption of positive or negative reinforcement strategies. For example, older adults should consider giving themselves vocational treat for achieving their goals. On the other hand, it would be appropriate for the older adults to limit their freedom following any failure to achieve their goals as an approach to punishment. These techniques will play a critical role in motivating the person in question to pursue goals and targets regarding the desired behavior.
Environmental Support
One of the challenges in this context is the peer influence or external urge to continue in the previous behavior. In the case of overcoming this challenge, there is need to rid the older person of potential influences from the external environment such as junk food in cases of weight loss management. For instance, I would consider visiting an older adult trying to overcome obesity issues and rid him or her of the junk food while providing nutritional products at his or her disposal.
Stress Management
One of the challenges regarding this tip is the continuous or countless encounters of hassles and annoyances. To overcome this challenge, it is critical to consider utilization of an integrated stress management technique in the form of deep breathing and diverse daily activities. For example, older adults with teenagers tend to experience several stressful instances, thus, the need to adopt and utilize effective stress management techniques. Breathing and engaging in diverse activities will enable older adults to take their minds off such stress issues, hence, effective management of stressful scenarios.
Social Support
Certain older people live alone in their lonely apartments, which might be a challenge to the integration of this tip. To overcome this challenge, it is vital to consider announcing the health goal or new behavior to neighbors, church members, and friends to generate multiple sources of social support. For instance, an older adult should consider raising the issue regarding his or her new behavior, as well as mode of life in diverse groups they belong with the intention of raising ideal social support towards realization of the objectives.
Problem Solve
One of the challenges of this tip is a failure in the previous attempt to adopt the new behavior or make a meaningful change in the life of the older person. Overcoming this challenge must relate to understanding the fact that it takes multiple efforts to achieve a goal, thus, the need to gain encouragement into achieving the goal. I would consider encouraging such older adults to continue trying rather than give up on the ultimate goal relating to the desired behavior or mode of living.
Question 2: Wellness General of the United States
As the Wellness General of the United States, I would consider making three critical changes as initiatives regarding the current health care system to serve the needs of the older adults better. I have focused on Social Security, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act because of their enormous implications on the quality of life regarding the older adults in the United States.
Social Security
It is essential to note that majority of the older adults do not work or have limited, as well as fewer options regarding continued income. Such individuals are at risk of the rising costs of living, which might place them at an economic disadvantage. For instance, 86 percent of the older adults with income in the United States have the potentiality of receiving Social Security income. Besides, 21 percent of the stated number depends on Social Security as the sole source of income. As the Wellness General of the United States, I would consider strengthening, as well as updating the Social Security to provide better services and living conditions for the older adults in the United States. This might relate to increasing the amount of the Social Security Fund. Similarly, there is a need to adopt a program, which will address the needs of the older adults without income, thus, outsiders of the benefits of the Social Security.
Medicare
Medicare is one of the programs in the healthcare system in the United States aiming at the improving the living conditions of the citizens. Under this program, I would consider the provision of diverse benefits, rights, and protection by the health care law for the seniors above the age of 60-years-old. From this perspective, the program will expand access to wellness visits for the older adults, as well as the generation of diverse preventative care. Similarly, the Medicare initiative will provide of cheaper drugs while retaining the current or existing insurance costs regarding the case of the United States. There is also need to consider assessment and integration of a bipartisan solution, which might be appropriate for the long-term support and services’ financing. These approaches will enhance the delivery of better services and products for the well-being of the older adults in the context of the United States (Maddox, 2013).
Affordable Care Act
My third initiative would relate to the transformation of the Affordable Care Act. The objective of the Affordable Care Act is to offer affordability, improved access, and quality for the older adults in the United States. The laws focus on strengthening Medicare while offering several preventive services at zero cost. Besides, the act aims at offering drugs or medicine at discounts within the coverage gap or prescription drug coverage. As the Wellness General of the United States, I would consider incorporating diverse initiatives towards the provision of free drugs for the seniors after attaining the age of 65-years-old with the objective of eliminating the potential burden on their limited income. The approach will play a critical role in improving their living conditions through freeing the pressure on their financial resources for other investment and obligations.
Question 3: Life Review Questions
Where and when were you born?
This question is valuable in understanding the background and actual age of the older adult. The information is critical to the improvement of his or her living conditions. Older adults need to have adequate information on their age and background to determine their qualification for diverse healthcare programs such as Medicare to improve their living conditions.
What was your community like growing up?
Asking this question provides the platform to understanding of the social and economic conditions, which have enormous implications on the growth and development of the older adult. The question is valuable in handling diverse healthcare issues such as addiction, which might be a problem in old age. The living conditions will provide an opportunity to understand any hobby by the older adult, which might be appropriate in improving his or her well-being.
What kind of school/education did you have?
The level of education determines the living conditions of an individual, as well as his or her capacity to secure employment positions. The level of education has therapeutic benefits such as enabling older adults to execute written instructions towards improving their living conditions. Improvement of the well-being of the older adults demands effective planning of the interventions. From this illustration, it is critical to consider the level of education to enable healthcare practitioners and therapists to have ideal knowledge on the potentiality or capability of the target audience to execute the planned interventions.
Did you have any brothers or sisters?
The question is essential in determining the social status of the older adults while focusing on the assessment of his or her social relationships. Therapeutically, it is possible to exploit this information in pursuit of sources of social support to improve behavior or living conditions of the elderly within the society. Brothers and sisters (siblings) have the potentiality of offering social support to the older adults. Moreover, brothers and sisters might offer adequate information regarding the condition of the older adult, thus, an opportunity to experience therapeutic benefits.
Did you marry? At what age? If not, why not?
The question seeks to determine the marital status of the older adult in question. Like in the previous question, the objective of this question is to determine the potential sources of social support in an attempt to improve the behavior of the individual in question. Such assessments would be ideal in understanding interpersonal skills and relationships of the older adults, as well as potential sources for the social support in pursuit of the desired goals and objectives.
Who else are you close to?
The objective of this question is to determine the social relationships of the older adults. Answers to this question might enable therapeutic practitioners to develop quality plans in enabling older adults to transform their behavior in agreement with their diverse situations. The social circle might provide valuable sources of information on how to improve the well-being of the older adult in question.
Do you keep in touch with any of your old friends?
One of the critical issues affecting the older adults is a lack of social support to facilitate the improvement of the living conditions. This makes it essential for the therapists to consider the assessment of the social circles of the older adults. Such connections are part of the older adult’s life, thus, the need to involve them in pursuit of the well-being of the target audience.
How is your health? What are your feelings about it?
Health is a critical issue among the elderly. Improvement of their living conditions must begin with the provision of quality health care products and services. From this perspective, the elderly have the obligation to understand their health conditions, as well as their perceptions on their well-being. The information from this assessment is valuable for planning of the interventions to improving the living conditions and well-being of the older adults in the society.
Who are the people you are closest to now? How often do you see them?
Like the previous questions, it is vital to concentrate on the determination of social support for the elderly with the objective of improving their living conditions. This determines the rationale for generating this question. In the statements mentioned above, such connections are both valuable to the therapists, as well as the older adults aiming at improving their health conditions.
What is the hardest thing about growing older?
Older adults tend to experience diverse problems or challenges because of their age. From this perspective, this question seeks to determine their challenges, as well as mechanisms to overcome such challenges for improved health conditions of the elderly in the society. Development of the interventions will adhere to these challenges. In such instances, information from this assessment will be crucial for enabling the older adult in question to tackle his or her issues in the society.
Question 4: Senior Citizens Center
As the director of a local Senior Citizens Center, I have the obligation of transforming the structure and functions of the institution with the objective of address the needs of the patrons better. In pursuit of this objective, I would consider integrating diverse assessment mechanisms and tools. The objective of the assessment would relate to the evaluation of the need for change regarding the structure and functioning of the Center in the delivery of services to the senior citizens. In the first instance, there will be an execution of a traditional quality assurance. Secondly, I will consider the assessment of the performance incentives, as well as implications of the structures in pursuit of the goals and targets of the institution.
Thirdly, there is need to adopt quality management system in the examination of the quality of the structures and functions in pursuit of the goals of the center. These assessments will be valuable in the determination of the efficacy of care (examining and understanding what works), appropriateness of care (doing what works), and execution of care (excelling in what works). These assessments will deliver adequate information on the areas in need of change; thus, the platform to begin restructuring the structure and functions in pursuit of the quality execution and satisfaction of the needs of the patrons.
In the course of restructuring the structure and function of the center, I would consider incorporating several interventions to improve the well-being of the elderly citizens. In the first instance, it is appropriate to integrate telehealth intervention programs for the seniors in the center, thus, the platform to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of quality services (Satariano et al., 2012). Secondly, I would consider integrating elder abuse prevention interventions, which will be valuable in the course of improving the conditions or well-being of the seniors at this local center. These protective mechanisms will limit incidences of abuse against the seniors at the center.
There is also need to consider integrating senior intervention hotline, which will be valuable for the crisis support services. These interventions will play a critical role in the course of improving effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of quality services at the end of each operational period. These interventions adhere to the needs of the older adults in the contemporary societies, which associate with ineffective communication, as well as inadequate services due to the remoteness of the regions. The interventions will play critical roles in bridging the gaps in the delivery of services to help improve the living conditions of the senior citizens at this center.
Question 5: Medicalization of Aging
Firstly, the concept of medicalization theorizes the expansion of medicine regarding individuals’ lives in the society. From this perspective, medicalization refers to the process through which nonmedical issues or problems gain definition and treatment as medical problems while terming them as illnesses and disorders. Categorically, the medicalization of aging proves to be a transition in the public perception of aging negatively. Medicalization associates aging with the processes of inevitable decline, diseases, and irreversible decay, which demand or necessitate medical intervention (Schmidt, 2011). In such instance, medicine proves to the right tool towards the management of aging issues or problems, thus, the concept of medicalization of aging. Integration of the medical interventions has been essential in the course of shaping or transforming norms of aging, as well as the standard clinical practice. Consequently, the body seems to be open to several acts of manipulation at old age.
Medicalization of aging tends to have diverse implications on the senior citizens in the society. For instance, the medicalization of aging associates with diverse conditions among the elderly: anxiety disorders, body image, behavioral disorders, erectile dysfunction, infertility, baldness, menopause, obesity, and other substance-related disorders (Schmidt, 2011). Similarly, the government of the United States continues to spend heavily on the medicines for the elderly under the influence of the medicalization of aging. From this perspective, there is a need to focus on the adoption of wellness care to medical care to improve the well-being of the elderly in the society. Firstly, a shift from medical care to wellness care will be valuable in the reduction of the financial resources by the healthcare sector on the improvement of the well-being of the elderly in the society.
The financial resources might be put to good use through other investment avenues rather than medicalization of aging. Secondly, the shift will be essential in the course of improving the image of healthcare sector while eliminating potential issues and disorders such as anxiety and the previously stated conditions. Thirdly, the shift will enable elderly individuals to learn or adopt new behaviors with the potentiality of improving their living conditions. The achievement of these approaches or conditions is valuable through the integration of diverse techniques. For instance, it is appropriate to consider integrating the tips for communicating with the elderly people within the society. Besides, it is appropriate to engage in the development of public policies on the adoption of holistic or wellness care while limiting the engagement in medical care to improve the well-being of the elderly in the society.
References
Haber, D. (2013). Health promotion and aging: Practical applications for health professionals. Springer Publishing Company.
Maddox, G. L. (2013). The encyclopedia of aging: a comprehensive resource in gerontology and geriatrics. Springer.
Satariano, W. A., Guralnik, J. M., Jackson, R. J., Marottoli, R. A., Phelan, E. A., & Prohaska, T. R. (2012). Mobility and aging: new directions for public health action. American Journal of Public Health, 102(8), 1508-1515.
Schmidt, W. C. (2011). Medicalization of aging: the upside and the downside. Marq. Elder's Adviser, 13, 55.
