HEALTH EDUCATION IN THE GERIATRIC PATIENT

The maintenance of health and functional independence are the most important aspects of health promotion in older adults.

The activities of health education, which should cover the whole life of all citizens, are able to establish barriers to the development of disease and its complications. Monitoring activities of prevention programs and health promotion adapted to comprehensive care of older people healthy should be a common practice in primary care activities.

PREVENTION OBJECTIVES GERIATRICS

The general objectives of geriatric prevention are equivalent to those raised in other ages:

-       Reduce mortality caused by acute and chronic diseases.

-       Maintaining functional independence of the person as much as we can

-       Increase active life expectancy

-       Improving quality of life

It is possible to significantly decrease the incidence, prevalence and severity of disease, disability and dependence in the elderly. We need to know these terms:

-       Dependency: functional consequences of disability with changes in l activity, causing difficulty performing some APRA or some instrumental or basic tasks, needing the help of a person. There are situations of disability that technical support does not cause dependence, ie, are independent with such assistance if you need technical assistance from a person.

-       Disability: partial or total reduction of the ability to perform an activity or function within normal as a result of deficiency / disease, disability will be closely related to age and gender (more women older)

This is because women live longer presents as many socioeconomic risk factors (loneliness, widowhood, income declines, ...) and more disabling diseases.

In my opinion the goal of health promotion in the elderly population is to maintain the highest degree of autonomy and prevent the onset of disease. Sets a top priority to improve the quality of life, which includes promoting behaviors that favor a style of living. However, in elderly disease prevention has special features. In many cases the disease are already present and perhaps more important than the classic goals of reducing mortality and increasing life expectancy, are the goals of preventing and delaying functional decline, avoid dependency and maintain independence and quality of life .

As future nurses we have to keep in mind that through health education, is to ensure that older people could evacuate lifestyle habits that can lead to detrimental impact their quality of life, while replacing them with others that have demonstrated healthier. The health education is essential in this age, having proven effective for improving the quality of life of elderly. This will not only be for the benefit of elderly patients, but also their family and social environment.

Finally I want to emphasize that health education requires more than simply offering information and knowledge, getting changes in attitudes and lifestyles. Eliminate the risk factors that cause the conditions is a necessary measure to maintain good health.

Acquiring good habits is the best step to take to stay healthy. Through health education may get a better quality of life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:


 Dr. Phillip G. Clark, Program in Gerontology and Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center
«Values in Health Care Professional Socialization: Implications for Geriatric Education in Interdisciplinary Teamwork» 1997
 Available on: http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/4/441.short

Gopal K Ingle and Anita Nath
«Geriatric Health in India: Concerns and Solutions»  2008
Available on: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2763704/

Uchino, Bert N.; Cacioppo, John T.; Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K."The relationship between social support and physiological processes: A review with emphasis on underlying  mechanisms and implications for health.»   2012
Available on: http://psycnet.apa.org/?fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/0033-2909.119.3.488