Evaluation Plan for Treatment of Adults - Essay Example

Additionally, sharing personal experiences in a group is also effective in the sense that older adults with chronic illness can notice other peoples are still in the same condition and it is manageable. Taking the patients to community fairs in senior centers that are located in various cities is another approach that can be adopted. This will first entail checking a senior center that provides the best services depending on the need of the patient.

Approximately 50% of the patients with chronic illness do not adhere to the prescribed medications while those who adhere to the lifestyle changes are less than 10% (Fox, 1999). The confidence of older patients with chronic disease can be improved by providing education. This can be done through self-management support. This entails helping the patients to be informed about their condition. This would in turn make them to be active during the treatment. Two interrelated activities are undertaken during self-management support. First, the patients are provided with information about their chronic conditions. Secondly, the caregiver should work with the patients in making medical decisions. This includes indicating whether the patient agrees to take the recommended medications, whether the patient is willing to undergo surgical procedures, and making the patient self-motivated by allowing the patient to choose the health-behavior-related goals they desire to undertake.

Another notable way of assisting older patients with chronic disease is by group counseling. This implies a therapy format that entails approaching an individual’s issues through the adoption of interpersonal interaction. By making patients with chronic illnesses form groups, they can interact and understand their maladaptive patterns (Raben et al, 2002). A notable organization that embarks on group counseling is Living Well with Chronic Conditions, a Minnesota-based group workshop (Jean, 2013).  Apart from assisting the patients to build confidence in managing chronic illnesses, Living Well with Chronic Conditions provides the patients with information on how to manage pain, how increase their physical activities, and healthy eating habits, and making proper treatment choices.

Patients with chronic conditions confidence can also be enhanced through community fairs in senior centers. The centers offer an opportunity where older adults with other seniors in a friendly and caring environment. Major services that are offered by the centers include information on health issues and wellness (Lindsay, 1999). Examples of senior centers include Milford Senior Center, North Berkeley Senior Center, Clinton County Community Center, Messiah Senior Community Center, and Mill Hall Senior Community Center among others. In addition to the above-discussed measures of improving the confidence of older patients with chronic illnesses, caregivers should also offer extensive education on lifestyle modifications. This involves advising on proper diet, reduction of blood cholesterol, stopping smoking, limiting alcohol, and being physically active every day (Conlin, 1999).