Health Promotion: Pressure Sores Among Elderly Clients in a Nursing Homes - Research Paper Example

Introduction In the past, the elderly persons were prone all kinds of diseases thus did not live for a long period of time. Today many of the elderly people have a longer life expectancy due to eating good nutritious foods and living in clean and safe environments. Health promotion was derived from the slick salesmanship of health, that attempted to persuade, cajole and influence people to change their lifestyles .It was also meant to combine education and the related legal, fiscal, economic, environmental as well as the organizational intervention that were designed to facilitate the achievement of the health and prevention of diseases amongst the people in the community. Health was an approach and philosophy of care that reflected on the multiple factors that affected health and encouraged people to add value, independence and individual choice of decisions. The key principles of health promotion includes; the population in regard to the everyday life rather than specific diseases existing in the world. It also focuses on the causes or the determinants of health that ensure that the total environment is beyond the control of individuals and is appropriate for their health. The other principles of health promotion are communication, education, legislation, fiscal measures organizational change, community development as well as the local activities that are aimed at avoiding hazard from occurring within an organization (Naidoo, and Wills, 2000:91). Pressure sores among elderly clients in a nursing homes The elderly persons are considered to be persons that do not fully participate in the growth and development of a country. They use up the resources and perform no useful function within their organizations. However, the elderly persons are not always in the homogeneous group in the society. These people can be assisted by nurses to accept their situation and also maintain their dignity and independence as they live in the community. As people age, their body parts tend to deteriorate due to factors such as pathological status that exist within the body and the lack of use of particular systems within the body. The rate of deterioration of the body organs can be reduced by doing regular exercises and changing eating habits such as avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol (Squire, 2002:75). Pressure sores are some of the medical problems that affect the elderly persons. These people develop sores that are very painful that result from prolonged pressure on an area on the body that have got bony prominence and thin convening of the flesh. The pressure sores results from the breakdown of the skin that results from the exposure of toxic physical forces such as pressure and shear. This problem is described to be one that is associated with the persons that have complicated body parts that are frail and immobile. The major pressure sores are the tailbone, heels elbows and the shoulder bones sores. The factors that lead to the development of the sores include the presence of moisture that results from unchanged adult diapers, wet sheets, malnutrition and dehydration. Other factors include being immobile, and the failure of giving the patients proper nursing care to provide proper reposition of the bedridden patients regularly. The persons that are likely to suffer from this medical problem are the residents who are over the age of 75 years and above, persons needing help while feeding and those who are completely unable to feed themselves. It also affects people who are underweight, those that suffer from decreased mental status, have dry skin and those who suffer from special medical condition like cancer, diabetes and multiple sclerosis (Edelman, and Mandle, 2005). Patients who have higher immobility levels are those that totally depend on other persons to assist them in moving from one place to another. The lack of knowledge about the effects of the pressure sores can lead to the criminization of the event as most reports showed that it was high in both skilled nursing care facilities and the nursing homes. One of the reasons that lead to the development of the pressure sores is the negligence on the part of the persons who manage and cater for the aged or hospitalized patients. The degree of the pressure of these sores can be determined by the weight loss experienced by the patient and the rate of mobility of the patient while in bed. The bed mobility normally determines the rate at which a patient moves around in the bed position. The transfer in mobility refers to the rate at which a patient moves about with the help of the surfaces that are around him such as beds, chairs, wheelchairs and the standing position ( Purcell, 2003). The pressure sores are formed through having a broken skin and tissue that result from the constant pressure and bad circulation of blood. It normally occurs at the hips, lower back and the heal areas of the body. The symptom that exists in persons suffering from this disease is having a skin that is red and irritation. The sores eventually develop and incase they are not treated in time; they can lead to the destruction of muscles and bones of a person. The factors that contribute to the development of the pressure sores involves the receipt of poor nursing care and having in content patients being susceptible to bedsore due to being exposed to moisture from urine. The pressure sores may also result from patient’s intake of poor diets that accelerates the rate of infections within the body of the patient. The views on health promotion are reflected by different kinds of values and beliefs that in turn reflect political ideologies within an organization. The ideas and values derived from the study show different explanations for and the responses to the social and health promotions that may exist within a community. For instance, the sedentary condition of a community can be seen to result from individual laziness or lack of integrated transport policies that may encourage people to walk and cycle at their own pressure. The key beliefs in which differences in interpretation of issues include the extent of their personal responsibilities ,role of the government in legislation and intervention, and the legitimate means that can encourage on the choices and decisions to be made by an individual or an organization. The other factor involves determining the nature of the society and the extent to which people are connected to each other. It has been noted that the feminist have been involved in many health promotions at different levels and use of different ways (Purcell, 2003). Critique of health promotion: pressure sore among elderly clients in nursing homes. It has been noted that when the elderly health problems are identified in the health promotion, then these persons are given medicines that are not appropriate for them .In addition the health promotion practitioners may suggest strategies that should be implemented for the purposes of improving on the livelihood of the elderly, yet they may not be in a position to effect changes within their organizations. The health promotion strategies of the elderly persons with pressure sores can be criticized through using the sociological factors such as structural, surveillance and consumption factors. According to the structural level it criticizes the attempts to prevent illnesses of the elderly persons .The promotion of health in the recent years has failed to take into consideration the factors that affect the lives of the elderly people in the society. In cases where attempts are aimed at promoting the health of an individual there are issues that should be tackled before implementing the health promotional issues. The factors include; poverty, bad housing conditions homelessness, poor working conditions as well as those of the industrial pollution. In addition the approach to health advocates for the promotion of health that concentrates on people not smoking rather than those of placing the constraints on the tobacco industry can be said to be increasing the capital of an organization rather than pursing for the achievement of the good healthy conditions. This differences leads to the disagreements between the persons within the organization (Joel, 2005). The solution for dealing with individualism can be undertaken through changing the lifestyle of the elderly persons with sores and their socio-economic structures .Empowerment is also a factor that should be used within the organizations as it would assist the health practitioners in making decisions on how to handle the health issues of the elderly persons. Surveillance critiques This is an approach that is focused on programs and technologies of health promotion. The approach assists the people on how they should serve, monitor and regulate the way the way they should handle patients with pressure sores. These approaches encourages people to use the health promotion techniques so that they can assist the practioners in listening to the views of the people .The approaches can ensure that there is use of qualitative interviews, participant observation or the health diaries that can be in a position to penetrate through the lives of the elderly people who should be assisted on a regular basis. The critique of this technique is that of having detrimental effects of the humanistic and liberal practices of the health promotion. Consumption critiques The sociology of consumption takes into consideration two factors; those that address people in terms of work that may either be in the private or public sectors. It also addresses the issue of consumption in either the private or the public sectors. The second factor addresses the issue of traditional cultural studies that examine consumption in relation to the construction of different lifestyles. The analysis involves the consumption of goods and services that contribute to the aspects of body maintenance and image. These issues take into consideration the following things; diet, sports, clothes and health clubs attended by a person living within a community (Naidoo, and Wills, 2000:91). It is evident that the extent at which health takes into consideration the ways which health can form part of a lifestyle that is shaped by the consumers culture .The analysis of health promotion may be drawn from the sociology of consumption through emphasizing on the extent to which health promotion can involve the cultural processes. It may also focuses on the restructuring of choice and construction of the identities through the health promotion practices and co modification of health products. The critique of this technique is that of showing the boundaries between health promotion and commercial literature of health that are normally blurred (Lucas, and Lloyd, 2005). Primary care Primary care refers to the activities carried out by the healthcare providers during consultation process of the patients at health institutions. This form of health care is given to different kinds of patients such as the aged, the sick patients from all socio-economic and geographical regions, patients that seek to maintain health and those that have multiple chronic diseases (Dolan, and Holt, 2000:283). The primary care physician is involved in the process of diagnosing and treating the non-surgical common illnesses and medical conditions. The diagnostic techniques include interviewing a particular patient so as to collect information on their present symptoms ,prior medical history as well as details that are of use to the healthcare officials. After the practitioner collects data, he arrives at the diagnosis and patient participation is part of a plan. The elderly patients with pressure sores should be handled with care through providing with primary health care’s that ensures that their sores are properly handled. They should be given enough food and water so as to avoid getting malnutrituted and been dehydrated due to lack of sufficient water in their body. They should reposition on a regular basis so as avoid getting infections from sleeping on wet diapers and sheets (Mauk, 2009). Social change Model The social change model is a model that is based on strengthening the individual and family development through improving on the physical and emotional health. It assists in building up of interpersonal relationships between all persons in the community, literacy levels of children and their parents as well as enhancing greater economic opportunities within a country. In case the elderly persons face barrier while carrying out their activities, the use of the model can ensure that the families create small achievable outcome for the family so as to provide solutions for their problems in future. The social change model consists of 7 co’s that stand for: consciousness of oneself, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, citizenship as well as change. In the part of consciousness of oneself, it states that a person should be made aware of their beliefs, values, attitudes and emotions that can make them perform activities assigned to them. Congruence model of social change refers to the thought, feeling and balancing that is consistent, genuine, authentic, and honesty towards other as well as performing actions that are as per the held beliefs and convictions. Commitment is a social change model that states that the energy can be used in motivating an individual to serve and drive the collective effort to imply passion, intensity and duration that is directed towards a group that ensures that the group activity and inter outcomes are felt within an organization (Mezey, 2000). Collaboration refers to the process of ensuring that people work together as a team so as to achieve their goals and objectives within a specified period of time .The common purpose states that a group of people should work together so that they tackle all tasks within their organizations in an effective manner. Controversy within civility shows that there may be differences in the way people handle issues but they should conduct themselves openly with respect for each other by listening to others views and exercising restraint while criticizing views and actions of other people in the community. In citizenship, it is the process where individuals and collaborative groups are connected to each other through the community and society by developing their development activities on an effective manner. Finally, change refers to the process of ensuring that one adapts to the environment and situations that are evolving and also ensuring their functions are maintained effectively. The social change model should be implemented in the nursing homes of the elderly persons .The importance of this model is that it can assist the elderly in adjusting to the environment in which they are living in. The application of the model can ensure that the elderly patients get the necessary attention and care in case they are suffering from the pressure sores within the nursing homes (Moffat, Bohmert, and Hulme, 2008). The different ways of dealing with pressure sores The pressures sores can be prevented through turning around the patient and repositioning on a regular basis. This ensures that the patient’s skin is not broken down during the process. The pressures can be prevented through repositioning the patients on a regular basis. Lubricants and the protective paddling facilities should be used in carrying out this activity. Patients should be monitored at an early stage so as to look out for the signs of redness and irritation of the skin. The skin should be kept clean and dry and patient should be fed with the right kind of foods so as to boost their immune system as well as protect the patients from getting any other infections within their bodies (Morison, 2001:75). Pillows as well as the foam wedges should be used in ensuring that the patients are relieved off pain and thus reducing chances of pressure sores from occurring within their bodies. The use of the lifting device such as the specialized trapeze should be used so as to minimize the amount of friction that is being imposed on the skin when the patient is being moved from one place to another in order to relieve him or her from the disease. The amount of pressure on the sores should be regulated on a regular basis so as to avoid its adverse effects on the patient. In addition, the low air-loss beds that have got surfaces that are filled with air from the air bumps should be used so as to allow small amounts of air to escape from the air pumps. These types of beds are considered to be helpful in healing and reducing the pressure that is exerted on the pressure sores. The alternating pressure mattresses that have got the built-in pumps should be used as they are considered to redistribute the air-pressure of the bed hence gives the patients comfort that he or she deserves. The importance of the mattresses is to reduce the incidences of bedsores as compared to the standard hospital mattresses. The air fluidized beds should also be used can have air being bumped through an area that has the ceramic-types of beads. The patients can feel at such a moment that he or she is been supported through the use of the fluid. Conclusion The elderly persons have a greater chance of getting affected by physical diseases that affect the greater range of their organ system than in younger population. The goals that are set to promote the health of the elderly people are; avoid overprotecting them, and fostering dependency. Health promotional measures should be enforced within their organization. Where goals are achieved effectively, the elderly people can have an opportunity of getting funds to deal with other problems that they may be facing within their organizations. The tasks that should be carried out by the old people so as to fulfill their preventive strategies and health promotions involve continuous self development, adoption of healthy lifestyle and adoption of incurring losses (Ebersole, 2005:69). In continuous self development, the elderly persons should be encouraged to engage in activities that will enable them generate revenue .This can be fulfilled through re-evaluating and re-establishing good relationships so as to utilize their idle time by doing productive tasks within the community. They should also be empowered to carry out different tasks in different sectors of the economy so as to achieve the drive of enjoying themselves and getting satisfaction from the environment in which they are living. Older persons should be encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyle through eating a well balanced diet, doing regular exercises for their muscles and also ensuring that they live in a clean and safe home environment. Some governments have put in place health promotional programs that are aimed at assisting the elderly persons within their countries. Adoption of loss may not be easy for the elderly .These people may succumb to loss of employment, health, friends and loss of their own lives. Therefore, it is important to train them on how to adapt to these situations so that they can live happily. References American BookWorks Corporation. (2005) CliffsTestPrep NCLEX-PN.Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley and Sons. Bunton, R. and Macdonald, G. (2002) Health promotion: disciplines, diversity, and Developments. London: Routledge. Byers, J. F., White, S. V. (2004) Patient safety: principles anpractice.Chicago, Warren, MI, United States of America: Springer: Publishing Company. Capezuti, L., Zwicker, D., Mezey, M. (2007) Evidence-based geriatric nursing protocols for Best practice.3rd ed. Chicago, Warren, MI, United States of America: Springer Publishing Company. Dolan, B. and Holt, L. 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