A Poster to Aid Active Management of Diabetes for the Elderly People in Calvary Retirement Centre - Term Paper Example

Running head: A design of a poster to aid active management of diabetes for the elderly people in Calvary Retirement Centre Student’s name Institution Course Professor Date Project: Design a poster to illustrate diabetic residents on important different activities they are doing at the facility for active diabetes management. Project rationale and justification 1. Definitions and descriptions of the nature of Retirement Calvary Centre Calvary retirement centre Calvary retirement centre is a national health, aged and community care system. Their services are not deemed for profit making. It is one of the largest providers of palliative care in Australia. This facility is considered as part and parcel of social welfare services. It is sited in a spacious rural setting in the beautiful Hunter Valley of New South Wales; the centre offers low care accommodation. Its main objective is to improve the quality of life for the sick, elderly and marginalized people in the society (www.calvary-sydney.org). Approximately over 8000 staff is employed within the facility. It has 216 places for high care accommodation. In the aged care unit, the centre can accommodate more than 700 elderly people since the facility is accredited for residential aged care. The Mary Potter Nursing home provides high care accommodation. The facility has secured buildings with qualified and caring team. The systems in place ensure residents receive appropriate clinical care. During my placement, I will be attached to high care unit for the elderly people. The residents require high care. For instance, they cannot help themselves and therefore nurses in charge and I will have to do everything for them (www.calvary.org). Furthermore some of the elderly people in the facility have had their cognitive capacity gone. I intended to make a real difference to the elderly people who need high care at the centre. With this backstop of information concerning the nature of the facility, I have to design a project that will help them in active diabetes management. The project is to design a poster that will illustrate to diabetic residence on the important different activities the residents are should do at the facility. Background information Nursing principles and practices The principles of nursing enable health practitioners to work hand in hand with the patients to ensure care is effective and appropriate. They require interdisciplinary therapeutic management which can be individualized, understandable and sustainable in the future (Chang &Johnson, 2008). Collaborative decision making as a nursing principle is a desired and vital part in the delivery of health care. The sharing of responsibilities for care in the facility with other health care professional ensure that the patients either residents or outpatients receive effective and appropriate care (Jones & Bourgeois,2010). It has been deemed as a cornerstone of a noble medical practice. The collaborative care can improve access to care and enhance the quality and safety of care with proper efficiency and coordination. Optimal outcomes in the facility are realized through contributions from relevant parties (Chang &Johnson, 2008). Collaborative decision making between the diabetic patients and diabetic nursing team ensures that a working self management plan is created. Through collaboration between diabetic patients and the nursing care practitioners barriers such as physical, emotional, cognitive and financial obstacles can be easily addressed. With this information coping strategies can easily be developed. Regular monitoring of diabetes enables the carers to assess the achievement of treatment goals and to adjust therapy as necessary (Chang &Johnson, 2008). Regular checking for the long term complications helps to detect problems at a time when they can be treated and managed successfully. Mutual relationships that can exist between the patient and health practitioners should be built on the values of honesty, respect, empathy and trust. It forms a basis on which therapeutic relationships can exists. Patient-centred care allows the patients and their relatives to be among the integral part of the care team in making good clinical decisions by collaborating well with health care professionals (Chang &Johnson, 2008). This partnership can improve the quality of patient care and safety and reduce the workload problems among health care practitioners. Indeed it is crucial in high quality care delivery to patients with complex conditions. Nurses are charged with a responsibility to pursue and foster true collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the health facility. It should be an ongoing process which can eventually lead to joint communication and decision making made a norm. Collaborative relationships can be protected and advanced through skilled communication (Dragon, 2009). The principle of empowerment is associated with personal control. The nurses utilize it to enhance the likelihood for the people in the health care facility to control their lives. In order to achieve the greatest health potential one is required to take control of things that determines his or her health. As a development process it has four stages namely; entry, advancement, incorporation and commitment (Chang &Johnson, 2008). Through participation, the process of empowerment for all people in the health care sector can be enhanced. For example there will be a reduction in isolation cases and expansion of participatory competence and making of contributions 2. Describe the project with reference to the relevance to the setting Diabetes has become a chronic and potentially disabling metabolic disease among the elderly people in the Retirement Calvary centre. Elderly people in the facility have been limited physically, mentally and socially. They have been prone to eating disorders or depressive and anxiety disorders. This has proven the need to have a comprehensive diabetes care. The elderly people are urged to participate actively with the health care team during the planning and implementation of their care. The designing of a poster is part of the diabetes care management program. This will enable members of the society to be given highest quality of care and peace of mind. For the elderly people in the facility, they will be able to manage the diabetes so that can lead a healthy and active life. With the design of the poster aged persons together with their carers are able to develop a personalized care program. This program can aid the patient to learn the skills that can keep the diabetes within the control. Registered nurses, physicians and other carers in the facility will ensure that the patients receive the medications and care in order to improve diabetes control. Also the gained skills will allow the patient to manage diabetes on a regular basis. Individualized care plans will be formulated and reviewed monthly. Care will be planned in consultation with the resident’s nurse. A poster to be designed will have tangible information required in the active management of diabetes. Important and different activities that elderly diabetic residents can participate on for active management of diabetes can be illustrated. Among these important activities are described below. Meditation helps to regulate one’s body and mind. It allows a resident to carry out according to his or her comfort level. Customized diet plan ensures that foods that are good for diabetes management are included in every individual’s diet. Food preferences are taken into consideration. The information will help elderly to learn about the impacts of food on blood glucose and sources of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Also it will allow them to make healthy choices. Medications are provided in the range of insulin and diabetes tablets. Same timing when administering medication is maintained at all times. This ensures the body regulates the blood glucose level. This information will help the patients to learn about each medication available in the facility. For instance, the action, side effects, efficacy, toxicity, appropriate timing and frequency of administration. Physical exercise such as walking around the facility helps to manage diabetes. The body will utilize the stored sugar to provide the required energy. Duration of the walk will depend on the capacity of the old aged residents. Developed an appropriate activity plan that can balance medication and food with the activity level will make one to remain active. The indulgence in weight training aids the regulation and management of blood sugar. Getting involved with mild aerobic and weight training the patient is advised to work within his or her body limits. Discussions sessions will be organize in circumstances where the residents are to be given a common topic. At the end of the sessions, they will be asked to express their views on the topic. Generally these topics would relate to general interest of the residents in the facility. Games sessions will be organized too.TV sessions will be organized in the facility where the residents will be required to take places in common are to watch TV channels. The choice of the channels will be based on a common agreement by the residents. 3. How principles of care applied in the project The design of the poster to the facility demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the contents of care and the principles that underlie nursing practice related to chronic illness such as diabetes. This project proved of importance to health practitioners in the facility. The adoption of the poster was very useful in the practical sense. Consequently, the project showed a conceptual linked that existed between the clinical work of the facility such as aged care services and the fundamental concepts in chronic illnesses care. These key concepts included; empowerment, collaborative decision making, cultural competence and mutual relationships. Furthermore, the slight variation in convergence between theoretical content and the nature and diversity of the Calvary retirement centre proved to be of greatest importance because authentic nursing practice was unearthed. When nurses at the aged care were contacted in regards to the design of the project in the facility, they applauded my ideas as very practical and useful especially to elderly people with diabetes. In addition, they were more than willing to put the idea into practice right way. One of the care managers acknowledged the idea too as a sound and well thought out and can make her feel happier to retire (Hindle & Coates, 2011) In addition, the project became a great addition to the present posters in the unit, but this one prompted the Calvary retirement centre fraternity to aware of planning, organizing and implementing of an active diabetes management for the elderly. Since the diabetic residence would have understood importance of participating in different activities at the facility. Among these activities included; use of customized diet plan, meditation, medications, walking around, weight training, TV sessions, games and discussions sessions. In the facility, resources are mobilize to support health provision through well coordination of care and planning services with individuals, carers and other disciplines in the society. The nurses in the facility recognized that caring is a fundamental and universal need. They ensured that equity in health care delivery is promoted at all the levels. In this instance, it made sure that fundamental rights of all human beings are accessible. Consequently, the nurses took consideration on the physical, spiritual, emotional and cognitive nature of the residents especially the elderly patients with diabetes. Mutual relationship between health service providers and their consumers requires recognition of shared responsibility in order to be achieved. In the facility the mutual relationships were based on the concepts of caring and connecting. These concepts were able to establish and nurture relationships. The nature of the environment proved supportive and therefore promoted participation and self determination of the residents. For example, empowering relationships that preserved, protected and promoted human dignity was witnessed. To enhance relationships culturally relevant mode of communication was used in the facility (Linsley, Kane & Owen, 2011). Nurses in the facility recognized the principle of diversity in terms of culture, gender and age. People who visited the unit consisted the whole Australian society which includes; asylum seekers, immigrants, refugees and detainees. Therefore, the nurses were able to provide just, compassionate, culturally competent and cultural respectful and responsive care services to both outpatients and residents in the facility. Nurses understood the patients’ diversity and effectively used facilitation skills to support their development. Nurse practitioners in the aged care unit have improved health care provision together with thousands of dollars saved due to reduction in hospital admissions. The patients provided timely intervention to patients that required high care and the patient’s outcomes were greatly improved. Residents nurses believed that elderly people ought to be active partner in decisions that involve their health and well being. For instance, it was fundamental in the nursing process that aged residents participate in it. The elderly people with diabetes were able to define their own health, set the priorities and control the choice and use of various techniques to improve their own health and lives (Rice, 2006). Capacity building was enhanced when health care providers and the residents which allowed them to participate and make informed choices about the health. The basis of therapeutic and caring relationships can promote empowerment. Within the Calvary retirement centre, nurses acknowledged that empowerment is active and involved process where relevant stakeholders to the facility moved towards increased individual and community control and improved quality of community life and social justice. As nursing principle, it helps people to discover and utilize their strengths effectively to improve the quality of life (Basford Oliver, 2003). The strategies employed included mutual goal setting, visioning and facilitation. References Andrew Hindle & Alison Coates, (2011).Nursing Care of Older People, Oxford University Press Dragon, N. (2009). Nurse practitioners save money, The Australian Nursing Journal, February, 16(7):13 Esther Chang, & Amanda Johnson, (2008).Chronic Illness and Disability: Principles for Nursing Care, Elsevier Australia. Hannah Cooke & Susan M. Philpin, (2008).Sociology in Nursing and Health Care, Elsevier Health Sciences Kamalam, (2005).Essentials in Community Health Nursing Practice, Jaypee Brothers Publishers. Lynn Basford &Lynn Basford Oliver,(2003).Theory and Practice of Nursing, An Integrated Approach to Caring Practice, Nelson Thornes. Manitoba Health, (1998). The Role of the Public Health Nurse within the regional Health Authority, Retrieved from 11th November 2012 from www.gov.mb.cai Paul Linsley, Roslyn Kane, Sara Owen, (2011).Nursing for Public Health: Promotion, Principles and Practice, Oxford University Press Robyn Rice, (2006).Home Care Nursing Practice: Concepts And Application, Elsevier Health Sciences Tracy Levett Jones &Sharon Bourgeois, (2010).The Clinical Placement: An Essential Guide for Nursing Students, Elsevier Australia. Calvary Retirement community Canberra: Calvary aged care and retirement services retrieved on 11th November 2012 at http://www.agedcareguide.com.au/facility_details.asp?facilityid=18213 Calvary Health care Sydney: about Mary Porter House, retrieved on 11th November 2012at http://www.calvary-sydney.org.au/mary-potter-house.html Read More