Healthy Ageing and Self-Determination - Case Study Example

Healthy Ageing Plan Name: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Health and Ageing Plan 3 Newcastle Community 3 Community activities 5 Assessment of the current leisure and social activities 6 Healthy ageing plan 8 Suggestions for improving the range and scope of activities 8 Benefits of Healthy ageing strategies adoption to the individual and community 10 Self-determination and participation 11 References 13 Abstract: This report outlines a plan for promoting healthy ageing and increased involvement in leisure and social activities by the elderly in Newcastle, Hunter Valley. It explains how to improve the health and psychological wellbeing of the elderly. It also includes a description of the proposed process of community consultation and engagement based on the principles of participation, consultation and empowerment. Health and Ageing Plan Newcastle Community Across the globe, the proportion of people aged 60 years and above is growing rapidly and faster than any other age group. Indeed, it is expected to pass the 2 billion mark globally by 2050 (McEnvoy, 2010). In Australia, there is need for considerable efforts to promote the health and wellbeing of the ageing. Of particular concern is New castle, Hunter Valley where studies have indicated that a mounting number of older people have symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer and other conditions (Heritage and Dooris, 2009). Demographic adjustments are extensively changing the balance of population in the Hunter Valley. Today, Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in New South Wales. According to the 2011 Census, New Castle metropolitan area had a population of 308,308. Around 55 percent of the population lives in the cities of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. Most communities in the region live within 25 kilometers of the cost. The absolute number of the aged population in the entire Hunter Valley is expected to increase from 15 percent (72,950) in 2009 to 28 percent (161,600) in 2031 (McGuirk 2011). The 2011 Census further indicated that Newcastle had a population of 2,384, consisting of 52.5 percent males and 47.5 females. The area has a median age of 34 years of age, which is three years below the median Australian age. Most of the population in Newcastle was born in Australia, with 2.5 percent in England, 1.9 percent in New Zealand, 1.3 percent in the United States, 0.9 percent in China and 0.8 percent in China (QPZM, 2013; Wilkinson, 2011). Of particular concern is the ageing population, which is fast becoming a major vulnerable group in Newcastle due to reported cases of Alzheimer, diabetes, dementia and other conditions (Heritage and Dooris, 2009; Anonymous, 2010). The health system has been forecasted to come under strain as the population of the elderly in Hunter Valley increases (McEnvoy et al., 2010). This means that Newcastle will be heavily populated with retirees. Some researchers have raised concern that given that the age is major risk factor to conditions such as Alzheimer, the aged (those aged 60 and above) will obviously be at risk (ABC Newcastle, 2013). It further implies that Newcastle will have a great percentage of population with Alzheimer. Indeed, the government has been actively involved in dementia care over the past decade. However, indication of the rise of dementia among the ageing population shows a need for a health and ageing plan to promote healthy ageing and increased participation in leisure and social activities, to promote health and psychological wellbeing of people in the age group (National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre, 2013). To prevent the prevalence of the condition, there is a need to maintain the existing programs as well as come up with new initiatives that promote opportunities and support the aged populations to lead healthy live. Based on these findings, programs and policies in Newcastle need to reflect the needs of the ageing population as well as be proactive in promoting health and increased independence of the aged. Among the activities integral towards this course include promoting leisure and social activities to improve and sustain the physical health, psychological health and health safety of the ageing population (PMSEIC, 2002). Community activities In Australia, ‘seniors’ comprise people aged 65 years old and over. Indeed, this rapidly growing population is a greatly diverse group as the men and women experience ageing differently. Plainly, there are substantial differences between those aged 65 and those aged 75 years old and over. In addition, these age groups are heterogeneous, as they reflect diverse health conditions, physical fitness, educational levels, values and socioeconomic status. Ageing does also reflect diversity in levels of dependence and independence. Most aged people in Newcastle (nearly 90 percent) live independently in the community. This calls for a shift in the priorities from acute care towards healthy ageing (PMSEIC, 2002). The existing leisure and social activities for older people in Newcastle are numerous and offer an infrastructure that supports the health promotion of the older people. The most common activities for the elderly include housework, home maintenance, gardening, travelling and walking. There are also high levels of social activities such as dancing and social networks (National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre, 2013). There is a low level of activities that need infrastructure support such as weights, swimming and gym. Individual activities include cycling, and work around the homes and yard. The common community activities include playing with grandchildren and community service. Assessment of the current leisure and social activities Current social activities such as social mobilisation enable the older people to make connection with the community. This is effective in promoting their social wellbeing. The common activities for social mobilisation include building social network and supporting their participation in community activities such as playing with children. Nevertheless, the environment has not enabled such activities to be effective in building social networks among the residents of culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This is due to the existence of the language barrier which is an impediment to effective implementation of social activities. Mainly, there is a lack of an environment to enhance communication and empower the elderly and build trust and mutual respect through access to information resources (Hillier, 2007). Additionally, there is a low level of physical activities with the main ones being gardening and housework. These are however inadequate given the high rates of sedentary behaviour among the elderly. Indeed, the diverse nature of the elderly contributes to sedentary behaviour. For instance, researches have shown that women show high levels of inactivity underscoring the need for gendered social roles to determine the actions of women (NARI, 2003). Additionally, the elderly tend to suffer from different conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer and diabetes. The diverse nature of these conditions calls for more activities such as routine body exercise which may take care of specific conditions (PMSEIC, 2002). Long winters also make it difficult for the seniors to engage in physical activities, such walking and gardening. High levels of smog during the hot summer days also pose a great risk to healthy living for the elderly with chronic respiratory illnesses. Further, high levels of social support exist and are provided by family and friends as well as neighbours and members of local organisations such as faith groups. High levels of social support provide the seniors with the “people resources” that make them to feel valued and appreciated. Generally, social support is seen as an integral component of mental health promotion as it enables the elderly to improve their coping skills, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Social supports also inspire healthy behaviour patterns and active living (Hillier, 2007). There is a low level of activities that needs infrastructure support such as weights, swimming and gym. To cause changes across the entire population of the elderly, and not just the well-educated and the affluent, there is a need for supportive environment and structural changes to diversify the choices for the elderly to make. There is generally a high level of walking as a form of physical activity. However, this should as well be diversified to also include cycling. It is easier for the elderly to walk and cycle for exercise as there are a lot of safe and interesting places. Additionally, public transport makes it easier for the elderly to travel around Newcastle for leisure (Miranti and Yu, 2011). Healthy ageing plan Suggestions for improving the range and scope of activities Although there is plenty of evidence supporting the positive impacts of physical activities on the elderly, community based and solution-oriented policies and programs are lacking. The practices and policies need to support social connectedness among the elderly both at community and institutional levels (Anonymous, 2010). An age-friendly environment should be created that is regarded as a barrier-free-access in social and physical environments that value the participation of all community members regardless of the age difference. The physical, emotional and mental health aspect of the ageing should be addressed through the principles of participation, consultation and empowerment. The overall members of the community should be encouraged to support health promotion through social connectedness (Miranti and Yu, 2011). An opportunity should be provided that enhances social engagement among the seniors in Newcastle through inter-sectoral policies or programs that recognise the primary barriers to their healthy living, reduces social inequity among the elderly, increases opportunities of lifetime voluntarism and learning and promotes optimal participation of the elderly in community work. Indeed, volunteering is generously considered as a productive and health-improvement activity that offers consequential means to be socially engaged (Hillier, 2007). There is also a need to tackle ageism in the policies and practices that seem to discriminate against the elderly. While this is crucial for promoting social and mental wellbeing, it also addresses the issue of ageism and is therefore a critical strategy to contribute to healthy ageing. Family, friends and peers need to be drawn on to support and promote positive behaviour patterns. Social activities, policies and practices need to be tailored to specific communities and groups since the diverse nature of the aged mean that they need different needs for social support. For instance, there is a need for investment in knowledge translation to promote awareness about psychological, emotional or financial distress and in the effects it has on social connectedness (Anonymous, 2010). An outreach should also be provided to the seniors who are socially excluded, isolated or the minority population groups, particularly the older adults of CALD backgrounds. To promote regular and moderate community and light activities such as gardening and walking, since it is the most vital things the elderly can do to promote mobility and prevent disability, there is a need to improve opportunities for the activities. For instance, pedestrian safety should be improved and enhanced by the community. Additionally, raised neighbourhood garden plots should be provided to the elderly and others with disability (Hillier, 2007). Benefits of Healthy ageing strategies adoption to the individual and community The adoption of healthy ageing strategies that encourage the participation of physical activity of the elderly will help the elderly to maintain their physical capacity, modify physiological changes related to ageing, enhance mental health and reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. A strategy aimed at increasing the participation of overall communities in community activities will have a significant effect on the community as it will help reduce stereotypes related to ageism. Indeed, the stereotypes of the elderly as burdensome are barriers to the community’s capacity to take part in promoting quality of life and health of the elderly. Ageist attitudes have been indicated to often leave the seniors feel disempowered. Strategies for inter-sectoral labour force participation promote the extent in which the elderly continue participating in paid workforce. This is highly beneficial to the individuals and the community as a whole. To the individual elderly, working a few years more can cause continual social benefits as well as increase income adequacies. This will increase their choices on how to spend their later lives. Since Newcastle community is at the risk of having little growth in the amount of young workers, labour force participation of the elderly can be crucial in the economic growth and balance of tax and expenditure. Strategies to enhance family and community contributions will help the older people to contribute their skills and time voluntarily in community activities. They will also be able to participate on informal basis within their neighbourhoods and family. Strategies to promote training and education are also beneficial to the community and individuals. Rapid social, technological and economic changes underscore the significance of ongoing education to enable the elderly to cope with the changes in their lives. Strategies to promote mobility and communication between the elderly and their families or the community can be effective in promoting social and mental health of the elderly. For instance, technology-based surveillance as well as emergency calls and monitoring from outside the home will empower housebound individuals to cope with the changes in their lives. Strategies to restructure transport and urban planning can also be effective in promoting the participation of the ageing individuals in leisure and social activities. For instance, having pedestrian walks and educating the public through campaigns to ensure road safety can increase the capacity of the elderly to move around in order to take part in social activities (Hillier, 2007). Self-determination and participation Community empowerment, participation and consultation is about motivating individuals actively in making a difference in the community through genuine involvement in defining the issues that concern them as well as in taking actions to attain change (Heritage and Dooris, 2009). The participatory healthy ageing development strategies can be effectively enabled through the principles of participation, consultation and empowerment. Therefore, three categorisations will be helpful. These include activities that imply various levels of participation, such as empowerment and consultation. Other activities include those that represent methods of working and which prioritise participation such as community development and capacity building. Third, activities that maps out interactions and relationships with the community (Heritage and Dooris, 2009). Participatory health development processes will enable the local communities, voluntary organizations, faith groups and friends and family to reach out to the elderly and to empower the elderly. The general community should be educated through the local mass media, particularly news papers and television, on the importance healthy ageing and how they can actively participate in promoting it. However, the most effective way to contact the more vulnerable groups such as the CALD would be through the world or mouth (Wilcox, 1994). The Council and other community planning partners will also be needed to realize the objectives of this report. For instance, by laws aimed at promoting healthy ageing could be an effective vehicle in delivering legislative changes. Consistent standards community participation can be ensured through appropriate legislative changes that inform, evaluate, monitor and report compliance (Wilcox, 1994). The consultation will be ensured through area forums held in locality. This can often be facilitated by the Council. The area forums should be formed with the purpose of ensuring the community on a regular basis to keep the elderly and the community involved. The meetings may be attended by the representatives of the local authorities, primary healthcare trusts, the police and the local organization depending on their local need (Wilcox, 1994). A charrette (participatory workshops) should also be designed to bring people from diverse backgrounds together to ensure their participation in social activities. This can indeed be effective for getting the community to get involved in modification of transport landscape, gardening and other projects that concern the community (Wilcox, 1994). References ABC Newcastle (20 August 2013). Hunter warned of increasing dementia, Alzheimer's sufferers. Retrieved from ABC Newcastle website. 2 Sept 2013 Anonymous (2010). The Infantilisation of Elderly Australians: Age and the Social Dynamics of Disrespect. Retrieved http://www.respectforseniors.org/pdf/Age%20and%20the%20Social%20Dynamics%20of%20Disrespect.pdf Heritage, Z. & Dooris, M. (2009). "Community Participation and Empowerment in Healthy Cities." Health Promotion International, 24(1), ppi45-i55 Hillier, M. (2007). Evaluation of the Brotherhood of St Laurence Community Care Socialisation Program. Retrieved from Brotherhood of St Laurence http://www.bsl.org.au/pdfs/Hillier_rebuilding_connections_final.pdf Miranti, R. & Yu, P. (2011). Persistence of Social Exclusion Among Older People in Australia: What Are The Protecting Factors?. Retrieved from http://www.natsem.canberra.edu.au/storage/WP11%20Final.pdf McEnvoy, M., Smith, W., D;este, C. et al. (2010). "Cohort Profile: The Hunter Community Study." International Journal of Epidemiology, 39, pp1452–1463 McGuirk, P. (2011). People in the Lower Hunter Region. Retrieved 2 Sept 2013 NARI (2003). Participation in Physical Activity amongst Older People. Retrieved from NAVI website 3 Sept 2013 National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre (2013). Staying Connected: Social Engagement and Wellbeing Among Mature Age Australians. Retrieved from National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre Website 2 Sept 2013 PMSEIC (2002). Promoting Healthy Ageing in Australia. Retrieved accessed 2 Sept 2013 QPZM (2013). Newcastle Demographics (NSW) Local Stats. Retrieved 2 Sept 2013 Wilcox, D. (1994).Community participation and empowerment: putting theory into practice. Retrieved 3 Sept 2013 Wilkinson, J. (2011). The Hunter Region: An Economic Profile. e-brief 16/2011. Retrieved 2 Sept 2013 Read More

To prevent the prevalence of the condition, there is a need to maintain the existing programs as well as come up with new initiatives that promote opportunities and support the aged populations to lead healthy live. Based on these findings, programs and policies in Newcastle need to reflect the needs of the ageing population as well as be proactive in promoting health and increased independence of the aged. Among the activities integral towards this course include promoting leisure and social activities to improve and sustain the physical health, psychological health and health safety of the ageing population (PMSEIC, 2002).

Community activities In Australia, ‘seniors’ comprise people aged 65 years old and over. Indeed, this rapidly growing population is a greatly diverse group as the men and women experience ageing differently. Plainly, there are substantial differences between those aged 65 and those aged 75 years old and over. In addition, these age groups are heterogeneous, as they reflect diverse health conditions, physical fitness, educational levels, values and socioeconomic status. Ageing does also reflect diversity in levels of dependence and independence.

Most aged people in Newcastle (nearly 90 percent) live independently in the community. This calls for a shift in the priorities from acute care towards healthy ageing (PMSEIC, 2002). The existing leisure and social activities for older people in Newcastle are numerous and offer an infrastructure that supports the health promotion of the older people. The most common activities for the elderly include housework, home maintenance, gardening, travelling and walking. There are also high levels of social activities such as dancing and social networks (National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre, 2013).

There is a low level of activities that need infrastructure support such as weights, swimming and gym. Individual activities include cycling, and work around the homes and yard. The common community activities include playing with grandchildren and community service. Assessment of the current leisure and social activities Current social activities such as social mobilisation enable the older people to make connection with the community. This is effective in promoting their social wellbeing. The common activities for social mobilisation include building social network and supporting their participation in community activities such as playing with children.

Nevertheless, the environment has not enabled such activities to be effective in building social networks among the residents of culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This is due to the existence of the language barrier which is an impediment to effective implementation of social activities. Mainly, there is a lack of an environment to enhance communication and empower the elderly and build trust and mutual respect through access to information resources (Hillier, 2007). Additionally, there is a low level of physical activities with the main ones being gardening and housework.

These are however inadequate given the high rates of sedentary behaviour among the elderly. Indeed, the diverse nature of the elderly contributes to sedentary behaviour. For instance, researches have shown that women show high levels of inactivity underscoring the need for gendered social roles to determine the actions of women (NARI, 2003). Additionally, the elderly tend to suffer from different conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer and diabetes. The diverse nature of these conditions calls for more activities such as routine body exercise which may take care of specific conditions (PMSEIC, 2002).

Long winters also make it difficult for the seniors to engage in physical activities, such walking and gardening. High levels of smog during the hot summer days also pose a great risk to healthy living for the elderly with chronic respiratory illnesses. Further, high levels of social support exist and are provided by family and friends as well as neighbours and members of local organisations such as faith groups.

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