Health maintenance of the elderly is the overall goal of geriatric nursing. With health maintenance and promotion, causes of death and disabilities can be easily recognized early.
The goal of health maintenance and promotion in the elderly is to
- Prolong the period of optimum physical, mental and social activities.
- Maximize handicapping and discomfort from the onset of chronic conditions
- Prepare in advance for retirement
- To prolong the period of effective activity and ability to live independently and to avoid institutionalization as far as possible
- Minimize discomfort from chronic conditions.
- When the illness is terminal, to assure as little physical and mental distress as possible and to provide emotional support to patient and family.
Preventive Activities In The Care And Health Maintenance Of The Elderly
There are three type of preventive activities in the care of the elderly;
1. Primary Prevention
This type of prevention attempts to keep a disease condition from occurring. Activities here include;
- health education and promotion
- teaching and encouraging healthy habit such as regular exercise, use of automobile seat belts, avoidance of cigarettes
2. Secondary Prevention
This include asymptomatic early stage which allows the treatment to reduce disease condition ,its progression and complication. Activities here include;;
- History taking
- Physical examination
- Running of tests
3. Tertiary Prevention
This is the detection of the symptomatic but unreported disease condition, their complication and management to prevent further suffering or functional decline.
Below Are The Role of The Family in the nursing care of elderly patient
- The family should aid in providing physical comfort which may include helping the elderly met the needs of activities of daily living . This include daily bath, oral care and other body grooms. This comfort provided to the elderly enhances his/her living, sleeping, cooking, laundering activities and much more.
- The family provides an environment that is handicap friendly with regard to the elderly person’s disability. Environmental adjustment includes provision of physical structures that enhances the comfort of the client.
- The family should make specific effort to involve the elderly in the family social activities. The involvement should depend on the ability of the elderly. Where applicable, the elderly should be encourage to be involved in religious activities.
- The first member of the health team to notice that the elderly is sick is the family members. The family members usually provide the initial care before calling the attention of the nurse and others that are involved in the care. The family members should be educated on the health problems of the elderly.
- The family should provide sensory stimulation to the elderly in other to promote mental activities. This contributes to the feeling of well-being. The family must consider intellectual and recreational needs of the individual. This will create interest in living and add meaning to life beyond physical existence. There should be balance between shared activities and individual activities.
- The family play significant role in rehabilitation of elderly. The family helps in speech therapy and physiotherapy.