Introduction and purpose
Ageing is a common process in life. With ageing, functional capabilities deteriorate and lead to major risk in health. So for older people, keeping them physically active is an important role in their healthy ageing. This will help them to maintain their independence and value their life as long as they live. Engaging in physical activity will reduce the risk of chronic conditions and improve the state of mind and well being. Being physically active by participating in regular physical activities has a major health advantage which has been well documented. Despite the advantage of day to day physical activity a large number of older people go ahead with their inactive way of life. This study was conducted in older people who live in LTC about their barriers in performing the physical activity. In 2007, WHO urged the researchers to conduct a study on the reasons of physical inactivity in older adults. This study was able to improve patient outcomes due to the fact that older people are aware of the importance of keeping themselves active and having a meaningful, healthy ageing life.
Review of the literature
The author has reviewed the previous studies on the barriers of regular physical activity in the community living older people (Jones and Nies 1996, Conn 1998, Heesch et al 2003, Lin et.al 2007). But the review shows that little study was done among older adults living in LTC about the barriers they face in their physical activity. The areas of nursing practices are to identify the barriers in older people that keep them away from their physical activity. Developing a plan of care and interventions depend on the individual problems.
Study Design
Qualitative exploratory design is used in this study...
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...here are barriers among older adults who stays in LTC centers .The barriers are Physical health problems and physical frailty, Fear of resultant injury or falling, past sedentary lifestyle, insufficient understanding about physical activity and environmental restrictions. Health care providers have a major role in influencing these older adults to take up a regular physical activity. This study suggests that health care providers need to intervene these barriers to develop and maintain physical activity. Also it is important to provide supportive surroundings. Change in behavior cannot occur in overnight, so ongoing physical activity practice is needed. For most of the older residents the LTC becomes the permanent homes, so the health care provider needs to develop a continuous relationship with these residents. These findings contributed to the nursing knowledge.
Falls in nursing homes residents are associated with morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The centers for Medicare and Medicaid indicate falls as the quality indicator. (Leland, Gozalo, Teno, Mor, 2012). Factors such as new environment, medication, cognition, and non-compliance contribute to falls. A significant number of falls occur from wheelchairs. (Willy, 2013). Newly admitted residents to long-term care facilities are confused with the change. The new environment and the new unfamiliar faces increase the level of anxiety. Pain may also contribute to falls. In order to take tailor made preventative measures, fall risk factors for each resident should be evaluated periodically. Tools scoring risk factors can be utilized.
Fatigue, decreased mobility and impaired balance from the rheumatoid and osteoarthritis pain also increases the risk of falls (Stanmore et al., 2013). Age related changes such as sarcopenia causes muscle tone and strength to decrease, especially in the lower limbs and as a result, balance and gait become impaired (Culross, 2008). These factors significantly influence the risk of falls and also affect the ability to carry out daily activities therefore, with a physiotherapists assistance, the nurse could introduce a personalised exercise regime to enhance muscle tone and strength (Culross, 2008). According to Neuberger et al (1997), exercise lessens fatigue and improves muscle tone and balance in older people. Recommending an exercise programme for Mrs Jones that incorporates strength training exercises and aerobics, could potentially improve muscle tone and strength and as a result improve mobility, balance and lessen the risk of falls (Bird, Pittaway, Cuisick, Rattray & Ahuja, 2013). The nurse could also suggest safety precautions such as advising Mrs Jones to use a mobility aid (Gooberman-Hill & Ebrahim,
Aging is a natural part of human life. With modern technologies and medical innovations, the society has been able to prolong life and thus increase the number of older adults in the society. Normal part of aging are inevitable physiological and psychological changes, which need to be understood and addressed by nurses in order to provide appropriate care for older adults. Presenting patient’s description with appropriate data, I will utilize Watson’s Caring theory (2008) to assess the lower order need of activity-inactivity relative to this older adult patient cared for in the hospitalized environment. The integration of theory, research and best practice guidelines will be used to plan nursing interventions and strategies to meet the health needs of older adults in health care. Watson’s (2008) fourth caritas process of developing and sustaining a helping-trusting caring relationship will be used to describe the nursing implementations which were utilized in providing safe and competent care for older adult.
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers (2009) “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior” (Akers, (2009, p. 1). Theory is a set of interconnect statements that explain how two or more things are related in two casual fashions, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
There are changes in the demographic as the population grows older, the number of older adult’s increases and thus, there is an increase of proportion of patients that are older adults for nurses to take care of (Wells, Y., Foreman, P., Gething, L., & Petralia, W., 2004). The nurses are there to assist and support the older adults in achieving wellness within their situation through empowering the clients (Touhy, et al (2012). Caring for older adults is important as there is an increase in population with deteriorating health. When caring for a client it is important to incorporate Jean Watson’s caring theories and Carative Factors to help influence and support the care. She encourages nurses to co-participate within the caring process by establishing unity and trust between the nurse and client. First, this paper will explain a situation in where I cared for an older adult and it will then introduce Jean Watson’s lower order needs, specifically the need for activity and how it relates to the older adult I cared for. Lastly, this paper will explain the nursing interventions I implemented to meet the lower order need, with a discussion of Carative Factor #4 relating to the client.
Healthy ageing impacts on the health system as more and more aged people are more likely to be active and healthy nowadays with an improved quality of life through various attributes such as physical and mental stimulation, along with the adoption of good behaviours, such as a healthy/balanced diet, exercise, regular health checks and having hobbies, which each help to improve their quality of life. Ultimately, healthy ageing impacts on the health-care system through adopted behaviours and values chosen – As more aged people are interacting regularly within social groups, sporting groups and many others, they are able to freely interact with others, along with participating within certain activities, which help to physically and mentally stimulate them. Through these actions, it reduces the risk of illness and disease, working to improve the physical and mental health of the aged as they move through the ageing process. It is impacting on the health system due to the fact that, as the aged become more competent, they are less likely to access certain services and facilities due to their physical and mental state. There will be fewer cases of certain illnesses and diseases amongst the aged population if individuals are more productive in their lives. If the aged are more independent,
more problems with the police, more use of force used by the police, and police misconduct. Because the citizens feel they can’t rely on the police, they often turn to informal ways of handling issues in their community.
inactivity in older US adults: Results from the Third National and Nutrition Examination Survey. European Journal of Sport Science, Vol. 11, No. 5, 347-353.
Miller, Carol A. (2012). Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults. (sixth edition). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Miller, C. A. (2009). Nursing for wellness in older adults: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Cleveland, Ohio: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Physical inactivity can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer, obesity, hypertension, depression, and an increased risk in premature death. In a study with middle-aged men and women, exercise reduced the risk of premature death by about 20-35%. Being active, in general, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 50%. Even minimum training intensity reduced the risk by 45% in heart disease patients. At first, health care professionals recommended rest and physical activity for patients with heart disease. With constant advances in medicine, professionals have learned that the benefits of physical activity outweigh the risks. In type two diabetes patients, physical activity improves the glucose homeostasis, meaning it balances insulin and glucagon in maintain a healthy blood glucose. Even small improvements in physical activity significantly reduce health risks caused by inactivity. And especially in postmenopausal women, activity prevents the loss of bone mineral density. In a study conducted on rate, physical inactivity over the course of 2 weeks showed a significant change in the shape of the brain’s neurons. Although this study was done with rats, health care professionals think that there are very similar effects in the human brain. For older people, physical activity can be worrisome because of some of the risks, such as injury. However, the benefits prolong life, even if the physical activity is just taking the stairs more
There are many definitions to theory. According to Akers, “theories are tentative answers to the commonly asked questions about events and behavior.” Theory is a set of interconnected statements that explain how two or more things are related, based upon a confirmed hypotheses and established multiple times by disconnected groups of researchers.
Active ageing does not stop when elderly people retire as they can remain active through their families, peers and communities. Active ageing aims allows elderly people to realise and bring awareness to their own psychological, physical and mental well-being as the goal active ageing is the autonomy and independence of elderly people (Alexandre, Cordeiro, & Ramos, 2009).
As people get older many of them begin to get more inactive. Older peoples’ health risk increases when they stop participating in physical activities. When people get older their bone tissue is reduced, which consequently influences bones to become weaker, and commonly leading to osteoporosis. “The social aspects of sport has been confirmed by the other researchers that social engagement was the key ingredient enticing many participate in sport” (Berlin, Klenosky, 2014). Older people participate in sports to relieve stress, to have fun and to play games with improved health and fitness as an additional benefit of the activity. Older adults can live healthy and long life by involving themselves into sports which helps them to loosen their muscles
There exists various lifestyles and behaviours, ranging from amount of nutrition intake, mental well-being, to the amount of physical activity engaged individually. Weighing the abundance of factors, this essay primarily aims to focus on the aspect of physical activity in relevance to how it possibly affects one's lifestyle. By cross-referencing to other lifestyles and behaviours, this essay will also demonstrate the importance of physical activity in possibly alleviating the issues raised pertaining to other lifestyles as well. Throughout this essay, there will be frequent references to the socio-ecological framework in examining the aforementioned factors.