Health, Wellness, and Illness Flashcards
Wellness
involves the ability to adapt emotionally and physically to a changing state of health and environment.
Illness
altered level of functioning in response to a disease process
Disease
a condition that results in the psychological alteration int he composition of the body
Health and Wellness
form a state of optimal physical functioning and a feeling of emotional and social contentment.
Unique to each individual and relative to the individuals usual state of functioning.
Variables: modifiable and nonmodifiable
Modifiable
can be changed, such as smoking, nutrition, access to health education, sexual practices, and exercise.
Nonmodifiable
cannot be changed, such as sex, age, developmental level, and genetic traits.
Aspects of health and wellness
physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, occupation, environmental
Physical
able to perform activities of daily living
Emotional
adapts to stress; expresses and identifies emotions
Social
interacts successfully with others
Intellectual
effectively learns and dismisses information
Spiritual
adopts a belief that provides meaning to life
Occupational
balance occupational activities with leisure time
Environmental
creates measures to improve standards of living and quality of life.
Environment
a clients state of health and wellness is constantly changing and adapting to a continually fluctuating external and internal environment.
External environment
social: crime v. safety
poverty v. prosperity
peace v. social unrest
presence v. absence of support from social networks.
Physical:
access to health care, sanitation, availability to clean water, and geographic location
Internal environment
includes cumulative life experiences, cultural and social beliefs, age, developmental stage, gender, emotional factors, and perception of physical functioning.
Desired Outcome
to obtain and maintain optimal state of wellness and functioning through access to and use fo health promotion, wellness, and illness prevention strategies.
Health and wellness can be achieved through health education and positive action (stress management, smoking cessation, weight loss, immunizations, seeking health care)
Illness-Wellness continuum
is an assessment tool used to measure the level of wellness to premature death:
- it can be useful as an assessment guide or tool to set goals and find ways to improve a clients state of health or to have the client return to a precious state of health, which can include an illness with optimal wellness. The health care professional can assist the client to see where he is at on the continuum and seek ways to move toward optimal wellness.
- at the center of the continuum is the clients normal state of health.
- the range of wellness to illness runs from optimal wellness to severe illness
- the degree of wellness is relative to the usual state of wellness for a client and is achieved through awareness, education, and personal growth.
Illness
is the impairment of a clients physical, social, emotional, spiritual, development, or intellectual functioning.
Illness encompasses the effects of a disease on a client. However illness and disease are not synonymous.
Response to Illness can be influenced by:
- degree of physical changes as a result of a disease process.
- Perceptions by self and others of the illness, which can be influenced by various reliable and unreliable sources of information, such as friends, magazines, TV, and the internet.
- cultural values and beliefs
- denial or fear of illness
- Social demands, time constraints, economic resources, and health care access
Health Promotion and disease prevention
use health education and awareness to reduce risk factors and promote health care.
Health/ Wellness Assessment
- physical assessment
- evaluating health perceptions
- identifying risks to health/wellness
- identifying access to health care
Identifying obstacles to compliance and adherence
- Perceptions of illness: awareness fo the severity of the illness.
- confidence in the provider
- belief in the prescribed therapy. A client who has had a negative experience with a health care system might not trust the provider and might not follow the advice or comply with the treatment prescribed. Cultural or religious beliefs might not align with prescribed treatment.
- availability of support systems
- family role and functioning: one family member might be the family caregiver but neglect caring for herself.
- financial restrictions that can lead to prioritized health care. Like prescription medication costs. A parent might seek medical are fo children but not for themselves.
Nursing Care
evaluate the health needs of the client and create strategies to meet those needs.
Interventions
- provide resources to strengthen coping abilities.
- identify and encourage use of support systems during times of illness and stress
- identify obstacles to health and wellness and create strategies to reduce these obstacles
- identify ways to reduce health risk and improve compliance
- develop health education methods to improve health awareness and reduce health risks.
