Wellness In Aging - Intro To Health Promotion Priorities

Question 1

Priorities for healthy aging?

Answer 1

1. Social connectedness
2. Physical activity
3. Healthy eating
4. Falls prevention
5. Tobacco control

Question 2

What are causes of social isolation?

Answer 2

Personal choice or lack of opportunities, abuse of older adults

Question 3

What are risk factors that can lead to social isolation?

Answer 3

• living alone
• outliving partners and friends
• rural or remote area
• low income
• changing family structure
• critical life transition

Question 4

What are some consequences of social isolation?

Answer 4

• engagement in smoking, drinking, unhealthy diet
• increased risk of falls, heart disease, stroke, depression, anxiety, suicide
• abuse of older adults
• decline in health, wellbeing, cognitive, functioning, loneliness

Question 5

How can we combat social isolation?

Answer 5

• Value role, contribution and needs of older adults
• age friendly, inclusive, communities, workplaces and health/social services

Question 6

Recommendations for exercise?

Answer 6

• Muscle strengthening activities (2+/week)
• moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity (150 min/week)

Question 7

What is health literacy?

Answer 7

Ability to access, understand and use health info to make decisions regarding one’s health

Question 8

What are factors contributing to a low health literacy?

Answer 8

• lower levels of education
• hearing or vision impairment
• language differences
• client disinterest or lack of self efficacy to learn/change
• decreased computer literacy

Question 9

What are some affects of low health literacy for older adults?

Answer 9

• increased mortality
• lower use of preventative and health promotion services
• poorer health outcomes (increased risk if hospitalization, lack of understanding of disease, etc)

Question 10

How should we provide delivery of care for those with low health literacy?

Answer 10

Structure and deliver care as if everyone has limited health literacy

Question 11

Ways to improve health literacy with older adults?

Answer 11

• Modify environment (quiet, sit facing client, use slow tone/pace of voice, check for hearing or visual aids)
• modify spoken communication (plain language, 3-5 key points, be specific and concrete, use multiple forms of communication)
• encourage client to ask questions

Question 12

How can you confirm one’s understanding?

Answer 12

• Teach back method
• Open ended questions (don’t say “do you understand?”