Planning Care for Patients, Families, and Communities, Essay Example

Introduction

The leading cause of death among men and women in the United States is heart disease. Heart disease is the costliest health condition the nation is facing today. Yet, it is also the most preventable disease. Nearly a third of deaths reported in the United States are attributed to heart disease. Most of the people who die from heart disease are younger than 65 years old. There are many preventative lifestyles changes a person can make to ensure a longer, healthier life. Maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and making healthy food choices are among the ways a person can prevent heart disease. The Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is one of many resources that provide leadership in communities to help reduce heart disease and stroke.

The President’s Adult Fitness Test

This challenge is designated for people aged 18 years and older who are in good health. There are two types of fitness: Performance related and health related. With performance the objective is athletic performance using speed, reaction time, and coordination as indicators. The health components objectives are lowering high blood pressure, risk of diabetes, and other body pains. The health related fitness has several components: Aerobic, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition. These components test the person’s heart ability to deliver blood to muscles, whether or not they can do normal activities without causing damage to the body, their ability to move joints in a proper range of motion, and the amount of body fat the person is carrying. These activities are used as a way to determine if and to what extent a person may become physically active.

Eat Healthy-Be Active Community Workshops

A six hour workshop has been developed based on the Dietary Guidelines for American. The workshop includes lesson plans, learning objectives, videos, and other resources needed to teach community members about active, healthy lives. These workshops are geared towards community educators, nutritionists, and other health promoters to teach adults in various communities. Those who want to teach the program in their communities can receive a free print copy by requesting a copy on the web-site. The lessons are available in both English and Spanish. These lessons help to promote health by reducing obesity and the risk of heart disease and other chronic disorders. It provides advice about making food choices that help to prevent disease by balancing calories and managing body weight. The programs encourage the consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and seafood. It discourages the consumption or sodium, saturated and Trans fat, sugar, and refined. Finally, it promotes physical activity of at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week for adults and 60 minutes a day for children.

National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity

This resource provides a set of goals for initiative programs that partnership with programs that serve minorities in hopes of helping them reach a healthy lifestyle. The hopes of this program are to promote health equity. These health disparities are linked to social or economically diversified groups who are suffering from socioeconomic obstacles that prevent them from having access to healthy food options. The information provided in this program helps community leaders to identify groups that are at risk and what type are strategies that are most effective in assisting minorities. Obesity among minorities is more prevalent than among other ethnic groups. This is widely associated with income. Members of minority groups often lack knowledge the nutritional values of selected foods. By educating them, it is hoped that they will be able to make better food choices. Also, having access to healthier food choices is an obstacle. Often people in rural and low-income areas have less access to fresh markets. Programs, such as these, help to educate consumers on how to best choose healthy foods.

Rehabilitation Programs

Rehabilitation programs for patients suffering from chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, may occur in various settings-in home or care facility. With the transition process, the utilization of PAC services is pivotal. When a patient is discharged to PAC, several factors must be considered. Those factors may include gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, and geographical proximity to the PAC provider. When these factors are not considered, it usually leads to readmissions to the hospital. Most often than not, when a person suffering from a chronic illness has had an extended stay in the hospital due to complications of the illness, he/she will need the services of a rehabilitation program. Some programs may last the duration of 30 days, while others a for a shorter period of time. Nonetheless, the rehabilitation process does not end when the person is released. Consequently, the Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse is very important. They have many roles. They serve as case managers and help to communicate information between the doctors, patient’s, and their families. The CRRN also helps the patient readjust to new lifestyles while living with the chronic illness. These lifestyles changes may include providing a therapeutic environment. Often the CRRN provides direct care to the patient by educating and training them in self-care like taking medications, proper nutrition, skin care, bowel movements, and other personal hygiene care.

American Heart Association

This site offers many tools to aid a healthy lifestyle change. The Body Mass Index is used to determine if one is a healthy weight. BMI is calculated using one’s height and weight. BMI is a great way for a person to determine how much body fat the person is carrying. Knowing this number can be the first step to beginning a healthy lifestyle. There is also a free booklet on this site. The book includes various tips on healthy eating, physical activities, and other options for weight loss, like medications and surgeries. It also gives information about setting weight loss goals and ways to reward one’s self for reaching those goals. It provides the client with a food and activity diet, as well as tips on what food choices to make when eating out. For those people who are more technical about losing weight and getting healthy, there is the WIN-weight-control Information Network. This site provides the public with up-to-date, science based information about weight control, obesity, nutrition, and physical activities. There are also tips to creating a grocery plan, sample menus, and low cost meals.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

A number of heart patients can lower their risk of further complications by making changes to improve their overall health. This can be accomplished through collaboration between the patient and doctors to help the patient change their lifestyle. Cardiac rehabilitation is a program that is supervised by professionals to ensure that people recovering from heart attack and heart surgery or other medical procedures. These programs are designed to improve the physical fitness and reduce future heart problems. Any persons of any age who has a heart condition may benefit from a cardio rehabilitation program. The program will offer medical evaluation to determine the patient’s needs and limitations. This information is used to help nurses design a program that will best benefit the patient. The patient is also provided with counseling and education to help them better understand the condition they are suffering from and what ways they can better manage the condition. The counseling may also be beneficial to those patients who are suffering from depression due to the illness. The program can last anywhere from six weeks to six months, and in some cases loner supervision is needed. The client may be required to live in the facility or remain at home with assistance.

Chronic Illness and Older People

Nearly 91 percent of Americans aged 65 years and older suffer from at least one chronic illness. The U.S. Administration on Aging promotes the implementation of community programs that assist older Americans suffering from chronic illness. These programs hold workshops that meet once a week for a two hour class. These workshops last about six weeks. The workshops address issues like: dealing with frustration, fatigue, pain, and isolation, ways to improve strength and endurance, taking medications correctly, communicating with family members, friends, and health profressionals about their condition, and healthy eating. The Center for Healthy Aging also initiated the Million Hearts- a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.

Conclusions

Community programs and other organizations are proven to help individuals manage their chronic illnesses. Many of the self-management programs around the United States provide patients with the tools needed to control and better management their conditions, which lead to longer, more productive lives. Dealing with a chronic illness is a difficult task for both the patient and their family members. Making lifestyles changes often takes the help of family members and professionals. Better food choices and getting active are very important factors to reduce heart disease. There are many resources and tools available in various communities to assist persons suffering from chronic illness. With concentrated efforts and support, many people suffering from heart disease are able to live nearly normal lives.  There are also support groups that can assist patients with dealing with the mental and psychological issues that go along with living with a chronic disease.