Guidelines for Improving Healthcare - Research Paper Example

The Importance of Health as you age Health refers to the amount of functional efficiency of any human or animal. In humans, it is the overall condition of an individual’s mind or body, normally meaning to be at liberty from injury, pain or illness. Being healthy is very important in an individual’s life regardless of their age. However, in this paper I will outline the essence of health as one ages especially to the adults that fall in the age of 50+. I will also share my interview with a proficient personal trainer-scot-who gave me some tips on how keep it healthy at that age. My conversation with scot is below: Me: hi Scot: halo Me: Rumors have that you do train almost everyone around Scot: yeah it is quite a toll. I love my job. Me: Tell me, how can the 50+ adults keep it healthy? Scot: there are very many ways for aging adults to keep it healthy. On my end as a trainer, physical activity can help one become very healthy. Me: Am listening Scot: anything that gets your body moving is technically a physical activity. The first thing one has to consider while aging is to keep moving. That means that you should not spend long hours sitting down. Me: That means they have to avoid long watching of TV Scot: exactly, long periods of sitting to read and even driving, since they can impact negatively on their health. Me: what can they do to better their health? Scot: one should at least invest 150 minutes weekly on moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Me: Moderate- intensity activity? Quiet a term. Scot: yes, like walking fast, playing double ball tennis, riding a bike and maybe doing water aerobics. I guess that’s all am running out of schedule Me: Thanks, that was helpful. Scot’s response on the health of the elderly is similar to some of the studies. Adults (50+) spend an average of 10 hours daily either lying or sitting down. The consequences of their inactivity include heart diseases, obesity among others that lead to early death compared to the overall population. As one gets older, it is vital that he remains active if he wants to remain healthy and uphold his independence. Otherwise, everything you have always enjoyed practicing and taken for a ride will start becoming harder. They might struggle pursuing simple pleasures such as playing with their grandchildren, walking it to the mall, meeting up with friends and even leisure activities. They might start to get pains and aches they have never had before and have a small amount of energy to go out. They may be also more vulnerable to falling. Eating right is another of making your health better. As one ages, good nutrition plays a very vital role in how well you age. Eating low-fat, low-salt diet with lots of fruits, fiber and vegetables can diminish your age -related diseases including diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke and other chronic diseases (Martin, 89). Diversifying your diet with a variety of foods can easily help your body get the nutrients it needs. For instance, proteins that is required to rebuild and maintain muscles. One can acquire low fat, protein from fish, soy, low-fat meat, a limited amount of nuts and eggs. Carbohydrate that provides the body with energy is important. There are two major sources of dietary carbohydrates: complex carbohydrates that come from grains and vegetables and simple sugars such as lactose, sucrose and fructose. Unlike refined sugars, fruits have fiber and vitamins; dairy products have nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium, and complex carbohydrates have minerals, vitamins and fiber. One has to get most of the carbohydrate calories from grains, vegetables and fruits. Limit foods with added sugar and drinks, and try to take complex carbohydrates at the expense of fat calories in your diet. It is tricky enough to say fats are also very important since it provides energy, as well. To keep your blood cholesterol low, take foods with monounsaturated fats including nuts, olive oil and avocados, and polyunsaturated fats such as soybean oil. Saturated fats such as beef, veal butter and cheese should be limited at all cost. It is possible when one have these foods less often, selecting fewer fatty cuts of meat and having smaller servings. One should also attempt to avoid hydrogenated fats found in man-processed foods such as cookies and crackers, and stick in margarine (Martin, 90). One should consume lots of water to replace the much that is lost via activities. As one looks at his daily diet, he should have in mind that as he grows old; his body’s daily energy decreases slowly. So one requires fewer calories a day than when he was younger. Your doctor can help you keep in check the amount of calories you have been taking. Moreover, the body will be prone to depositing less muscle and more fats due to the natural hormone changes. Having a balanced diet, watching your intake of saturated fats, along with muscle strengthening an increased activity can help one to remain at a healthy weight. At this age -50+- bones are prone to losing mineral content faster than before, particularly for the postmenopausal women, because they have insufficient estrogen that promotes bone loss(Martin, 2010). As a result, one needs to take vitamin D and calcium in her diet to help prevent osteoporosis. A doctor may prescribe that you take vitamin D or calcium supplement. Atherosclerosis (plaque building) can naturally occur in the arteries that push blood to the heart and brain. One can slow this by taking heart-healthy foods such as fruits, lean meats and whole grains. A healthy diet can assist to lower high blood pressure cholesterol levels and prevent stroke and heart disease. Sleep is yet another issue; many old people encounter sleep disorders such as insomnia on a regular basis (Martin, 102). As one ages, there are dynamics in his sleep patterns. In short, older individuals sleep less compared to the young individuals. Nevertheless, regardless of age, sleep is important for emotional well-being and physical health. Many factors may lead to the inability to have restorative sleep as we age. These factors include; poor sleep habits: an individual’s irregular sleep-wake paradigms can affect someone’s circadian rhythm and make it difficult to uphold a regular sleep schedule. Some sleep hygiene matters like taking of alcohol before bed, and sleeping during the day can cause influence an individual’s ability to sleep. Secondly, we have medications: some drugs may impair an individual’s ability to stay asleep or fall asleep and may trigger the wakefulness in the night. Thirdly, we have psychological distress: aspects growing old determined by life events, some negative and some positive. Some old people encounter psychological problems that will affect the quantity and quality of sleep. Fourthly, we have sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, REM behavior disorder, and periodic limb movement disorder maybe affiliated with growing old in some cases. Lastly, we have retirement: normally effects to downtime together with less day activity: this can lead to chronic sleep issues and irregular sleep-wake pattern. Regardless of age, each individual’s sleep needs are diverse. One can get less sleep than when he was younger, yet he still feels energetic and rested during the day. There is a possibility that you now require less sleep. Nevertheless, if one notices that his lack of sleep has a negative impact on his daytime activities then he should consult a doctor for steps one can take to make his sleeping quality better. The aging people are also prone to loss of hearing. Loud noise environment is the main cause of loss of hearing. It normally develops gradually without pain or any symptom. One might not note that he has a hearing loss until it is severe. However, there are precautions that one can to curb this medical issue: For one, avoid harmful noise: one can be prone to noise in many diverse settings. Beware of the kinds of situations that can lead to harmful noise. The employ of hearing protectors can be very helpful. If you have an idea that the place you are heading to is going to be noisy wear hearing protectors such as earmuffs (Martin, 104). An individual can also control the volume when he can. Diminish the noise in his life by regulating the volume of the Tv sets, car radio, particularly on personal listening devices with ear buds or earphones. Aging people are vulnerable to falls and slips and I think if necessary safety measures lack, they can easily lose their lives to this condition. Dangers around homes lead to thousands of unexpected deaths every year. However, there are safety measures that they can apply in the homes. For instance, their staircases should have handrails on not only one side but also both sides. Attaching of the safety treads to steps would also help a great deal (Martin, 256). Evacuating tripping hazards like furniture throw rugs and clutter from walkways. Fixing grab bars on both sides of bathtubs and toilets, particularly on those employed regularly by seniors. Researchers think that the chances of the elderly falling are 90% if they vulnerable to lower body weakness, issues with balance and walking, or are taking close to four or more medications. To diminish their risk, old people should get regular exercise to appreciate their balance and improve lower body strength. Their healthcare providers should revise and review, when necessary; their medication to diminish interactions and side effects. The aging people should also get that the screening they need. Screening is the test that detects the disease before the symptoms come into play. Tests of high cholesterol and blood pressure checks are examples of screening (Martin, 256). One can get some screenings in ones doctor office. Some like the colonoscopy, a screening of colorectal cancer, require special equipment so one may need to get to a diverse office. The discussions of the diseases that the aging people need to watch out for are below. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: if one was once a smoker and fall between the ages of 65-75, one needs to talk his or her healthcare providers over screening of this disease. It bulges in ones abdominal aorta, the biggest artery in the body. It may burst resulting to bleeding, and death as the ultimate aftermath. An ultrasound refers to the painless process in which one lies on the table while the doctor slides the medical device over the patients abdomen, the device will indicate whether the patient has the disease. Colorectal cancer: having a screening test for this disease, there are several diverse steps taken. For instance, a colonoscopy and stool blood test can detect this cancer. They doctor can help you decide what is best for you. Depression: one emotional health is as vital as his or her physical health. Therefore, one should have chitchat with his healthcare providers over having himself screened for depression particularly during the last couple of weeks: one has felt low, hopeless or sad or one has felt some pleasure or interest in doing things (Martin, 205). Diabetes: one should consider screening when ones blood pressure is more than 135/80 or if he is under treatment on high blood pressure. Diabetes can cause problems with the heart, eyes, kidney, feet and other body parts (Martin, 234). High blood pressure: Every doctor should check the blood pressure bi-annually. It can cause heart attack strokes and even heart failure. In conclusion, aging comes with many challenges that the elderly people have taken precautions to live longer. Works Cited Martin, Leslie R., Kelly B. Zolnierek, and M. Robin DiMatteo. Health behavior change and treatment adherence evidence-based guidelines for improving healthcare. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Read More