Asthmatic Condition in the Elderly - Case Study Example

Health Program Planning- Intervention Plan Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Introduction The health intervention plan focuses on the prevalence of asthma in older people for above 65 years and living in Victoria. These old people suffering from asthma face a lot of challenges involving respiratory diseases that contributes to morbidity and mortality rates to rise. Multifaceted and pulmonary changes in the aging people, dyspnoea perception and medication burdens are some of the challenges that contributes to morbidity and mortality in asthmatic elderly people. The intervention plan under the health program planning seeks to develop an appropriate approach that addresses the key determinants, goals, objectives and strategies to address the asthmatic condition in elderly. This intervention plan would be modified within a 3-year health promotion project in Victoria. Background (Analysis Of Key Determinants) Environmental Factors Environmental issues such as pollution, ozone, cold temperature with high humidity are some of the factors that trigger asthma especially to susceptible elderly individuals. Other factors include air pollution by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. During the period of heavy air pollution, the number of hospitalized older people with asthma condition increases. The major symptoms of asthma such as coughing and breath shortness, and chest pain helps in identifying the asthmatic conditions and associated with environmental changes (Risk Factors, 2016). Irritation in the airways and constrictions in the air passage gives clear indication of asthma attack. The weather changes contribute to asthma attacks as cold air leads to increased mucus production, and hence causing airway congestion, furthermore, during the increased humidity, some elderly people experience difficulty in breathing (Williams, Sternthal, & Wright, 2009). Therefore, environmental factors are identified as the contributor and a determinant of asthmatic condition and mostly in the elderly people above the age of 65 years. Social behaviors such as smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke Cigarette smoking has been identified by several studies as a key determinant as it increases the risks for asthmatic condition development. This contributes to among the social behaviors that increase the chances of asthma attacks in an elderly population. The early exposure to the secondhand cigarette smoke increases the chances of asthmatic condition development. The number of the hospitalized asthmatic condition cases in hospitals in Victoria indicates that smokers experience difficulties in breathing. The smokers experience pulmonary infections that later contributes to difficulties in breathing (Risk Factors, 2016). The secondhand smoke has greater asthmatic condition impact to the inhalers. This shows that people living with smokers are also at risk of developing an asthmatic condition. The elderly smokers are prone to the asthma attack as well as other health conditions complications. Inherited Genetic Makeup The genetic makeup inheritance from the asthmatic condition parents contributes to the development of similar condition to offspring. This asthmatic condition can be identified at an early age or develops later in the elderly stage. The study indicates that three-fifths of the asthmatic condition cases are usually connected to hereditary factors. Furthermore, the research from CDC report that one is three times, risky and more likely to develop the asthmatic condition if has the parents having the asthma (Risk Factors, 2016). This is compared to the person whose parents do not have asthma. The elderly people, grow with the asthmatic condition that prevails later at the old age. This is as a result of the venerable environmental factors, social behaviors and issues and inability and lack of body strength to withstand the condition. Allergies Linked to Asthma The allergies are bacterial toxin infections such as endotoxins in house dusts that contribute directly to asthmatic conditions. The indoor allergies give predictions of the elderly people that might be at a risk for the asthmatic condition diagnosis. Other indoor air pollutions factors covering issues such as cigarette smoke, noxious fumes that are induced by the household cleaners, molds and even the paints contributes to allergic reactions and can lead to asthmatic conditions (Williams, Sternthal, & Wright, 2009). Other factors that are indicated as the indoor allergens are animal proteins, especially for the cat and dog allergens. The dust mite, mold and fungi, as well as the cockroaches are among the allergen sources. Over the years, indoor allergen has contributed to the asthmatic condition development and hence influencing the elderly life. The elderly people live indoors with some pets such as cats and dogs that contribute to allergens. In the long-run, the elderly, people develop an asthmatic condition slowly. Project Goals And Objectives Environmental Factor Goals-Sensitizing Control Of Environmental Pollution In sensitizing community importance of controlling environmental pollution would help in reducing the cases of asthmatic conditions. The community contributes in greater margin in environmental pollution, hence influencing on the respiratory challenges. The elderly people are at the receiving edge whereby they get these asthmatic condition challenges (Risk Factors, 2016). Sensitizing the community is a program that would take approximate of three years as indicated in the time frame in the health promotion project. During this period of 3 years, the health practitioners are supposed to engage the community in sensitization on the environmental pollutions that contributes to asthma. The objective of sensitization on the importance of environmental pollution control is to ensure the rate of pollutant in the air is reduced. Clean, breathing air does not possess health risks such as asthmatic condition. The elderly people are dearly affected by the environmental polluted air. The pollutant such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and excess carbon influences the respiratory system (Key indicators, 2016). The asthmatic conditions are contributed by the engagement and living in a closed environment that lack good ventilations for free air. The health promotion program in a period of three years would enhance environmental pollution sensitization (Newman-Taylor, 1995).The sensitization program would help in improving the health condition of the people through safeguarding the environment. Furthermore, the objectives of sensitization would focus on ensuring the member of the community understands the need of having a clean environment to reduce health complications such as asthmatic conditions. Social Behaviors Such As Smoking Or Exposure To Secondhand Smoke Goal; Asthma Condition As Result Of Smoking The three year health promotion program seeks to provide deeper insight regarding the social behaviors and more specifically on the smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. The goal focuses on ensuring the elderly people who are smoking to understand the risk they are putting themselves in. Furthermore, it would also express more concerns to elderly people living with the smokers. Inhaling secondhand cigarette smoke contributes to the asthmatic condition (Key indicators, 2016). Therefore, the goal is to relate the cigarette smoking with asthma and elaborating further to elderly population. This objective cut across the social behavior and lifestyle of the member of the community. The main focus is how elderly people spent their livelihood since they were young and how it would influence their lives at the old age stage. The issue of smoking cigarette is a social lifestyle that is associated with a variety of health complications. Among these health complications is the asthmatic condition and more specifically to the elderly people (Determinants of Health, 2016).The condition is a result of the respiratory complication whereby the asthmatic condition patient gets breath shortness. The health promotion program that would take three year period would enhance the insight to the community on the social and health impact of cigarette smoking. The exposure to the secondhand smoke is risky for the elderly people who live with smokers. The health promotion program would ensure the elderly people and other community members to have smoking etiquettes to prevent spreading asthma risks to other people. Inherited Genetic Makeup Goal- Family History Definition The health promotion program set to enlighten the community on the inheritance complications that later influences asthmatic condition development. The health promotion would take a period of three years whereby elderly people would be helped to identify the family history. The connection between the members of the family with an asthmatic condition would be tracked back from the parents (Asthma Risk, 2016). This would help the elderly population to realize the risk magnitude if the parents had asthma and taking appropriate protective measures to prevent reccurrence. The health promotion program would consider undertaking community members into a rigorous understanding of genetic makeup. This would involve the asthmatic condition patients to reflect on their family history (Key indicators, 2016). The definition of the family history would provide a great platform of enlightening other non-asthmatic elderly people to understand the relationship that exists from gene expression and history. The asthmatic condition has been indicated to be hereditary. This is an alarm to the elderly people without the asthmatic condition to reflect on their background. If their parents had asthmatic condition, they are likely to have the hereditary gene (Risk Factors, 2016). This is a wake-up call to ensure elderly people take precautions to prevent the factors that contribute to asthma risks. This would help prolong their health condition and eliminating the chances of asthma. Allergies Linked To Asthma Goal-Asthmatic Causing Allergen Identification The causes of allergen would be well identified with the period of three years of health promotion. The main goal is ensuring the elderly people, especially those living indoor to identify some causes of allergies contributing to asthma (Williams, Sternthal, & Wright, 2009). The connection of the allergens to asthma would help the elderly people to stay away from these allergy-causing factors. Furthermore, the health promotion program would help in providing how the elderly populations are supposed to control the allergen and live asthma free. The health promotion program would take a period of three years engaging the community and specifically the elder people with allergies and asthma condition. The objective is to ensure the elderly people identify the allergen causing agents (Aquino & Herzlinger, 2003). These allergens are contributing to asthmatic condition. The main objective is to ensure the elderly people understand how they would prevent themselves from these allergies. The health promotion program initiates appropriate mechanism that would ensure the elderly people has the knowledge of controlling the allergen depending on their body reactions. Proposed Strategy The strategic approach that would be used in ensuring the environmental pollutions is under control would require involvement of different stakeholders. This includes the members of the community, the environment experts and health practitioners. The main objective is ensuring all involved parties, plays vital roles in controlling the environmental degradation. The degradation as a result of pollutants influences the health condition of people and more specifically the asthmatic conditions (Chase, 1999). The mixture of the gaseous contributes to smog that influences the respiratory systems. The weather, climate also changes in extreme due to global warming (Asthma Risk, 2016). During the cold period, the elderly people are at a risk of asthmatic conditions. Therefore, the emphasis on the environmental contribution to the asthma condition is real. Hence, the health promotion program together with other stakeholders would take a three year initiative to engage with relevant authorities regarding on environmental changes. Social behavior and lifestyle is another issue that requires to be addressed to all members of the community. A strategic assessment and approach is supposed to be initiated to ensure community members engage in appropriate lifestyle that would never put them at a health condition risk. The cigarette smoking is indicated as the social lifestyle whereby the smokers are at risk of the asthmatic condition (Determinants of Health, 2016). The effects of the cigarette smoking are realized at an older age whereby some of the health complications are realized. The health promotion program would take three years to educate the community about the impacts of smoking (Risk Factors, 2016). Furthermore, it would consider providing insights on the exposure to secondhand smoke and linking to asthmatic condition. The elderly people would learn how to protect themselves from the exposure to smoke from cigarette smokers. The hereditary genetic history in the family is the major issue that requires close examination of the asthmatic patients. The health promotion program would use the three years in helping the elderly people to understand their background history. This would help in realizing that hereditary gene has character history that link asthmatic condition (Asthma Risk, 2016). Furthermore, it will enlighten other elderly people to take preventive measures to minimize the chances of asthma. The connection between the parents and children’s genetic inheritance would help the member of the community to gauge themselves on the asthmatic condition. If both or one of the parents had asthma, there is potential of inherited genes. This would make the elderly people to take preventive measures and hence controlling the asthma. A strategic approach to identifying different allergies that are linked to an asthmatic condition would be essential to elderly people. The elderly people live mostly indoor with pets such as gods and cats. The indoor life has different challenges whereby the allergen factors are found, and hence contributing to asthma (Kingman, 2007). The appropriate strategic assessment would help the elderly people to control the allergens that results from air freshener, molds and protein allergen from pets (Aquino & Herzlinger, 2003). The health promotion program within the period of three years expects to have engaged the elderly and educating them on the allergies and how it contributes to asthmatic conditions. Summary These strategies would be effective in controlling the asthmatic condition, mostly the elderly population in Vitoria. The main objective of the health promotion program is to enlighten the elderly people on different strategies that would improve their condition. The preventive measures are also provided whereby the elderly learns how to protect themselves from asthma. During this three year period, the health promotion program aims at achieving all the set objectives and relating to positive lifestyle free from asthma risk factors. Therefore, the strategies employed are projected to promote the healthy life of elderly people and promoting their wellbeing. References Aquino, M., & Herzlinger, R. (2003). Schering-Plough and Genome Therapeutics: Discovering an Asthma Gene. Harvard Business School Cases. , 1. Asthma Risk factors - Mayo Clinic. (2016). Mayoclinic.org. Retrieved 29 September 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/basics/risk-factors/con-20026992 Chase, M. (1999). Too Often, the Elderly Don't Get the Drugs Or Care They Need. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition. 234(60), 1. Determinants of Health | Healthy People 2020. (2016). Healthypeople.gov. Retrieved 29 September 2016, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health Key indicators for chronic disease and associated determinants (AIHW). (2016). Aihw.gov.au. Retrieved 29 September 2016, from http://www.aihw.gov.au/chronic-diseases/key-indicators/ Kingman, S. (2007). 'Clear-Cut' Gene For Asthma Gives Hope For Better Therapies. BioWorld International.12(29) , 1-8. Newman-Taylor, A. (1995). Environmental determinants of asthma. Lancet.345(8945), 296. Risk Factors for Asthma. (2016). WebMD. Retrieved 29 September 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma-risk-factors?page=2 Williams, D., Sternthal, M., & Wright, R. (2009). Social Determinants: Taking the Social Context of Asthma Seriously. PEDIATRICS, 123(Supplement), S174-S184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-2233h Read More