Essay Sample on Empowering Elderly Wellbeing: Overcoming Challenges and Risks

The elderly population which is above the age of 65 years are in serious need of health promotion due to challenges, risks, and losses that come with their age. Although there are medical needs, the most significant needs for all elderly population is well-being empowerment.

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Advanced age comes with challenges to their wellbeing be it physical, social or psychological. Therefore, they, require self-support, to cope up with their physical activity, stress, loneliness, depressive symptoms and cognition which adversely affect their health (Santos, Barlem, Silva, Cestari & Lunardi, 2008). The loos of sense of hearing, and vision affect their wellbeing hence exposing the individual to risks of loneliness, falls, and this calls for support. Besides, the elderly population is unable to deal with life situations.

Generally, the elderly population is in need of empowerment to be able to live a healthy life. The most basic promotion they require is empowerment to support their lost activity. In this regard, the most suitable health promotion model is Nola Pender's Health Promotion Model (Santos et al., 2008). Health promotion entails improving life and the health conditions of an individual and involves the use of health promotion models, strategies, empowerment, policies, education and community actions.

The model focuses on enhancing the well-being of the elderly and hence deals with actions that can promote the behaviors and attitudes.

Mental disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are the most prevalent diseases among the elderly population. The disorder accounts for a mortality rate of 69.5% (Ferrucci, Giallauria & Guralnik, 2008). However, the major cause of death is heart disease. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2012), the elderly account for about 3%1 of the entire U.S population. The population is expected to double by 2060 and reach 92.0 million from 43.1 million. The elderly population account for 14.6% of the people living with poverty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, elderly population requires physical, psychological and social support. Under the health promotion model, empowerment model strategy supports elderly to control certain factors that affect their well-being.

References

Ferrucci, L., Giallauria, F., & Guralnik, J. M. (2008). Epidemiology of aging. Radiologic clinics of North America, 46(4), 643-v. DOI:10.1016/j.rcl.2008.07.005

Santos, S., Barlem, E., Silva, B., Cestari, M., & Lunardi, V. (2008). Health promotion of the elderly: commitment of gerontogeriatric nursing. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 21(4), 649-653. DOI: 10.1590/s0103-21002008000400018

U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, December 12). U.S. Census Bureau projections show a slower growing, older, more diverse nation a half-century from now [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-243.html