Importance Of Holistic Health Assessment Approach In Aged Care

Benefits of Holistic Health Assessment Approach

Discuss about the Holistic Health Assessment Approach Aged Care.

The current focus on holistic care in nursing aids in enhancing the entire well-being of the consumers. Despite the age, every person is unique and deserves a care that focuses on body, soul and the person’s spirit. Therefore, holistic healthcare assessment approach (HHAA) for the elderly persons is a continuous process of health care.

Holistic patient assessment is helpful to both the nurses and the consumers. Holistic assessment approach in the health of old persons forms the basis for initial and future care (Thompson et al., 2011). Through HHAA collection of data and therapeutic communication, nurses acquire information for providing the required person-centered care to the aged. The HHAA encompasses six aspects (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014). These are the physiological, sociological, psychological, spiritual, cultural, and developmental (Thompson et al., 2011). Assessment helps in gauging the efficiency of the aged care. In (Thompson et al., 2011), the process also identifies the deterioration of the consumer’s health to decide on possible solutions or improvement of care.

Developmental assessment in HHAA assists in coming up with some informed, evidence-based care decisions. The approach identifies the consumer’s behavioral, physical, behavioral, social and cognitive development as persons cope with old age (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014). This aspect also focuses on diets and medication where an individual is being helped to recover from a particular illness (Scholl et al., 2014).  On the other hand, the spiritual aspect of HHAA concentrates on the aged person’s beliefs and values. At this point, HHAA recommends respect for the views and values that the elderly hold on spiritual matters (Khanassov et al., 2016). HHAA also advises nurses and caregivers in ensuring that the elderly persons are comfortable with a discussion about their spiritual matters and opinions. In (Khanassov et al., 2016), the work found that meeting spiritual needs for the aged make them feel appreciated in the society.

Cultural understanding and awareness is another aspect of HHAA in old care. Culture does affect people’s health. HHAA helps in creating awareness of the aged cultural context and ensures that the care provided takes into consideration the sensitive cultural practices. In most countries, cultural safety and competency are part of the nursing courses which proves its importance in HHAA (Thompson et al., 2011). When giving care to the aged, cultural impact are apparent through family rituals, dynamics, beliefs, values, and social characters.

Importance of Person-Focused Care Plan

Person-centred planning (PCP) to the aged helps them to know, develop, and to understand their contemporary and future hopes (Khanassov et al., 2016). From this understanding, the aged manage to set priorities for their present and future changes. Therefore, PCP stands like an umbrella for precise approaches aimed at helping elderly persons to design their futures. PCP on the aged helps them to use social care services and plan for their delivery.

PCP appears to be an informal yet applicable method of providing the consumers with chances for controlling the way they receive social services. Besides, PCP is about looking at someone in whole unlike solely focusing on the adversities (Scholl et al., 2014). This alone makes PCP a positive approach of working. PCP also creates awareness and an understanding of how people should respond to the aged care situation. It offers individuals with knowledge on balancing between what is valuable to elderly persons in their lifestyle and what is not. PCP also serves a primary role in the division of responsibilities to those working in the aged care sector (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014).

Person-Centered Planning (PCP) considers the autonomy, self-determination, relationship, quality of life, and inclusion for aged people (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014). The principle of inclusion in PCP for encourages elimination of diversity and creation of an environment that promotes prosperity and potential maximization (Scholl et al., 2014). Inclusion promotes equality in the division of opportunities and resources across all the ages lifespan.

Other areas of consideration in PCP includes advocacy for the promotion of positive behaviors, ecological inventory, and self-determination. Some of the activities for the promotion of positive behaviors in PCP involves assessing a person’s capabilities and desires (Scholl et al., 2014). Further, development of positive responses includes studying the potential problem so that the society can engage a plan for taking care of that problem. Some of the solutions include proactive strategies that increase adaptive behaviors.

Person-centred care (PCC) is an approach that urges people to think and do things that focuses on reflecting on the health of consumers and social services as two key players in assessing development, and monitoring care to ensure that it fits the consumers’ needs (Khanassov et al., 2016). In other words, it is allowing individuals and their families to play a part in decision-making process, and looking at them as the experts in their care (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014). PCC on older persons is a method in which health services puts care in the hands of the individual and their family members. This approach allows the consumers to shape the care in a way it addresses their needs.

Discuss the Importance of Person-Centered Care

There are various benefits for PCC. When health providers interact with consumers, they develop a relationship which helps both the client health services providers to know their clients well. From this understanding, health services manage to provide care or service that specifically focuses on the person’s needs (Khanassov et al., 2016). Therefore, PCC promotes and facilitates a consumer’s engagement. When consumers are engaged, they become decision makers in consideration of how they feel, and what they preferer (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014).  Additionally, as this relationship between the clinicians and the consumers develop, it creates respect for the consumer’s preference, culture, and values. The same makes clinicians recognize consumers’ autonomy and their dignity.

The concept of coordination and integrity is another feature of PCC. This concept focuses on partnership. In most cases, the aged express feelings vulnerability and powerless when they are struggling with an illness (Ross, Tod and Clarke, 2014). Division of powers and responsibilities in the management of care can lessen such feelings. In most cases, management of care, coordination of support services, and keeping consumers on the front line can minimize the sense of helplessness.

PCC comes with accessibility and flexibility in the services. The primary focus of PCC in old age is ensuring that care is always available to the consumers (Khanassov et al., 2016). Also, while offering these services, both the caregivers and health services need to keep in mind the values and preferences of the aged. More than that, PCC ensures that services are given on time, they are complete, and they are accurate.

Another benefit of PCC to the aged persons is the physical support and emotional support to the aged. At the same time, physical comfort means a lot to one’s daily experiences. Elderly persons need to be loved, and they need to see that other people are treating them with dignity. They need assistance in pain management, food and other suitable conditions in their environment (Khanassov et al., 2016). Physical support translates to emotional support. When there is physical support, there is also alleviation of fear and anxiety (Scholl et al., 2014). PCC requires paying attention to a physical status that causes psychological factors, prognosis and treatment, and prognosis (Scholl et al., 2014).

Conclusion

At a glance, there is an emerging to focusing on the consumers with the aim of empowering them to occupy an active position in their care. From the start, registered nurses must take the first role in leadership to ensure that there is a holistic assessment in the aged persons. Health care for the aged also requires PCP. As discussed above, PCP involves approaches focused on assisting the aged to plan for their lives and support. PCP works as a tool that is always there as a planning model to help people improve their self-determination and become more independent.

Further, PCC also plays an essential part in aged care.  In aged care, PCC is a sociopsychological approach to care that acknowledges the individuality in aged persons concerning their attitudes and the quality of care practices around them. PCC approach recognizes the existence of unmet necessities that affect the entire person’s health. The PCC strategies empower healthcare workers and families to identify and implement an approach to these unmet needs.

Reference List

Ross, H., Tod, A. and Clarke, A. (2014). Understanding and achieving person-centred care: the nurse perspective. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24(9-10), pp.1223-1233.

Scholl, I., Zill, J., Härter, M. and Dirmaier, J. (2014). An Integrative Model of Patient-

Thompson, H., Demiris, G., Rue, T., Shatil, E., Wilamowska, K., Zaslavsky, O. and Reeder, B. (2011). A Holistic Approach to Assess Older Adults’ Wellness Using e-Health Technologies. Telemedicine and e-Health, 17(10), pp.794-800.

Khanassov, V., Pluye, P., Descoteaux, S., Haggerty, J., Russell, G., Gunn, J. and Levesque, J. (2016). Organizational interventions improving access to community-based primary health care for vulnerable populations: a scoping review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15(1).