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Healthy People 2020 Topic Area and Health Issue: Aging and Falls. Description
The problem of falls in aging people has been a common point of concern in public health, yet, due to the nature of the problem, the progress that has been made dos not appear to be sufficient enough. Being on the agenda of Healthy People 2020, the issue of managing the health needs of aging people is a rather complex concern that encompasses a broad range of health-related issues faced by the specified population. Falls are a particular problem and a significant threat to which aging people are subjected due to the changes in their musculoskeletal system and the related complications when moving (Lam & Woo, 2018). Thus, the need to research the described concern and introduce methods for reducing the propensity of ER visits caused by falls in aging people was placed on the Healthy People 2020 agenda list (“Older adults,” 2020). The reduction of ER visits caused by falls in the elderly should start with preventive measures aimed at developing individual strategies for avoiding falls.
Causes of Disparities Related to Falls within the Target Population: Age as the Primary Cause
Falls may occur in any demographic depending on the circumstances, such as the presence of specific living or workplace conditions, comorbid health issues that may induce falling, such as vertigo, and many other factors. However, the elderly represent a particularly vulnerable category since the target demographic develops a range of impairments that prevent them from moving freely. Physical issues such as deteriorating eyesight, development of other sensory deficits, the impact of specific medications that reduce mobility, and the presence of cognitive impairments are the primary causes of falls in the elderly (Eagen et al., 2019). Therefore, when developing a strategy for assisting the specified demographic and reducing their propensity to fall, the context of their health issues needs to be provided.
Public Health Communication Strategy to Reduce Disparity and Promote Health
Nurse-patient communication is one of the main tools in increasing patient literacy and, therefore, reducing the propensity among patients to be subjected to health-threatening situations that may result in a visit to an ER. Therefore, developing an appropriate public health communication strategy to assist aging people in avoiding falls is essential. Unfortunately, given the current restrictions in communication and the presence of pandemics, the strategy for maintaining the dialogue with the target audience is primarily centered on the use of digital tools for keeping the conversation going (Matthews, 2018). Therefore, the absence of the elements of nonverbal communication may restrict aging people’s ability to adopt new strategies for preventing falls. However, to reduce the disparities associated with age and possible mental health issues in aging patients, one should consider using assistive devices, as well as focusing on continuing moving as a part of patients’ daily routine.
Plan for the Communication
Given the circumstances, the task of maintaining communication with the target demographic is likely to be quite difficult to implement. With the rise in the extent of the pandemic, the role of online communication and the digital tools used for this purpose has grown in healthcare settings (). Since COVID-19 affects aging people particularly strongly, and since the threat of a fatal outcome is very high for the target demographic, providing support and health education remotely should be regarded as a priority ().
The goals of this plan include raising awareness among aging people about the danger of falls and the negative consequences that they entail, as well as reducing falls and, therefore, the number of times that aging patients are administered to the ER due to falls. For this purpose, active cooperation with the specified audience should occur. Consequently, tools for providing guidance and education to the aging population will be required.
As for the target audience, the patients’ age ranges from 60 to 95, which is one of the characteristics that allows making the specified group homogenous. The rest of their descriptions emphasize the diversity within the group. For instance, while it is mostly represented by white patients (55%), 32% of them are African American, 8% are Asian American, and the remaining 5% are of mixed descent. The majority of the patients have a lower middle-income status (68%), whereas 23% are middle-income, and 9% have a lower income. Due to the diversity within the group, creating a homogenous communication approach becomes rather difficult.
The actual communication process should start with the identification of the schedule. Namely, extra time should be allotted to address the needs of aging people and prevent the cases of falling by introducing them to the threat and describing possible outcomes. At the specified stage, information about aging people within the selected community should be gathered based on the existing records, including patients’ EHR. Afterward, the identified demographic will receive essential notifications via email. Furthermore, groups in social networks will be created to invite the patients to participate and familiarize themselves with essential information. Finally, counseling will be administered to the patients along with the introduction of a communication channel for receiving feedback and providing support.
Evaluation Plan for the Communication
To assess the efficacy of the proposed communication plan, a comparison of the instances of elderly patients being admitted to the ER due to falls before the intervention will be compared to the statistical data after its implementation. Thus, the efficacy of the suggested strategy will be demonstrated fully. To examine the research outcomes in more depth, an assessment of patients’ health literacy rates, specifically, their awareness about fall prevention, will be evaluated before and after the intervention to determine its efficacy.
Targeted Communication for Each Population
Since the age range that the specified plan encompasses is quite broad, including different communication strategies for different age groups would be reasonable. For people aged 61-70, key guidelines with essential information and the sources that they can use to guide them will be provided. While counseling will also be available, the emphasis will be placed on building their autonomy. For patients aged 71-80, a combination of the two approaches, namely, the introduction of independent search and the provision of experts’ support, will be offered. Finally, for patients aged 81 and up, the consistent support and guidance of nurse educators and other healthcare experts will be provided.
Reflection on Learning through This Project
The project in question has helped in understanding the needs of aging people and the challenges that they face as they get older. Due to the presence of ageism in contemporary society, aging patients often tend to abstain from active communication with nurses and search for healthcare assistance, which complicates the provision of health-related services to the specified groups. Therefore, to prevent falls in aging people, further focus on patient-nurse communication must be emphasized.
References
Eagen, T. J., Teshale, S. M., Herrera-Venson, A. P., Ordway, A., & Caldwell, J. (2019). Participation in two evidence-based falls prevention programs by adults aging with a long-term disability: case-control study of reach and effectiveness. Journal of Aging and Health, 31(10 Suppl), 39S-67S.
Lam, N. H., & Woo, B. K. (2018). Digital media recruitment for fall prevention among older Chinese-American individuals: observational, cross-sectional study. JMIR Aging, 1(2), e11772.
Matthews, C. R. (2018). The implementation of an evidence-based practice falls prevention program in long-term care. Journal of Aging and Long-Term Care, 1(2), 73-87.
Older adults. (2020). Web.
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