HLT 306 Life Stages Paper

Life stages are the many stages that all people go through throughout their lifetime. There are mutual interests, activities, and mannerisms for most persons at each level. Life begins at conception, and infants rely on their mothers for nutrition, care, and safety. It then advances through childhood, during which time youngsters become reliant on their parents (Australian College of Nursing, 2019).

HLT 306 Life Stages Paper

Even though people in this age group have significantly developed, they still rely on their parents to make judgments about how they engage with the medical system. Adulthood begins at 18, and as people age, their healthcare demands expand dramatically. After the age of 60, the body’s natural systems and organs slow down, and the immune response declines, which is why people in this age group make up the majority of those in need of medical care.

Patients see illness uniquely, and as they age, they grow more concerned about how the treatment is given. Children may lack the ability to reflect on and discuss their experiences, whereas young people may be preoccupied with how care is given. However, the elderly have the opportunity to reflect, and these claims underscore the impact of aging on healthcare.

I spoke with my next-door neighbor, Mr. B, about his problems with the healthcare system and the influence of age on health care from a patient’s perspective. Mr. B is eighty years old. He is a Haitian-born African American. His physical appearance is excellent. He appears to be in good shape. He goes for a stroll every day, depending on the weather. Mr. B stopped driving due to impaired vision. He has no known medical conditions. However, he was recently hospitalized for a few days with an unidentified condition.

Me: Do you believe your age has influenced your interactions with medical professionals?

Neighbor: Of course. Over the years, I’ve noticed that nurses are more concerned with the elderly and strive to provide holistic care to the patient. Because I am elderly, I believe I was unduly cared for during my recent hospitalization.

Individual older individuals and their families are assisted by nurses in gaining access to evidence-based care. Allowing older persons to participate in their care decisions, engage in self-care, and seek help early are all essential components of safe, high-quality care.

Me: Which departments of the hospital or clinic were most concerned with your physical and emotional well-being?

Neighbor:  I believe nurses are well-trained to deal with all patients in all aspects. Nurses were concerned about my well-being and emotions. I was well-cared for in the ward, and the staff were kind. My mental health and spiritual health were also a priority.

According to the Australian College of Nursing (2019), promoting and displaying a favorable attitude about aging, including respect and empathy for the elderly, and providing holistic care is important in the patient’s healing journey. Effective communication includes verbal and written communication skills, as well as recognizing the hurdles that older persons have while receiving, comprehending, and delivering information.

Me: Was your family present throughout your hospital stay?

Neighbor: Yes, my wife, before she died, and my children were always present, and they all came to visit regularly.

Working with families, friends, and caregivers is a crucial aspect of providing person-centered care to older patients, according to Holms et al. (2019). Families, friends, and caregivers are frequently an essential part of a patient’s life who needs care and assistance. Individual outcomes can be enhanced when nurses understand how to work successfully with families.

Me: Was your family involved in your care, including post-operative instructions?

Neighbor: Before making important decisions about my health, I had to talk with my family.

Involving the family in an individualized patient’s care is vital because it improves numerous elements of healthcare quality, including quality, safety, economic condition, treatment outcomes, clinical outcomes, and employee satisfaction. According to Prior and Campbell (2018), patient and family engagement leads to enhanced hospital performance due to the numerous individual advantages. Compared to patients who did not actively get family involvement, participating patients and their families in guaranteeing the care they receive and comprehending information about their illness, including therapy, has been found to enhance the quality of life considerably.

HLT 306 Life Stages Paper References

Reflection Paper Instructions

Write a 500-750-word essay on the Stages-of-Life and the influence of age in health care from a patient\’s perspective. Interview a friend or family member about that person\’s experiences with the health care system. You may develop your own list of questions.

Suggested questions:

Do you feel that your stage-of-life had any effect on your interaction with health care professionals?
Which areas of the hospital or clinic were most concerned with your well-being and feelings?
Was your family with you during this hospital stay or outpatient visit?
Was your family included in your treatment, such as post-procedure instructions?

Grand Canyon University HLT-306 Example Discussion

Life is a circle from birth where you rely on others to take care of you, progresses to childhood, teenagehood, youth, adulthood and elderly where again you rely on others to take care of you and finally death. During that process people interact with their health care provider for one need or another. As people grow older, they are more prone to diseases.

As a result, they interact with their health care provider more often. Health care providers, including nurses have a crucial role to play in educating patient to maintain a healthy-lifestyles, especially when they are getting older. Experiential research studies indicate that patient education also enhances patient self-confidence and capacity for self-care (Cramer, 2009).

Communication is the key to enhance understanding, compliance and the effectiveness of patient education. Effective communication also enhances patient understanding and promotes compliance to the prescribed medical intervention (Kreofsky, 2013). This paper explores the influence of patient education on healthcare using experiences of an elderly person. In this essay to gather relevant information I interviewed my neighbor Mr. B about his healthcare system experiences especially when it comes to communication.

Mr. B is 80 years old. He is African American from Haiti. His physical appearance looks good. He is apparently in good shape. He takes a walk everyday weather permitted. Mr. B gives up his right to drive because of poor vision. He has no hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes nor heart problem. However, he has been hospitalized recently for a few days for undisclosed diagnosis. He was open to share his experiences with me as you will see in the following interview.

Me: Is it accurate to say that your stage of life was the main reason of your encounter in the hospital with the health care provider in the past few days?

Neighbor: of course. I spent a few days in the hospital. During my stay I have seen a lot of people around my age even older in the hospital. I think as you aged your body is not the same anymore and prone to all kind of diseases.

Me: Can you name areas of the hospital you were most satisfied with during your stay?

Neighbor: To be honest with you I was very pleased with the nurses. They have done a great job in taking care my physical, emotional and spiritual needs. They were well trained, friendly and they were there for me. I wish the doctors were there for me as much as the nurses were.

Me: Did any member of your family accompany you during this hospital stay and if so were they involved in your treatment?

Neighbor: Yes, my wife slept in the hospital with me every night and my children came to visit me often. Although I was aware of everything that was going on my wife and my children have to be consulted before any major procedure.

Me: Did the health care provider offer you instruction on how to care for yourself at discharge?

Neighbor: Yes, I was offered instruction regarding medication schedules and the need to follow instruction provided. I was provided with writing instructions and they were clear and easy to understand.

Me: Final Question Mr. B. Were the health care providers advice you on lifestyle changes such as dieting and exercises?

Neighbor: Absolutely, not that I was not aware of what to eat and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But it is always good to hear it from a nurse or a doctor. I reduced the intake of salt, fats and sugar in my meals a long time ago. I do not smoke and I take a walk daily. I was advised to consume more vegetable fresh fruits and legumes which I will do.

From the interview it is clear that patient education is crucial for older adults to empower them with ability to take care of their health needs. As nurses we have the ability to provide moral, spiritual and social support to our patients, and that play an important role in their recovery at the same time we have to involve them and their family in their care.

References

Cramer, J.A.(2009). Enhancing patient compliance in the elderly. Role of packaging aids and monitoring. Drugs Aging, 12:7-15
Kreofsky, L.(2013). Engaging staff to engage patients: patient engagement is essential for meaningful use, and studies show it is becoming more definitively linked to consumer satisfaction. Health Management and Technology, 34(2):12-13

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