Strategies to Minimize Effects of Osteoporosis
There are many health conditions that can pose a serious risk to the life of a person, especially to the elderly. The organism of the latter is weaker and, therefore, it is more susceptible to adverse effects. That is why chronic diseases may be particularly devastating for this part of the population. This paper will explore the community of Houston and examine different strategies to minimize the negative effects of osteoporosis.Strategies to Minimize Effects of Osteoporosis
To begin with, one should explain why this particular part of the population was chosen. One should keep in mind that osteoporosis is particularly damaging in the old age (Shi, 2012). Indeed, every fall can have negative consequences that might complicate the life of a person even further. All this leads to the understanding that the elderly with osteoporosis should be taken into consideration in the first place since the negative impact of this medical condition is amplified. Another point that should be mentioned is that Texas features a rather big population of the elderly. This means that there is a significant number of the seniors in each town and city, including Houston. It has already been established that the medical condition in question can have serious negative impact on the life of a person; so, there is a possibility that it will influence a large part of the population which means that a reasonable amount of attention should be devoted to it. Moreover, the group is question should be qualified as at-risk because elderly people often spend a lot of time alone. Obviously, there are those who live in nursing homes. However, the instances when the elderly live alone are also common. Needless to say without help after a fall, a senior will not be able to restore one’s well-being independently.
There is a number of strategies that might be utilized to improve the health of the targeted population.Strategies to Minimize Effects of Osteoporosis First of all, it is essential to explain that the elderly should refrain from any bad habits that they might have developed over their life (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Obviously, this may be a rather difficult task to accomplish since they seniors will most certainly be reluctant in giving up their bad habits. Nevertheless, this will reduce pressure on their organism and will allow its too direct the resources needed for bones preservation. Another useful strategy is to take control over one’s nutrition and secure intake of vitamins, particularly vitamin D, and calcium. It is true that this will not restore the structure of the bones, but it will make sure that the negative consequences of excessive load, particularly after the fall, will be handled properly. In other words, this will prevent fractures after falls. Finally, there is another strategy that should be promoted among the elderly: taking up physical exercises. It may be challenging for this group given their age; however, any amount of physical exercises will have a positive impact on the body since it will keep the bones and the muscles active. This will reduce the risks of negative consequences.
There is a number of health care resources that might serve this vulnerable population. First of all, one should point out that there are numerous hospitals in Houston, including those that are known in the entire world. It is quite obvious that they will be able to assign workers to promote getting rid of bad habits, proper nutrition, and exercises among the elderly (Durch, Bailey, & Stoto, 2014). It goes without saying that if the seniors need immediate medical attention, they will be will able to use services of the medical centers and hospitals that are present in the city. The medical staff can be deployed in a short period of time. This means that they will be able to help the elderly immediately and mitigate all the risks associated with the medical condition in question. Furthermore, there is a number of caregivers organizations in Houston and senior programs. They will make sure that trained medical staff will provide the sufficient amount of attention to the elderly, allowing them to be under observation for a considerable period of time and make good life choices. This means that the medical staff will provide habits that will help the elderly deal with their condition and minimize the risks associated with it.Strategies to Minimize Effects of Osteoporosis
Now it may be logical to consider the appropriate nursing interventions. First of all, it is expected that nurses will report any instances when the elderly were engaged in bad habits such as drinking or smoking (Holzemer & Klainberg, 2014). It is essential to make sure that the doctors are aware of that since it is possible that this information may not have been indicated. The nurses should do their best to explain the negative impact of smoking and drinking on the current state of one’s organism. The next appropriate nursing intervention focuses on nutrition. The nurses are expected to control the intake of nutrients of the patients, making sure that they have a sufficient amount of vitamins. The latter is important since they will keep the bones intact. Clearly, they will not make them stronger, but the elderly may feel confident about the state of their bones. Finally, the nurses will also be expected to promote physical exercises among the seniors. It is important to make sure that they move around to the extent of their abilities. In other words, it is essential to increase the level of their activity as much as possible to keep their bones and muscles active. In order to do so, the nurses might initiate any kinds of activity.Strategies to Minimize Effects of Osteoporosis
One should keep in mind that the strategies that will support plan implementation should take into consideration culture, ethnicity as well as the social background of the people. For example, it may be beneficial to adjust some requirements of the plan based on the culture that a person belongs to. Thus, those cultures that promote a close relationship between children and parents in the old age will require the relatives to take care of the elderly rather than nurses. Speaking of ethnicity, it may be useful to make sure that the nurses as well as the medical staff share ethnicity with the seniors since that will help latter feel more comfortable during interventions and receive help. Obviously, this is not a strict requirement, but it will most certainly amplify the positive impact of the interventions. Finally, the social background of the people should be taken into account as well. This means that people who come from lower classes will not be accustomed to meaningless physical activity such as strolling and they will prefer something different. The same can be said about nutrition: the representatives of higher classes will have more resources and opportunities to eat properly. Therefore, the interventions and the strategy should be adjusted based on the social class of a person given one’s background.
Having examined all the points that were mentioned in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: the elderly part of the population in Houston particularly vulnerable to osteoporosis due to the nature of this medical condition. That is why they should receive extra medical attention since any excessive load on their bones, for example, a fall, might result in fracture.Strategies to Minimize Effects of Osteoporosis