Role Opportunities for Nurses in Community Care in Elderly

Role opportunities for nurses in Community Care in elderly
Community nurses focus on
• Health promotion
• Disease prevention
• Wellness (Westley & Fletcher, 2004 cited in Stanhope & Lancaster, 2004).

To achieve these goals, nurses are involved in
• Client and community education
• Counselling
• Advocacy
• Care management (Westley & Fletcher, 2004 cited in Stanhope & Lancaster, 2004).

Health promotion:
Community nurses may inform health promotion strategies according to individual differences.
Health promotion strategies:
• Maintaining an active lifestyle (physically and mentally)
• Belonging to a social network
• Feeling independent, useful and valued
• Having good nutrition
• Believing in “God”
• Having a sense of humour
• Exercising healthy coping strategies (Ebersole & Hess, 2004; Ronch & Goldfield, 2003; Kending & Brooke, 2004)

Disease prevention:
There are three levels of prevention related to older adults.
1. Primary prevention
2. Secondary prevention (Screening)
3. Tertiary prevention (Maintenance and rehabilitation)
(Westley & Fletcher, 2004 cited in Stanhope & Lancaster, 2004; Williams & Rhead, 2003 cited in Watkins; Edwards & Gastrell, 2004) Rehabilitation is a combination of physical, occupational, psychological, and speech therapy to help debilitated persons maintain or recover their physical capacities.

Rehabilitation is typically needed for older adults after a hip fracture, stroke, or prolonged illness that results in serious deconditioning (Westley & Fletcher, 2004 cited in Stanhope & Lancaster, 2004).

Wellness:
Wellness is not merely the absence of disease or illness.Wellness includes the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual components of a person.There are five dimensions of wellness.
1. Self-responsibility
2. Nutritional awareness
3. Physical fitness
4. Stress management
5. Environmental sensitivity (Westley & Fletcher, 2004 cited in Stanhope & Lancaster, 2004).
The five-step nursing process remains same while community nurse works in the community. Assessment-Analysis-Planning-Implementation-Evaluation (McEwen, 2002).

References:
Ebersole, P., & Hess, P. (2004). Toward Healthy Aging: Human Needs and Nursing Response. (6th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
Kendig, H., & Brooke, L. (2004). Understanding community nursing for older individuals and carers. In Nay, R., & Garratt, S. (Eds.). Nursing Older People: Issues and Innovations. (6th Ed.). Sydney: Churchill-Livingstone.
McEwen, M. (2002). Community-Based Nursing An Introduction. (2nd Ed.). Sydney: SAUNDERS Elsevier Science.
Ronch, J. A., & Goldfield, J. L. (2003). Mental Wellness in Aging – Strengths-Based Approaches. USA: Health Professionals press.
Williams, R. W., & Rhead, L. (2003). Community learning disability nursing. In Watkins, D., Edwards, J., & Gastrell, P. (Eds.). Community Health Nursing: Framework for Practice. (2nd Ed.). Sydney: Bailliere Tindall Elsevier Science.
Westley, J. C., & Fletcher, R. K. (2004). Health of Older Adult. In Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (Eds.). Community & Public Health Nursing. (6th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.

References: Ebersole, P., & Hess, P. (2004). Toward Healthy Aging: Human Needs and Nursing Response. (6th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby. Kendig, H., & Brooke, L. (2004). Understanding community nursing for older individuals and carers. In Nay, R., & Garratt, S. (Eds.). Nursing Older People: Issues and Innovations. (6th Ed.). Sydney: Churchill-Livingstone. McEwen, M. (2002). Community-Based Nursing An Introduction. (2nd Ed.). Sydney: SAUNDERS Elsevier Science. Ronch, J. A., & Goldfield, J. L. (2003). Mental Wellness in Aging – Strengths-Based Approaches. USA: Health Professionals press. Williams, R. W., & Rhead, L. (2003). Community learning disability nursing. In Watkins, D., Edwards, J., & Gastrell, P. (Eds.). Community Health Nursing: Framework for Practice. (2nd Ed.). Sydney: Bailliere Tindall Elsevier Science. Westley, J. C., & Fletcher, R. K. (2004). Health of Older Adult. In Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (Eds.). Community & Public Health Nursing. (6th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.