Educating Older Adults on Reducing Pressure Ulcer-Related Hospital Admissions Essay

Identification of Topic, Community Location, and Anticipated Participants

The teaching topic for the session set will be to reduce the rate of pressure ulcer-related hospital admissions among older adults aged 65 years and above, regardless of their educational level, gender, and race. The approximate number of participants is 30, making the Washtenaw County Community Center a suitable location. The community center offers a range of health and wellness programs, including fitness classes, swimming lessons, and a weight loss program.

Health Issue Overview and Community Relevance

The pressure ulcer-related hospital admissions rate among older adults in Washtenaw County is high. According to Shanley et al. (2021), hundreds of older adults are hospitalized yearly due to pressure ulcers. This results in a significant financial burden on the healthcare system and families. A study by the University of Michigan Health System found that the pressure ulcer hospitalization frequency among Medicare recipients in Washtenaw County was higher than the state average (Smith et al., 2018).

In 2018, Smith et al. reported that pressure ulcer-related hospital admissions for Medicare beneficiaries in Washtenaw County were significantly higher than the state average, occurring at a rate of 28.4 per 10,000 people, compared to 18.4 for the rest of the state.

Overall Goal of the Community Health Teaching Session

Community health teaching aims to enhance learner comprehension to promote, maintain, and restore health. In this context, it will enable participants to interact with one another, share their experiences, and acquire new knowledge. Additionally, community teaching can provide a supportive and safe environment for participants to process information and ask questions.

Guiding Health Education Model or Learning Theory and Its Application

In addition, the model that will be employed in the teaching is the cooperative learning model. According to Bores-García et al. (2021), its components include a focus on health promotion and disease prevention, individual and community-level interventions, evidence-based practice, culturally competent care, and collaborative care. It will enable older adults to learn how to properly care for their pressure ulcers and provide them with the necessary resources to do so. This model will also provide older adults with ongoing access to education and resources on preventing and managing pressure ulcers.

Developmental and Cognitive Stage Considerations

The older participants are in the cognitive stage of development, where they can reason and think abstractly, which allows them to learn new information and skills more quickly than younger participants. However, they may have difficulty retaining information and require additional practice to solidify new concepts. One-on-one discussions and the use of visuals will be incorporated for effectiveness.

Motivating Factors and Assessment of Participants’ Readiness to Learn

To assess the participants’ readiness to learn, I will ask them questions to gauge their understanding of the topic and willingness to engage in the learning process. Also, administering a pre-test on the material is to be covered. This would provide a baseline understanding of the participant’s current knowledge and identify any gaps that may exist.

Cultural, Environmental, and Economic Influences on Participant Health Behaviors

Cultural factors influencing the frequency of pressure sore admissions among older adults include beliefs about pressure ulcers and their causes, as well as attitudes toward seeking medical treatment. For example, some cultures may be more likely to believe that pressure ulcers are a sign of weakness or poor hygiene. Environmental factors include the availability of pressure-relieving devices and risk factors such as incontinence. Economic elements include the cost of medical care and the ability to pay for it. The overall cost of health care can impact the rate of hospitalizations for pressure ulcers.

Learner Reading Comprehension Level and Educational Background

The participants are assumed to have learned, if not in college, then at least through high school. Therefore, the teaching plan will be designed to meet the learner’s needs by incorporating lectures and discussions, utilizing PowerPoint presentations to facilitate easy understanding of the concept. Some participants may have deficits in sensory processing, cognition, or behavior during the learning process. These deficits may impact the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living or participate in therapy.

Research Article Elements That Shaped the Teaching Content

The element of the research article that directed and shaped the content of community health teaching was the question. It helped to determine what information would be taught. The second element was the study design, since it was a randomized controlled trial, which helped test the effectiveness of interventions. Community health teaching was designed as an intervention, and the study design helped shape the content of this teaching (Eckstein-Sarkissian, 2016).

References

Bores-García, D., Hortigüela-Alcalá, D., Fernández-Rio, F. J., González-Calvo, G., & Barba-Martín, R. (2021). Research on cooperative learning in physical education: Systematic review of the last five years. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 92(1), 146-155. Web.

Eckstein-Sarkissian, K. (2016). Basic elements of a research paper (or any academic paper). Web.

Shanley, E., Patton, D., Avsar, P., O’Connor, T., Nugent, L., & Moore, Z. (2021). The impact of the Shanley pressure ulcer prevention program on older persons’ knowledge of, and attitudes and behaviors towards, pressure ulcer prevention. International Wound Journal, 19(4), 754–764. Web.

Smith, S., Snyder, A., McMahon, L. F., Petersen, L., & Meddings, J. (2018). Success in hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevention: A Tale in Two Data Sets. Health Affairs, 37(11), 1787–1796. Web.