Introduction
The holistic health promotion model offers better therapy, is very logical but at the same time narrow. It disqualifies other measures that are “like Cures”. The holistic approach takes the best possible perception of sickness, addressing the various possible causes, offering a therapy process that is multi-dimensional that is opposed to the cures that target specific illnesses.
The model is concerned with an individual’s susceptibility toward disease as well as the transmission. The approach also assesses how people can try to get more hardy or disease-resistant before seeking intervention by medication or become more resilient before catching a disease. This paper will therefore address the concerns in a holistic approach that will include spiritual support and beliefs, physical concerns, and the possible distress in the context of a family; the significance of a holistic health strategy; the importance of the holistic approach, and development of the strategy.
A Holistic Health Promotion Strategy
Holistic support of health is an intervention strategy that takes into account factors that affect the wellbeing of human beings and these include the physical body, the emotional aspect, the mind, and the spiritual perception of human beings. The strategy also combines the best service in modern medicine about the diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis as well as intervention (Berg, 2002, p. 385). In this case, ancient and innovative means of intervention can be used to support modern therapy in achieving better results.
The patients seem to be strict believers and therefore staunch followers of their religious beliefs as well as their cultural principles. This is evidenced by the fact that Manam who is a male aged 55 years of age suffers depression, anxiety as well as painful urination but does not want his wife to be notified of his condition. He also finds it very hard to discuss his problem with the female nurses. When asked questions that related to his other urinary symptoms, the patients feel very reluctant to inform the female nurses. In the first year, he had denied hematuria but he ultimately came to admit having experienced hematuria.
Shuba, the wife of Manan states that she had been using herbal drugs which have not worked for her, however. During the examination, the patient hesitated to take off her gown due to issues of modesty. Furthermore, she has continued taking foods that are high in carbohydrates and fats despite having been on high blood pressure drugs. The strategy of intervention, in this case, will be very critical since the patients will need to be monitored and treated in a way that they would feel that their spiritual or cultural beliefs are not infringed.
The holistic approach will work on the basis that good health is a very strong social and economic resource (Berg, 2002, p. 385). As a result, this would call for advocacy of better health. The patients will be counseled to understand that their cultural, environmental, social, and economic life dimensions can be tuned to favor good health. Otherwise if not properly managed, it could be very harmful.
‘Enabling’ will be the process of making the patients understand that the cultural and spiritual differences with the current medication state and ensure that the patients get the opportunity to utilize the resources that will make them achieve full health potential rather than focus on the herbal medicine that has not been working (Berg, 2002, p. 385). After understanding that medical problems are not just about the symptoms, the patients will be more likely to discuss with family members and as a result, actively get involved in the process of healing rather than sit back and be passive recipients of care.
The Importance of the Preparation of a Holistic Health Promotion Strategy
A holistic approach is very important to the 21st century as a way of achieving health intervention since it offers a solution to the entire problems that are underlying in this case. Good health is considered the most realistic and inalienable resource that can help an individual meet his/her social, economic, cultural, and even political satisfaction (Berg, 2002, p. 389). When the disease is healed then the patient will not only enjoy that absence of the symptoms but the dieses itself will be healed. And since the approach also covers the aspects of emotions and society, the patients experience a state of complete mental, physical and social comfort.
The process can integrate very well with moderns scientific discoveries in the medical practice. Therefore their preparation can go a long way in enhancing tee process of healing the patient. The process needs proper preparation since it involves some activities that could be tasking. This is because some of the intervention measures include exercise, observing a natural diet, relaxing, using an herbal medication, and use of additional nutrition supplements, spiritual and mental counseling as well as other self-regulated practices (Naidoo & Wills, 2000, p. 45).
The significance of a holistic approach in this process is that it will be able to address not only the symptoms but rather the whole person. As a craftsman, Manan will be able to get back to his work comfortably while his wife will b able to manage her weight and the cases of fatigue she suffered on exertion. The two granddaughters Achala and Gara will be helped to manage behavior problems and emotional issues due to the loss of parents respectively.
The holistic process will address the current state of the patients who need counseling like in the case of Gara and Achala for them to get to terms with the life condition at home considering that their parents are dead and the grandparents are ailing. The process will be in this case addressing the prevention of further problems, emphasizing on maintenance of good health, achieving a very high degree of wellness and life longevity (Naidoo & Wills, 2000, p. 45). The process is a very successful paradigm in medication as it ensures the patient is an active participant in the process of healing.
Assessment of Data in the Development of a Holistic Health Promotion Strategy
Data assessment is very important in developing a holistic health plan as the strategy usually approaches the problems from a multi-dimensional perspective. It would be therefore very beneficial when the practitioners or the person administering therapy have a full understanding of the patients. To begin with, it’s imperative to understand how the lifestyle of the patient impacts the physical, emotional, economic intellectual, and spiritual elements (Naidoo & Wills, 2000, p. 49).
From that, the practitioner can be able to find out how to develop a plan that would be effective and very appropriate in achieving the required results. This is of course after assessing the patient’s beliefs about such an 8intervention and counseling them on the process which would be very easy to attain since holistic intervention blends well with many forms of therapy (Naidoo & Wills, 2002, p. 78). The main focus here will be on personal resources which include mental aspects, physical well-being, and spiritual growth.
Since the family in this context seems to be very religious and strict observers of their cultural beliefs, counseling, and understanding of the new therapies will be highly needed (Naidoo & Wills, 2000, p. 45). Knowing that Manan has a history of depression, anxiety and does not want to tell their wife about his problem that affects his urinary and reproductive system is evidence that he is somehow conservative due to culture or religion.
The same goes for the wife, Shuba who feels uncomfortable undressing for the medical examination for modesty reasons. Achala has a character problem and hence finds a problem making new friends. Gara suffers emotionally and therefore develops a negative attitude toward medication due to the way they make her feel, “weird and different”.
Effective Communication of the Health Promotion Strategy to Patients
Since the health promotion strategy in holistic healing involves covering several dimensions that affect the well-being of an individual, it’s usually a problem to communicate the aim of the process. Many people will be that their privacy is being infringed especially when discussing some spiritual matters they are not comfortable sharing out or are not allowed by religion (Naidoo & Wills, 2002, p. 78). For modesty reasons, Shuba feels uncomfortable taking off her gown, Manan on the other hand feels hesitant to tell female nurses about his urinary problem.
To effectively communicate that health promotion is important to patients, guidance and counseling will need to be used. Patients have to be made to understand that being healthy is the greatest resource a human being can ever have. From here, they need to be made to appreciate that all efforts have to be employed to ensure that health status is restored despite the conditions one has to go through (Naidoo & Wills, 2002, p. 78). There could be ethical concerns but when it comes to health issues the trained medical practitioners are required to assist as much as possible to save a life.
The spiritual concerns of the patients can be compromised for life’s sake. The type of care to be administered is evidence-based and the patients have to be given the reassurance that the process serves in their best interests at heart (Naidoo & Wills, 2002, p. 78).
Conclusion
From ancient times, many communities have struggled to come up with several explanations or adopt new justifications and philosophies in their enthusiastic quest for better health. In some instances, sickness has been associated with evil spirits, microbes, and divine retribution. The contemporary approach on the other hand bases its arguments on the contagion illness theory and symptom control in diseases and hence promotes medicine and other measures that counter any damaging agents to the body.
Health promotion and holistic approaches hence aims at changing certain behaviors, managing risk factors, offering intervention, and alleviating fears, and thus giving individuals alternative ways of life and medication that will enable them to achieve healthier lives.
Reference List
Berg, G.V. (2002). A Holistic-Existential Approach To Health Promotion Scandinavian Journal Of Caring Sciences, 17 (4): 384 – 391
Naidoo J, & Wills J. (2000). Health Promotion: Foundations for Practice. 2nd Ed. Edinburgh & New York: Baillière Tindall Pub.
Naidoo, J., & Wills, J. (2002). Complementary Therapies: A Resource for Integrated Practice. London: Elsevier Science Publishers.