Theories of Aging and Health Promotion Essay

The United States of America is the “third most populous country globally” accounting for “4.6% of the world’s population” which “is getting bigger, older, and more diverse” (CRS Report for Congress, 2006). A crucial factor in determining the policy changes is highly impacted by the population structures of a country and the United States is believed to be “in the midst of a profound demographic change” of “rapid population aging” (CRS Report for Congress, 2006).

With the reduced rate of fertility, and the survival of a higher fraction of individuals up to older ages, the average figure of the individuals of or above the age of sixty-five years, “has been steadily increasing and reached 35.1 million persons, representing 12.4% of the U.S. population” (CRS Report for Congress, 2006). It has been estimated that marked changes will occur in the population “pyramid” by the year 2050, which would include a populace of “420.1 million persons” out of which, the projection of persons above the age of 65 years or older is expected to be “86.7 million, just over one in every five persons in the total U.S. population” (CRS Report for Congress, 2006).

It has therefore been estimated that by the year 2050, the average figures of the current elderly population in the country is most likely to “surpass the figures observed in the “oldest” states today” (CRS Report for Congress, 2006) and the oldest persons above the age of eighty years are most likely to be the “most populous age group” constituting to “33.7 million persons or 8.0% of the entire U.S. population” (CRS Report for Congress, 2006).

Explain one way the general Nurse Practitioner influences policy development related to health care of the older adults must cite one website as a reference on this and be able to access the site.

With the rising population of older persons in the United States, there is rising awareness and need to increase the level of services to these aging adults. Accordingly, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has taken an important step forward in announcing twelve grants in Nursing Competence catering to aging individuals with the primary aim of enhancing the “quality of health care to older adults by enhancing the geriatric competence – the attitudes, knowledge and skills” of nurses involved in the services to older persons. The program has been funded by the ‘Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) Inc.’ (ASNA, 2003).

With the primary aim of addressing the “needs of older adults, the largest users of health care” the program recognizes the “need for a workforce prepared to deliver quality health care to the nation’s aging population”, the program intends to prepare the general nurses to cater to the specific needs and requirements of aging adults (ASNA, 2003).

The primary aim of the program is to create “permanent geriatric structures” and to facilitate the development of geriatric groups by commencing geriatric educational activities (ASNA, 2003). The second aim of the program is to assist nurses to acquire a certification of new skills related to the health care of older adults by means of a ‘National Gerontological Nursing Certification Outreach program’ (ASNA, 2003). A final and crucial goal of the program is the development of a ‘Web-based Comprehensive Geriatric Nursing Resource Center’ with the sole intention of helping the nurses to access information with ease, from where ever they are located (ASNA, 2003).

References

Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA), (2003). Nurse Competence In Aging Grants Awarded to 12 National Specialty Nursing Associations: The goal is to improve the quality of health care delivered to older adults. Web.

CRS Report for Congress, (By Shrestha, L.), (2006). The Changing Demographics Profile of the United States. Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress.