Moderate physical activity has been associated with multiple health-related benefits, including BMI normalization and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, but upholding older adults’ interest in staying active is also crucial. To widen the residents’ choices, the facility can organize visits to golf clubs as a group, bicycling, restorative yoga, tennis, visiting the swimming pool, and going fishing. Being relatively safe for seniors since they do not involve excessive cardiovascular exercise, the active hobbies listed above can promote upper body strength, supplement healthy eating in weight loss efforts, and improve the residents’ psycho-emotional condition. Nevertheless, the residents should consult with healthcare professionals to make informed choices and stay aware of any contraindications to these activities.
The residents’ sexual behaviors should be incorporated into lifestyle counseling in diverse ways, including lectures, individual conversations, and the dissemination of handouts and accessible means of STD prevention. Current research suggests that, compared to the previous generations, today’s older adults are less ashamed of discussing their sexual preferences and issues and engaging in sexual activity, which implies the ease of relevant healthcare counseling (Freak-Poli, 2020). The topics to be emphasized include STD prevention awareness that could be measured through the STD Knowledge Questionnaire, the basics of barrier contraception use, the benefits of safe sex, including hormone release, safe sexual activity in cardiovascular disease, and so on. Individual counseling sessions should include general questions peculiar to sexual activity, the use of contraception, and the presence of symptoms requiring referrals to venereology services.
The substance use programs to be initiated apart from the smoking cessation program include programs for alcohol addiction and pain reliever misuse. Together, alcohol addiction and substance abuse account for about one-fourth of all successful suicide attempts, so providing the residents with timely assistance is pivotal (Dunphy et al., 2019). Aside from referrals to specialized detoxication facilities as necessary, the alcohol use cessation program should incorporate lectures covering information on the stages of alcohol addiction and its symptoms, aging and the body’s tolerance to alcoholic drugs, consequences of drunk driving, and unintentional injuries due to alcohol. The program should also include information on the health effects of alcohol in older adults, including memory exacerbations, blood pressure abnormalities, and heart and liver health. For the program focusing on pain relievers, the necessary information includes an overview of substance addictions and how they emerge, the signs of dependence, and liver/kidney disease resulting from misusing drugs.
The residents might need to receive other immunizations aside from the influenza vaccine to stay healthy. Among the recommended interventions are vaccines against pneumonia and shingles since herpes zoster and lung inflammation are specifically detrimental in populations experiencing reductions in immune function, such as older adults (Dunphy et al., 2019). Aside from the abovementioned options, promoting vaccination against COVID-19 is necessary since the residents’ age constitutes a major risk factor for developing serious complications after getting the infection.
Although tooth decay and tooth loss often require senior citizens to use implants or dentures, the absence of teeth does not eliminate the need for regular assessments of the oral cavity. The risks of diseases that severely affect one’s quality of life, including periodontitis, the salivary glands’ inability to keep the mouth moist enough or xerostomia, or infections, do not decrease with age, which implies the significance of dental assessments. Aside from these conditions, benign oral lesions and oral cancers are rather common in older adults (Dunphy et al., 2019). With that in mind, accessible dental services can be a life-saving innovation supporting timely interventions and referrals to oncology services.
References
Dunphy, L. M., Winland-Brown, J., Porter, B., & Thomas, D. (2019). Primary care: Art and science of advanced practice nursing (5th ed.). FA Davis.
Freak-Poli, R. (2020). It’s not age that prevents sexual activity later in life. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 39, 22-29. Web.