Pubic Health Intervention

              From the public health wheel, “Health Teaching” could be applied to our teaching and learning project.  We presented to older adults at Oakwood Homes the benefits of incorporating a healthy snack into one’s daily diet.  Older adults are at a greater risk for many complications as they age, and we perfected a simple idea that could increase their quality of daily life.  We shared with them a simple snack idea that could greatly benefit them by providing a serving of calcium, fruit, and fiber.  Consuming fiber daily helps to regulate the digestive system as one ages, along with decreasing the risk of heart disease (Boyles, 2003).  As one ages, their risk of osteoporosis increases, especially with inadequate consumption of calcium and for women specifically (“Osteoporosis,” 2006). 

                In order to implement an intervention of inadequate knowledge in the aging population, public health nurses could do patient teaching when elderly patients come in for a visit and have easy to read pamphlets that they could bring home with them.  Also, to reach out to older adults that do not schedule regular check-ups, public health nurses could reach out by either performing informational presentations in older communities or putting up informational posters that could be easily read and understood.   Another idea for an intervention would be to have informational booths set up at local supermarkets.  The public health nurses could have easy to read brochures and some samples of easy, healthy meals to make at home.  This would provide a great opportunity for one-on-one question and answer for the older population.

Boyles, S. (April 1, 2003).  Elderly get same fiber benefit as others. WebMD health news. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20030401/elderly-get-same-fiber-benefit-as-others

Osteoporosis. (October 2006). Health problems of the elderly. Retrieved from http://www.info.gov.hk/elderly/english/healthinfo/healthproblems/osteoporosis-e.htm