mod 6

• Health Educational Attainment among Filipino Elderly (2000)


  • 42.84% completed only elementary education
  • 2.275% had pre-school education
  • 28.35% completed high school
  • 5.845% did not finish high school
  • 10.135% were college undergraduates
  • 5.72% obtained academic degree
• 95.175% of the older people (60 years old and above) are considered literate and about 5.545% of them had no education
• Health education for older adults

  • Commonly viewed as a means of improving quality of life
  • A vehicle for self-fulfillment, retraining older employees to technological changes, or personal & group empowerment
  • Helps older adults explore their social & political rights & raise their consciousness about their role in society
  • Can foster their self-reliance & independence
• 95.175% of the older people (60 years old and above) are considered literate and about 5.545% of them had no education
• Health education for older adults

  • Commonly viewed as a means of improving quality of life
  • A vehicle for self-fulfillment, retraining older employees to technological changes, or personal & group empowerment
  • Helps older adults explore their social & political rights & raise their consciousness about their role in society
  • Can foster their self-reliance & independence
• Health Literacy


  The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process & understand the health information needed to make appropriate health decisions
• RA 9994, Sec. 4, par. 6 - Privileges for Senior Citizens includes educational assistance to senior citizens to pursue post secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, vocational and technical education, as well as short term courses for retooling in both public and private schools through provision of scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsides and other incentives to qualified senior citizens, including support for books, learning materials and uniform allowances to the extent feasible; provided, that senior citizens shall meet minimum admission requirements
• Learning/Teaching Guidelines for Older People

  • Visual aids need to accommodate changes in visual acuity experienced in older people who need precise discrimination
  • When presenting information one to one with an older person, stand sufficiently close to promote clarity & strength for sensory stimuli
  • Maximize auditory input through adjusting the word-per-minute rate of speech to the level best understood by the older person
  • Work with the older person to identify preferred methods for presenting information
  • Allow the older person to control the presentation pace
• Low self-esteem, depression, chronic illness and altered mental state can negatively affect involvement in educational activities
• Almost everyone will be a caregiver to some degree for an older adult at some time
• There is a need to inform caregivers of their role and how they can support their elderly family member
• Responsibilities of Caregivers/ Nurses to Themselves as They Care for Older Adults

  • Accept the fact that feelings experienced are normal or at least common
  • Seek assistance from sources of support - other family members, friends, religious leaders
  • Take time for personal essential health practices - adequate exercise, nutrition, rest
  • Reward yourself occasionally
  • Recognize that you are doing a good job, or at least the best you can & perhaps better than most, in a difficult situation
  • Do not attempt to give total care 24 hours a day alone
  • Learn as much factual information as you can about the condition of the older family member needing care
  • Ask physicians & other health care providers specific questions until you get clear satisfactory answers. Learn about the best treatment & care needed
• Evidence-Based Nursing Interventions for Care of Older Persons

  • Nutrition support
  • Activity and exercise
  • Stress management
  • Nutritional Screening
• Factors related to poor nutrition in older adults

  • Eating poorly
  • Tooth loss/mouth pain
  • Economic hardship
  • Reduced social contact
  • Multiple medicines
  • Involuntary weight loss/gain
  • Needs assistance in self care
  • Elder years above age 80
• Health-promotion activities for older adults

  • Accessible (transportation, time of the day, location)
  • Enjoyable & social (mental & physical wellness)
  • Reasonable (focus on the right activity for the right reason)
  • Sensitive to older people's needs (hearing, vision, functional level)
• Stress


  Motivates people to act, forces them to think under pressure, & challenges them to be creative, resourceful human beings
• Sources of stress for older adults

  • Environment - weather, crime, time pressures
  • Mind - negative attitudes, boredom, despair
  • Body - illness, lack of sleep, normal changes of aging
• Physiologic nursing interventions for older adults

  • Activity & exercise
  • Nutrition support
  • Respiratory mgt
  • Tissue perfusion mgt
  • Electrolyte & acid-base balance mgt
  • Skin/wound mgt
  • Physical comfort promotion
• Behavioral nursing interventions for older adults

  • Coping assistance
  • Patient education
  • Spiritual care
• Coping assistance for older adults

  • Encourage participation in social and community activities
  • Encourage regular exercise, eating nourishing food, and maintaining a healthy weight
  • Encourage participation in activities he/she enjoys
  • Encourage staying focused on positive things and avoiding negative self-talk
  • Encourage connecting with the people who are most meaningful to them
  • Encourage addressing problems instead of feeling helpless
  • Encourage learning and using relaxation techniques and meditation
• Nursing interventions for safety of older adults

  • Risk reduction activities
  • Management of environment
• Planning for Long-Term Care


  1. Planning should be completed before the need for self-care assistance

  2. Health promotion planning should include consistency in care providers to ensure that all clinicians are aware of the individual's need & healthcare issues

  3. Community resources should be identified & evaluated