Peter: An Essay On Old Age And Health.

Peter's Life

Peter as an individual has lived in Australia for more than 60 years and has a wife of 60 years along with two children who are aged 38 and 39 years respectively. He came to Australia from Tibet as a young boy along with his mother, father, elder sister and elder brother. However, when he was merely 16 years old, he lost his mother due to respiratory issues. Further, his father died of old age in 1980 while his elder sister passed away in 1986 due to cervical cancer. Later in the year 2021, he lost his elder brother due to old age related health issues. Prior to his retirement, he served as a teacher for a local high school and is a very well known member of the community as he is very helpful in the neighbourhood as well as is socially active. Furthermore, he has a diverse friend circle and is seen hanging out with them quite often usually while playing cards.

Peter is seemingly healthy for an individual his age but has hypertension as well as diabetes. Upon being asked of family history concerning the same, he stated that his parents were unaware of it due to lack of medical facilities. He had an accident in 2010 that led to him cracking his “patella” and he had to undergo through surgery to fix the same. He states that during the winter months, his affected area aches a bit but does not pose any major issues such as lack of mobility or unbearable pain for which pain medication is to be consumed.  To manage his hypertension he takes “Olmetor -20” everyday around 8 o’clock in the morning and takes his herbal concoction for diabetes every night before bed. He does not have any major issues apart from the mentioned ailments.

Sections: Old Age and Health Old Age and Experience Old Age and Circle Perception Concerning Old Age

Findings: According to Peter, growing older does not always imply declining health. He asserts that, although certain concerns like as hearing loss, bodily discomfort, eyesight problems, and issues with skin texture and tone are inescapable, others such as diabetes, cholesterol, and hypertension may be addressed via a healthy diet and regular physical activity. He further claims that, contrary to popular belief, these disorders are not limited to the elderly and that many young people are also suffering from them. He claims that old age is the cause of his minor myopia, but he does not elaborate. Because of the life-long learning process, Peter also feels that old age gives a wealth of experience to the person, which allows him to analyse and assess issues with more prudence. He also asserts that this is one of the reasons why older people are respected and cherished in society, which he believes is true. In terms of circle and social life, Peter believes that his circle has grown since, at this period of youth and middle age, he believes that people are usually busy and do not have much time to attend to their social responsibilities. After reaching old age and entering retirement, he claims to have been enjoying a life of leisure with his companions and participating in activities that offer him delight. Peter believes that issues such as the passage of time and death are unavoidable and that worrying about them is worthless. He also asserts that old age is nothing to be worried about and that the greatest years of one's life may be spent during this stage of one's life.V

Sections: Peter and his Health Peter and his Perception of Ageing

Findings: Peter does not have any serious or chronic diseases, and both his hypertension and diabetes are within acceptable ranges for his age and gender. Peter has a very positive attitude about the process of growing older and considers it to be natural and anticipated. As a result, he strives to make the most of his energy and power and to use it to the greatest extent possible.

Tools: Katz Index of Independence Nutritional checklist for Older Adults

Findings: The outcomes of this study component revealed that Peter received a high 6 on the physical and mental competency scale, indicating that he is physically and cognitively capable of doing activities independently. Despite the fact that he has a wife and children who are always willing to provide a hand when required, he is physically capable of handling everything on his own. Furthermore, he is involved in regular cleaning and social service activities. Additionally, a nutritional evaluation was completed for Peter, and he received a score of 2, indicating that he has excellent nutrition or is not suffering from any nutritional problems.

The idea of healthy ageing and related concepts (e.g., happy ageing, productive ageing, pleasant ageing, ageing well, and ageing constructively) have changed through time as a result of population demographic shifts. Healthy ageing is the process of acquiring and maintaining the ability to engage in things that bring you delight as you age. The World Health Organization (2022) (WHO) defines health as more than the absence of sickness or harm. It encompasses more than bodily and mental health; it is a state of total physiological, psychological, and social well-being. Rudnicka et al., (2020) state that World Health Organization (WHO) encourages people to consider healthy ageing, which it defines as when people of all ages may live a healthy, safe, and socially equitable living in their older years. Health and social care are not the only factors that affect an individual's health and well-being; various others do as well. The programme requires participation from all sectors that have an impact on health determinants. A life cycle perspective is also considered, which explores how experiences in a person's early life affect how they mature throughout their lives (Marsman et al., 2018). Therefore, aligning the same with Peter’s case, he is a jovial individual who has his entire family by his side in the ripe age of 72 years. Even though he has ailments concerning hypertension and diabetes, it has not exceeded the danger limit and is staying in check due to the consumption medication as well as medicinal elements. In terms of his financial condition, he is secure as he was a teacher prior to his retirement. Furthermore, his social circle is also present with him undertaking leisurely activities post retirement and he has positive views concerning ageing.  He is also considered to be one of the most respectful members of the community. Along with these aspects, he is also regarded as Moreover, his cognition is also good and healthy.

		For Each Problem/Issue 2 Person-Centred Nursing Actions that Support Healthy Ageing and are Referenced
Problems/issues no 1: Hypertension	SMART goal no 1: Reduce blood pressure levels to 125/85 in a period of 4 months	Describe intervention no 1: Reduction of salt in food as well as curbing the consumption of processed food	Rationale (reference) Excess sodium has been known to facilitate hypertension (Bricarello et al., 2018). Therefore, sodium intake is to b e monitored and reduced. Likewise consuming  processed food in increasing quantity is to be avoided due to the inclusion of preservatives and fats (Ozmek et al., 2018).
		Describe intervention no 2: Incorporating breathing exercises in daily routine	Rationale (reference) According to Fitriyah et al. (2019), slow breathing exercises aid in blood pressure reduction
Problems/issues no 2: Diabetes	SMART goal no 2: Reduce blood sugar levels to 200mg/dL in 4 months	Describe intervention no 1: Consumption of healthy low carb-meal three times a day	Rationale (reference) In clinical studies, low-carb diets have been shown to be useful in the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Studies have indicated that low-carbohydrate diets may improve blood sugar control, minimise medication usage, and lower the risk of diabetes complications.
		Describe intervention no 2: Undertaking aerobic exercises	Rationale (reference) According to research conducted by Kumar & Singh (2018), it is just as good as aerobic exercise in terms of boosting one’s body's ability to utilise insulin. According to the Fei & Gao (2021), patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes should begin aerobic exercises as soon as possible to improve blood sugar management.

References

Bricarello, L. P., Poltronieri, F., Fernandes, R., Retondario, A., de Moraes Trindade, E. B. S., & de Vasconcelos, F. D. A. G. (2018). Effects of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on blood pressure, overweight and obesity in adolescents: A systematic review. Clinical nutrition ESPEN, 28, 1-11.

Fei, J., LI, M. W., & Gao, H. (2021). Improvement of Regular Exercise on Diabetes Condition of Type II Diabetes Mellitus Elderly Patients. Journal of Human Physiology, 3(1).

Felton, M., Hundley, V. A., Grigsby, S., & McConnell, A. K. (2021). Effects of slow and deep breathing on reducing obstetric intervention in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension: a feasibility study protocol. Hypertension in Pregnancy, 40(1), 81-87.

Fitriyah, R., Fernandez, G. V., Samudera, W. S., Arifin, H., & Wulandari, S. M. (2019). Deep Breathing Relaxation for Decreasing Blood Pressure in People with Hypertension. Jurnal Ners, 14(3), 141.

Kumar, S., & Singh, R. (2018). Effects of aerobics programme on physiological profile of diabetic patients.

Marsman, D., Belsky, D. W., Gregori, D., Johnson, M. A., Low Dog, T., Meydani, S., ... & Griffiths, J. C. (2018). Healthy ageing: The natural consequences of good nutrition—A conference report. European journal of nutrition, 57(2), 15-34.

Ozemek, C., Laddu, D. R., Arena, R., & Lavie, C. J. (2018). The role of diet for prevention and management of hypertension. Current opinion in cardiology, 33(4), 388-393.

Rudnicka, E., Napiera?a, P., Podfigurna, A., M?czekalski, B., Smolarczyk, R., & Grymowicz, M. (2020). The World Health Organization (WHO) approach to healthy ageing. Maturitas, 139, 6-11.

World Health Organization. (2020). Decade of healthy ageing: baseline report.