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The role of nurses shall not be underestimated when it comes to designing and implementing healthcare programs aimed to improve the well-being of the general population. Nurses provide multiple care services to different patients with various conditions, personalities, and wishes. Moreover, since the interactions and frequent and close, the team members are able to gain insight on how to approach individuals and which technique to use in order for people to be resilient, open, and precise about their symptoms and feelings. It is certain that nurses are not the only medical personnel who is to partake in policy establishment and integration. Nonetheless, collective effort is needed when it comes to intervening in an existing problem with plausible solutions. The proposed healthcare program is an informational campaign aimed to teach family members how to provide care for seniors with dementia.
Program Overview
The program is to address the topic of providing care for the elderly diagnosed with dementia. The implementation is necessary due to the extent of the problem and the challenges individuals encounter when caring for an elderly person with memory decline, difficulties in expressing themselves, and unusual behavior. Researchers point out that more than 80% of people diagnosed with Alzheimers receive assistance from non-paid caregivers or family members (Garvey et al., 2019). The program implies that such people are to receive guidance, first-hand instructions, support, and information on multiple aspects related to the provision of care for an elderly person with dementia. The aim is to conduct a meeting with family members as participants, nurses, and other healthcare providers. The non-profit Alzheimers Association is to cover the cost of the location and supply the necessary resources. Thus, no financial investments are needed from other parties. The expected outcome is for participants to have in-depth information on different aspects of dementia and the care that their close ones require. Another projected outcome is providing moral support for individuals who have encountered challenges in care provision. It is certain that both the patients with dementia and those taking care of them will benefit from the proposed health program, which is the ultimate goal of the intervention.
Target Population
As exemplified prior, more than half of seniors diagnosed with dementia receive care from close ones rather than professional medical assistance on a daily basis. The target population addressed in the health program consists of family members and caregivers who are in direct contact with elderly individuals in need of assistance with daily tasks. Since dementia correlates with both physical and psychological problems, the non-paid care providers have multiple complex tasks. These include taking care of nutrition, bathing, medications, safety, and other essential aspects that are required in care provision for elderly patients with loss of cognitive functioning. The chosen target population would benefit from the proposed implementation of the health plan on multiple levels. On the one hand, since dementia correlates with behavioral changes, the caregivers are to be aware of the different approaches to the individuals who may act violently or irrationally. Researchers point out that healthcare workers operating in dementia units may find difficulties with patients yelling, hitting, and putting themselves in danger (Yous et al., 2019). Needless to say, the challenge is more critical for the target population since they have had no training or experience with such encounters prior. Moreover, research shows that negative emotions and mental health problems occur for family members caring for individuals with dementia (Ruiz-Fernández et al., 2019). Thus, such limitations can be addressed through the health program.
Role of Nurses in Project Design
The role of nurses in the design stage is significant due to the experience they have with dealing with individuals with dementia. Nurses often provide care for elderly patients diagnosed with Alzheimers and similar conditions. For example, they know how to mitigate a conflict situation, help patients relax, and provide comfort. Thus, the project design will involve information gathering on all these primary topics. Another example is the nurse and family member connection that establishes when care is being provided. Nurses are aware of the difficulties caregivers deal with when caring for a senior person with dementia. As a result, the program design will benefit from the feedback and input when it comes to providing information on maintaining psychological well-being while providing the best care possible.
Advocate Role
The role of an advocate implies participation during the design stage. First, the decisions are to consider the characteristics of the target population and the vulnerabilities they are prone to. Thus, the role of the advocate is to ensure the goals of the project, which is providing informational and mental support for caregivers, are fulfilled through the practical design of the health plan. Another essential objective is establishing the connection between the healthcare providers and the family members. Thus, all the advice and guidelines illustrated during the meeting will be well-received and retained by the participants.
Role of Nurses in Project Implementation
Needless to say, the implementation of the health plan cannot succeed without the involvement of nurses. Researchers refer to the importance of involving employees in projects since it leads to positive organizational outcomes (Klein & Sorra, 1996). The role differs from that in participation in design. While designing the project requires the nurses knowledge and suggestions on how to approach the goal and target population, implementation implies direct contact with the participants. For example, nurses are to give speeches and perform presentations on how dementia patients may behave and how to approach it. Moreover, they may have direct conversations with certain participants who would like to go through the information in detail.
Implementation Team
There are several healthcare workers who are to participate in program implementation. As mentioned prior, nurses will be useful team members both during design and application. Researchers point out that they are connection points between medical facilities and caregivers when it comes to Alzheimers (Toru, 2019). Moreover, a neurologist and a psychiatrist will be involved in the meetings in terms of sharing helpful information on the disease and its symptoms. Thus, the participants will be aware of what to expect from the older family members with the said diagnosis. Last but not least, since the program will also address the mental health of the caregivers, a psychologist will be invited to address coping skills and techniques for dealing with the stress correlating with care provision for the elderly with dementia.
Conclusion
The healthcare program is intended for caregivers and family members in charge of elderly people diagnosed with dementia. Both the design and the implementation will rely on healthcare workers such as nurses and physicians for gathering information and sharing it in an effective manner. The role of nurses, in particular, is crucial since they encounter dementia patients often and are aware of how to approach such individuals, both mentally and physically. As a result, the goal of the program, which is improving the information on dementia care, will be successfully fulfilled.
References
Garvey, J. M., Dalton, J. M., & Magny-Normilus, C. (2019). A conceptual-theoretical-empirical structure for the study of Alzheimers informal caregivers and home health care nursing services. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 31(4), 231238. Web.
Klein, K. J., & Sorra, J. S. (1996). The Challenge of Innovation Implementation. Academy of Management Review, 21(4), 10551080. Web.
Ruiz-Fernández, M. D., Hernández-Padilla, J. M., Ortiz-Amo, R., Fernández-Sola, C., Fernández-Medina, I. M., & Granero-Molina, J. (2019). Predictor factors of perceived health in family caregivers of people diagnosed with mild or moderate Alzheimers disease. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(19), 3762. Web.
Toru, F. (2019). The role of nurses in home care in Alzheimers patients. American Journal of Health Research, 7(5), 67. Web.
Yous, M.-L., Ploeg, J., Kaasalainen, S., & Martin, L. S. (2019). Nurses experiences in caring for older adults with responsive behaviors of dementia in acute care. SAGE Open Nursing, 5, 237796081983412. Web.
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