A wellness education program was developed to enhance physical and mental health behaviors in older adults living in a congregate senior living community in the Midwest. The project was planned and implemented by a graduate nursing student. The survey used Pender’s health promotion model to assess the health needs of the elderly. Wellness education sessions were developed according to their health needs. The first wellness education was focused on depression and stress management. The average score of the Geriatric Depression Scale (short version) of 15 older adults was 8.1 suggesting that they had probable depression. The average score on the Vulnerability to Stress Scale was 27.7 indicating that they had little vulnerability to stress. The participants had an opportunity to discuss their problems and express their emotions. The second session was focused on healthy eating and weight control including the Food Pyramid Bingo game aimed at the importance of eating a variety of foods. The average Body Mass Index of eight participants was 24.9. The third session focused on falls prevention. Eighteen participants were given a fall-prevention checklist to identify the hazards in their apartments before the class began. Participants were informed about their risk for falls and strategies to prevent them. Tai chi exercise, to improve balance and coordination was also taught at the apartment. One of the participants said that she would change her life style and practice such things as not getting up too quickly after lying down and always using a walker to maintain her balance.
Results of the elder wellness education program evaluation suggest that participants had increased knowledge about healthy eating, strategies to deal with depression and stress as well as how to decrease falls. The clinical specialist in community health nursing can implement the programs to promote health and well-being in these populations.
Session #1219 - Poster Session I
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)