Health and Wellbeing: Holistic Approach for Old Age Communities

This report provides a comprehensive overview of health and wellbeing, particularly focusing on the elderly population. It begins by defining health and wellbeing, highlighting their interrelationship, and emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach in assessing the needs of old age communities. The report then delves into the factors affecting the health and wellness of older adults, including age-related aspects, social changes, financial limitations, and government regulations. It also examines the impact of various issues on the health and wellbeing of this demographic, such as healthcare regulations, family environments, and the presence of caring and concerned caretakers. The conclusion underscores the value of health and wellness and the effectiveness of a holistic approach in addressing the complex needs of the elderly.

PROMOTING HEALTH
AND WELLBEING

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Definition of health and wellbeing and their interrelationship........................................................3
Importance of holistic approach for assessment of needs of old age communities.........................4
Factors affecting health and wellness..............................................................................................6
Impact of various issues on health and wellbeing...........................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Health is defined as the absence of any disease which is now a day is also extended to
good mental status of the individuals as well. The both health and wellbeing plays a key role in
the life of individuals. Especially for the old age communities it requires a great effort to sustain
a healthy life and an overall wellness (Suzman and et.al., 2015). The report will discuss the
concepts of health and wellbeing and their interrelationship. It will also explain the significance
of holistic approach in assessing the needs and requirements of target population. The report will
analyse the health and wellbeing of old people. The document will also evaluate the factors
which affect the well being and health of targeted old people. Further it will also highlight the
issues which influence the health of targeted population.
Definition of health and wellbeing and their interrelationship
Though both the terms health and wellbeing are used simultaneously by many people but
are separate but interrelated terminologies.
Health:
Health is defined as the state of individuals without any disease or adverse health
condition which affect their comfort and capabilities. The health care professionals also believes
that health not only comprise physical but metal or psychological effectiveness and comfort as
well.
Wellbeing:
Contrary to health wellbeing is defined as the combination of various attributes such as
intellectual, physical, emotional, environmental, social and spiritual health (Steptoe, Deaton and
Stone, 2015). In order to achieve the complete sense of wellbeing all of the attributes must be in
correct harmony.
Relation between health and wellbeing:
For achieving good health it is essential that people must observe these dynamic subjects
of wellbeing throughout their life. Health can be visualised as the well being state of people

while wellness can be considered as the most perfect and desirable balance of above mentioned
wellness parameters. For instance when any individual do not have any symptom or evidence of
disease then it will be considered as healthy.
On the other hand their attempts which will promote healthy relationships and
interactions fall under definition of wellness. Wellness is associated with the lifestyle which
establishes the right balance between all dimensions of health. Health is the ultimate goal which
must be achieved by people so that they can lead to quality life ahead (What’s the difference
between health and wellness, 2018). Another concept differentiating between wellness and
health is the process that health is linked with the treatment or remedies of any disease which is
affecting the normal functionality of people. While in the same work front the wellbeing is the
fitness stage which is achieved by boosting immune system or by maintaining perfect body
balance.
The various approaches can be used for this purpose ranging from physical activities to
act of socialising which encourages the mental health. It is also believed that healthy state of
people means to be whole in mind as well as in physical terms. The wellbeing of a person
indicates that the individual is healthy and has minimum or negligible vulnerability towards any
health risk. The wellness also ensures that all adverse behaviours are excluded from the practice
which can jeopardize state of health. Thus in more general terms wellness can be implied to
quality life and favourable circumstances. In comparison to health wellbeing is self directed and
conscious and involves holistic approach (World Health Organization, 2015).
Importance of holistic approach for assessment of needs of old age
communities
The holistic approaches are vital for assuring the health and well being of communities
especially for the old age people. These targeted people require additional support in terms of
physical assistance as well as emotional guidance. The holistic approach aims at analysing the
need of people as a whole instead of focusing on any particular area or dimension of wellbeing.
The physical strength and capabilities of old people gets weaker with age (Holistic nursing:
Focusing on the whole person, 2013). The emerging changes in their life as well as perspective

of others towards old people make it difficult for the old people to take appropriate measures for
enhancing their wellbeing.
Holistic approach will not only analyse the physical dimensions but will also evaluate
other approaches to assess their needs. The holistic approaches will assess the factors which
contribute towards the improvement in health of old people. For this purpose healthcare
providers have complete knowledge of the targeted audience and they must be treated with
sophisticated skills. For instance old people may experience any disease which is affecting their
health but the care provided to them by their family members, their psychological state also
affects the healthcare and wellbeing outputs.
If these people will not have psychological stability due to stress or depression then the
health care services will definitely fail to achieve desired goals. It will also influence the attempts
made by old people towards their well being (Makai and et.al., 2014). The physical limitations
may prohibit old people to follow the various approaches of wellbeing such as physical workout,
participation in social get together on routine basis as well as ability to overcome the adverse
impacts of age related outcomes. The professionals who provide health care services through
holistic approaches not only ensure to cure health risks among old people but also create an
environment which facilitate the wellbeing of old age people.
For instance the psychological assistance from professionals can help old people to share
their experiences and feelings. It will also create positivity and hope among old people so that
they will have positive attitude towards improving their wellbeing. The holistic approach of care
helps health professionals to assess the actual cause of problem which affect the health of old
people and on the basis of these needs various care strategies are provided to them. These
strategies not only include medication and treatment but also focus on personalised care such as
home care services, additional requirements of nutrition and methods which improves their
living philosophy towards more positive approach (A holistic approach to patient care, 2018).
If instead of holistic approach care service providers use only direct methods of care then
the outcomes may not be effective. For instance if psychological stress is creating adverse impact
on health of an old person then until this aspect is not analysed and improved there will be
minimum effect of the medication or other treatment provided. In such cases holistic approach

will help to evaluate the cause of issue, factors which are encouraging the adverse health impact
and how it can be improved.
Factors affecting health and wellness
The health and wellbeing of old people is influenced by several factors. The age related
aspects are the key factors which affect their health. As the age of people grows their health may
begin to degrade and a difference may arise in their capabilities due to their age factors. There
are number of health risks which may found in old people. However due to higher age it may be
difficult for them to adopt activities which can enhance wellbeing or in some cases health
practitioners may also find it hard to provide some specific treatment which is not suitable for the
higher age group (Sixsmith and et.al., 2014).
Similarly in old age many people experience the social changes. They find it painful
when they have fewer tasks to do and when their family members have limited time for them.
This is one of the most common causes for depression and anxiety. As a result their willingness
to keep themselves healthy and thus they discontinue the healthy routine. In such cases it is
required that old people must also be provided with emotional assistance so that they are always
motivated to live a healthy life. It is also observed that most of the old age people are
disrespected by their family members.
Due to this reason either they are unaware about the methods which can help them to
sustain their wellness and health or they are unable to access the necessary health care services.
The limitations of financial resources and lack of health care services in the surrounding are also
critical factors which influences the health of old age communities in a negative manner. The
negligence of carers not only deteriorates the physical dimension but also have significant impact
on mental and social wellbeing.
Contrary to this when old people are provided proper care and attention from their friends
and families then there is crucial improvement in their well being. The emotional support can
provide motivation to these people (Nordbakke and Schwanen, 2014). The old age people may
also require financial support because many of the targeted people in the age group lives in old
age care homes. The local community members and government support can help these people

so that they can improve their health and well being perspective. The government regulations can
also affect their health. It is also possible that due to age these people may face discrimination
and inappropriate behaviour at certain places in society. Such discriminatory behaviour can have
bad impact on their mental wellbeing. For eliminating such adverse impacts on health
government policies must be followed strictly. The government support will help old people to
achieve the required levels of wellbeing.
For example government policies for old people to have a separate queue in offices so
that they do not have to wait for longer can help these groups to avoid unnecessary stress and
physical tiredness. It will also encourage ole people to accomplish their work on their own
without bringing any negative thoughts regarding their inability or lower efficiency due to age. It
is also required that health services must be available to these people every time so that
whenever they face any difficulty then immediately seek the help (Suzman and et.al., 2015). The
family members and other community welfare groups must take care that these old age people
must have proper knowledge of healthcare services and habits which can promote wellbeing. It
will minimize the health risks among the targeted group and their wellbeing will be enhanced.
The occurrence of some critical events which are very painful can also cause serious
changes to health of the people. Old people are not strong enough to accept tragedy events easily
but if any of such events takes place in their life then it completely changes their wellbeing. Thus
it is essential that these factors must be considered during care plan of old people so that
effective care can be provided to them.
Impact of various issues on health and wellbeing
Along with the above discussed factors several issues have crucial impact on the
wellbeing of old age groups. The health care regulations greatly affect the nature and quality of
care provided to these people. The experience and knowledge of the nursing and health care
professionals must also be brought into notice. The experienced professionals are able to
evaluate the wellness of these people and possible rationale for it. The nature of family
environment and surrounding of the health organisation can also alter the wellbeing. If care
providing staff is caring and concern then it will reduce the age related accidents and risks to a

great extent (Finlay and et.al., 2015). However if there are conscious and careful caretakers then
these people can overcome every health related challenge through the support of their love ones.
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that health and wellness are valuable aspect and
needs proper care and attention. The holistic approach is one of the effective ways to analyse
these aspects. The report has described the difference between wellbeing and health. It has
demonstrated that in old age these attributes are highly sensitive and thus require additional
attention. The health of individuals can be influenced by several factors. The document has
described the factors which can enhance or prohibits the quality standards of health. Thus it can
also be concluded from the report that in order to assure the wellbeing of old people the carers,
families and healthcare professionals must use holistic approach to analyse the influencing
factors and issues so that their health outcomes can be improved.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Finlay, J., Franke, T., and et.al., 2015. Therapeutic landscapes and wellbeing in later life:
Impacts of blue and green spaces for older adults. Health & Place. 34. pp.97-106.
Makai, P., Brouwer, W.B., and et.al., 2014. Quality of life instruments for economic evaluations
in health and social care for older people: a systematic review. Social science &
medicine. 102. pp.83-93.
Nordbakke, S. and Schwanen, T., 2014. Well-being and mobility: A theoretical framework and
literature review focusing on older people. Mobilities. 9(1). pp.104-129.
Sixsmith, J., Sixsmith, A., and et.al., 2014. Healthy ageing and home: The perspectives of very
old people in five European countries. Social Science & Medicine. 106,. pp.1-9.
Steptoe, A., Deaton, A. and Stone, A.A., 2015. Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing. The
Lancet. 385(9968). pp.640-648.
Suzman, R., Beard, J.R., and et.al., 2015. Health in an ageing world—what do we know?. The
Lancet. 385(9967). pp.484-486.
World Health Organization, 2015. World report on ageing and health. World Health
Organization.
Online
A holistic approach to patient care, 2018 [Online] Accessed through <https://www.hsj.co.uk/a-
holistic-approach-to-patient-care/5053179.article >
Holistic nursing: Focusing on the whole person, 2013 [Online] Accessed through
https://www.americannursetoday.com/holistic-nursing-focusing-on-the-whole-person/

What’s the difference between health and wellness, 2018 [Online] Accessed through <
https://www.griffinbenefits.com/employeebenefitsblog/whats-the-difference-between-
health-and-wellness>