Comprehensive Report: Primary Health Care at Northern Health Hospital

This report provides an overview of the primary health care services offered by Northern Health Hospital, a major healthcare provider in Melbourne's north. It details the various services, including admitted, non-admitted, and aged care services. The report emphasizes the crucial role of nurses in primary health care, highlighting their responsibilities in lifestyle education, disease management, health promotion, and community engagement. It also examines the socio-demographic characteristics and health factors influencing older adults, who are a core user group of these services, including lifestyle choices, marital status, and socioeconomic factors. The report further discusses how changing socio-demographic factors impact nursing practices, emphasizing the need for nurses to adapt to population diversity, provide culturally sensitive care, and ensure high-quality care for diverse populations. The report references several studies and resources to support its findings.

Running Header: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OF NORTHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
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Title: Primary Health Care
Assignment: Primary Healthcare of Northen Health Hospital
Student Name
Course Name and Number
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PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OF NORTHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
The northern health hospital is the major provider of primary, secondary and tertiary health
services in Melbourne’s north. The primary health care services provided by northern health
hospital are admitted patients, subacute and emergency services which include access,
performance, and partnership services, ambulatory and community services, Broadmeadows
health services, medical emergency, and cardiology services, nursing and medical workforce,
surgical, women's, children’s and ICU services, oncology , intensive care services. Non admitted
services provided by them are outpatients services, breastfeeding center, diabetic services and
hand therapy, pediatric medicine, pharmacy, allied services. Aged care services include
Bundoora extended care center, ambulatory and community services, aged care assessment
services and home care packages (Nh.org.au, 2017). The role of nurses in primary health care
services is lifestyle education, disease management, control of infection, health promotion and
cancer management. The nurses work with local communities to promote health and prevent
illness by identifying various barriers to wellness. The role of mental health nurses is to provide
health education and prevent illness among individuals and family members. The role of school
nurses is to promote health and early identification and intervention for health concerns. They
must involve in health counseling, clinical care, school community activities, health promotion,
networking, disseminating information and general health center management. Nurses work as a
part of an interdisciplinary team of allied health professionals, health educators, and general
practitioners for the improved outcomes, the satisfaction of the client and efficiently uses of
resources. The practice of nursing is autonomous as it improves patient satisfaction rate, patient
care and lifts up the profession (Donelan, 2013). The focus of nurses is predominantly in
primary health care in comparison to primary care as it forms most effective approach for

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OF NORTHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
providing accessible and equal healthcare which enable families and individuals to make best
possible decisions for their health.
2. The older adults are the core group which uses primary health care services. The socio-
demographic characteristics of this group can be older adults aged 85 and more use more
diabetic and cancer services as compared to another age group, people. Low physical activity and
changes in lifestyle among older people causes higher chances of cardiovascular diseases as a
result older adult aged between 85-94 have used more cardiovascular diseases services as
compared to other age groups. The common socio-demographic characteristics within older
adults are age, lifestyle, marital status and income ("4364.0.55.001 - National Health Survey:
First Results, 2014-15", 2017).
3. The factors which influence the health of older adults are a lifestyle, social isolation, injury,
development of noncommunicable diseases, poverty, marital status and elder maltreatment. The
primary health services use by older adults can be ambulatory and community services, Aged
care services, oncology, intensive care services, diabetic services intensive care services, ICU
services, chronic diseases services and cardiovascular services. The lifestyle of older adults
largely such as physical activity, nutritional diet, smoking, stress, social interaction largely
affects their health outcomes. Lack of physical activity increases chances of cardiovascular
diseases, slow muscular strength, decrease their bone mass and increases chances of depression.
A nutritious diet helps them to feel better, increases their body strength, decrease the chances of
cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Increased level of mental stress increases the
higher incidence of depression, weaker immune system, decreases cognitive function and

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OF NORTHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
increases chances of other chronic diseases.Cessation of smoking prevent the chances of stroke,
decreases heart diseases and some cancers (Kendig & Browning, 2014). Marital status has a
great impact on individuals, especially at an older age. People who are divorced or single at an
older age have higher stress level, they have higher chances of developing depression, their
health status is very low, they have no social support which makes them feel depressed and they
are less concerned about their health. Low socioeconomic status or income affect physical and
mental health, especially at older stages. Lower income results in the lower ability of an
individual to get medical facilities which affect their health.
4. Sociodemographic factors play important role in interaction between client and patient
interaction. Lower economic status of the patient has a greater impact on hospitals. The lifestyle
of older adults largely such as physical activity, nutritional diet, smoking, stress, social
interaction largely affects their health outcomes (Brewster, 2017). Lack of physical activity
increases chances of cardiovascular diseases, slow muscular strength, decrease their bone mass
and increases chances of depression. A nutritious diet helps them to feel better, increases their
body strength, decrease the chances of cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Increased level of mental stress increases the higher incidence of depression, weaker immune
system, decreases cognitive function and increases chances of other chronic diseases.Cessation
of smoking prevent the chances of stroke, decreases heart diseases and some cancers. Marital
status has a great impact on individuals, especially at an older age. People who are divorced or
single at an older age have higher stress level, they have higher chances of developing
depression, their health status is very low, they have no social support which makes them feel
depressed and they are less concerned about their health. Low socioeconomic status or income
affect physical and mental health, especially at older stages. Lower income results in the lower

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OF NORTHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
ability of an individual to get medical facilities which affect their health (Rexorth, 2017).
Changing sociodemographic factors has major effects on nursing practices. The diversity of
population has a major effect on nursing practice, multiculturalism affects nature of illness,
mortality, and morbidity, nurses must adapt accordingly. Nursing education must adapt to these
changes. There must be interpersonal interactions among nursing staff, family members and
individuals for better services. Nurses must be encouraged to provide culturally specific care that
fits with patient’s value. Assessing analytical parameters and environmental settings to
understand healthcare needs of patient’s according to changing demographic factors.Providing
high-quality care for diverse populations.Nurses must provide free checks for lower economic
status patient's, visit their homes for a free checkup.The nurses must involve in free education
programs for patient's, providing them free health checks and clinical care. Community health
nurses and workplace planners must design programs that are sensitive to differences in gender
regarding health issues and value their health (Nursing, 2017).

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OF NORTHEN HEALTH HOSPITAL
References
4364.0.55.001 - National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15. (2017). Abs.gov.au. Retrieved
13 September 2017, from
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.001~2014-15~Main
%20Features~Diabetes%20mellitus~12
Brewster, P. (2017). Life experience and demographic influences on cognitive function in older
adults. Neuropsychology, 28(6), 846-858.
Donelan, K. (2013). Perspectives of Physicians and Nurse Practitioners on Primary Care
Practice. The New England Journal Of Medicine, 368: 1898-1906.
Kendig, H., & Browning, C. (2014). Health, Lifestyle, and Gender Influences on Aging Well: An
Australian Longitudinal Analysis to Guide Health Promotion. Frontiers In Public Health, 2(70).
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00070
Nursing, T. (2017). How Demographics Affect Healthcare and Nursing. Campbellsville
University Online. Retrieved 15 September 2017, from
https://online.campbellsville.edu/nursing/how-demographics-affect-healthcare-and-nursing/
Primary Care Liaison | For GPs | Northern Health. (2017). Nh.org.au. Retrieved 14 September
2017, from http://www.nh.org.au/for-gps/primary-care-liaison
Rexroth, D. (2017). Relationship of Demographic and Health Factors to Cognition in Older
Adults in the ACTIVE Study. J Aging Health, 25(8.0), 128S-146S.