The continued increase of injuries and deaths resulting from falls is alarming. The elderly need care, not just because they are old, but because they are part of the larger society. In Miami, Florida, there is the concern for how to develop a good plan that will help to salvage the situation. In this regard, I will look at the care plan for the elderly in Miami.
The Caucasian family that had lived in Miami all their life has an urgent need for attention. The conditions surrounding their home and the neighborhood are all potential sites for dangerous falls. Given that John, aged 72, and Vivien, aged 68 are advanced in age, they still care for their grandson. Their presence makes David comfortable. Their son, Michael, and his wife Susan attend to business matters because these elderly parents can take care of the home and their son.
John and Vivien need to visit the nearby hospital regularly for check up and treatment. But it would be necessary to assign a nurse, from the established institution, to be attending to the couple all the time. They do not have to visit the hospital (“Center for Disease Control” par. 3).
The nurse should be coming to diagnose them and attend to their medical needs at home. The town has done various studies, and the results proved that the community had not considered the elderly in the design of different facilities. It is only recently that some shops and buildings started adding ramps to help the older people. Therefore, as this goes on, the nurse can continue to help them to manage the conditions. Checking will involve finding out if their health is still okay or if there is any sign of the accident. The nurse would also treat them for any injuries resulting from falls.
The MAP-IT framework would be the appropriate to achieve the goals of ensuring that they stay healthy. During the mobilization process, it would be prudent to get the aggregate to participate in decision making. The nurse, the community healthy workers, and various supportive organizations need to demonstrate their desire to help the elderly (Chowdhury et al. 138). They would involve the city’s health management and government teams. Once they have agreed to solve the city’s design through setting up laws that are supportive of these efforts, they would allow the caregivers and nurses to take care of the elderly at home.
To asses excellent services, there are various places or points of reference. For instance, the shops in the area have steps or staircases that are not friendly to the elderly. Some buildings have steep stairs, and yet they serve varied groups of citizens (Chowdhury et al. 138). The shopping malls and all public places need to consider accommodating people from all walks of life. The nurse will advise John and Vivien on which places to frequent during their time out and places they may need some help.
The plan would involve close monitoring of the elderly couple. The plan would also require the restructuring of the house so that it suits them. It would also be possible to make all their critical tools and materials to be on the ground floor (Gschwind et al. 130). Their son and wife can occupy the rooms above the stairs. The child can also work together with his wife to find them a suitable residence for the family. The plan will have to move in phases.
The first phase would be to ensure that the house is tidy, and all toys are in one place. The next phase will be to find professional help from a qualified physician and get a nurse for medical and social care. The third stage would be to restructure the house and move the elderly parents on the ground floor. The last phase would be to find a new home or redesign the house so that it fits the family. It is during this stage that they can decide to find a nanny or a housekeeper.
Implementation would require the entire community to have the same goals they are work on for the elderly. They would build ramps and restructure the public transport systems (Frieden et al. 15). The nurse would start monitoring, doing physical examinations and therapies. Michael and Susan will restructure the house and allow their elderly parents to use the ground floor for all their activities. Their sleeping places, eating and resting rooms would move to the ground floor.
They will also need to remove the toys from the ground floor or provide specific places where they can keep them. They have stayed in the house for over 30 years. It may not accommodate the growing family. Perhaps after the few modifications, the family can decide to build a better and bigger house. They will need to employ a nanny to take care of their son while they are away at work. Or they can enroll him in a boarding school so that they give their parents an ample time to rest.
To track the improvement measures, the nurse and Michael will need to record all the details. They will have to know if there is any improvement after the changes they initiated (Rothman 15). The nurse may create graphs to show the results of everyday records. They will comprise of the number of falls, injuries, medical health, and any new hazards to deal with at every stage.
Although the community leaders have started implementing strategies to support the elderly, there is still some laxity among the locals. Most of them have these senior citizens in their homes but are not providing enough care for them (“Census Bureau” Par. 1). Miami, Florida is a place for pleasurable moments. The city managers need to coordinate with the beach officials to and find an amicable way of providing better services for the elderly. There could be dangers of drowning, suffocating, or even falling due to objects on the beach. The security personnel and the cleaning agents need to ensure that they provide close observation especially for the elderly. They should report any occurrence that is out of the ordinary and should take stock of every activity on a daily basis.
Vivien and John have low blood pressure and have weaknesses in their joints (Frieden et al. 15). It is the reason they are taking the medication. Even though they are dealing with these symptoms, they need to take considerable measures to prevent their medical condition from accelerating. The nurse should be able to guide and advise on the proper medication standards and daily care.
The house is also is over thirty years old. Michael and his wife should try to find out if there could be any disaster due to breakages of faults. Improved care for their parents would have to involve structural repairs and adjustments on the house.
Giving care to the elderly people requires a lot of considerations. Despite John and Vivien being in the unfriendly environment, they have the potential to live a healthy lifestyle. The plan to improve their condition should work on all areas of concern.
Works Cited
Census Bureau. 2016. Web.
Center for Disease Control 2016. Web.
Chowdhury, Pranesh, Mawokomatand T, Xu F, Gamble S, Flegel D, Pierannunzi, C, Garvin, W and Town M. “Surveillance for Certain Health Behaviors, Chronic Diseases, and Conditions, Access to Health Care, and use of Preventive Health Services among States and Selected Local Areas— Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2012.” MMWR. Surveillance Summaries 65.4 (2016): 1-142. Print.
Frieden, T. R Hourly, D, Baldwin G, Dellinge, A and Lee R.. Preventing Falls: A Guide To Implementing Effective Community-Based Fall Prevention Programs. Web.
Gschwind, Yves J et al. “A Best Practice Fall Prevention Exercise Program to Improve Balance, Strength / Power, and Psychosocial Health in Older Adults: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.” BMC Geriatr 13.1 (2013): 160-170. Print.
Rothman, M. B. Let’s Focus On Our Aging Population. Web.