HEALTH, WELLNESS, ILLNESS & DISABILITY

1. HEALTH, WELLNESS, ILLNESS & DISABILITY

2. HEALTH & WELLNESS • What is your definition of health? • Past definitions of health focused on “not being sick” • Modern definitions of health emphasize holism. • WHO (World Health Organization) states that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. • How do you define “wellness”? • Wellness is achieving the best health possible in all 5 dimensions of one’s life • Few people ever achieve total wellness • Wellness is an ongoing process throughout life

3. HEALTH • What is optimal health? • As a health care worker, you care for and support the client’s health potential. This means proving “holistic” care. • Holistic care is caring for and supporting all aspects of health, including: • Physical • Emotional • Social • Spiritual • Intellectual • In health care, we have to care for all aspects, not just the physical illness b/c each aspect depends on the other.

4. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH PHYSICAL HEALTH • Body is strong, fit and disease free • Influenced by genetics and lifestyle • Contributing factors include: • Nutritious diet • Exercise • Being smoke free • Limiting alcohol • Proper rest • As a health care worker you can promote your client’s physical health by: • Maintaining a safe, clean and comfortable environment • Preparing nutritious meals • Assisting with physical activity

5. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH EMOTIONAL HEALTH • Not just the absence of negative feelings • Ability to function well and adapt appropriately to circumstances. • Emotionally healthy people feel good about themselves, have self esteem, self control, and self awareness. • Emotionally unhealthy people are often insecure. • Life events can affect emotional health • As a health care worker you must: • Avoid judging • Learn to read client’s emotions

6. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH SOCIAL HEALTH • Achieved through stable and satisfying relationships. • We all have the need for: • Companionship/belonging • Comfort, support, encouragement • Reassurance of one’s self worth • Help, guidance, advice • A social support system • Socially healthy people treat other with respect, warmth, openness and are trusting. • Socially unhealthy people show little regard for others. • Older adults and immigrants may feel socially isolated and lonely • As a health care worker you are part of your client’s support system. • You provide practical and emotional support

7. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH SPIRITUAL HEALTH • Achieved through the belief in a higher purpose. • May or may not include religion • Spiritually healthy means having a clear understanding of one’s own morals, values and beliefs. • Spiritually healthy people are compassionate, honest, humble and forgiving. • Emphasis on personal fulfillment • As a health care worker, you must respect your client’s spirituality

8. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH INTELLECTUAL HEALTH • Achieved by keeping the mind active and creative throughout life. • Intellectually healthy people: • Maintain curiosity throughout life • Are interested in the world around them • Analyze, reason and solve problems • Open minded and eager to learn • Those with poor intellectual health: • Are passive • Do not participate • Often suffer from poor emotional, social and physical health • As a health care worker, you can help client’s to participate in activities

9. ILLNESS & DISABILITY What is the difference between illness and disability? • Illness – loss of physical or mental health • Disability – loss of physical or mental function • Remember disabled does not mean ill • Illness of disabilities can be acute or chronic (short or long term/permanent) • Regardless of the illness or disability, the health care worker must try to help the client achieve their optimal health • No 2 clients will experience illness/disability the same way, however, there are some common reactions • Fear and anxiety * Denial • Sadness and grief * Anger • Depression

10. ILLNESS & DISABILITY Factors affecting a client’s experience may include: • The nature of the illness • Age • Physical fitness • Pain • Prognosis • Personality • Culture • Support

11. ILLNESS & DISABILITY Those will a new disability or illness may experience change and loss including: • Change in routine • Change in work life • Change in family life • Change in sexual function • Change in self-image • Loss of independence • Loss of dignity As a health care worker you must ensure that stigma and discrimination do not affect your care • Stigma – a characteristic that marks someone as different or flawed • Discrimination – treating people unfairly based on their group membership

12. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH • What makes a population healthy? • Determinants of health are the factors that determine health status. • There are 12 key factors • Income and social status • Social support networks • Education and literacy • Employment and working conditions • Social Supports • Physical environments • Personal health practices and coping skills • Healthy child development • Biology and genetic endowment • Health Services • Gender • Culture

13. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH • INCOME & SOCIAL STATUS • Income determines living conditions & diet • SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS • Support from family, friends, community improves health • EDUCATION & LITERACY • Health improves with higher education • Improves socioeconomic status • Improves the ability to access health information • EMPLOYMENT & WORKING CONDITIONS • Unemployment, stressful and unsafe work are associated with poor health • A less stressful/demanding job improves quality and length of life

14. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH • SOCIAL SUPPORTS • Resources that are available for support • PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS • Pollution in the air, water, soil can cause several adverse health effects. • PERSONAL HEALTH PRACTICES/COPING SKILLS • Individual choices influence other health factors • Choices are affected by work, live, learn, play • HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT • Greatly influenced by housing, community, family income, parents education, diet, exercise, genetics and access to health care • BIOLOGY & GENETIC ENDOWMENT • Can predispose people to particular diseases.

15. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH • HEALTH SERVICES • Services designed to maintain and promote health, prevent disease and restore health have an impact on one’s health. • GENDER • Many health issues are gender related • CULTURE • Lack of access due to culture • Culture affects health • The interrelationship of these factors is very important. Why?