Preventive Medicine and Healthy Living for Senior Citizens

Preventive Medicine and Healthy Living for Senior Citizens

SECTION A: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Introduction

Preventive medicine is a branch of healthcare that majors on ways of preventing diseases. The purpose of preventive medicine is to promote the quality of life and sustain health among the population. Preventive medicine for the elderly is a matter of great concern, and various efforts for preventing contagious illnesses have been initiated by both the federal, state, and local governments. Studies to reveal the right measures for treating the elderly have succeeded in establishing several essential factors that constitute quality health for senior citizens (Yourman, Guan & Gupta, 2020). In this research, senior citizens are people regarded to be 65 years and above. The ration of senior citizens in the U.S is said to be 15.2% of the entire population. Senior citizens require routine aggressive daily aerobics to keep their bodies fit. Senior citizens are required to maintain a balance of lipids in their bodies to prevent cardiovascular failures (Hay et al., 2014). This action involves the activation of blood vessels through routine exercises for the elderly population.

It is essential to examine a few practices in hospitals and geriatric nursing homes, which serve as preventive measures and healthy living for the elderly as a starting point to formulate methods for researching the topic. Hospitals and geriatric homes have provided supplements that have maintained an immunity check of the elderly population across the U.S to keep them off from comorbid conditions that mostly affect the elderly population. Regular body screening has also been found to be an effective remedy to the continued treatment of the elderly from various health conditions. These elderly nursing homes have also offered early screening and detection of illnesses associated with cancer that have enabled control of the elderly health before the set-off of malignancy. Blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring for the elderly are also part of the preventive measures being undertaken by this particular health department to assist the elderly lead a healthy life. Timely detection of the causes of fatal diseases can be a breakthrough in radical preventive measures and ensures the quality of life for the elderly (Jensen et al., 2018). Preventive medicine measures for the elderly do involve not only physical procedures for body fitness but also requires scrutiny of the drugs they consume to ascertain their combination and prevent adverse events of administering undesirable medications.

Background

            Thousands of senior citizens suffer and even succumb every year from medical conditions that would otherwise be treated if detected early. The alarming incidents have caused rising popularity and significance in the field of preventive medicine. The concern for taking various measures and steps to ensure that a particular medical condition does not escalate beyond control is the biggest agenda of preventive medicine for the elderly. Researchers have since indicated that nearly 85% of flu-related deaths occur in adults of 65 years and above and hence calling for vaccination of these adults every as one preventive measure of infectious diseases. The elderly are amongst populations that are vulnerable to infectious diseases. Preventive medicine in geriatric care is regarded as devotion to reducing the burden of healthcare that may arise if the elderly are subjected to infections.

The concept of prevention of diseases can be traced centuries back, but the formal recognition of preventive health was adopted during the universal declaration of human rights in 1948 and acknowledged that every person has a right to a standard and healthy living. This provision drove a positive obligation to the governments to ensure that the elderly, as part of the health concerns, receive standard healthcare. Projections have since indicated that the United States’ population will consist of 20% of people with 65 years and above by 2030. This means that preventive care for the elderly is going to be an essential form of care in the health departments and requires proper planning for the execution of various health programs for the elderly. The mandate placed upon governments and health institutions to ensure individuals attain a healthy living and enjoy preventive care service fosters the need for preventive care in the older populations. The concept of preventive medicine is understood by the assumption that if the effects of chronic illnesses in older adults are delayed or prevented, then the overall burden of the disease and the costs to the nation becomes reduced. The health assumption is used to protect the health interests and needs of the elderly as a way of increasing life expectancy.

Problem Statement

Curative medicine is proving to be a problematic approach to the treatment of elderly populations. When compared to preventive medicine, curative medicine is costly and uneconomical. Preventive medicine for the elderly means early detection of their conditions. The elderly’ body organs are prone to failure and decrease in being active and, therefore, demand extra attention in the discovery of the illnesses in their very early stages to assure treatment and recovery. Most often, once a health condition sets in an older adult, it becomes difficult to treat the person because of the poor prognosis presented by the cells and tissues of the aging population, which experience slow growth and poor repair when damaged (Yourman, Guan & Gupta, 2020).  Problems such as trauma or excessive bleeding for the elderly may translate into a severe disability that may completely change the life of the elderly. As the saying goes, prevention is often better than cure for quality life and economic purposes. As a result, the need to examine protective medicine methods and healthy lifestyles for adults is essential. It requires excellent research insight to cut healthcare costs and improve the lives of senior citizens.

Purpose of the Study

The main objective of this study was to probe the role of preventive medicine and healthy living for senior citizens. The methods being used to ensure preventive medicine and healthy life for the elderly were scrutinized to ascertain their effectiveness in treatment. In the process, the study assessed the quality of care given to geriatric citizens of age 65 years and above and also assessed how the type of care improved their health conditions. An assessment of this particular area of health established gaps that tend to limit effective preventive medicine and a healthy lifestyle for older people in the U.S. Most of the senior citizens are confined in special geriatric nursing homes and or daycares. The study intended to reveal the effectiveness of interventions used in preventive medicine for the elderly, and this approach provided an insight into the best care practices for the elderly population (Tazkarji et al., 2016). It is through this study that recommendations for the right approaches to preventive treatment for the elderly were attained. The study intended to widen the scope of elderly treatment in society and encourage long-term care for the population through various medical interventions. As such, the objectives of the study included:

• To determine the methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens.
• To establish the effectiveness of methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens
• To determine whether the methods initiated contribute to a healthy living amongst the elderly population.

Research Question

The research identified methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens. Whether the methods were effective in preventing serious illnesses amongst the elderly population is something that the researcher wanted to establish. Whether the method initiated contributed to a healthy living amongst the elderly population was also something that the research was keen to investigate and draft findings of the topic. The research sought to answer the following questions:

• What are the methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens?
• What is the effectiveness of methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens?
• Do the methods initiated contribute to a healthy living amongst the elderly population?

Significance of the Study

            There is a purported increase in several senior citizens across the world, and the increase raises the alarm over critical needs and cares that the elderly population requires to improve their health. There is a need to design methods of preventing illnesses amongst the elderly because they are highly prone to the circumstances and require special intervention. The methods already in use may either be effective or ineffective in improving the health of the elderly population (Tazkarji et al., 2016). This study aimed at sieving out the most relevant and effective approaches to preventive treatments of the elderly by investigating the outcomes of each method applied. Each approach has benefits, as well as drawbacks, and this research shall assist in the identification of the most advantageous approach in assuring senior citizens of their health. This study was significant because it eliminated the existing tension about the welfare of the elderly in terms of health. The study also helped in discovering the universally acceptable preventive medicine approaches and healthy living for senior citizens (Tazkarji et al., 2016). This also revealed factors that hinder efforts to preventive care among the elderly and redesign the approaches commonly used by the elderly to promote the health of populations.

SECTION B: LITERATURE REVIEW

Preventive Medicine and Healthy Living

Previous studies exhibit that preventive medicine and health lifestyle go hand in hand. According to research, preventive medicine can be regular testing, vaccination or immunization or even the advice of a doctor. Most researchers have shown that preventive medicine aids senior citizens in preventing the occurrence of some diseases and also the management of their health (Tricoli et al. 2017). According to Latimer and Mott (2015), regular tests, measurement of body weight and blood pressure, advice on diets, immunization of adults and children promotes a healthy living lifestyle. Regular Family physicians should consider these preventive services as a proper approach to healthy living for old aged people. Most studies explain that family physicians must control the eating preferences of the old aged citizen to prolong their life expectancy (Vadaparampil et al., 2014). Similarly, research concludes that preventive care for patients should be based on the ages. Research has found significant evidence that preventive medicine and health living for senior citizens are mandatory for developed and developing countries.

Preventive Medicine                             

Preventive medicine is categorized into two; clinical and non- clinical medicine. Clinical preventive medicine involves physicians physically examining the patients, and they can do screening, administer immunizations, and counsel patients on poor health habits (Latimer and Mott, 2015). Non- clinical preventive medicine does not involve primary care physicians closely working with patients. This category requires epidemiology, health policies, and focus on behavioral things that influence the health of the aged. However, research shows that the work of physicians involves both the clinical and non-clinical part of preventive medicine (Latimer and Mott, 2015). Most researchers argue that before recommending the preventive medicine for adults the following factors must be put into consideration; monthly incomes, functional status, health-seeking behavior, tests carried out on specific individuals, age, life expectancy and the number of the family member (Chihuri et al., 2016). Putting life expectancy into consideration helps physicians to determine the testing procedures and treatment plans for the elderly. Most studies establish that old aged people with a limited life expectancy become a challenge in the process of disseminating primary care.

Estimation of life expectancy faces a challenge since the information on the estimates might not be precise. Even though it is difficult to establish the life expectancy of a person, the forecast is useful in day to day decision making. Also, the function ability status of older people solely guides doctors on the type of preventive medicines they should prescribe on them. From research reviews, patients with a functional functionality status are less vulnerable to old aged diseases compared to their counterparts with less functionality status (Spoel et al., 2014). Also, people with low monthly incomes should be subjected to low costing preventive measures that they can afford to avoid health care disparities in the world. Preventive medicine is categorized into three sections; screening for health problems that are not causing symptoms noticeable to the patient, which involves screening for some conditions like cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes that mostly do not show signs (Vadaparampil et al., 2014).

The government offers of vaccines or some medicines to prevent future illness and most of these vaccines for free to promote the care of the old aged people. Also, the examination of some common problems that are not generally considered in the daily medical routine, for example, probing from patients about depression signs, stress, or even abuse of hard drugs such as bhang, should be regularly done (Siu et al., 2016). Most of the adults should also be counseled on the importance of proper diets, avoiding drug abuse, and exercising. Studies suggest that the consideration of the categories, as mentioned earlier, results in better health care and health living for senior citizens.

Most studies recommend the following preventive services that physicians should offer to the elderly, just to mention a few of the services; Influenza vaccine, diabetes screening, cholesterol screening, and cancer. Studies have shown that most of the people aged 65 and above suffer from and die of influenza. Therefore older people should immunize against the disease for healthy living (Vadaparampil et al., 2014). Similarly, breast cancer screening is regularly done to assess the status of older adults. Studies have shown that more than half of the breast cancer cases are among people aged 65 and above (Latimer and Mott, 2015). It is recommended by most healthcare institutions that women aged 50 years should undergo cancer testing. Also, risk factors might necessitate doctors to perform cancer screening. Besides, the elderly are subjected to regular diabetes screening. It is one of the most medical conditions that many of the adults suffer from. Also, older people should be submitted to routine cholesterol screening, and this will help them to control associated cholesterol diseases (Tricoli et al., 2017). Previous studies indicate that heart diseases and strokes that occur in old adults are cholesterol associated. Besides these essential tests, the older adults should consult family physicians on other tests that they may need for better preventive care.

Researchers reveal that prevalence of most illness progress with an increase in age. Preventive medicine aims to prevent the incidence of illness in old aged people or even prevent the occurrence of some conditions. The main goal of better care for the adult is to enhance the mental, physical, and social activities of the aged people. The United States of America preventive Service Taskforce (USPSTF) provides numerous recommendations to aid family physicians in providing primary care for the elderly (Siu et al., 2016). Most physicians follow the advice provided by the United States of America Preventive Service task force on sound preventive services that are based on the family history, age, and medical history of older people. Besides, the strategies laid down on preventive care must be able to accommodate all the cultural practices of the people within a country for them to be effective.

Healthy Living

Study reviews have shown that health living among senior citizens helps in preventing diseases that are associated with older people. Most of the common ailments related to poor health living include; heart diseases, hypertension, dementia diabetes, and some other chronic conditions (Chihuri et al. 2016). Researchers have done several studies to establish several methods of maintaining a healthy living for older adults. One of the ways is checking on eating habits; eating habits contribute a lot to the health of an individual. Good eating habits lead to better healthy living in young and old aged people.

Research has shown that most of the conditions associated with old aged people are contributed by poor eating habits (Taylor, 2014). Therefore it is deemed necessary that older people must check on what they eat. Researchers suggest that they should eat food with fewer fats to avoid heart diseases and other chronic diseases that result from excess fats (Laska et al., 2015). Also, old aged people should regularly visit family physicians for physical examination. The physical examination involves the measure of body mass index, height, and weight, or even the doctor will advise them on the medicines they are taking and talk to them about the eating habits. Researchers suggest that the visits for physical examination are away for a better healthy living.

According to most of the researchers, regular screening is very significant for a healthy living since prevention is better than cure. Almost all the studies agree that all adults should always undergo all the possible healthcare checkups. Therefore it helps in ensuring that most of the senior citizens can detect minor or major health issues early by they worsen (Latimer and Mott 2015). It is recommendable for senior-most citizens to be subjects to medical tests every six months or yearly. Similarly, senior citizens should regularly be under medical management for a healthy living. Family physicians should usually advise old aged people to seek medical attention for better health living standards. Also, older people should find medication once they show some symptoms like loss of appetite, drowsiness, headaches, allergic reactions, and other symptoms that are associated with old age medical conditions (Chihuri et al., 2016). Medical management is crucial for the healthy living of individuals. Also, studies have recommended that most of the older people should have enough rest and sleep. Enough rest and sleep help the body of an individual to rejuvenate and rebuild. Similarly, sleeping and resting should be encouraged among the ages as it is necessary.

Another important aspect for better health living in old age, as many researchers have revealed, is to avoid neglecting mental health. Older people are vulnerable to psychological or mental health. Old aged people face many changes in their daily lives that are challenging, which may induce mental health to them, and thus it necessary for them to take care of their mental health (McGlynn et al., 2017). Psychological or mental health among older age people can be avoided by them engaging in their various favorite activities such as going outs with their family members, visiting friends, and spending most of their time with family members. Researcher shows proper management of psychological or mental health leads to a better health living since the older adults can avoid health conditions such as hypertension (Siu et al., 2016). Similarly, studies reveal that most of the adults face the problem of vision changes, thus advisable for them to visit eye clinics for eye checkups to ensure their vision is in a stable condition. The eye checkups should be done at least twice a year. Right eye vision provides better health living as individuals can manage some things on their own instead of depending on others.

Studies suggest that older people with 65 years above should go osteoporosis screening. Old aged people have a higher risk of suffering from osteoporosis in their lifetime. The osteoporosis test is known as the bone mass test, and regular checks will help senior citizens to be able to manage their health (Jeremiah et al. 2015). Also, senior citizens should regularly visit primary care physicians for high blood pressure screening. Most of the older people are subjected to a lot of stress in their daily life that may eventually lead to the development of hypertension. Therefore to ensure better healthy living for them, they should visit doctors for regular checkups. Similarly, several studies have established that 60% of new colorectal cancer cases recorded are adults above 70 years of age. The American Academy of Family of Physicians suggests that colorectal cancer screening with fecal immunochemical tests should be commenced at the age of 50 years until the age of 70 (Latimer and Mott, 2015). For better testing, doctors should consider benefits, risks, and the evidence that supports coming up with a sound choice.

Similar studies indicate that socializing among the elderly helps in making them avoid being lonely. Studies recommend that senior citizens should interact with others as much as possible because it can prevent mental health. Similarly, some researchers have noted that regular exercises among senior citizens help them to maintain their body shape, remove excess salts and water (Taylor, 2014). Also, exercises help them in making their bones strong, and it protects them from being vulnerable to some diseases. Therefore senior citizens should consider running or walking and doing other forms of exercise to their body healthy for better living. Besides, senior citizens should take advantage of free medical checkups held by medical doctors in different parts of the nation. The free checkups will help in the early detection of some diseases and thus seek initial medical management for them (Han et al., 2015). Also, senior citizens should regularly visit dentists to be attended to teeth related issues. Senior citizens should visit dentists every six months for checkups (Silva et al., 2014). Studies show that most of the mouth problems are associated with diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases.

Benefits of Preventive Medicine and Healthy Living among Senior Citizens

Several studies have proved that preventive medicine and healthy living has got many benefits to the aging population. Also, the impact of preventive medicine for aged people is excellent. The increased focus on older people has resulted in making geriatrics a subject of specialization since the conditions associated with old age have salvaged prominence (Tricoli et al., 2017). The specialty has resulted in more research on the diseases affecting senior citizens to find ways of preventing them.

Similarly, several pieces of research have concluded that most healthcare systems are acknowledging the value of preventing and treatment of diseases in the aging population that was viewed as a burden (Han et al., 2015). Also, preventive medicine helps older people to stay healthier and get more effective treatments. Besides, when older people begin treatments early or change their way of life, it helps them to live healthier and respond to treatment speedy (LeFevre, 2014). Many studies reveal that healthy living among older adults helps in reducing their medical expenses. Preventive medicine helps them to detect some conditions early, thus reducing the cost of management. Also, the Affordable Care Act that covers American preventive services helps in reducing medical expenses.

Reviews on previews research indicate that preventive medicine and health living among senior citizens help in saving the lives of people and improves the quality of health or even increases life expectancy for the aging population. The quality of health is improved by proper medication management and taking a proper diet. A portion of good food helps in preventing diseases such as high blood pressure, strokes, and loss of memory, visual problems, and many more conditions that are impacted by diet (Laska et al., 2015). According to the same authors, the regular physical exercises associated with better health living help in improving the quality of life of the old aged people. Additionally, health living among senior citizens helps them to perform their typical day to activities without facing any challenge.

Previous studies show that healthy living among the aging population helps reduce the number of adults suffering from psychological or mental health (Chihuri et al., 2016). Therefore the senior citizens can be able to make sound decisions independently. Similarly, the continuous vaccination of the elderly helps them to be immune against some old aged conditions. Additionally, healthy living helps the aged people to socialize with others, and this will help to avoid being lonely, get new ideas, and develop a good relationship with others. The social network is also significant to the elderly since it helps them to engage in leisure activities with relatives.

Studies show that it is very vital when the aging population has their health since they can be independent in their daily life, and also they do not experience pain related to diseases (Chihuri et al., 2016). Health living to the elderly helps to have positive feelings about life compared to poor health living that induces the old aged people with negative emotions associated with their age. Positive attitudes help prolong the life of the elderly has it gives them a sense of living longer. Researchers reveal that the creation of awareness and autonomy is one of the core benefits of preventive medicine and health residing for senior citizens (Chihuri et al., 2016). The nature of recognition and autonomy encourages early screening and improves the health-seeking behaviors of the elderly in seeking health.

SECTION C: METHODOLOGY

Research methods

Approach

            To investigate preventive healthcare practices for the elderly, appropriate methods of obtaining valid information were applied. This research approach consisted of both bibliographic and empirical information for the assessment of the elderly situation in the study area. Bibliographic review/ literature review was essential in identifying previous findings of other experts about preventive practices and healthy living for senior citizens (Biggerstaff & Thompson, 2018).  Specifically, the study investigated healthy living practices among senior citizens of 65 years and above at Golden Years Adult Daycare because the age constituted of the most vulnerable elderly population in the United States. Empirical research shall allow the researcher to challenge, extrapolate, and affirm the hypothesis (Biggerstaff & Thompson, 2018). The empirical research comprised of a collection of data from participants, which was then analyzed, discussed, and a meaningful conclusion drawn from the data obtained.

Research Design

            The study design assumed a descriptive approach in which the methods used in preventive medicine and healthy living for the elderly were surveyed at Golden Years Adult Daycare. The research design was qualitative because it is effective in exploring the behaviors and opinions of people regarding preventive medicine and healthy living for senior citizens (Biggerstaff & Thompson, 2018). The researcher interviewed adults of 65 years and above to obtain information regarding the status of their treatment. Furthermore, the research also obtained information from proxy individuals such as families, physicians, and caregivers. Data regarding the status of preventive treatment for the elderly was also obtained from elderly patients’ files to ensure that enough information is available for analysis (Maltby et al., 2014). The findings of the study were based on the observation and opinions of experiences of the caregivers, the elderly, and their families regarding the experiences of preventive medicines and healthy living at Golden Years Adult Daycare in Miami.

Participants and Sample Population

Participants in this study consisted of the elderly of 65 years and above because individuals of this age have poor body repair processes in their cells and are not as active as the youthful (Waring, Harris & Mitchell, 2017).  Family physicians and caregivers provided part of the information that consisted of data for the study. The respondents of the study were sampled from different cities and towns as a way of determining the distribution of the underlying problem. The research targeted 50 participants who took part in the study. A small sample population was preferred for this study because of time and budget issues. Purposive sampling was applied in this study because it would assure the researcher that the people being selected for the study meet the criteria for participation. The sampling criteria ensured that participants in the study had the characteristics required for inclusion in the study (Biggerstaff & Thompson, 2018). In this case, the research targeted the elderly residents of Miami who had attained 65 years or more to take part in the study. The researcher targeted both genders in varying proportion that is I8 males and 32 females to ensure the right balance of the finding regarding the effectiveness of preventive measures for the male population and female population. This sampling design was preferred because preventive medicine and healthy living practices may produce varying results for males and females (Maltby et al., 2014). There was, therefore, the need to examine both sides of the coin and assess effectiveness that comes with gender issues. Naturally, men are muscular and can be subjected to more physical exercises that women and this difference may draw interest in trying to establish the effectiveness of preventive intervention for males and females.

Data Collection Instruments

The research gathered data by use of in-depth interview of participants. The interviews were systematic and were guided by prompts from the researcher. Face-to-face interviewing was recommended for this study because most of the older adults could not write down their views, as in the case of questionnaires. As opposed to structure questions, a face-to-face interview exercise permits the researcher to speak their own experiences by using their own words. By engaging the participants directly, the researcher was capable of developing his/her personal views and opinions as pertains to preventive medicine and healthy living for the elderly. The process of interviewing also assisted the researchers in comprehending the physical and psychological conditions of the study participants (Biggerstaff & Thompson, 2018). This type of approach to gathering data from the participants helped the researcher in obtaining information before and after treatment of the elderly, and this would help the caregiver to understand the changes that occurred in the whole method. The approach applied self-reporting techniques to allow the researcher to select treatment carefully and ensure flexibility in a wide range of approaches.

The data collection exercise for this study was conducted for 30 days. The exercise began by creating an oral and written consent to invite participants for the study. The consent was part of the ethical measures of the study, which ensured that participants took part in the study willingly and were fully aware of the intentions of the researcher. Since not all the elderly could write, an option for an oral consent for participation was issued to the potential participants and those who meet the criteria for the study. After the issuance of oral consent, the researcher was satisfied after obtaining the desired number of participants in the study, which was 50 elderly individuals. Interviewing the elderly required enough time, and this made it take hours to complete one interview (Bardram, 2018).  To complete the interviewing of 50 participants within 30 days, there was the need to have many interviewers on the ground to complete the exercise within the 30 days. The research team walked with audio recorders to have every information captured and also enable reviewing of the information when the need arises.

Data Analysis

The data gathered from the participants was analyzed by thematic content analysis to identify the specific and recurring elements in the data. The researcher first transcribed the recorded interviews to create an effective interpreting ground for the data. Despite that transcription may consume a lot of time during the data analysis, it provides an in-depth analysis of the information, and the data can be stored electronically and allow for reference by other people (Jensen et al., 2018). During the transcription of the data, pseudonyms were used instead of the real names to uphold the confidentiality principle of research. Data analysis followed the presentation of the information in a complete form where tables, graphs, and charts were used to draw more meaning from the data. An excellent presentation of the data was considered essential for all audiences, such as those who could interpret numerical calculations that could view the information in a table, graphical, or chart form (Bardram, 2018). The researcher then analyzed the data by use of the SPSS software and then summarized the findings in the way of conclusions. The authenticity of the research was ascertained by an independent researcher who scrutinized the data and validated its processes and findings. The study findings were then used to institute corrective measures in the preventive treatment of the elderly populations.

Demographic Characteristics of Adults at Golden Years Adult Daycare in Miami

The above descriptive statistics from the Golden Years Adult Day Care indicate that of the 50 participants, 18 were males, and 32 were females. Twenty of the participants were between ages 65 and seventy years. Twelve were between seventy-one and seventy-five age group; eight were between seventy-six and eighty age group, six were between eighty-one and eighty-five age group while four were above eighty-six years of age. A vast majority of the participants have degrees ranging from high school to graduate degree, while only ten have none. Twelve participants have a high school degree; eighteen have a college degree, while ten attained graduate degrees. The participants displayed different levels of gross income with twenty having less than $10,000, eight with a gross income between $10,000 to $24,999, four participants between $25,000 to $39,999, three participants between $40,000 to $54,999, five participants between $55,000 to $79,999, and ten participants over $80,000. The majority of the participants have three children, which is twenty-two participants. Eight have one child, fourteen have two children, four had four children, and two had more than five children. Most of the female participants lived with their husbands, which were twenty-two in number, while ten male participants lived with their spouses.

Pie Chart 1: Representation by Gender

Survey results by gender also indicated the rate of transition to either assisted or independent living. The survey intended to determine the effectiveness of preventive measures on different genders and the way such intervention contributed to recovery from health conditions. Survey analysis indicated that a total of 19 participants transitioned into assisted living despite undergoing preventive care and healthy living at the facility. Of the 19 participants, 12 were female, while seven were males. Thirty-one participants in total transitioned into independent living after effective preventive care and healthy living practices at the facility. The group comprised of eleven men and 21 women.

Pie chart 2: Showing transition to assisted and independent living

Determining the methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens

            Influenza Vaccination: Influenza vaccination was established to be one of the mostly applied preventive medicine and healthy living for the elderly practiced at the center for seniors. All the 50 respondents agreed that influenza vaccination was conducted on them yearly. A flu vaccine was found to be the best protection against flu and was highly administered at the center to keep flu away from the elderly. This is because influenza has been linked to old aged deaths. The older adults are subjected to vaccine treatment every year as a preventive measure against deadly influenza amongst the senior citizens (Diener & Tay, 2017). This method was proven to be highly effective in preventing influenza amongst the elderly. The human defense mechanism is said to become weaker with age and becomes at a high risk of developing complications. The influenza vaccine was being administered at the facility to prevent infectious diseases from infecting the elderly.

Breast Cancer Screening: About 50% of total breast cancer cases annually affect women of 65 years and above. As a result, it is highly recommended that women in their early 60s be should be tested after every two years. Female respondents at the facilities agreed that a mammogram was conducted on them at least every year to screen their breasts for cancer. Depending on the risk factors of the affected adults, doctors at the health facility could recommend mammogram tests more often. Female respondents ascertained that this method was being used appropriately and was optimistic about the results of the procedures.

Diabetes Screening: This condition is one of the most common conditions in older adults. All respondents agreed that diabetes screening, as one of the preventive measures were being conducted at the elderly facility most frequently to ascertain whether a person had developed the condition and the severity of the condition if present. Doctors recommend that diabetic screening should be conducted most regularly, depending on the condition of the adult (Graham et al., 2016). According to the respondents, this procedure was being taken positively as it helps in the early detection of diabetic cases and, thereby, possible prevention and treatment.

Cholesterol Screening: Screening as an important factor in prevention was also found to take place at the facility. Respondents agreed that this process was taking place in the care facility, and every member was subject to the screening for cholesterol. The majority of stroke and heart diseases that affect the elderly are said to be caused by a build-up of cholesterol in the body system. The elderly are advised to get a blood test for cholesterol most frequently and at regular intervals (Graham et al., 2016). The cholesterol tests accompany advice from doctors and nutritionists on how to balance the level of cholesterol in their body systems.

Establishing the effectiveness of methods of preventive medicine and healthy living practices for senior citizens

            In the objective to find out the effectiveness of the preventive medicine and healthy living practices among senior citizens at Golden Years Adult Day Care, the overall and general response from the participants was in the affirmative. The 50 participants who agreed that various preventive approaches were performed affirmed their effectiveness in the early prevention of infections. This was understood from the fact that early detection leads to prevention or early treatment of the condition, thereby minimizing the chances of fatalities amongst the elderly. The effectiveness of influenza vaccination, breast cancer screening, diabetes screening, and cholesterol screening was pretty evident from their ability to detect and initiate early treatment for the conditions. The preventive medical approach for the elderly was found to be at the epicenter for an effective treatment and even recovery process in non-chronic infections.

Determining whether the methods initiated contribute to a healthy living amongst the elderly population

Respondents affirmed that preventive methods initiated at the elderly daycare contributed to their healthy living. Basing on the fact that the methods applied were all proactive approaches to illnesses, the elderly could detect the possible health risks and institute counteractive measures that would prevent worst situations from affecting them. Vaccination, as one of the effective methods, prevented the elderly from acquiring numerous infections such as flu. When flu infections are on the rise, the elderly population becomes affected and infected in the facility. Flu is very infectious and dealing with it earlier to prevent multiple other individuals from contracting the disease (Milani & Franklin, 2017). All the screening processes conducted at the facility provided a good foundation for the treatment of various diseases. The screening processes were meant for early detection of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiac system-related diseases. The perspective of the elderly population in the facility agreed that the methods highly contributed to their healthy living because the guided the doctors on nutritional advice for eating habits and other habits that could exacerbate the condition amongst the elderly.

Apart from just the medical screening, the facility also offers non-medical approaches to healthy living for adults. As some health experts have asserted, what a person eats determines their health. In other terms, a person is made up of the things they eat. Therefore, nutritional habits are essential in ensuring a healthy lining for every person and especially the elderly population. Healthy eating habits are being fostered at the facility to ensure that the elderly are receiving the right form of care and nutritious elements that prevent their bodies from lifestyle illnesses. The eating habits of senior citizens have highly monitored these facilities as a way of ensuring that the elderly population receives the utmost amount of care required for their survival. Sleeping and rest was also a non-medical approach that was highly encouraged at the facility to ensure that the elderly received enough rest and sleep to have their bodies function healthily as required. According to doctors, when and individuals take a rest or sleeps, an individual’s body heals and rejuvenates. As a result, senior citizens are required to adhere to a strict sleeping and resting schedule (Tazkarji et al., 2016). The elderly at the daycare confirmed that they advised adhering to a strict sleep schedule, which was created for them, and they have constantly reminded of following the schedule as a way of building their healths strong.

Socialization and physical activities were also non-medical approaches highly embraced at the facility to help the elderly experience a healthy living. Exercising was a routine practice that was termed as helping to keep bodies in shape and prevent lifestyle diseases from developing in an elderly individual. Senior citizens were encouraged to walk and also perform other mild exercises that helped their bodies to be highly stable and prevent or withstand certain illnesses. Socialization was also emphasized because old age comes with the challenge of one being lonely. Senior citizens were encouraged to socialize more often, especially amongst themselves within the care facility. Socialization of the elderly in the facility also helps to make the brain of the elderly active and improves their mental health and wellness (Tazkarji et al., 2016).  The approach to physical exercise and socialization is essential for the elderly because it assists in stabilizing their bodies and encouraging physical and mental growth.

SECTION D: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Comparison of Participants

            The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive medicine and healthy living approaches at Golden Years Day Care. The participants in the study played a significant role in accomplishing this goal because their responses gave an exact picture of senior citizens in the region. Out of the 50 senior citizens who participated in the survey, 64% of the respondents were female while 36% of the respondents were male. The higher percentage of females visiting Golden Years Adult Day Care at Miami could be due to females’ better health-seeking behavior upon any signs or symptoms of failing health. Uncompared to their male counterparts, females find it fit to seek medical advice from the nearest medical center rather than giving time for symptoms to subside (Thompson et al., 2016). Most of the participants were also educated and sought ways and practices that were likely to prevent diseases and boost a better and healthy life. Health-seeking behavior is also directly proportional to one state of living and an individual’s ability to prevent disease-causing agents. Educated individuals are well aware of disease preventive measures and good hygiene, which keeps them away from contaminative agents and microorganisms likely to cause disease (Tazkarji et al., 2016). Therefore, the level of education has been shown by the many participants that have transitioned to independent living rather than assisted living even at their senior age.

Men that transitioned to assisted living are seven, making about 37% of participants that transitioned to assisted living with about 63% being female. However, more females transitioned to independent living at about 65% of this group, with about 35% male. The observation could be due to the female’s ability to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and advice from medical doctors and family physicians (Robinson et al., 2017). Perhaps females are more cautious about their health and would take immediate and appropriate actions towards their health as compared to men. The rate of transition to independent living for females is higher than of the male in the daycare. This could be an indication that females are performing excellently in the facility by adhering to the advice and medication prescribed by the health profession as compared to men. However, the population of females in the facility is high, but this may not rule out the assumption that females elderly people in the facility are taking enough precautions as compared to males.

Effectiveness of Preventive Medicine Methods and healthy living for the Elderly at Golden Day Adult Day Cay

The study of the elderly, the daycare intended to reveal the methods used in caring for the elderly, and their effectiveness in causing a healthy living among the elderly. The results of the objective have indicated a positive outcome for the three major objectives. The reasons behind the objectives obtained from the study remain significant to this section of the study while considering the demographics of the study population. The reason behind the effectiveness of the approaches remains a critical issue that the researcher was up to finding out for proper criticism of the research and a room for further research. The aspects that the researcher did not address in the research also remained critical issues in establishing a foundation for future studies in the area of preventive medicine.

The effectiveness of influenza vaccination was hailed as the core preventive measure for influenza. Most elderly people who participated in the research agreed that the approach prevented them from highly infectious viruses such as flu. The elderly are much susceptible to infectious diseases and believed that vaccination against these infectious illnesses is a big step towards recovery processes among the elderly. Preventive measures through vaccination have been used in almost every aspect of illness prevention right from the time of birth. As individuals age out, they become weaker and require another immunization that would help them withstand the effects of lethal diseases. When the elderly are immunized against viral infections, they become protected from infections (Tricoli, Nasiri & De, 2017).  Currently, viral infections do not have a definite cure, and treatment of viruses is extremely difficult because of the biological nature of their structures, which keeps changing when exposed to reagents. This, therefore, illustrates that vaccination as a way of preventing the elderly from infectious diseases is an effective approach for prevention and healthy living among the elderly.

Screening approaches for diabetes, breast cancer, and cholesterol are all methods that help in early detection of lifestyle illnesses that turn out to be chronic. After attaining the old age, the psychology of the elderly becomes weak, and certain chronic illnesses may begin to develop. Screening as a precautionary and preventive approach was hailed by the participants at the facility as an approach that helped them discover their condition and begin early treatment (Yourman, Guan & Gupta, 2020). Early detection and treatment was perceived to be a life-saving approach for the elderly because the late detection of the condition offers minimal options for treatment and limited survival chances. The screening was dome most frequently at the facility, depending on the age of the elderly, their health condition, and the type of condition that requires screeing. The screening methods were found to be very effective in monitoring the bodies of the elderly and establish how they respond to various treatment measures. Screening as a preventive measure has ensured that the elderly were provided with the necessary equipment at the facility, depending on the varying needs. Through the processes of screening, facility managers were capable of identifying the overall health needs of the elderly in the care facility and then supplying the community with the required equipment and medication for the treatment of the elderly in the facility.

The effectiveness of methods of preventive care was clear from the approaches applied a the facility, which as preventive approaches in nature. The methods were very effective because they screened possible health conditions in the elderly and placed them on the treatment they deserved for quick recovery or excellent geriatric experiences while at the care facility. The preventive method intends to examine the presence of a health condition in an adult and also prevent an elderly person from contracting an illness, as in the case of breakouts. The 50 participants who took part in the study acclaimed the use of preventive measures in curbing illnesses as an effective approach to dealing with health situations that affect the elderly. Preventive methods have proven their effectiveness in various contexts, and they would still prove to be effective in addressing elderly issues in the community. As such, the methods ensured that the elderly were being monitored properly to ascertain their health status and institute immediate interventions for improving their health conditions.

Participants in the study also described how psychological and social well-being impacted their health outcomes. Participants described how psychology and social affairs affected their recovery experiences and daily lives. They described the quality of life in a more holistic way that depicted their basic requirements and comfort. The degree of wellness and comfortability that the sick in the facility could enjoy in the rest of their lives is something that most respondents noticed as helpful to them while undergoing rather long-term care. The psychological and emotional wellness for the elderly was also denoted to enjoy a sense of well-being and joy for the people. Participants cited independence as a key factor of recovery experiences in the health facilities. They cited that the facility prepared them to have the ability to participate in daily activities like any normal person.

Participants noted that supportive systems offered at the daycare had an impact on the current and future health interventions for the elderly. The facility encouraged support of family and friends who further build-up the moral support being given at the facility. A majority of men in the care facility regarded their wives as their biggest support, while women cited that huge support comes from their children. The support included helping the elderly around the house and escorting them to appointments with doctors, especially in the instances of huge physical limitations. Supportive care was considered important in ensuring that the elderly successfully recovered from their illnesses. Most elderly in the facility cited that they needed company as part of their recovery journey. Social living was regarded as very important as a recovery mission for their various illnesses.

Whether the methods initiated at the facility contributed to healthy living is another area the researcher was interested in finding results. 47 out of the 50 participants (97%) of the participants agreed that the intervention methods at the facility contributed to healthy living for the elderly. By knowing the status of their health, the elderly population changed their eating habits to keep diseases at bay. Screening and early detection were perceived to create a great awareness of the health conditions for the elderly, thereby fostering early precautionary measures that also prevented the fast spreading of the condition. The effectiveness of the methods in the early promotion of health and witnesses for the elderly is derived from the ability of health experts to provide enough care and based on the screening results. The methods were said to promote healthy living among senior citizens who sought the services of the facility for keeping their bodies stable and healthy.

Analysis

            Preventive services have to be approved for their effectiveness, and medical persons should have proof that the provision of the services results in improved health outcomes for the people. For early detection or screening to provide confidence in improved health outcomes, clinicians must have the capacity to conduct routine follow-ups to ascertain a treatment that works and improves the wellbeing of a patient under care (Denham, O’Brien & Charchar, 2016). The purpose of Golden Years Adult Day Care is not only screening and treatment but also making follow-ups to find out the experiences of patients who are under medication. Adult members of the daycare enjoy the privilege of having their medical conditions checked routinely to monitor the progress of their health status. This means that the health professionals monitor how the elderly respond to the treatment and the side effects of the treatments offered at the facility. Any medical procedure intended for the prevention of illness ought to show proof that the intervention is better as compared to the treatment of a condition after it becomes symptomatic.

Preventive services and procedures should also prove to result in positive health outcomes for the subjects of the treatment. For instance, certain screening for prostate cancer by examining prostate-specific antigens in older men is no-longer a recommended screening procedure. This is because the overall screening only led to painful lives because men who were found to have small prostate cancers, which would never trouble them in ther lives, began seeking painful treatments to deal with the condition. The prostate screening is no-longer useful because it caused panic for prostrate conditions that could not trouble men in their lifetime (Denham, O’Brien & Charchar, 2016). Some medics have since argued that not every testing is useful, especially the one conducted on people without symptoms. Such tastes have been regarded as hard if not wasteful. Many preventive services become either optional or recommended when people attain a certain age. According to medical experts, may preventive approaches have proven to be effective to individuals who are likely to live another 5-15 years. The preventive services vary with age, and a preventive service administered to a healthy 70-year-old person may not be the same as a preventive service recommended to an 82-year-old who is Alzheimer (Denham, O’Brien & Charchar, 2016). The preventive methods used at the facility are relevant to the population because the individuals are proven to have the likelihood of living another 5-15 years, and the measures to not cause harm to the senior citizens.

Despite the fact that older adults are living longer, they are susceptible to health conditions and chronic illnesses. Support for older adults is important as they try to manage their health conditions. According to the report by the National Council of Aging in 2014, 92% of senior citizens are battling at least one chronic condition. 78% of other older adults are said to have at least two chronic conditions (Aseyedali & Norouzi Tabrizi, 2019). The ability to manage these health conditions is something that health programs for the elderly are trying to address to increase life expectancy. The global efforts to have the elderly experience good long-term care is evident from the ability of health departments across the world to promote and support long-term geriatric services to ensure a peaceful aging experience. The experiences of the elderly at the daycare facility reveal how early detection and treatment for diseases is important. The approach makes chronic diseases manageable at the right time because it reduces the chances of fatalities that may be experienced in the facilities. From the illustrations of the findings, healthcare departments can monitor the preventive and treatment measures for the elderly as an effective way of ensuring recovery (Aseyedali & Norouzi Tabrizi, 2019). Each approach to recovery should be properly utilized to assure the senior citizens of high life expectancy and healthy living by managing their conditions consistently.

SECTION E: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations

Despite that the Golden Years Adult Day Care is undertaking tremendous efforts to ease the livelihoods of the elderly, a lot more has to be implemented to make further their lives more comfortable and promising long-lives. The research intended to find out the approaches used by health clinicians and professionals in the facility in providing preventive medicine and healthy living for the elderly population. The results have since revealed that the actions have increased the health experiences of the elderly and tend to lengthen their lifespans as long as they continue to benefit from the daycare services (Latimer & Mott, 2015). Measures and nutritional approach for the elderly have been commendable according to the research, but as the population of the elderly continues to increase, there is the need for improved approaches of assisting the elderly people in managing their health issues as they age out. This means that the facility requires putting in place additional intervention to assist the elderly population fully. This means that there are medical and non-medical approaches that the facility needs to add to its programs for enhancing its performance measures.

Mental health programs: Golden Years Adult Day Care center should introduce mental health programs for the elderly because most aged people suffer mental problems such as dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases, which affect the mental capacity of the aged people. Mental health is an essential part of human health, and a person gets more vulnerable as they get older. Their mental wellness becomes essential to the overall health aspects of their lives. Most aged people suffer problems of memory loss and require assistance from other people and routine practices, which help them recall most things that they tend to forget (Latimer & Mott, 2015). Mental health programs should range from mere counseling to intense psychiatric treatments that would balance between physical health and mental abilities for the elderly. The elderly have to be offered good mental support as pertains to their ability to respond to the environment (Vadaparampil et al., 2014). Their mental being requires enough relaxation and nutrients that enrich the brain and prevent brain cells from degenerating at a faster rate.

Physical body therapy: physical exercise is an important aspect of elderly care, which helps to keep their bodies stable even when aging out. Golden Years Day Care center should introduce physical exercise programs that would keep the elderly in a routine exercise to have their bodies fit and energetic. Body therapy and the facility may also include physiotherapy practices like body massage to keep the bodies of the elderly free from a condition such as blood pressure and blood sugars. Body massage helps to open veins and clears the veins of cholesterol deposits, which may cause severe conditions such as heart attack (Tricoli, Nasiri & De, 2017).   This program should be embraced at the care facility to have the elderly experience fitness even while in the care facilities. Physical body exercise as part of preventive measures and healthy living among the adults ensures that other interventions such as medical interventions work faster and aid in the recovery and peaceful aging. Physical activity is said to have the potential or reducing mortality rates in the elderly and can also prevent obesity and osteoporosis conditions in the body (Tricoli, Nasiri & De, 2017). Regular exercises are a good measure of weight reduction or maintenance. Most of the conditions that the elderly strive to prevent or treat are developed from lack of physical exercise of the person either while at the older age or during their youthful period.

Long-term care service: Despite the tremendous preventive measures being undertaken at the facility, long-term (palliative) care was not part of the elderly programs at the center. Preventive medicine and healthy living for the elderly ought to go hand in hand with long term care services. This is because most of the senior citizens with chronic illnesses require long-term care, which is usually provided at nursing homes, or it may be home-based. When long-term care goes hand in hand with preventive medicine and healthy living, it doubles the health experiences and health needs of the elderly (Milani & Franklin, 2017). Long-term care implies that the elderly receive a full package of their health experiences because they receive the assistance they need from the health facility. Long-term care for the elderly is an essential aspect of elderly care, which should be preferred to ensure that senior citizens experience strength and wellness. The elderly require long-term care because it provides them with everything they need to deal with their age and chronic conditions that affect their body systems (Milani & Franklin, 2017).  As such, this population of individuals requires close monitoring, and preventive medicine alone may not establish close care or relationship to assist them to lead happy lives. The recommendations for beginning a long-term care program in the facility shall ensure that the elderly receive effective health care benefits from the health facility.

Smoking Cessation: Most senior citizens may be fond of the habit of smocking. Preventive medicine and healthy living also imply that an elderly individual refrains from smoking because it contributes or increases the impact of chronic illnesses on the body system. A program to assist the elderly at the facility withdraw from the habit of smoking was found to be lacking at Golden Years Adult Day Care. This report recommends that the program be initiated in the facility. Programs to help the elderly withdraw from the habit of smoking may be a group effort, or each individual may be assisted at a personal level to have them refrain from smoking. The prevalence of illness may increase if a person continues to smoke during their old age; therefore, the affected elderly should avoid smoking and other drug or substance abuse habits that may compromise efforts to attain a healthy living. Healthcare advisors are supposed to undertake stun measures that would guide the elderly in attaining the best form of care they deserve. In this regard, healthcare experts have a role to play in fostering good habits within their care.

The recommendations to improve the scope of care at the facility shall assist in enhancing positive outcomes within the care facilities and shall foster the overall growth of geriatric care in the entire Miami region. Perhaps the government ought to take part in helping the elderly through organizations such as Golden Years Adult Day Care, which provide services to the elderly. The federal and state governments ought to provide tremendous support to the organizations in a bid to enable them to offer a full package of services to the community. Facilities that offer geriatric health services ought to file an appeal to the government for support to allow them to provide complete preventive care and healthy living practices.

Conclusions

            The effectiveness of preventive medicine and healthy living among the elderly has been investigated at the Golden Years Adult Day Care in Miami, and the results have indicated a positive relationship between preventive care and an increase in life expectancy. The elderly require n high stake care to ensure that that their lives are not cut short by illnesses that could otherwise be treated if detected early. Geriatric Care at the facility adopted practices that could assist the elderly to manage their lives comfortably. A majority of the elderly admitted to having transited from supportive to independent care after being subjected to treatment options and healthy living practices at the facility. The elderly care facility has the vision to improve the health of populations even in the later years of a person. Perhaps many people have thought that the elderly do not deserve critical care because they have lived enough and are waiting to depart from the physical life. However, the elderly require high degrees of care and health advice to add value to their lives. For the elderly who may be unaware of the services or are reluctant to be part of the health services, proper advice requires to be issued to assist the elderly people. Elderly persons should, at all times, be encouraged to seek preventive medicine and practice healthy living to improve their life expectancy. Transition to independent living also is likely to reduce government spending on the geriatric population. Preventive medicine and healthy living should also be perceived as an essential part of healthy living practices for the elderly.