Wellness Education Program Proposal

Wellness Education Program Proposal Wellness refers to a process of becoming aware and making suitable choices to a fulfilling and healthy life. It can be considered a dynamic process of growth and change (Kozier, 2008).  This wellness education program is focused on preventing various diseases and illnesses among elderly population. It attempts to create awareness among the elderly population regarding the importance of healthy living and prevention of diseases. This wellness education program is focused on providing education regarding health and wellness to the elderly population of Rochester, New York.

1. Cultural Considerations

Cultural considerations are significant to the efficiency of a counseling approach. In this context, culture refers to distinguishing individuals on the basis of gender, age, language and sexual orientation (Srivastava, 2007). Elder population is vulnerable to various types of diseases and illnesses due to the age factor. It is important to create awareness regarding substance abuse and a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid certain illnesses. Self-management of medical conditions is one of the critical ways that can be influential in eliminating the disease and leading a healthy lifestyle. In Rochester- New York, many private networks run their cultural change campaigns in which they hear the voices of individuals and their choices about health. As compared to young people, the older population is more susceptible to certain types of diseases and necessitates fast treatment. 

2. Integration CAM, traditional Medicine, Spirituality and Holistic Health into the Wellness Education Plan

CAM

This medicinal technique attempts to positively impact the plan of wellness by recommending the curative products (medical) that require being taken with the use of standard medical products. CAM further involves the products of healthcare, systems, and practices that are generally non-pharmaceutical and non-invasive. Barnes, Anderson, Phillipson & Newall (2007) described that CAM approach is effective and safe for the elderly population. 

Traditional Medicine

Traditional medicine can be described as the sum of the skills, practices, and knowledge based on the beliefs, theories and the experiences indigenous to various types of cultures, utilized in health maintenance and in the diagnosis, treatment or improvement of mental and physical illness (Barnes et al., 2007). Integrating traditional medicine into the action plan of wellness education program can be considered beneficial as it aims to promote traditional practices of medicine for the wellness o community and family. 

Holistic Health

Holistic health technique can positively impact the wellness action plan by creating a positive impact on the overall environment and health of the elder patient. Therefore, integration of holistic health at different levels attempts to embrace the connection between mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing. The focus of care treatment in the holistic approach includes exercise, diet, behavior and attitude modification, spiritual counseling and environmental measures (Rigby, Hill, Koch & Keeling, 2011). 

Spirituality

Spirituality possesses the capability to positively influence wellness action plan as it attempts to answer three general questions, including, where a person wants to be? Where had a person be? And where a person is at present? The analysis of these basic questions can significantly assist in formulating the plan and overcoming the issues. The wellness education program would attempt to determine the spiritual needs of the elderly and would devise certain techniques for meeting those needs (Rigby et al., 2011). 

3. Linguistic Considerations

Srivastava (2007) identified that barriers related to barriers related to cultural beliefs and language cannot be ignored if an institution attempts to provide quality health services to the patients belonging to diverse cultural groups. In the United States, there are people belonging to different cultures and religions. Error in communication can attempt to negatively influence the health of the individuals. Following are the linguistic considerations that must be considered prior to initiating a wellness education program: 

Miscommunication

Miscommunication is one of the most evident errors in medical that can endanger the life of a patient. For providing education to elderly population regarding wellness, it is important to use a language that can be understood by a layman. 

Language Barriers

The language barrier is a critical component that can also have a negative influence on the health of the elder population. If the members of the wellness program are unable to communicate the guidelines effectively to the population, then the program can be a total failure. It is important to hire members who are able to communicate properly to the people of United States. 

4. Strategies and Marketing of the Wellness Education Plan

It is significant to devise certain strategies and techniques that focus on education the elderly population regarding disease prevention and health promotion. Discussed below are some of the techniques that can be incorporated into the wellness education program (Blais, 2015): 

4.1 Strategies

Health Promotion

Campaign: Initiating a campaign regarding discouragement of the use of alcohol, tobacco, cigarette and other harmful products can be influential in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for the elder population. Further, incentives and rewards can be provided to the individuals taking part in this program.

Dietary and Nutritional Interventions: The plan of the wellness education can include a list of dietary products that can be considered by the elderly population in order lead a healthy lifestyle. Further, certain vegetables and fruits can be included in the list that focuses on the betterment of health. 

Sexual Health: This involves promoting a state of mental, social and physical well-being regarding sexuality. Education regarding safe sexual experience is important to incorporate into the wellness education program. 

Disease Prevention

Vaccination: The elder population can be guided by the importance of vaccination in order to prevent various diseases and illnesses. 

Behavioral and Health risks: The wellness education plan must include the provision of knowledge regarding behavioral and health risks, along with effective care techniques to the elderly. 

Early Disease detection: Early disease detection is a crucial element that can be influential in the prevention of a major illness or disease. 

4.2 Marketing of the Education Plan

There are significant techniques that can be implemented to market the wellness education plan. Following are some of the factors that must be considered: 

Market Segmentation: The specific targeted audience for this education plan would be an elderly population of the United States. Market segmentation involves targeting the audience that would get the most benefit from the education plan. The marketing plan for this program would include targeting the elderly population through different means.

Advertising: Online advertisements can be utilized to reach the elder population. Facebook is the most common social media platform that is being utilized by the elderly population. Different types of ads can be posted on Facebook to indicate the targeted audience about the significance of the education program. 

Promotions: Pamphlets and banners can be placed in different places that focus on promoting the wellness education plan for the elderly. This would attempt to highlight the targeted audience regarding the program. 

5. Benefits of the Wellness Education Plan 

There is several benefits of a wellness education plan. These include both long-term and short-term benefits (Kozier, 2008):

Long-term Benefits

• It attempts to reduce several health risks associated with the elderly population. 
• It focuses on reducing healthcare costs that can eventually lead to saving money on healthcare. 
• The wellness education plan can help the elder people to avoid dietary habits that lead to poor quality of life. 
• Increased well-being is one of the significant aspects of the wellness education plan. It can be influential for maintaining health in the long-term. 

Short-term Benefits

• The elderly population can help to achieve a reduction in weight by following the guidelines described by the wellness education plan. 
• Physical fitness can be improved by doing certain exercises as described in the wellness education plan. 
• Any current disease diagnosed can be reduced to the highest degree by utilizing the wellness education. 

6. Ethical principles affecting the Health Promotion and Preventive Care

Ethics must be considered by the organization while promoting health and providing preventive care. Some of the ethical principles are described below (Blais, 2015):

Advertising Techniques

One of the most evident ethical issues is related to advertising techniques in health promotion interventions. These may include exaggerations, emotional appeals, omissions and the use of children. However, using effective advertising techniques can be influential in achieving success for the wellness education program. 

Privacy

Privacy of the user is another critical component that must be considered during the promotion of health and provision of effective care. Misuse of confidential information of the users can lead to negative impact on the promotion of health.  It is, therefore, crucial to consider the privacy of the patients in order to ensure their trust and promote well-being effectively. 

Fairness

Fairness is another crucial component of ethics that must be considered to ensure that users get sufficient knowledge from the wellness education program. It includes that there should be no discrimination or favoritism regarding the provision of health services. 

7. Laws Affecting Health Promotion

The federal and local laws can have a significant impact on the wellness education program. It is critical to rigorously follow the laws of the state while providing education to the population. 

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) aims to protect the privacy of health information regarding a patient that is maintained or transferred by a healthcare professional. This involves electronic, e-mails, oral, voicemail and paper records. This law must be followed by the organization in order to avoid any ethical issues regarding the privacy of the elderly population. Violation of this Act can lead to severe negative outcomes, which would eventually hamper the reputation of the organization (Srivastava, 2007). 

Srivastava (2007) described that the legal elements behind health disparities can attempt to influence health promotion. It is critical to consider that immigrants belonging to different nationalities often face issues in receiving equal health care in several countries due to their status. 

Further, changes in the laws of the state can also negatively influence the processes of the organization. It is important to amend the processes in accordance with the law in order to provide effective care services to the elderly population.

8. Economic Impact of Health Promotion and Clinical Prevention

The economic impact of clinical prevention and health promotion is significant. One of the most significant effects includes the effective provision of services to the socially disadvantaged group (Kozier, 2008). The wellness education program can help the elder population to save the cost of healthcare. Chronic diseases emerged as one of the core health care cost drivers and led to economic losses. By initiating the wellness education program, the extent of chronic diseases can be reduced to a certain extent.

Self-management of a medical condition can significantly assist in cutting treatment cost. The wellness program includes providing guidelines on self-management of illnesses. It can be considered one of the crucial ways of preventing hospital and health care cost. The wellness education program can further assist in early diagnosis of various diseases, which can eventually help to save medical cost that is spent on treatment of major illnesses.