Exercise is another physical care need at all life stages but the amount and type of exercise that a person needs will differ according to their life stage. Babies, for instance, will need to develop their muscles by playing with toys and certain toys can be used to help them develop their motor skills and fine manipulative skills. During childhood a child will need more open spaces to develop their muscles and lug functions. Adults also need plenty of exercise. If a person is doing a manual job they may not need as much exercise as a person who is working sat down all day in an office, so a health promotion worker may advise a person working in an office to find alternative methods of exercise such as joining the gym or cycling to work. People in old age also need exercise, but this has to be monitored and prepared properly so that they do what they are capable of and do not strain themselves or even end up with having an heart attack due to over exercising their heart.
Sleep is another care need that is common all life stages. Without proper sleep a person’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social care needs will suffer. Babies need a lot of sleep, and as we get older people will gradually need less sleep in order to function properly. There may be times when a person will need more sleep, for example, during times of illness. Health professional will advise service users at each life stage how much sleep that they need. Ai individual during childhood may be having emotional problems and may be referred to a specialist to help the parents find effective ways for them to sleep. A person who is elderly may also be experience sleep problems due to emotional problems. For example, they may be going through a bereavement and the doctor may prescribe them a course of sleeping pills which would not be offered to a younger person. During infancy children may have problems with wetting the bed and if this problem persists they may need to have support from the GP who will advise the parents of ways to overcome the problem. They will be able to give advice on ways to overcome this problem so that the infant or child gets a good night’s sleep. It may be that they just need emotional reassurance and this problem will go away in the other life stages. Some people do still have this need in adulthood and about 1 in 100 people will continue to wet the bed, they may need to be referred to a urologist for specialist support. Due to conditions such as stroke and multiple sclerosis a person in other life stages may have problems with incontinence. They will have the care needs of having regular changes of bed clothes and may need medical interventions such as a catheter fitted which could be done by the practice nurse at their GP surgery. Generally, people in the life stage of adolescence and adulthood will not have this care need.
All age groups need to be protected against diseases. A key time in a person’s life is during infancy and childhood where children are given the standard childhood immunisations. A child’s parent will be advised for their children to have the MMR vaccine and this will mean that they will be immune from catching these diseases during their lives. During adolescence girls will be advised by professionals such as the school nurse to have the PPV vaccine as this will prevent them from getting cervical cancer later in life. People in old age will have built up defences against many childhood diseases such as measles but they will be strongly advised to have the influenza vaccine by their GP surgery particularly if they have other health problems which become common in old age such as respiratory problems – COPD and diabetes as influenza, although a common illness can actually be fatal. All client groups will need medicine when they are poorly but health professionals need to make sure that medicines that are taken are appropriate. There are many medicines which are dangerous to infants and children also because of health problems people in old age may need to be very careful about what medicines they are taking. The pharmacist and the doctor will advise people what they can be taking. May medicines are dangerous to take with each other and as old people have more health problems and need to take more medicines they will need to be extra careful that mixing medicines does not lead to side effects.
All client groups have the need to keep warm but this will be especially the case during infancy and old age. During infancy babies cannot regulate their own temperature and can easily become overheated or cold. During old age many people may have health conditions which mean that changes in the temperature can be dangerous for them. During cold spells they are prone to hypothermia and during heat waves they can become exhausted and have trouble with breathing. A social care worker will be able to advise them about how to keep warm. They may be told to keep one room warm if they cannot afford the heating and to wear extra jumpers. They can also be advised to have a fan in their home when it is really hot. During adolescence a person is much less likely to be in danger of changes in the temperature.
Emotional care needs are important at al life stages. A baby will need to have a parent to bond with and to cuddle. Children who may have to go into hospital will have this care need met by the hospital allowing a parent to stay overnight with them so that the experience is not as traumatic for them. During infancy and childhood a child will gradually become more independent from their parents and family and will go to nursery then school where they will have to learn to mix with other children. Nursery workers and teachers can play an important part in reassuring infants and children who are away from their families and this can be done by proper praise and discipline so that they build up their self-confidence and learn to cope with temper tantrums and also learn how to share with other children. By adolescence this care need will not be as evident but teenagers will need a lot of reassurance during a life stage where their bodies are changing and they may be anxious about these changes. Teachers can cater for these health needs by reassuring teenagers and also acting as good role models to advise them about making the correct choices and avoiding peer pressure to experiment with drugs, smoking, alcohol and unsafe sex. By adulthood these lifestyle choices will be more known to the adult but they may also need support to change an unhealthy lifestyle. For example, a GPs practice may offer smoking cessation clinics and also advice on how to eat healthily.
Adulthood is a life stage where a person may start to raise their own family. They will need a job and home to be able to live an independent life as possible. They may have financial difficulties and suffer from the stress of unexpected life events. For example, during adulthood a person my lose their job. Social care can be provided to adults who are experiencing big problems and the possibility of becoming homeless. Stressful events can be very intense during adulthood. As children get older and leave home this will have a bi effect on their parents who may suffer the ‘empty nest’ syndrome. All of these expected and unexpected life events may mean that a person during adulthood may have particular mental health needs and this may be a time where a GP will refer a person for counselling.
During old age a person may have particular emotional and social care needs which are different from other life stages. The individual may have worked all of their lives and feel ‘useless’ now that they have retired. This emotional need may also be the same for a person in adulthood who as lost their job but during old age most people will retire. Healthcare professionals can support people in old age with their social care needs by putting them in touch with a day care centre where they can meet other people in similar circumstances. At day centres the care staff can also make sure that activities are provided that keep the old person mentally stimulated. For example, they may have quizzes to help the person keep their mind active. Intellectual care needs area also important at all of the life stages. For example, children and adolescents need to learn all the new things which will help them in life and this involves going to school. If a child ends up having to go into hospital and miss a lot of schooling then a private tuition may be offered as part of their can plan.
In this essay I have shown that healthcare workers need to be aware of each individuals physical, intellectual, emotional and social care needs and that these change during the life span.
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