Evaluating Elderly Resources

Resources in the community are readily available, especially for the elderly population. As individuals age, they need more and more help with their activities of daily living. Some components that the elderly need help with include: food, clothing, transportation, health and wellness, emotional support, and social activities. These are key aspects in an individual’s life and as they begin to age, they cannot carry out these activities as they used to. So with help of the community, the elderly population can have some assistance to complete their activities of daily living. Each community provides resources for the elderly. The purpose of this research is to gather information on what resources are available and evaluate the resources present

Good nutrition is essential to one’s health. Once aging begins, many individuals begin to neglect their diet and nutrition. One resource available in Knox County is Meals on Wheels, which is also provided by Generations in Vincennes, Indiana. Meal on Wheels is a program available to older adults who have trouble cooking, grocery shopping, or when nutritional problems limit their food selections. This program delivers hot, affordable, and nutritious meals to the client’s door for three days out of the week (Meals on Wheels, n.d.). Some items that are on the Meals on Wheels menu include: meatloaf, chicken salad, chicken and rice, breaded cod, and beef stew (Meals on Wheels, n.d.). This program is an important resource in the community and helps older adults receive the meals they want and

This study can help facilitate health care education in varied settings to achieve optimal levels of wellness for the client. Not only does this research help with my knowledge of my community resources, but I can now educate my patient’s on these programs that can become useful for them as they age. This information also helps me utilize the current research to provide client care and pursue lifelong learning to maintain professional growth in my nursing career. After exploring these community resources, I can now demonstrate critical thinking and intellectual curiosity in order to provide holistic care to patients. This information helps support the older adult and family through a variety of health experiences to ensure quality of care. It also helps to discuss the concepts of individualized care as the standard of practice in implementing best practice in care of the older adult. This paper helped me analyze the community resources available in maintaining the most functional lifestyle and meeting the needs of an older adult population. Resources are an imperative part of a community and should be used to help the older adult