An Older Immigrant Case Study

An Older Immigrant Case Study

What strategies could be suggested for this older adult couple to enhance their quality of life?

The elderly couple faces social isolation and loneliness, which is likely to predispose them to depression and other medical conditions. One of the major strategies that can enhance their quality of life would be to monitor and diagnose if they are depressed, monitor the condition, and treat it. At 75 years, they are at a high risk of getting depressed, and their concerns about their welfare may trigger the condition. Another strategy would be to remind them that they are needed because they are useful. Assuring them that they are useful is a reinforcement that all older people want to clear the fears of being a burden. Another critical strategy would be to keep them connected to reduce their loneliness. Their daughter needs to ensure that she keeps her parents connected to activities and events that encourage their mental and physical well-being.

Activities such as family dinners, pedicures and manicures, and spa treatments will make them feel connected to both the family and the outside world.

What community resources can they utilize?

Community resources play a crucial role in the enhancement of the quality of life for the elderly. Some of these assets include local senior centers, city hall, the local park district, the local library, and local senior living communities (Nieboer & Cramm, 2018). Local senior centers provide activities that most older adults need, such as group trips. The local senior centers will allow the elderly couple to interact with other older people and make new friendships and relations. The park districts occasionally pair with senior centers. It gives the elderly a chance to meet senior care professionals and senior healthcare providers, who will advise the couple on the best strategies to cope as they age. Senior living communities will also provide the elderly with a perfect chance to make social interactions and will help to reduce isolation and loneliness.

What can the daughter and family do to address the feelings of isolation of the older people?

The couple’s daughter is a registered nurse; thus, she understands how well to care for her parents as they get older and tackle the issue of loneliness. She needs to assess, plan, implement, evaluate and monitor nursing services that will improve her parent’s mental and physical health. Other than monitoring the couple’s health, the daughter and her family need to set aside time to spend with the elderly couple instead of spending most of their time dining with their friends.

They need to realize that they also have individuals who need their company, love, and care; thus, they should spare time to interact with the couple and shower them with love. The daughter can also organize events such as family and friend gatherings; the gatherings will allow the older couple to meet the daughter and her family’s friends. It may encourage the friends to visit the older couple on various occasions. Increased social interactions will significantly reduce loneliness.

What health promotion activities can ensure a healthy lifestyle for them?

Maintaining an active physical and mental state is one major health promotion that will enhance a healthy lifestyle for the couple. Physical activity such as walking, swimming, and bicycling are essential for improving function, mode, and quality of life (Golinowska et al., 2016). Besides, the enhanced physical function will reduce incidences such as risk falls and other fall-related injuries and encourage the elderly couple to live an independent life. Besides, other activities like maintaining a healthy weight will enable the couple to lead a healthy lifestyle.

References

Golinowska, S., Groot, W., Baji, P., & Pavlova, M. (2016). Health promotion targeting older people. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1514-3

Nieboer, A. P., & Cramm, J. M. (2018). Age-Friendly Communities Matter for Older People’s Well-Being. 2405-2420. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9923-5

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Read the following case study and answer the reflective questions. Please provide evidence-based rationales for your answers. APA, 7th ed. must be followed.

CASE STUDY: An Older Immigrant Couple: Mr. and Mrs. Arahan

Mr. and Mrs. Arahan, an older couple in their seventies, have been living with their oldest daughter, her husband of 15 years, and their two children, ages 12 and 14. They all live in a middle-income neighborhood in a suburb of a metropolitan city. Mr. and Mrs. Arahan are both college educated and worked full-time while they were in their native country. In addition, Mr. Arahan, the only offspring of wealthy parents, inherited a substantial amount of money and real estate. Their daughter came to the United States as a registered nurse and met her husband, a drug company representative. The older couple moved to the United States when their daughter became a U.S. citizen and petitioned them as immigrants. Since the couple was facing retirement, they welcomed the opportunity to come to the United States.

The Arahans found life in the United States different from that in their home country, but their adjustment was not as difficult because both were healthy and spoke English fluently. Most of their time was spent taking care of their two grandchildren and the house. As the grandchildren grew older, the older couple found that they had more spare time. The daughter and her husband advanced in their careers and spent a great deal more time at their jobs. There were a few family dinners during the week. On weekends, the daughter, her husband, and their children socialized with their own friends. The couple began to feel isolated and longed for a more active life.

Mr. and Mrs. Arahan began to think that perhaps they should return to their home country, where they still had relatives and friends. However, political and economic issues would have made it difficult for them to live there. Besides, they had become accustomed to the way of life in the United States with all the modern conveniences and abundance of goods that were difficult to obtain in their country. However, they also became concerned that they might not be able to tolerate the winter months and that minor health problems might worsen as they aged. They wondered who would take care of them if they became very frail and where they would live, knowing that their daughter had only saved money for their grandchildren’s college education. They expressed their sentiments to their daughter, who became very concerned about how her parents were feeling.

This older couple had been attending church on a regular basis, but had never been active in other church-related activities. The church bulletin announced the establishment of parish nursing with two retired registered nurses as volunteers. The couple attended the first opening of the parish clinic. Here, they met one of the registered nurses, who had a short discussion with them about the services offered. The registered nurse had spent a great deal of her working years as a community health nurse. She informed Mr. and Mrs. Arahan of her availability to help them resolve any health-related issues.

Reflective Questions

1. What strategies could be suggested for this older adult couple to enhance their quality of life?

2. What community resources can they utilize?

3. What can the daughter and her family do to address the feelings of isolation of the older couple?

4. What health promotion activities can ensure a healthy lifestyle for them?