The social support system of the elderly female client is tangible support. The support comes from a peer who attends the same physical activity clinic. He offers her the means to get to the clinic for the required 3-times a week schedule. The dimension of tangible, material or instrumental support is the provision of direct material assistance or services, the use of social relations as a means to achieve objectives and goals. Social support can have a direct effect and a buffering effect. The direct or main effect of social support suggests that people are protected or positively prepared to cope with a stressful event. The positive association between social support and well-being is attributed to a beneficial global effect of social support; according to the hypothesis of this direct effect, the higher the level of social support, the less psychological distress, and the lower the degree of social support, the greater the incidence of psychological disorders (Heller, Gibbons & Fisher, 2015). The buffering or protective effect of social support suggests that social relationships help people cope with crises during events; according to the hypothesis of this effect, when people are exposed to social stressors, these will have negative effects only among subjects whose level of social support is low.
The elderly female patient’s implied reason for lack of participation in the physical activity clinic is that she has a son whose daily activity calls for her to be present to be there at the time the clinic is to be conducted, that is, during the evening. The communication techniques I would use in approaching the female client about participating in the clinic revolve around adapted communication which corresponds to a concordance between the patient and me. The proposal of care is a moment that must lead to a real exchange. I will follow a communication strategy that will consist of an adjustment of my comments to the patient's reaction. For example, if a patient exhibits withdrawal or defense attitudes during the explanation, it may be necessary to go back to what I had said and rephrase an explanation with appropriate terms.
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An adapted communication takes into account several factors. It is necessary to consider the patient’s social and intellectual level (Edelman, Mandle & Kudzma, 2017). Further, the family aspect and attachments must not be left aside, since it seems that these notions are preponderant and structure her life. It is necessary to speak of adapted communication according to the context of care. The adaptation of the communication will be made according to the type of care. An adapted communication consists of establishing a relationship of trust between the patient and me.
One method to help the elderly female patient identify her support systems is maintaining affective relationships with peers. Peers may help her identify support systems. For instance, the elderly male patient mentions that he rides with his son to the clinic. Thus the son acts as a source of support. The woman may be able to identify her son as a possible source of support. This association with peers offers more help than family and friends in two fundamental aspects: on an emotional and informational level. The maintenance of affective relationships makes it possible to talk openly about any topic, vent out within a climate of support and understanding, and feeling valued as a person. That said this is an association with peers adds to the support provided by family and friends.
The last sub-stage of adulthood is late adulthood, in which people are in a period of closure of their evolutionary development, retirement, and adaptation to imminent old age. This stage is particularly difficult for the woman since when entering the climacteric and menopause she begins to experience feelings of ambivalence about her sexual role as procreator, and the eventual loss of reproductive capacity. The elderly female patient seems to be quite protective of her role as a mother and prioritizes the comfort of her son at the expense of her health. In the case of males, many experience feelings of insecurity when retiring and definitively retiring from the labor field, after having fulfilled the role of family provider for many years. The elderly male patient claims that managing his arthritis pain benefits everyone in his family, signaling his inclination on what is best for his family. In spite of these difficult circumstances, late adulthood is accompanied by a great advantage above all others, since it implicitly brings the capacity for introspection, or better yet, reflection. Adults at this stage have a high concept of themselves and consider that their concerns of the world and things are the right ones.
To resolve the issue, I would first discuss with the elderly female patient. Before you can perform a treatment, you must first warn the patient of its realization. The presentation of treatment should be done in an off-the-shelf way to allow the patient to prepare psychologically. The trusting relationship predisposes the way care is delivered. The explanation of care includes notions of communication. An effective verbal message is characterized by its simplicity, clarity, credibility, and adaptability. I will also need to find a suitable time to do it. It is necessary not only to explain the act itself but also to find the right terms for the patient to understand and feel included in the treatment.
The intervention resources for late adulthood are encouraging the participation of the elderly in social activities involving family and friends as well as leisure activities. Furthermore, it would be necessary to motivate family or group integration as part of the activities of the patient’s daily life. Another resource is to provide necessary support and serve as facilitators in the search for options in the lifespan stage adaptation process (Doenges, Moorhouse & Murr, 2014). In the institutions that provide health services, support systems must be managed and organized formally for patients with chronic diseases and their relatives. The patients and their relatives should also be encouraged to attend clinic sessions regularly.
References
Doenges, M. E., Moorhouse, M. F., & Murr, A. C. (2014). Nursing care plans: guidelines for individualizing client care across the lifespan . FA Davis.
Edelman, C. L., Mandle, C. L., & Kudzma, E. C. (2017). Health promotion throughout the life span-E-Book . Elsevier Health Sciences.
Heller, T., Gibbons, H. M., & Fisher, D. (2015). Caregiving and family support interventions: Crossing networks of aging and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and developmental disabilities , 53 (5), 329-345.
