NURS 610 Assignment 2.2: Quality of Life (QOL) Paper

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Maryville University

NURS 610 Assignment 2.2

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Quality of Life Paper

The quality of life matters more than ever before as people age, and one has to learn what will enable people to age successfully. The present paper provides the answers of a 68-year-old participant, John, in the test on the quality of life (QOL), where he speaks about his experiences and challenges related to his physical health, emotional well-being, and interactions with others (Reynolds et al., 2022). Another comparison of the life of John with the health characteristics of Blue Zones and the relevance of patient-centered care in helping people live a meaningful and healthy life as they age is also presented in the paper.

Analysis of QOL Survey

Applicant Age, Gender, State of General Health, Comfort Level with the Interview

The interviewee in the survey is a 68-year-old male named John, and he is Caucasian. John has a normal diet, exercises, and is physically active. However, he has had some medical problems related to mobility and aching in his joints, particularly around his knees. He has rather an unexpected general view of his health, which he calls fair. He is quite at ease with the interview despite his medical conditions, and has no fear of disclosing personal information about his life as he tries to find solutions to enhance his overall health.

Resting on the figures, which have been compiled by the Quality-of-Life (QOL) survey, it is possible to make some significant points. As per his answers, the physical activities that can be seen in John are moderately impaired, particularly the vigorous ones such as running, handling heavy stuff, and lifting heavy stuff. Additionally, he has had some slight or moderate pain over the last month, and this does appear to be impacting his performance in some of his activities, which are walking up the stairs and bending.

However, John is not a psychologically sick person, but his answers to the questions concerning mood, happiness, and activity are convincing. His physical health has moderately impacted his social life, even though he is very socially active, and also spends much time with his friends and family. On the emotional level, he has been mostly good, although at some points, he becomes depressed or anxious.

But at the personal level, the case with John seems to be the common case of old age, in general, and physical, as well as emotional conditions, in particular (Reynolds et al., 2022). These considerations suggest that controlling these parameters of health should be a key focus of any intervention aimed at positively affecting the quality of life of John, as he is in pain and at least partially handicapped in respect of physical locomotion.

Three Areas of Concern

3 risk areas of concern exist:

Physical impairment: John has physical impairments, i.e., he is unable to engage in hard work, climb the mountain, or crouch due to aches in his joints, which threaten his independence and mobility. By doing so, when these problems become acute, they may result in other medical problems, including falls or loss of independence.
Pain Management: John already complains of a moderate level of pain, and the chronic nature of pain might also be discussed by the negative reactions to his physical activity that can be directly attributed to the development of cardiovascular health issues, diabetes, and other age-related complications (Koppner et al., 2024).
Mental Health: At risk due to the emotional light and shadows, i.e., the patient is exposed to the impact of the physical restriction of this condition, but the general mood is positive. John is exposed to the manifestation of mental disorders, such as anxiety or depression (Koppner et al., 2024).

Application of Theory or Model

Components of a Successful Aging Theory

When an aging person is physically healthy, mentally sound, and socially active in old age, aging is usually termed as a successful one. The Rowe and Kahn model of successful aging is a paradigm that is used to understand how the elderly can age successfully (Zhuo & Cao, 2024). This theory is in the form of three characteristics as follows: Prevention of disease and disability. Having good physical and mental performance.

Engagement with life

The second component, namely, keeping things going, is specifically pertinent to John. Social activity does not seem to be an issue, and cognition seems to be quite all right, yet it is physical health that limits him a limiting trait. Reducing his mobility concerns and coping with his discomfort would possibly position his life more in line with the tenets of successful aging (Zhuo & Cao, 2024).

Physical therapy, joint support, and pain management interventions are some of the interventions that may be helpful to John and may address his physical functioning. By focusing on these areas, John can then be able to maintain the capacity of being independent and also engage in other activities that would assist him to lead a wholesome life.

Blue Zone Areas

Blue Zones are parts of the world where individuals have a much better chance of living long and healthy lives (Kreouzi et al., 2022). Such areas are Okinawa, Japan, and Sardinia, Italy, where the centenarian rates are high, and the incidence of chronic diseases is low. Plant-based diet, exercise, proper social interaction, and purpose are all significant factors that contribute to long life expectancy in Blue Zones.

Analyzing the life of John in comparison with the Blue Zones model, it is possible to notice that this person has some common aspects with these areas. John is highly networked socially to family and friends, which is typical of Blue Zone societies. Yet, such physical conditions and joint discomfort might decrease his capability of performing regular physical exercises, and it is one of the most important aspects of Blue Zone lifestyles. These are some of the physical problems that can be dealt with, and this would assist in getting John nearer to the health characteristics that are seen in Blue Zones.

Collaboration with Participant

Three Short-Term Measurable Goals

In collaboration with John, three short-term goals are defined, which can be quantified to make sure that his quality of life is enhanced:

Enhance Mobility and movement: John will aim at incorporating a 30-minute practice of walking in his daily routine to enhance joint movement and cardiovascular fitness (Lu et al., 2024).
Pain Management: John will endeavor to use the topical analgesic/anti-inflammatory agent prescribed to him by his healthcare practitioner for his knee pain. He will also be tracking the levels of pain on a scale of 1-10 scale of pain per week to measure effectiveness.
Mental Health Improvement: To reduce some nervousness and enhance his mood, John will participate in a weekly mindfulness or meditation session. To measure the impact of the positive and negative ratings, he will rate his mood on a scale of 1-10 before and after each session.

Three Long-Term Measurable Goals

In collaboration with John, three long-term goals have been developed, which are quantifiable and directed at enhancing his quality of life even more:

Weight Management: John will aim to reduce his weight by 5-10 pounds in the next 6 months by following both dieting and exercise to take off the strain on his joints. This will be ascertained by weighing monthly and consultation with his doctor.
Enforce Social Inclusion: to have a good social life, John will participate in one social activity (family event, community activity, etc.) at least once a week, so that his health and social relationships are good. A calendar of events will be used to follow his attendance.
Improve General Physical Activities: John will desire to do knee rehabilitation physical therapy at least three times per week. He is also going to assess his sustenance of the improvement through the assessment of his mobility (e.g., can walk without pain) at the end of every month (Lu et al., 2024).

Role as an NP

Initial Concerns for this Participant

I initially responded to the QOL survey by considering the physical limitations that will be placed on John as he grows older, how his pain will be controlled, and the possibility of developing mental illness as he ages. His responses to questions about joint pain and mobility problems were the most alarming, as those are the two most important risk factors of lower autonomy in older adults.

Although I had initially placed special importance on pain management and mobility improvement, John also stated he wanted to work on his mental health and social interaction, which were not among the topmost priorities in my assessment. This is because his ambitions of enhancing mental health and social bonds are significant elements of aging well, as they tackle both the mental and social dimensions of his life.

Role of Patient-Centered Care and Your Role as an NP

As a Nurse Practitioner (NP), my role in patient-centered care is to be a concerned listener to the patient’s goals and preferences. A nurse should work hand in hand with patients and ensure that the care plan aligns with their priorities and desires. Such an approach leads to an increased adherence to health policies and better outcomes. With John, considering the social and mental engagement goals as part of his care plan will enable him to enhance his quality of life and will have him as an active participant in his health.

Helping John engage in short and long-term goal setting can lead him to a greater quality of life. As his NP, I will watch his progress and make the required adjustments to interventions, along with ensuring that he gets the resources and support necessary to age successfully (Buerhaus et al., 2021).

Conclusion

The overall approach to making sure that John will have a more favorable quality of life has been found in this paper based on the physical, mental, and social aspects of aging. By using the successful aging theory, along with making comparisons with Blue Zone features, we have identified the measures to enhance his well-being. We have formulated clear, quantifiable objectives through working with John that capture his needs and priorities. Lastly, I can serve and counsel, to ensure that the needs of the patient are central to the care, to ensure that John is able to achieve the outcomes he desires to have a successful and healthy aging.

References

The roles and clinical activities of registered nurses and nurse practitioners in practices caring for older adults. Nursing Outlook, 69(3), 380–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.11.011

Koppner, J., Lindelöf, A., Iredahl, F., Tevell, M., Nilsson, S., Thorsell, A., Faresjö, Å., & Israelsson Larsen, H. (2024). Factors affecting self-perceived mental health in the general older population during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 660. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18199-1

Lessons learned from blue zones, lifestyle medicine pillars, and beyond: An update on the contributions of behavior and genetics to wellbeing and longevity. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 18(6), 155982762211184. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276221118494

Lu, J., Nur, Wyon, M., & Shaharudin, S. (2024). The effects of dance interventions on physical function and quality of life among middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review. PloS One, 19(4), e0301236–e0301236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301236

Reynolds, C. F., Jeste, D. V., Sachdev, P. S., & Blazer, D. G. (2022). Mental health care for older adults: Recent advances and new directions in clinical practice and research. World Psychiatry, 21(3), 336–363. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20996

Zhuo, L., & Cao, J. (2024). Beyond the focus on individuals: Adding environment into the redefined successful aging paradigm. The Gerontologist, 65(1), gnae081. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnae081