Community support. Promoting health and self-care

Nursing has become more aware of the importance of community-based health care for elders. Community supports assist older adults to maintain or improve their health, care for themselves, and continue living at home as long as possible. A variety of community services are needed by older people to achieve these purposes. Many of the services provide support for health promotion and self-care activities. These are activities in which people engage to enhance their well-being and increase their personal fulfillment and self-actualization. Health promotion program topics include exercise, nutrition, stress reduction, and physical and mental health. Self-care is the method by which people implement the lifestyle changes necessary to promote their health. As the move toward health promotion and self-care activities grows, nurses need to be alert to the issues that impact the development of community-based programs. These issues include the utilization of community health services by older adults, the allocation of health care resources to wellness-oriented as well as illness-oriented services, and reimbursement for both health promotion and nursing services. Future directions in community care for elders will include a continuing concern for cost containment. Research therefore will be needed to demonstrate the potential for cost effectiveness of health promotion and self-care activities. Interdisciplinary health care teams working with elders in the community may be the most effective means to support the quality of life that we all desire for our later years.