Holistic health promotion: principles and practices

Holistic Family

Importance of a Holistic Health Promotion Strategy

Holistic health care philosophies take the view that traditional medicine has often overlooked the broader subject of wellness in favor of treating conditions. This promotes a reactionary approach to health that differs from the holistic view. This, instead, indicates that health is a function of a great many factors including but not limited to freedom from sickness. The result is an important field which unifies different dimensions of the human condition into this notion of wellness. Accordingly, Walter (2010) of the American Holistic Health Association (AHHA) reports that there is an interdependence in humans between three elements; "1) the mind / body connection, 2) mind / body / spirit, or 3) physical / mental / emotional / spiritual aspects. When this meaning is applied to illness, it is called holistic medicine." (Walter, 1)

This view underscores the need to gather data from patients which is not limited to basic vital signs. Instead, data collection must include a detailed background on the health history, genetic background and emotional disposition of the subject. This must also be grounded in an awareness of the cultural peculiarities to each case, as these impact such crucial factors as dietary habits, emotional coping strategies and family structures.

Where the nursing profession is concerned, this integration of areas of concern must consequently give over to a delivery of knowledge. Indeed, there is no greater way to influence changes in lifestyle and behavior than to connect these factors to valid health knowledge with specific application to individual cultural contexts. Indeed, the health promotion strategies identified as relevant to the case specifics of each member of the Gordon family demonstrate the imperative to change health beliefs as a way of changing health behavior.

Health Promotion Strategy:

Tyrone:

Tyrone is a young man with a fairly healthy profile, at least from a traditional medical standpoint. He has an active lifestyle though consideration of his recent ankle injury may be a demonstration that Tyrone does not respond properly when his body is telling him something. The most immediate point of concern with respect to Tyrone is that, at his present age, he must begin to adjust to some of the changes which take place during the entrance into full adulthood. At 27 years of age, Tyrone is verging on a stage in life in which long-term health strategies must be adjusted to ensure wellness through the middle ages and later adulthood.

Therefore, among these considerations, the call in holistic health philosophies for a greater emphasis on prevention must be acknowledged where Tyrone's active lifestyle is concerned. The ankle injury suffered during a game of basketball seems like to have produced a sprain. In cases such as this, there may be an underlying reason why the injury occurred which has gone previously undetected. This may be fallen arches, joint weakness or just a freak accident. However, it is necessary to find the root cause for this sprain in order to help Tyrone prevent recurrences of the injury. Even where it may be deduced that this was a freak accident, the new injury may have lasting residual effects. Therefore, determinations must be made as to whether special footwear is necessary or whether an ankle brace should be used during times of activeness.

Another area of focus for Tyrone should be that related to the enhancement of his immune system, as well as that of his family. During a visit where Tyrone was diagnosed with Strep Throat, he indicated that he had taken on a prevention strategy of limited his exposure to his infant daughter. Health strategies here might seek to mediate this approach with greater emphasis instead on iron-rich and vitamin-C heavy dietary approaches. This might also be supplemented with a regular multi-vitamin strategy for Tyrone and for his family. This also hints at the need for significant dietary strategy changes for Tyrone. However, as the family profile denotes, many of these issues stem from the habits of his wife Susan, who has taken on the familial role as the provider of food and the role model for eating habits.

Another issue which will involve counseling with both Tyrone and Susan would address Tyrone's emotional response to issues concerning their mixed-race marriage. Namely, Tyrone has expressed concern that frustrations over the judgments of others will lead him to behave in a manner which he regrets. This may suggest the need for anger-counseling, taken not from the perspective that Tyrone suffers from inordinate rage, but from the view that his anger must be given proper outlets. Such is to say that while his frustrations with others are justified, he might benefit from counseling which helps him identify strategies for conflict resolution.

Michaela:

Michaela's physical health appears to be progressing normally. That she is demonstrating a healthy appetite and healthy weight are both positive signs. A matter of specific consideration for Michaela would be revealed by cold-like symptoms and a fever. Though the illness would progress and diminish normally, treatment with penicillin produced a clear allergic reaction. This indicates that treatment strategies for Michaela must diverge from penicillin usage and that, further, any such course of future antibiotic treatment approach must be taken with caution. We are inclined here, as with Tyrone, to indicate that therefore a better treatment strategy would be the preventative use of vitamin and diet-based immunity habits.

An issue of concern for Michaela is the imbalance between her mounting cognitive abilities and her demonstration of separation anxiety upon even the briefest departure of her mother. This denotes that Michaela is at a critical stage where efforts must be made to help acclimate her to reasonable lengths of time away form her mother. This means that at points, Tyrone should take time alone with Michaela so that she can adjust to another individual. Likewise, this separation anxiety suggests that Michaela is not yet sleeping on her own, and is likely in a crib in the parents' room. It is now time to begin leaving Michaela alone and indulging less in immediately attending to the sound of her crying.