1. HEALTH, WELLNESS, ILLNESS & DISABILITY

2. HEALTH & WELLNESS What is your definition of health?
Past definitions of health focused on “not being sick”
Modern definitions of health emphasize holism.
WHO (World Health Organization) states that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
How do you define “wellness”?
Wellness is achieving the best health possible in all 5 dimensions of one’s life
Few people ever achieve total wellness
Wellness is an ongoing process throughout life

3. HEALTH What is optimal health?
As a health care worker, you care for and support the client’s health potential. This means proving “holistic” care.
Holistic care is caring for and supporting all aspects of health, including:
Physical
Emotional
Social
Spiritual
Intellectual
In health care, we have to care for all aspects, not just the physical illness b/c each aspect depends on the other.

4. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH PHYSICAL HEALTH
Body is strong, fit and disease free
Influenced by genetics and lifestyle
Contributing factors include:
Nutritious diet
Exercise
Being smoke free
Limiting alcohol
Proper rest
As a health care worker you can promote your client’s physical health by:
Maintaining a safe, clean and comfortable environment
Preparing nutritious meals
Assisting with physical activity

5. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Not just the absence of negative feelings
Ability to function well and adapt appropriately to circumstances.
Emotionally healthy people feel good about themselves, have self esteem, self control, and self awareness.
Emotionally unhealthy people are often insecure.
Life events can affect emotional health
As a health care worker you must:
Avoid judging
Learn to read client’s emotions

6. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH SOCIAL HEALTH
Achieved through stable and satisfying relationships.
We all have the need for:
Companionship/belonging
Comfort, support, encouragement
Reassurance of one’s self worth
Help, guidance, advice
A social support system
Socially healthy people treat other with respect, warmth, openness and are trusting.
Socially unhealthy people show little regard for others.
Older adults and immigrants may feel socially isolated and lonely
As a health care worker you are part of your client’s support system.
You provide practical and emotional support

7. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH SPIRITUAL HEALTH
Achieved through the belief in a higher purpose.
May or may not include religion
Spiritually healthy means having a clear understanding of one’s own morals, values and beliefs.
Spiritually healthy people are compassionate, honest, humble and forgiving.
Emphasis on personal fulfillment
As a health care worker, you must respect your client’s spirituality

8. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH INTELLECTUAL HEALTH
Achieved by keeping the mind active and creative throughout life.
Intellectually healthy people:
Maintain curiosity throughout life
Are interested in the world around them
Analyze, reason and solve problems
Open minded and eager to learn
Those with poor intellectual health:
Are passive
Do not participate
Often suffer from poor emotional, social and physical health
As a health care worker, you can help client’s to participate in activities

9. ILLNESS & DISABILITY
What is the difference between illness and disability?
Illness – loss of physical or mental health
Disability – loss of physical or mental function
Remember disabled does not mean ill
Illness of disabilities can be acute or chronic (short or long term/permanent)
Regardless of the illness or disability, the health care worker must try to help the client achieve their optimal health
No 2 clients will experience illness/disability the same way, however, there are some common reactions
Fear and anxiety * Denial
Sadness and grief * Anger
Depression

10. ILLNESS & DISABILITY
Factors affecting a client’s experience may include:
The nature of the illness
Age
Physical fitness
Pain
Prognosis
Personality
Culture
Support

11. ILLNESS & DISABILITY
Those will a new disability or illness may experience change and loss including:
Change in routine
Change in work life
Change in family life
Change in sexual function
Change in self-image
Loss of independence
Loss of dignity
As a health care worker you must ensure that stigma and discrimination do not affect your care
Stigma – a characteristic that marks someone as different or flawed
Discrimination – treating people unfairly based on their group membership

12. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
What makes a population healthy?
Determinants of health are the factors that determine health status.
There are 12 key factors
Income and social status
Social support networks
Education and literacy
Employment and working conditions
Social Supports
Physical environments
Personal health practices and coping skills
Healthy child development
Biology and genetic endowment
Health Services
Gender
Culture

13. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
INCOME & SOCIAL STATUS
Income determines living conditions & diet
SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS
Support from family, friends, community improves health
EDUCATION & LITERACY
Health improves with higher education
Improves socioeconomic status
Improves the ability to access health information
EMPLOYMENT & WORKING CONDITIONS
Unemployment, stressful and unsafe work are associated with poor health
A less stressful/demanding job improves quality and length of life

14. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
SOCIAL SUPPORTS
Resources that are available for support
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS
Pollution in the air, water, soil can cause several adverse health effects.
PERSONAL HEALTH PRACTICES/COPING SKILLS
Individual choices influence other health factors
Choices are affected by work, live, learn, play
HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Greatly influenced by housing, community, family income, parents education, diet, exercise, genetics and access to health care
BIOLOGY & GENETIC ENDOWMENT
Can predispose people to particular diseases.

15. DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
HEALTH SERVICES
Services designed to maintain and promote health, prevent disease and restore health have an impact on one’s health.
GENDER
Many health issues are gender related
CULTURE
Lack of access due to culture
Culture affects health
The interrelationship of these factors is very important. Why?