How does a healthy lifestyle enhance a patient’s outcome? Describe three lifestyle interventions and discuss how they improve behavior management.
The goal of a healthy lifestyle (quality of life) is soundness of mind (Santos, 2021). The ability to make good choices lead to fulfilling physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional behaviors. Patient outcomes vary per individual, thus its important for mental health providers (PC, PCP, BHP) to actively listen to uncover what the patient’s intrinsic motivation and desires are. Recovery is a lifelong path that includes twists and turns requiring the persistence of abstinence (containment) and support for relapse (collateral treatment) continually observed (self-monitoring, treatment).
To improve behavior management, specific lifestyle interventions can be implemented. First, individuals must assume responsibility for their health (choices) and be willing to participate and adapt (resilience) to bodily, environmental, professional, and family changes to succeed long-term. According to Jiwani et al., (2021) the most significant and growing health concerns for older adults (aged 65 years and older) in the United States is type two diabetes. More than 1 in 4 U.S. adults (26.6%) aged 65 years or older have diabetes. Sedentary lifestyles (work from home), poor diet (increased sugar, alcohol, fast foods), and nicotine addiction (cigarettes, vaping, smokeless tobacco) are all choices that have detrimental consequences for long-term health. Vascular complications can result in increased risk of falls, hospitalization, depression, disability, frailty, and death (Jiwani, 2021).
Acceptability and increased knowledge of healthy behaviors, leads to improved behavior management. A quality of life (lifestyle) can be met by minimizing and/or eliminating negative choices (behaviors) such as poor diet, substance and alcohol abuse, and isolation. Self-monitoring (daily and/or weekly home blood pressure tests), joining a health fitness center (yoga, meditation), or maintaining regular check-ups with physicians for medication and weight management are initiative action steps to improving lifestyle and health.
References
Jiwani, R., Dennis, B., Bess, C., Monk, S., Meyer, K., Wang, J., & Espinoza, S. (2021). Assessing acceptability and patient experience of a behavioral lifestyle intervention using Fitbit Technology in older adults to manage type 2 diabetes amid covid-19 pandemic: A focus group study. Geriatric Nursing, 42(1), 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.11.007
Santos, M. (2021). Focus. Genuine Recovery Sobriety Mental Health Publishing. https://genuinerecovery.org
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