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In the current paper, health maintenance plans for different developmental stages within the primary care practice will be proposed. The stages of life include the following: toddlers, school-age children and adolescents, young adults and middle-aged adults, and older adults. Suggested plans will be assessed, developed, and recommended according to evidence-based guidelines to the identification and prevention of significant healthcare problems affecting populations at risk. Concerning the papers outline, it will be divided into four main parts according to the developmental stages of life.
Toddlers and Health Maintenance Plan
Parents should organize health maintenance visits for their toddlers regularly. Toddlers need to have checkups at 12 and then 18 months of age, and later on at 1 or 2 years intervals. Such visits aim at screening for growth, developmental or physical issues, screening for child maltreatment, immunization, reviewing parental concerns, providing parental support and education, and consulting on nutrition, safety measures, and other cases ( Pediatric and adolescent care , 2009). A toddlers physical changes involve measurement of weight, height, head circumference, teeth, and bowel and bladder control. Moreover, in order to control a childs development, some tests for gross motor and fine motor should be undergone. Furthermore, to assess psychosocial and cognitive development, parents and healthcare practitioners should focus on a childs behavior, which at this time involve striving for independence, egocentrism, negativism, ritualism, and active experimentation (Kuster, n. d.). In terms of prevention of health care problems at this period, parents should pay special attention to a nutrition plan, physical activity, mental health state, safety and injury prevention of a child.
School-age Children and Adolescents Health Maintenance Plan
Well-child examinations are essential in kindergarten through early adolescence, as it is a time when a child acquires specific patterns of behavior and develops lifetime habits. It should be noted that health maintenance involves two major parts: history review, physical examinations, screening and immunizations, and lifestyle recommendations (Riley et al., 2011). Concerning a childs story, it includes assessing parents concerns and screenings on a diet, amount of physical activity, average daily screen time, sleeping routine, dental care, and safety. Besides, tracking school performance is another vital point for developmental surveillance. Moreover, hypertension and obesity are other issues that children need to be tested. Furthermore, vision and hearing examinations should be undergone in this period every year or every two years. Other basic pediatric recommendations include 400 IU of vitamin D daily and fluoride supplement for those living in areas with less than 0.6 ppm fluoride in the water. Additionally, children should receive proper immunizations for the age category (Riley et al., 2011). All measurements discussed above are vital for promoting health, preventing diseases, and lowering risks of future health-related issues.
The second important part of health maintenance for school-age children and adolescents implies counseling recommendations. It is especially essentials, as children in this period learn about their bodies, health, and daily routines (Riley et al., 2011). It should be mentioned that counseling should be addressed for children and their parents because adults and children concentrate on essential daily routines together as a team. One of the central recommendations for maintaining a healthy diet on a daily basis. In includes consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, whole grains, fish, meat, and beans. Moreover, health care practitioners recommend avoiding sugar, fast food, highly processed foods, white bread, and carbonated drinks. Physicians state that children should be involved in at least 1 hour of moderate sport or other activity regarding physical activity. Besides, adults should monitor and control childrens daily screen time (games, TV, computer, and other electronic devices), and it needs to be limited to one or a maximum of two hours a day. Sleep is another critical factor for health maintenance, and for this age group, it is recommended to have 11 hours of sleep every night. Lack of sleep can lead to obesity, poor academic results, aggression, misbehavior, and severe illnesses in the future. Furthermore, children should brush their teeth twice a day using a toothpaste with fluoride. Additionally, adults should be aware of high-risk behaviors typical for adolescents and control it using screenings and psychotherapy if needed. For adolescents, it is vital to learn about sexually transmitted infections, diagnostics, and ways that can prevent it (Riley et al., 2011). Physical examinations, regular screening in combination with counseling recommendations are essential for the health maintenance of school-age children and adolescents.
Young Adults, Middle-aged Adults and Health Maintenance Plan
For young adults and middle-aged adult groups, it is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle for all other developmental stages. These groups guidelines include healthy nutrition plans, regular exercise, physical activity, smoking cessation, minimal alcohol consumption, safe sex practices, and seat belt safety. Moreover, for women during and after menopause, healthcare practitioners recommend hormone replacement counseling and osteoporosis prevention ( Health maintenance guidelines for adults, n. d.). Concerning adult screening guidelines, it involves breast cancer screening for women: for young women, breast self-exams are sufficient, and for women ages 40 and over, mammography is required. Cervical cancer screening is recommended for women ages 21 to 65 every 2 to 3 years. Cholesterol screening is required for all women and men from the age of 20 onwards every five years. Diabetes test is required every three years for men and women ages 45 and over. Hypertension screening is needed every 1 or 2 years for all women and men of all age categories. Prostate cancer screening is prescribed for men at the age of 50 and over every year. Besides screening and tests, some vaccination procedures are recommended by health care practitioners. It includes the HPV vaccine for women between ages 11 and 26. Moreover, it is recommended for all ages to get flu vaccination annually. Additionally, the diphtheria vaccine is required for all people up to 65 every ten years ( Health maintenance guidelines for adults, n. d.). Healthy habits combined with regular screenings and vaccination are included in the health maintenance plan for young and middle-aged adults.
Older Adults and Health Maintenance Plan
First of all, people at the age of 65 or older need to focus on a healthy lifestyle. It includes a balanced diet rich in healthy fats and calcium. Moreover, this age group is recommended to refuse smoking and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, physical exercises, including walking, aerobic, stretching, and any other moderate activity, are needed to maintain health. Besides, health care practitioners advise people at this age to include aspirin therapy, lipid management, pneumococcal and influenza vaccination, and tetanus and diphtheria administration. Further, regular screenings on cancer are required, as it is the second leading cause of death (Spalding & Sebesta, 2008). For older adults, as for other groups, the combination of a healthy lifestyle, screenings, and vaccination is vital for a correct health maintenance plan.
References
Health maintenance guidelines for adults. (n. d.). Cleveland Clinic. 2020, Web.
Kuster, P. (n. d.). Health maintenance, promotion and screening [PowerPoint slides]. Web.
Pediatric and adolescent care. (2009). Government of Canada. Web.
Riley, M., Locke, A. M., & Skye, E. P. (2011). Health maintenance in school-aged children: Part I. History, physical examination, screening and immunizations. American Family Physician, 83:6, 683-688. Web.
Spalding, M. C., & Sebesta S. C. (2008). Geriatric screening and preventive care. Am Fam Physician, 15; 78(2): 206-215. Web.
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