Spring Cleaning for Your Health - Part 2

Ann Marie Licari, APRN
Family Nurse Practitioner
Emergency Department
North Country Hospital

Welcome back. Last week we began Spring cleaning our lifestyles for better health. Though the weather has gone back and forth a bit this week we can be sure Spring is here and we have more cleaning to do. We began with ideas to clean up some of our health patterns last week. Remember, these are your lifestyle habits, events occurring in your life and the way you handle them that can have an impact on your health. We covered health perception and management; nutritional status, activity-exercise and sleep and rest. I will go through the rest today. These include coping and stress tolerance, self esteem, personal values and beliefs, sexuality and relationships and the roles we play within them. I will offer some suggestions on how Spring cleaning in these additional areas of your life can have a positive impact.

Cognitive Perceptual Pattern
This pattern explores your mental status, hearing and visual acuity, language and reading skills, as well as your preferred learning style. This is especially important when caring for our very young or elder patients. If you care for loved ones who are confused at times, have difficulty with hearing or their vision or have difficulty managing many pills and regimens try to clean out the clutter for them. This includes background noise when giving directions or talking about medications: turn off the radio and TV, find a quiet spot to talk about provider appointments and making a list of things to talk about when you go. Clear out dangers for little ones: chemical cleaners should be kept out of reach. Keep the environment clear of distractions when eating meals or talking with each other.
Also think about how you like to get your information…do you like to read handouts? Be given verbal instruction? Do you need hands on demonstrations or a combination of these? Clear away the obstacles that keep you from getting the information you need in the way you need to receive it. Play an active role in finding and maintaining good health.

Coping and Stress Tolerance
general coping pattern and effectiveness of the pattern in terms of stress tolerance

Relationships and Roles We Play Within Them

Pattern of role engagements and relationships, perceptions of major roles and responsibilities in current life situations

Self Perception/Self Concept
Describes self concept pattern and perceptions of self, image, identity, general sense of worth, general emotional pattern."

Sexuality /Reproduction
patterns of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with sexuality; describes reproductive pattern."

Personal Values and Beliefs

Patterns of values, goals, or beliefs (including spiritual) that guide choices or decisions."
Careful and sensitive assessment of this pattern can provide insights into patients' beliefs about the meaning of health, suffering, and illness, the causation of illness and what they believe will help or cure the disease or will heal them. This information can help to design an effective regimen that the patient will adhere to.

Better health requires effort, as does everything! I hope these ideas start you on the path of thinking about your health and making efforts to improve it. Until next week, Enjoy the crocuses!

“HEALTHY YOU” is a weekly column prepared by Ann Marie Licari, APRN, North Country Hospital Emergency Department. Please call Nancy Goss, NCH Community Relations, 334-3225, for questions, information or to suggest a topic for this column.