Health Challenges 1

Medical Terminology

• Word elements.
• Abbreviations.

Structure and function of the human body

• Organization of the human body: cells, tissues and organs.
• Major body systems.
• Natural changes associated with aging.

Challenges to health and healing

• The experience of illness and disability
• Common challenges to healing:
  • Transitions/Loss.
  • Pain.
  • Illness.
• Broad effects on the individual and family of health challenges.
• Common disorders related to each body system:
• Integumentary (pressure ulcers, pain).
• Musculo-skeletal (Falls, fractures, contractures, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, pain).
• Cardiovascular (hypertension, hypotension, edema, coronary artery disease, blood clots, heart failure, CVA-stroke).
• Respiratory (cyanosis, dyspnea, apnea, orthopnea, hyperventilation, hypoventilation, COPD, asthma, pneumonia, TB).
• Digestive (vomiting, diarrhea, dysphagia, lack of appetite, dehydration, constipation, hemorrhoids, obesity, hiatus hernia, diverticular disease, IBS, Celiac disease, hepatitis).
• Urinary (urinary tract infections, renal failure).
• Reproductive (STIs).
• Endocrine (Diabetes).
• Neurological (stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Huntington’s disease, brain or spinal cord injuries).
• Sensory Challenges:
  • Normal sensory changes of aging.
  • Speech and Language Challenges (Aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria).
  • Hearing and Visual challenges.

• Chronic Illness:
  • basic definition and concepts
  • implications for care
  • focus on self-care
• Applying critical thinking and problem-solving when caring for individuals experiencing common health challenges in facilities and in the community
  • Gathering information.
  • Sources of information (e.g. care plan, healthcare team, client/resident).
  • Observing changes in the client/resident.
  • Establishing priorities for care.
  • Carrying out plan of care.
  • Evaluating effectiveness of care.
  • Reporting and recording.

Preventing Infection

• Microorganisms and the spread of infection.
• Principles and practice of medical asepsis in facilities and in community settings.
• Dealing with “super bugs.”
• Standard precautions.
• Isolation guidelines.

Nutrition and Healing

• Nutrition in relation to health challenges.
• Cultural differences.
• Special diets:
  • Modified diets.
  • Restricted diets.
  • Diabetic diet.
  • High protein diet.
  • Liquid and pureed diets.