Health Within the African Geriatric Population Essay Example

A sizable portion the older generation of Africans believe in folk medicine over a more scientific approach. Folk medicine in this context is an approach to medicine that relies on traditions passed down generation to generation, herbs and plants, and spirituality. They tend to believe they have an external locus of control when it comes to healthcare (Giger & Haddad, 2021). An external locus of control can be an obstacle when providing healthcare, but with their spirituality, they may find strength.  

A study in 2015 revealed that 48% of medical schools in Sub-Saharan Africa did not require geriatric education for their medical students (Frost et al, 2015). This leaves the growing number of geriatrics in Africa vulnerable. As we have learned, geriatric medicine requires a different approach than young to middle aged adults to have the best health outcomes.  

Impact of the Geriatric Individual on the Family Unit of a Chosen Culture 

Elders hold the utmost respect in Africa. You are to listen obey the elders of your family. Decisions are made as a family and the elders get the final say. When an elderly person falls ill, it can cause distress within the family system. Even the end-of-life decisions are to be made by the elders. That is why in Africa, they typically do not have advanced directives. Instead, the elders of the family will come together and decide what the best plan of action is for the sick/dying person (Ekore & Lanre-Abass, 2016).  

Impact of Disease for the Geriatric Individual Within the Chosen Culture 

As stated above, Africans tend to believe in an external locus of control. This belief impacts the way individuals view their diagnoses. Rather than viewing illness as something out of their control, they may view illness and disease as a punishment from God. They often turn to prayer rather than modern medicine (Coats et al, 2017).  

An external locus of control can make a person feel that they do not need to follow health guidelines from their healthcare provider because ‘whatever will be, will be’. With those feelings can come shame in a diagnosis. The person may feel that they have done something wrong, and God is punishing them (Giger & Haddad, 2021). These individuals require spiritual support when processing a new diagnosis.  

Health Promotion Activities of the Geriatric Individual Within the Chosen Culture 

Because Africans tend to believe in alternative medicine, we must provide them with subtle lifestyle changes to promote health. Black people have a higher incidence rate of high blood pressure, anemia, and AIDS is still prominent in Africa (Giger & Haddad, 2021).  

Our health promotion would include safe sex education, we would also want to provide resources for sexually active people to protect themselves. In African diets, we would want to encourage a low sodium diet and weight management to help reduce the prevalence and effect of hypertension (Cleveland Clinic, 2014).  

Reflection 

When it comes to healthcare, our beliefs may not line up with our patient’s and that is fine. However, we cannot disregard their beliefs. Flexibility is important when developing a plan of care for a patient. In the case of Africans, I would respect their beliefs and pray with them, but also try to educate them on their treatment options. I would also want to incorporate preventative health measures that work with their lifestyle.  

Conclusion 

Health disparities may arise between cultures, and it is our job as health professionals to cater to the needs of diverse cultures. Using clinical judgement, we can produce the best practices that align with our patients’ beliefs. The main takeaway from transcultural health should not be focused on memorizing facts about cultures but focused on accepting you do not know everything and being open to ideas and beliefs that are not your own.  

It is important to understand that we do not need to treat every disease the same way. One person may want medication for their hypertensions, another may want to practice mindfulness and follow a heart healthy diet.  

References 

Cleveland Clinic. (2014, December 16). High blood pressure diet: Foods to eat & to avoid. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/4249-hypertension-and-nutrition 

Coats, H., Crist, J. D., Berger, A., Sternberg, E., & Rosenfeld, A. G. (2017). African American Elders’ Serious Illness Experiences: Narratives of “God Did,” “God Will,” and “Life Is Better.” Qualitative Health Research, 27(5), 634–648. Retrieved February 20, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315620153 

Ekore, R. I., & Lanre-Abass, B. (2016). African cultural concept of death and the idea of Advance Care Directives. Indian journal of palliative care. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5072226/ 

Frost, L., Navarro, A., Lynch, M., Campbell, M., Orcutt, M., Trelfa, A., Dotchin, C., & Walker, R. (2015) Care of the Elderly: Survey of Teaching in an Aging Sub-Saharan Africa, Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 36:1, 14-29, Retrieved February 20, 2022. DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2014.925886 

Giger, J. N., & Haddad, L. G. (2021). Transcultural Nursing: Assessment and Intervention. Elsevier. 

Mokgobi, M. G. (2014, September 14). Understanding traditional African healing. African journal for physical health education, recreation, and dance. Retrieved February 20, 2022. from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651463/