CDC

 

 

The CDC and Healthy People 2020 continue to educate on the importance, the improved ease of access and insurance coverage for screenings and vaccinations. It is the responsibility of nurses to engage our aging adults in self-advocating for services that benefit the individual and community health. How can you, as a registered nurse, impact older adults to encourage routine vaccination? What impact does this have on the community as a whole?

 

 

Sample Solution

As a registered nurse, I can impact older adults to encourage routine vaccination in the following ways:

  • Educate older adults about the importance of routine vaccination. I can provide older adults with information about the benefits of vaccination, the risks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and the safety and efficacy of vaccines. I can also answer any questions or concerns that older adults may have about vaccination.
  • Assess older adults’ vaccination status and make sure they are up-to-date on all recommended vaccines. I can review older adults’ immunization records and identify any vaccines that they may need. I can then provide them with information about how to get vaccinated and help them to schedule appointments.
  • Promote vaccination access and affordability. I can help older adults to find vaccination resources in their community, such as free or low-cost vaccination clinics. I can also help them to navigate their insurance coverage and answer any questions they may have about billing.
  • Address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. I can talk to older adults about their concerns about vaccination and provide them with accurate information from trusted sources. I can also help them to identify and avoid misinformation about vaccination.

Impact on the community as a whole

Routine vaccination of older adults has a number of benefits for the community as a whole. First, it helps to protect older adults from vaccine-preventable diseases. This is important because older adults are at increased risk for serious complications from these diseases.

Second, routine vaccination of older adults helps to protect other people in the community from vaccine-preventable diseases. This is because older adults are often in close contact with other people, such as grandchildren, caregivers, and healthcare workers.

Third, routine vaccination of older adults helps to reduce the economic burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. This is because vaccine-preventable diseases can lead to hospitalization, medical bills, and lost productivity.

Specific examples of how I can impact older adults to encourage routine vaccination:

  • I can talk to older adults about their vaccination status during routine health visits. I can ask them which vaccines they have received and when they received them. I can then identify any vaccines that they may need and provide them with information about how to get vaccinated.
  • I can provide educational materials about vaccination to older adults. This could include brochures, pamphlets, or websites. I can also offer to answer any questions that older adults may have about vaccination.
  • I can help older adults to schedule appointments for vaccination. I can call vaccination clinics or pharmacies and make appointments on their behalf. I can also provide them with transportation to and from their appointments, if needed.
  • I can advocate for older adults to have access to affordable vaccination. I can talk to insurance companies about coverage for vaccines and help older adults to navigate their insurance coverage. I can also direct older adults to free or low-cost vaccination clinics.

By taking these steps, I can help to ensure that older adults are up-to-date on all recommended vaccines and protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. This will have a positive impact on the community as a whole by reducing the spread of disease and protecting everyone from serious illness.

 

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