Health is a process of continual change that we adapt in our lives for us to maintain good health.Effective adaptation even in presence of stress or chronic illness leads to a state of wellness, which is considered a higher level on the health–illness continuum.The health illness continuum refers to a graphical representation of individual wellness. It consists of a questionnaire designed to assess the emotional, social and psychological well-being of a person.The continuum represents the changes that an individual goes through in well-being. For instance, one may wake up in the morning feeling great, develop a mild headache at noon and the evening restore his health. It is based on the assumption that every human being experiences various stages of illness and health that fluctuate throughout one’s life (Lundqvist & Andersson, 2021). To the right of the spectrum lies optimum health and wellness while on the opposite side lies illness and premature death. Throughout life, we slide along the scale intending to move towards the positive end of the spectrum. This paper will discuss perspectives of the health-illness continuum and its relevance in patient care.
According to the National Wellness Institute, the health-illness continuum consist of six elements, that is physical, social, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and occupational wellness (Lundqvist & Andersson, 2021). Physical wellness refers to how an individual maintains self-care through exercising, sleep, and dieting. It generally deals with the basic care we give to our bodies. Social element deal with our social interactions and the contribution we make to our communities. Our awareness and acceptance of emotions and generally how we cope with human relationships fall under emotional wellness. Intellectual wellness focus on the activities we engage in to keep our brains engaged and stimulated for instance by engaging in creative and challenging activities, exploring and innovations. Occupational wellness is achieved through work. When a person engages in enriching work that he gets to exercise his skills, expand knowledge, and meet his basic needs by aligning tasks with personal values, the fulfilment and rewards obtained from it lead to wellness. Lastly, spiritual wellness is enabled by the realization of one’s meaning in life and achieved with one’s beliefs and values to live a purposeful life (Gazaway et al., 2019).
When caring for a patient, close examination of the above elements is crucial. The perspective holds that well-being does not only relate to the absence of disease or injuries. It encompasses the unseen facets of life (Swan et al., 2019). As a care provider, it is always wiser and more beneficial to the patient to assess these facets of life. A patient’s recovery journey from a particular illness may be thwarted by factors in these elements. For instance, when a patient recovering from a back injury is constantly worrying about the uncompleted workload in the office or the children at home while being admitted to the hospital, it slows down the recovery process because of the pressure he puts on his body. The perspective is important in the health system because it presents a comprehensive range of services. Since one’s health changes with time, providing care that meets the evolving change is important.
This perspective offers a holistic approach to treatment. Care provider care move from intermittent goals of treatment that focuses on physical symptoms to more profound and lasting goals that enhances a patient’s life such as having a contented mental state. In Some cases, a patient’s treatment plan may have gaps. The perspective ensures that these gaps are filled by connecting key elements. Connection takes into account the limitations of the dichotomous approach by providing a framework that seeks beyond the elimination of symptoms to enable individuals’ conscious awareness of their health (Swan et al., 2019).
As a health provider, the framework provides an opportunity to address issues that are not directly linked to treatment and the diagnosed illness such as reassuring the patients that the decision they are taking to better their lives and their wellness is the right path to follow. When dealing with patients suffering from chronic illness the approach is essential since it addresses issues that medicines and medical procedures may not handle (Gazaway et al., 2019). For example, a patient suffering from stage four cancer may need someone to talk to and encourage them to be glad every day they are alive as much as one may need medical interventions. The emotional and spiritual well-being of a patient at such as stage is key since little can be done to improve their physical well-being.
According to Christian teachings, a man is a divine being and his life is sacred, by all means, Christianity strives to maintain its sacred nature. In the Holy Scripture, a human being was wonderfully created in the likeness of God, his dignity must be observed at all costs (Ryan et al., 2021). Heath- illness continuum promotes human dignity by treating the patient rather than the disease. It incorporates the patient’s participation in the process of achieving wellness. With the help of professional care, provider patients realize that they have a valuable role to play in enhancing their well-being. They are not mere receivers of the services offered to them. Secondly, patients are allowed to live according to their principles and values, which is very profound in life existence.
On the health-illness continuum, I fall below the average mark. During my stressful moments, I do not take time to prepare healthy meals in the house. I often opt for vendors’ fast food. My sleeping patterns also get disrupted; I end up spending too much time watching films or oversleeping as a way of relieving the stress. As a move towards a higher level along the health-illness spectrum, I must make use of the school counsellor to help me come up with better ways of managing stress. Additionally, I am determined to gain more self–awareness with the help of a life coach. Getting to know the resources I possess will enable me to put them to better use in the process of self-actualization.
References
Gazaway, S., Stewart, M., & Schumacher, A. (2019). Integrating palliative care into the chronic illness continuum: a conceptual model for minority populations. Journal of Racial and ethnic health disparities, 6, 1078-1086.
Ryan, R. M., Deci, E. L., Vansteenkiste, M., & Soenens, B. (2021). Building a science of motivated persons: Self-determination theory’s empirical approach to human experience and the regulation of behavior. Motivation Science, 7(2), 97.
Lundqvist, C., & Andersson, G. (2021). Let’s talk about mental health and mental disorders in elite sports: a narrative review of theoretical perspectives. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 700829.
Swanson, C., Thompson, A., Valentz, R., Doerner, L., & Jezek, K. (2019). Theory of Nursing for the Whole Person: A distinctly scriptural framework. Journal of Christian Nursing, 36(4), 222-227.
write