A project designed for senior citizens

Old age is a fundamental stage of human life that deserves full attention to ensure quality of life. For this reason, the Nursing Program at UCundinamarca has been implementing the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention project, aimed at this population group with chronic illnesses and their caregivers – CASSA UDEC.

The project is coordinated by Professor María Victoria Rojas Martínez and supported by students Laura Xiomara Bonilla and María Alejandra Ceballos, as well as Professor Gloria Naidú Cuevas. Its main objective is to promote and reinforce best practices among caregivers for older adults to facilitate their health management. “The initiative is implemented in conjunction with the Municipal Health Secretariat and the Secretariat of Economic and Social Development of Girardot, as well as some Health Promoting Entities (EPS) that have agreements with the Nursing Program,” explained María Victoria Rojas Martínez, coordinator of the CASSA project.

The coordinator also commented that the development involves teachers and students from the disciplinary learning fields of Nursing Care in Adulthood and Old Age and the specialization in Nursing Care in the Adult/Elderly Person and in a Chronic Situation.

Main axes of the project

Workshops for family caregivers: for the past 7 years, these activities have been carried out in which these people are taught everything about caregiving, to be a support in the daily life of this population.

Home care for people with chronic illnesses: in each academic period, around thirty elderly adults are visited and continuity is provided through the care offered by students and teachers.

Physical, mental and social activity project: at this point the teacher and nursing student are allowed to interact with the adults and older adults who belong to the physical activity group of the CASSA UDEC Program, guiding them to promote healthy lifestyles through participatory activities that allow their physical and mental development, based on theoretical and practical foundations that support the activities.

“During this semester, this initiative was carried out under the name Activate and Get Moving. It was held virtually on Mondays and Thursdays with approximately eight participants, and when it was held in person at UCundinamarca, it had ten senior citizens,” explained Laura Xiomara Bonilla, a student in the Nursing Program.

Leadership training: With the goal of strengthening the leadership of senior citizen leaders in Girardot, they were trained in physical activity and cognitive stimulation so they can apply it individually and in different groups. "It is necessary to strengthen the functional capacity of senior citizens, and we do this with stretching, balance, muscle strengthening, and cardiovascular endurance exercises, as well as warm-up, development, and relaxation," he stated.

The student also explained that workshops were held throughout the semester, offering advice on preventing and managing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. “It’s important for older adults to be vigilant and help identify and prevent their health problems.”.

Promoting healthy lifestyle habits through the Nursing Program at UCundinamarca has become a protective measure for this population group, which is why this activity is currently being promoted through online platforms and mobile phones. “We all know that this is one of the populations at highest risk of becoming ill and dying right now, therefore, it is essential that they adopt self-care measures, and it is our duty to remind them of these measures with kindness, care, and patience,” explained the program coordinator, María Victoria Martínez.

The aging process

While it is true that older adults are a vulnerable population, Gloria Naidú Cuevas, a professor in the Nursing Program and a member of the CASSA UDEC project, explains that alterations can occur in old age, emphasizing cognitive processes. “The aging process brings physical, social, and emotional changes. There are a number of factors that affect people's health, such as physical inactivity, certain eating habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking. These cause irreversible damage and affect the functioning of various organs, which can then lead to chronic diseases.”.

Finally, the teacher stated that the CASSA UDEC program has been developing projects with the Municipal Health Secretariat and the Secretariat of Economic and Social Development, such as prevention of alcohol and tobacco consumption, cardiovascular risk screening, cognitive stimulation, and proposals for characterization and training of caregivers.

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