Moving into the new millennium, when numbers of elders will increase significantly, health promotion strategies to educate, find and detect early stages of illness will become extremely important. Using data from a recently completed rural community assessment project, two faculty from a rural Kansas university are developing a health promotion project for rural elderly women. Because of geographic location, economics and limited availability of services, it was found that elderly women (age 65 and older) in one rural community need more knowledge about health promotion strategies directed to their specific needs. Emerging community needs were assessed using the Community Health Assessment Project (CHAP) format that involved cross-sectional data from one rural Kansas county as well as informed respondents within the medical and services communities. Cancer and heart disease were identified as the most important community problems for this rural area. Increases in breast cancer statistics were evaluated for elderly women. Screening and early detection (secondary prevention) as well as community education (primary prevention) strategies focused on elderly women in the community is being developed at a multidisciplinary level. Medical diagnostic imaging and community health nursing disciplines are working together to develop the following strategies: 1) Teaching providers how to teach (service providers knowing about elderly women's learning styles), 2) Accessing social activity/interaction in the community to promote screening activity and education, 3) Offering easily accessible services.
Learning Objectives: 1.Identify rural elderly women's need for health screenings. 2.Discuss data findings from a Kansas Community Health Assessment project (CHAP). 3.Analyze an example of program development based on community needs data.
Keywords: Access to Care, Rural Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.