Public health initiatives within continuum-care facility

Abstract

The focus of this experience was to provide a community with motivating factors and tools for health promotion. In the first phase of the experience, the student concentrated on public health promotion pertaining to residents and employees of Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community and residents of the surrounding Manhattan, Kan. area, by aiding in the coordination of a community-wide health and wellness fair. In the second phase of the experience, the student provided an environment where employees of Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community could participate in healthful lifestyle choices through development of a corporate fitness challenge. Lastly, the student developed, facilitated and continues to offer a dementia education and training session for direct-care employees of Meadowlark Hills. The field experience contains a broad range of public health aspects and provides the opportunity to work with a variety of ages and health statuses of employees and residents of a retirement community, of which have a wide-spectrum of health concerns and areas of focus.