Preparing Older Citizens of Families for Global Climate Change
Free Webinar for IFNA Members!
Description
Objectives:
- Identify vulnerabilities of older people in families due to global climate change.
- Describe strategies to facilitate the mitigation and adaptation to the impact of global climate change on older people.
The world population of persons aged 60 and older is expected to double between 2015 and 2050 increasing to 2.1 billion. Families will face challenges with this changing population. Nurses can play a significant role in supporting the World Health Organization Decade of Healthy Aging (2020-2030) by partnering with older citizens and their families to formulate social policies that address sustainable environments and the needs of the aging populations. Physiological vulnerabilities of older people including the impact of heat and cold, cardiorespiratory illnesses and reduced adaptability will be described and strategies addressed. Strategies to promote health equity for an aging population and strategies to involve older persons in policy formation and decision making will be described. Emphasis will be placed on the prevention of marginalization and deterioration of health in vulnerable older citizens.
Presenter
Margarete L. Zalon, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN
Professor of Nursing Director, Online MS in Health Informatics Program
The University of Scranton, Department of Nursing
Margarete L. Zalon, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN is a policy expert and social activist. She a past president of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and the American Nurses Foundation and a past vice-president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Currently, she is the president of the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania. She has published over 50 articles on professional issues and is a co-editor Nurses Making Policy from Bedside to Boardroom. Dr. Zalon is a clinical specialist in adult health nursing and has conducted research on vulnerable elders. Her research has been published in Pain, Nursing Research, Applied Nursing Research, Pain Management Nursing and the Journal of Nursing Measurement among others. Dr. Zalon is a professor of nursing at the University fo Scranton and also directs its interdisciplinary online health informatics program. She received her baccalaureate degree from Duke University and her masters’ and doctoral degrees from New York University.
