Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health and Social Care Essay There are many indicators of health to find out about my volunteers present health. Firstly, there is the peak flow meter. My volunteers peak flow reading is 410 therefore this shows that she shows no signs of asthma and her breathing rate is average and shows that her health is in a positive state. My volunteers BMI shows that she is slightly overweight keeping this in mind I have set her targets which will help her to have a average weight. Last of all, my volunteers blood pressure is approximately a reading of 120/80 mmHg which is in general an average reading of blood pressure. Therefore this shows that she does not show signs of high blood pressure and this also indicates that she is not under a lot of stress or pressure from work and studies. This also reveals that my volunteers present blood pressure is proportional to average and that her present health is essentially positive. Page 1Zoom in Page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Level: GCSE Subject: Health and Social Care Word count: 1506 Save View my saved documents Submit similar document Share this Health and Social Care Download this essay Print Save GCSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE An extract from this document Task 1: There are many indicators of health. Indicators of health can help you find out about an individuals health. The main indicators are: * Height weight charts * Body Mass Index (BMI) * Blood pressure * Peak flow meter * Resting pulse and recovery after exercise Height weight charts: When babies are born, they are weighed and measured regularly to display whether they are fed properly. They are also assessed to show their growth rates and see if they are growing properly. Also to see if the baby is underweight, overweight, average etc Additionally, they are weighed every week for the first two months of their lives. Body Mass Index (BMI): Body mass index is an indicator of good health as it measures the amount of fat in an individuals body in association to his or hers height. It is a formula used to show your body weight in relation to your height to see whether you are underweight, average or overweight. BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters. Blood pressure: Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the pressure in which the blood is applied in the arteries and the force in which the heart pumps blood. According to Google, they define blood pressure as, the level of pressure that the blood exerts against the walls of the arteries as it passes through them. This is also a successful indicator of an individuals health as it measures how fast your heart is pumping blood therefore it advises you if you need to do certain things to help slow down the rate at which your heart pumps. As you can see, its a very positive thing and can help stop you from developing diseases such as heart disease and can make your kidney work harder which is very damaging. Blood pressure is very vital to the body and if it is average then your lifestyle will be much more satisfied. Peak Flow Meter: Another way of checking on your health is by using a peak flow meter. A peal flow meter is a special kind of instrument that measures the breathing rate and the volume of air taken in by an individual in the time of each breath. In addition, they are also used to distinguish how efficient a persons lungs are. To use a peak flow meter, a person has to blow as hard as he/she can into the mouthpiece and then examine the pointer and check the reading however you must do this three times to assure that you get an accurate reading. The measurement is used to estimate the width of the air flow in the bronchi. This is a positive indicator and you can use it to find out whether an individual is breathing properly or if they are managing their asthma correctly etc Resting pulse and recovery after exercise: A persons resting pulse rate is the pulse rate when a person is sitting still without moving. You can measure your pulse rate by placing pressure on your wrist or your neck. Your recovery heart rate is the number of beats per minute your heart drops when you stop moving. The higher the fitness levels the faster the drop in heart rate. The most common recovery heart rate can be measurement of up to 1 to 2 minutes however a complete recovery heart may consist of up to an hour. This is a positive indicator of health considering it shows how healthy and athletic your body is after exercise. If your heart does not pump that fast then you are in a healthy and fit state so your body can be affected by much less diseases or illnesses therefore it is very beneficial and helpful. Task 2: There are many indicators of health to find out about my volunteers present health. Firstly, there is the peak flow meter. My volunteers peak flow reading is 410 therefore this shows that she shows no signs of asthma and her breathing rate is average and shows that her health is in a positive state. My volunteers BMI shows that she is slightly overweight keeping this in mind I have set her targets which will help her to have a average weight. Last of all, my volunteers blood pressure is approximately a reading of 120/80 mmHg which is in general an average reading of blood pressure. Therefore this shows that she does not show signs of high blood pressure and this also indicates that she is not under a lot of stress or pressure from work and studies. This also reveals that my volunteers present blood pressure is proportional to average and that her present health is essentially positive. Task 4: I have set 3 targets for my volunteer to meet and stick to in order for her to improve her health. Those three targets that I have set are: 1) To have a balanced diet 2) To do regular exercise 3) To improve personal hygiene I think that to improve my volunteers health needs, she must stick to these particular targets so that her lifestyle can be developed and progressed so that she can achieve her overall needs. Task 5: Previously, I had chosen 3 targets for my volunteer to stick to in order to improve her health. Here is a health plan for each of those targets for my volunteer to know thoroughly how to improve and stick to her targets. Wash clothing and linens on a regular basis. However, the dilemma is germs and bacteria can develop and increase in your dirty clothes basket so try to be persistent on a weekly cleaning schedule.