Wellness Program

Many health conditions that have caused fatal results may be related to unhealthy lifestyle, which means that one can manage them through lifestyle changes. Illnesses such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, and hypertension belong to this group. As for a training supervisor for given city, it is, thus, important to outline a program that will frame the problem, make a plan to curb these conditions, set objectives for the plan, explain how the program is designed, count the expenditures, and motivate employees to help in dealing with these lifestyle conditions.

Problem Identification

The prevalence of diabetes globally has been increasing over the years. Guariguata et al., (2014) revealed that at least 9 percent of the planet’s human habitation was suffering from diabetes. Mills et al. (2016) stated that high blood pressure causes global deaths of approximately 8 million people annually. Heart disease is responsible for 17.7 million lethal results every year which are 31% of the world deaths (MEMBERS et al., 2014). Depression has also caused numerous fatalities with others committing suicide or engaging in dangerous activities; an approximate of 4.4% of the total global population suffer from depression (Steel et al., 2014). Just as these diseases are a problem in the world, they are also affecting people in the suggested city. Unhealthy lifestyles, constant pressure, and poor eating habits are the main triggers for these conditions while deep psychological issues, obesity and excessive weight are some of the risk factors for their development (Ng et al., 2014). This then narrows the problem of the city to poor lifestyle. The needs assessment of this city indicates that a majority of the residents lead unhealthy lifestyles and, thus, there is a necessity for a wellness program to curb this issue.

Strategic Plan

The plan will involve focusing on areas and aspects that influence food, physical activity, and any lifestyle habit that encourages the development of these conditions. It will also set policies and rules to allow workers and employees to have flexible schedules so that they can obtain advantages of exercising after work (Merrill et al., 2011). This program will benefit workers of all ages and gender. Another step is to advocate for low-fat diets and less-sugary foods in the city cafeterias and also to offer incentives to healthy food choices (Cawley et al., 2013). This will influence increased purchase and preference due to the lowered prices.

A city program will encourage all employees to join and advocate for healthy lifestyles. Apart from food issues solutions, the plan will offer psycho-education on self-management behaviors, counseling sessions, and regular free screening for the above conditions (Steel et al., 2014). This will help both the depressed employees and the non-affected ones to learn about how to prevent depression, especially among the older workers aged 50 years and above. The program will be divided into classes according to the age; 19 to 35, 36 to 50, and 50 to 67 years. Since the male city laborers who compose 60 percent of the employed population engage in unhealthy habits such as smoking more often than women. They will be encouraged to participate in sports games (Merrill et al., 2011). This move will occupy them at their leisure times to prevent them from putting themselves at risk of diabetes and the other conditions. Competitions such as healthy cooking will also be available for the 40% female citizens.

Goals and Objectives of the Plan

The first goal of the plan is to ensure that employees and the community are aware that unhealthy lifestyle choices are a major threat to the well-being of the individuals in the city. The objective behind this goal will be to increase the number of employees who know the negative effects of unhealthy lifestyles. Poor lifestyle choices not only affect the individual, they also have an impact on the family, environment, and even the economy (Merrill et al., 2011). The second goal will be to promote education among the employees so that they can recognize the early development of these conditions. The objective behind this goal would be to increase the number of service providers who track and inform patients on their health status. The early detection of these conditions would call for early interventions and, thus, would prevent complications (MEMBERS et al., 2014). The third goal will be to enhance the management of the people who already suffer from obesity, overweight, diabetes, depression, and any other conditions triggered by their living habits. These individuals could be educated on healthy eating habits, self-meditation, physical exercise, and avoiding addictions such as drinking alcohol and smoking (Guariguata et al., 2014).

Design of the Plan

The first step in designing the program will be a rough assessment of the city employees and acquiring their health information. The second step will be to seek support from all the authorities so as to foresee the success and obtain financial aid when necessary. The third step will involve establishing a wellness committee which will involve the city top employers so as to have easy contacts with the employees (Merrill et al., 2011). The committee will be able to implement, monitor. and also evaluate the progress of the program. The fourth step will incorporate the goals and objectives of the program. A budget will then be set to determine the funds needed in running the program. The sixth step will determine the incentives and gifts to the winners who will participate in the program competitions. Lastly, the success of the program will be assessed after every three months to determine the required changes and evaluate the achieved success (Baicker, Cutler & Song, 2010). Such actions will help to implement the program as fast as possible and determine if it is benefiting the city employees or not.

How to Gather Employees

The plan will involve cooperation with the managers and different employers and, thus, it will be easy to contact the employees. The administrators from different organizations will be in charge of the workers’ involvement in the program. The managers will set employee meetings and encourage them to sign up for the program. During such meetings, training will be held with the employees to explain the benefits of the program to them and motivate them to participate and be actively involved in it (Baicker, Cutler & Song, 2010). The employees will be informed on the 20% insurance cost decrease if they become actively involved in the program. Competitions will also be set involving sports games where all the employees, especially the young ones, can compete and the winners awarded (Cawley et al., 2013). Additionally, these events will unite the employees.

Estimated Cost of the Program

An approximate of 12,500 dollars will be able to finance all the activities of the program. Managers will launch most projects such as the recreational grounds for physical activities and gyms for work out sessions to keep the employees engaged in an effort to restrict them from unhealthy habits such as smoking and junk food consumption (Ng et al., 2014). This would cost an approximate of 2000 dollars and will help workers with unstable psychological state to unwind. 750 dollars will be paid for advertising the program and encouraging city restaurants to keep healthy meals on the menu. 1000 dollars will be spent on counselors who will be training on relaxation and meditation classes. The committee members will receive 5000 dollars for coordinating the program activities. Monthly screening exercise will cost. Lastly, organizing the program competitions and also the incentives for the winners of the programs will cost approximately.

Program Evaluation

This wellness program will involve free screenings of the lifestyle conditions every month. Thus the quality of program implementation will be evaluated through this method and through assessing the number of active employees who will have joined the program by the end of three months. Screening results will be able to depict any lifestyle changes and improvements (Baicker, Cutler & Song, 2010). The three evaluation indicators will be essential to determine the progress of the program. Firstly, the determining of the employees number enrolling in the program and their level of involvement will measure the process indicator. Secondly, the impact indicator will be the assessment of the employees’ awareness of healthy lifestyles and their intent to adopt them. Lastly, the outcome indicator will measure if the participants have met the goals and objectives of the program.

Conclusion

The prevalence of lifestyle diseases has been increasing over time. Lifestyle choices including the consumed food and various addictions play a significant role in these conditions. Thus, addressing these issues will require modifications in lifestyles. Numerous factors contribute to the development of many lifestyle conditions such as the home culture, working environments, and the physical activities. Thus, implementing a wellness program that will include employees from all sectors will be able to facilitate a reduction in the prevalence of this lifestyle conditions. Nonetheless, to create such a program managers have to plan all the activities, motivate employees, and count all expenditures.

Related Free Health Essays