“Wellness Through Action”: Assisting Community Dwelling Haitian American Older Adults in Adopting Habit Forming Activities to Address Depression

Depressive symptoms are one of the factors that can accelerate aging and may negatively affect cognitive status of older adults, rendering them dependent on caregivers as they age. In general, depression can be the catalyst of physical inactivity in older adults and a mediator of cardiovascular events, and mortality. Furthermore, depression can be linked with increased disability, chronic medical conditions, and stressful life events; hence, placing significant burden on patients, their families, their communities, the economy, and the healthcare system. In South Florida, many older Haitian American (HA) adults living in our local community experience depression and lack of participation in routine physical and cognitive activities. Nurses routinely utilize a variety of nonpharmacological approaches and patient education interventions designed to reduce the negative impact of comorbid conditions, promote independence, and augment patients’ quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to address the need to develop a habit of engagement in regular physical and mental stimulation activities in older Haitian American adults, to highlight the best current evidence, and to provide a comprehensive description of this quality improvement project with recommendations for practice change. An analysis of the quantitative results, a thorough evaluation of the project, and a final critique with plans for future dissemination are also included.