Health Behavior Change

Regardless of age, adults maintain a capacity to learn new information and change their behaviors throughout their lives. It is critical for health care providers to recognize and capitalize on this potential as they educate older adults about maintaining healthy habits and applying motivational techniques to encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyle changes. These changes may encompass all aspects of their life with regular physical activity, sound nutritional habits, cognitive stimulation, and social engagement as key target areas for older adults. There are a number of theoretical models and conceptual models related to education and behavioral change, including the Information, Motivation, Behavior Skills (IMB) Model, the Trans-theoretical Model and the Self- Efficacy Model.