Self-acupressure training for empowering older adults with hypertension

Abstract

Older adults commonly experience hypertension and require long-term management strategies through self-care. This community service activity aims to empower older adults with hypertension through community-based self-acupressure training to improve their knowledge, skills, and self-care abilities in managing blood pressure. The activity was conducted with the Banjar Wahana Asri Senior Citizens’ Group, within the service area of the Denpasar Utara III Community Health Center, using a community-based education and participatory empowerment approach. The activity stages included coordination with partners, baseline measurements, health education, demonstrations of self-acupressure techniques, guided practice, and evaluation through pre-tests, observations, and participant feedback. The results showed high participant participation, improved knowledge and skills in performing self-acupressure, and active involvement of health workers and community health volunteers in supporting the program’s implementation. This activity also strengthened the community’s capacity to support self-managed and sustainable hypertension management. The community-based empowerment model demonstrates potential as a promotive and preventive strategy that can be replicated to support healthy aging and the management of chronic diseases at the community level.