Defining the Community
This paper assesses the geriatric population within the state of Florida, the US, who live in the nursing homes in Baker County. This population represents the elderly who are currently unable to live with their families because of health issues that require supervision and assistance or absence of relatives. Even though they do not actively participate in the community’s life, these people often interact with volunteers, which provides them with the opportunity to gather citizens for some events and celebrations. In this way, the elderly unites the community in which it lives.
The group of the geriatric population selected for the assessment is limited to those who live in Baker County on Macclenny Street. Here one can find Macclenny Nursing and Rehab Center (120 individuals) and W. Frank Wells Nursing Home (69 individuals) (Medicare, 2016). Thus, they belong to a certain neighborhood. Still, the group is separated from others. Those representatives of the elderly population who live in nursing homes cannot leave them alone. Even though they are in the town, they mainly interact only with each other and the staff.
This community assessment is likely to enhance the understanding of the elderly’s needs so that the quality of their lives can be improved. It may also engage other citizens who live in this county, which will help develop shared vision and unification. As a consequence, the population will be likely to start valuing the lives of others more, which can result in reduced crime rates and enhanced participation in the life of the community. A community assessment is critical, as they are those individuals who previously made a great contribution to the development of the community and are still uniting its members.
This very assessment will be conducted in a rather short period (about a week). Such limitations for completing it are considered because the population is relatively small and is located in two adjacent nursing houses. Moreover, the elderly may feel uncomfortable if the procedure is complex and long-lasting. It may also start interfering with the care providers’ work. The assessment can be maintained in the nursing homes so that a special place will not be required. The funding for the procedure can be obtained from the voluntary organizations that are interested in this population.
Assessment
The geriatric population is chosen for this assessment because it includes people who worked for the community and now expect to receive appreciation and care. These people often have no one to care about them, so it is critical to ensure that they live in decent conditions. In the US, more than 14% of all citizens refer to this population (Healthy people, 2016). In Florida, this number increases to 19.4% (Census, 2016).
As available monetary resources tend to be rather limited, the assessment can be maintained with interviews and questionnaires. They provide qualitative data that can then be discussed statistically.
Selected methods allow us to cooperate with those willing to interact (interviews) and those who tend to keep silent (questionnaires). They can also ensure anonymity. Such an approach is decent for the limited time frame as well. It reduces the amount of the required resources and emphasizes the role of the researcher.
It is critical to consider the information from the elderly’s point of view and from the care providers’ one. The attention should be paid to the problems faced satisfaction with the services, quality of life, interactions, goals, desires, and wishes. Injury and death rates should also be discussed, as well as the involvement of families and the community.
References
Census. (2016). QuickFacts: Florida. Web.
Healthy people. (2016). Older adults.
Medicare. (2016). Compare nursing homes. Web.