Introduction of Community
The community this survey is based on is Miami, Florida. It is the principal city and the seat of Miami Dade county. Miami is a significant port city located on the Atlantic coast. Miami is a developed community with a variety of educational opportunities.
Windshield Survey
Vitality
The people in the community are always visible. They are walking, meeting each other, talking or driving. The age range of people living in the neighborhood is diverse, from preschoolers to elderly citizens. Still, the majority of population consists of adults aged 25-64. The most common ethnicity in Miami is Hispanic or Latino (also White Hispanics). Generally, the observed people look healthy. During the observation, three people in wheelchairs were noticed. Two of them live at home. There are tourists both from other states and from abroad.
Indicators of social and economic conditions
The general condition of the observed homes is satisfactory. There are both single-family homes and multifamily structures. There are some locations of public housing that is in worse condition than the private one. Although public transportation is developed in Miami, many people use their private cars. Bicycling is also a popular way to move across Miami. Job opportunities are mainly concentrated around small businesses.
There are few children and adolescents out of school. At present, no political campaign signs were noticed.
Health Resources
I have noticed Jackson Memorial Hospital which provides healthcare service to all citizens. There were also two clinics serving diverse people. One of them had a family planning service. Also, there are three separate dentist’s offices. Moreover, there was a wellness center and a rehabilitation center located in the area.
Environmental conditions related to health
Offshore oil extraction is one of the disturbing factors in Miami. However, the city is not likely to be seriously affected even in case of disaster (Staletovich, 2018). The sanitary condition of the housing is satisfactory. The community does not have overcrowded locations. Some of the housing needs repairing, but not much. The majority of windows are screened.
The condition of the roads is satisfactory. Only few potholes were noticed. Warning signals are present.
Social functioning
In the neighborhood, there are four families. Three of them are full and in one family the mother takes care of the children. in the other three families, three generations are present. The majority of care is provided by the mothers, still fathers also participate. The families can be characterized with neighborliness. This fact finds evidence in mutual help of the neighbors and some celebrations together. The survey revealed three churches and a synagogue.
Attitude toward healthcare
There were no botanical or herbal medicine shops in the neighborhood. One office of alternative medicine practitioner (acupuncture) was observed. The majority of people visit hospitals and clinics. Preventive and wellness care is provided by wellness centers.
Vulnerable population
In Miami, like in many other locations, seniors in general and seniors with particular needs comprise vulnerable population (Vulnerable population, 2017). During observation, it was noticed that there is need for more opportunities for people with some impairments. Thus, there should be special warnings for people with hearing impairments or some transportation options for people with wheelchairs.
Conclusion
On the whole, life conditions in the discovered community are satisfactory. Still, there are some problems that can be faced by the vulnerable population. First of all, it is lack of access to healthcare facilities. The majority of hospitals and public transport are equipped to serve people with disabilities; still, more attention should be paid to this issue. Another possible problem is related to lonely disabled people who can have problems with food and medicine supply. This problem can be solved through community volunteer organizations.
References
Staletovich, J. (2018). If Florida’s offshore oil rush ever happens, only one side of the state is likely to see it. Miami Herald. Web.
Vulnerable populations. (2017).