Introduction
The community discussed in this assignment is the city of Miami in Florida. The population of Miami is diverse; hence, the city is filled with ethnicity-based communities of various origins. Approximately 38 million tourists come to Miami every year. Finance, business, and tourist industries play a major role in Miami’s economics (Race and ethnicity, 2016). Vulnerable population identified in the assessment is represented by people with disabilities. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the healthcare conditions in the community paying particular attention to the vulnerable population group.
Vulnerable Population Overview
During the windshield survey, people with disabilities were not seen a lot as they spend most of their time at homes or specialized centers. Although there are not many senior citizens that can be seen, some of them take walks with their family or children/grandchildren.
In general, the people in Miami seem to be healthy and mostly well-nourished, although I also noticed malnourished people at least four times. People with visible physical disabilities (e.g. using a wheelchair, missing a limb) were also observed, but they are not the majority of the population. People with visible signs of mental disabilities were not seen.
Strengths, Risk Factors, and Barriers
There are many risk factors and barriers faced by the people with disabilities. These individuals meet a number of limitations at the environmental and social levels. They do not always have equal access to education, which leads to low incomes; they are more likely to have health issues; and they often meet the inequality in the healthcare system (Iezzoni, 2011).
The most crucial risk factor for the vulnerable population is poor health. According to a survey, in 2001-2005 the rate of disabled people’s poor health record was 30.6 percent, while for the people without disabilities the number was only 3.4 percent (Iezzoni, 2011, p. 1949). Moreover, there is a possibility of the doctors’ resistance to deal with the patients’ risky conduct if they have disabilities (Iezzoni, 2011, p. 1950).
The risks and barriers for the healthcare of the people with disabilities should be taken care of at all levels. The number of this vulnerable population is growing every year, and these people deserve fair treatment and equal access to healthcare facilities.
Community Resources
Although there are many hospitals and clinics in Miami, they do not look new. The dentists’ offices seem to be in a better condition, as well as family planning services. Nursing homes, as well as rehabilitation centers, are also present (at least six were noticed during the drive), while there are almost no mobile health vehicles and blood donation centers. The rate of uninsured citizens in Miami is one of the highest, so insurance cost and hospitals for residents with low income are necessary (Felland & Stark, 2012).
The houses are not overcrowded, and most of them look neat. Traffic lights and signs are located at almost every crossing; although sidewalks are not new, their condition is satisfactory. Nevertheless, bicyclists often use pathways, which can result in injuries (Hunter, Srinivasan, & Martell, 2012). Handicapped access to buildings is provided, but its quality remains dubious. No folk medicine practices were noticed; three advertisements of an alternative medicine practitioner were seen near the local pharmacies. No underutilized health resources were noticed; there are many advertisements of local clinics, but the number of health-related events is scarce. The observed members of vulnerable populations were accompanied by relatives, friends, or social workers. Two homeless people with disabilities were noticed as well. Thus, most of the individuals with disabilities receive the needed care and help, but those who live below poverty levels do not.
Community Health Problem Diagnosis
Among the priority community health problems of the vulnerable population, there is limited access to qualified healthcare for people with disabilities. Therefore, appropriate policies need to be employed in order to improve these people’s state of health and their welfare in general. Such policies might include the increase of the quantity of data systems applied for observing Healthy People 2020 targets which have in their program the identification of the people of vulnerable population. Another policy concerns the development of more interventions for monitoring and promoting public health issues for the vulnerable population and the caregivers. Additionally, health departments should implement health promotion programs with the aim of enhancement the quality of life and healthcare of the people with disabilities (Disability and health, 2016). The community health nurse should pay effort to positively impact the development of such policies in her district.
Summary
It is necessary to conduct such surveys because they help understand what health disparities are present in the community and how they can be fixed (Nies & McEwen, 2015). The city’s population is racially diverse, and it consists of families and young adults. Hospitals and clinics are present in the community, but they are not new and need renovation. The air is polluted due to the local high traffic. Alcohol and drug users are mostly seen during the night. Vulnerable populations are generally provided with the care they need. However, further development of the policies enhancing the welfare and health state of people with disabilities is required.
Reference Page
Disability and health (2016). Web.
Felland, L. E., & Stark, L. B. (2012). Local public hospitals: Changing with the times. HSC Research Brief, 25(2), 1-13.
Hunter, W. W., Srinivasan, R., & Martell, C. (2012). Evaluation of shared lane markings in Miami Beach, Florida. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina/Highway Safety Research Center.
Iezzoni, L. (2011). Eliminating health and health care disparities among the growing population of people with disabilities. Health Affairs, 30(10), 1947-1954.
Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2015). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations. St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.
Race and ethnicity in Miami, Florida. (2016). Web.