Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness Nurs 440 May 27, 2013 Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness There are many types of vulnerable populations in today’s society that are vulnerable to certain illnesses or diseases. One of the most common vulnerable populations is the elderly. As the age increases most often it also corresponds with cognitive changes, specifically dementia. Chronic illnesses in the elderly increase their vulnerability and begin to be more dependent on others for assistance. Upon growing older there many choices to be made and one of the most difficult is having to place the elder person in a nursing home when he/she is no longer capable of being independent.
Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Falls are a problem for most of the elderly population in the home, acute care setting, and long term care setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC;2013), there is one out of three people over the age of 65 who have fallen and suffered serious injuries and even death. This has become a problem for patients, families, and healthcare facilities that can be prevented through education and awareness of surroundings. Falls can be devastating to patients due to increased hospital stay and decreased mobility. The purpose of this paper is to discuss data associated with falls, and identify risks and prevention strategies.
There are arguments to support that many older people leave hospital less able to function or mobilise than when they were admitted (de Morton, Keating & Jeffs 2007). This is due to the occurrence of deconditioning, a risk for many elderly patients admitted to an acute hospital setting. Deconditioning refers to the significant decline in the functional ability of patients, and is generally associated with prolonged bed rest and immobility (Kortebein, 2008). The term is used to describe the physiological changes caused by inactivity, with virtually every body system affected (Eliopoulos, 2010), and it also incorporates functional losses in mental status, ability to accomplish activities of daily living (ADLs) and a decrease in muscle mass and strength (Gillis, MacDonald & MacIsaac 2008). Hospitalisation is often the cause of deconditioning, particularly due to the focus on bed rest in order to recover from illness, or the limited mobility resulting from surgery.
Vulnerable Populations A vulnerable population is a group of people who are susceptible or exposed to anything that threatens their health and/or well-being. Vulnerability can be short, long or indefinite depending on the risk. Short-term may be an illness such as influenza, long-term may be homelessness, and indefinite are diseases like cancer, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. Immigration is another example of a vulnerable population. Many people from other countries come to United States in hopes of raising their family in freedom, better economic standards, and employment and healthcare opportunities.
Mentally Ill Populations Need for Advocacy As a case manager I encounter many issues trying to help the clients that I serve in the mentally ill population. Financial entitlements are stalled due to case overloads within government agencies or clients are denied disability benefits regardless to mounds of documentation being sent to state claims officers confirming the client’s disability. Medicaid denials cause clients to not have access to the medications they need to treat their illnesses, which in many cases sends them into crisis and back into the hospital for psychiatric stabilization. Supportive housing for mentally ill individuals are far and few. This
Five population groups are typically underserved. They are those with low income, the disabled, geographically isolated people, those with limited literacy, and residents of long term facilities. Patients with family incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line account for the largest group of underserved individuals. Patients with medical disabilities or chronic illnesses have difficulty traveling out of their homes, and consequently have trouble finding care. Patients residing in an isolated area will have a harder time finding medical help.
Internal factors that have defined the size of Hospice include the addressing of the fact that many patients and their families were suffering from terminal illnesses and their needs were not being met by the medical system. The size that Hospice has grown into is based on the needs of the people and how to provide care for these patients. As more patients who required
Vulnerable Populations in Current Events Introduction The article titled “An in-home geriatric programme for vulnerable community-dwelling older people improves the detection of dementia in primary care,” was chosen because it deals with a very sensitive vulnerable population: older people suffering from dementia. The most common issue with dementia is that it grows undetected at the beginning, and people and relatives believe that forgetting things is just a sign of aging; however, not all older people suffer from that devastating disease, which to date, has not found any real solution. In the article chosen there is a concern of detecting early signs of dementia at a primary health care level. Early detection of dementia enables the use of the related services at an early stage. It also allows the patient and caregiver the possibility to organize their lives better in face of the progressive mental decline.
Vulnerable Population and Self Assessment Paper Kusum Rao Nur/440 Vulnerable Elderly Population In modern U.S. society, there are many groups of people that differ in race, age, ethnic background, and wealth among many distinguishing factors. It is important to note the vulnerable populations within such a collection of people so that society may utilize its resources to help them in times of need. According to Lu Ann Aday, vulnerable populations are “populations which are at risk of poor physical, psychological, or social health” (Aday, 2009). An example of a vulnerable population that fits these criteria are the aging and elderly population in our society. Members of this population experience many difficulties and risks that are physical, emotional, and psychological and must be given care and support.
On any given day, about 70,000 are psychotic. These numbers represent a severe crisis for prison systems throughout the country. The report discusses two main reasons why the numbers have risen to a crisis level. First, as a result of the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s, many mental health hospitals were closed, but community mental health systems which were envisioned as taking the place of hospitals did not develop sufficiently. Many mentally ill—particularly the poor—are now without access to help.