Vulnerable Population: The Poor “A vulnerable population is a group or groups that are more likely to develop health- related problems, have more difficulty accessing health care to address those health problems, and are more likely to experience a poor outcome or shorter life span because of those health conditions.” (Maurer & Smith,2009, pp. 533) Poverty is linked with marked deprivation of well-being of an individual due to inability to meet basic needs. It could be due to lack of income or resources to buy goods and services or inability to access them. Thus poor people in the population are considered vulnerable as socioeconomic status is closely linked to a person’s health status. People who are poor or belong to low income …show more content…
They have more fast food places and liquor stores in their areas. There is no place or a safe place for physical activity and recreation as a result people stay at home this limits there physical activity as well as social interaction. The crime rate in such areas is high therefore residents face constant threat to their lives. Youth and adults do not have any positive outlet or recreation available and they adapt behavior as smoking, drinking alcohol and use of drugs. It was also shown in PBS videos that across the country polluting industries are found in communities where population is poor or belong to minority causing pollution and other health problems. Population living below poverty line usually doesn’t have health insurance. Even if they are employed they either do not get insurance from employer owing to small business or if they get insurance they do not enroll to save cost of monthly premium. For them basic needs are priority while health is secondary. Because of the cost they have to choose between needs and health. They usually delay seeking care or avoid going to health care altogether making them sicker. As a result they end up using acute care services e.g. emergency department and have poor health outcomes. In PBS video it was highlighted lack of health care is not the cause of their illness but chronic constant stress in their daily lives exposes them
Chronic illnesses are disorders that require ongoing care and treatment for much of the patients’ life to manage the illness. Examples of such illnesses are diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. When discussing chronic mental illness, such diseases or disorders would be those that require ongoing treatment and care throughout much of the patients’ life. Examples would be schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic anxiety disorder or attention deficit hyperactive disorder as well as many other specific forms of mental illness. Individuals suffering from chronic mental illnesses are part of the vulnerable population because they
Poverty also influences our responses to health and illness. The level of income below that which people cannot afford a minimum, nutritionally adequate diet, suitable and secure housing, heating and hot water, and beds to sleep on.
The notion of groups “at risk” for poor health differs from vulnerable populations. “A population at risk is a population with a common identified risk factor or risk exposure that poses a threat to health (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014, p. 189). For example, a population at risk for cardiovascular disease consists of all adults who are overweight and hypertensive (Stanhope &
Income is an important element of the social determinants of health because it appears in many different experiences and is a key determinant of the premature mortality and premature years of lives lost from diseases among Canadians (Raphael, 2009, p 8). The poor are those who fall below the low-income cut off line as established from Statistics Canada’s data. Such people do not have the basic income for food, clothing or shelter. These are people who are either unemployed, laid - off, non-beneficiaries of social service assistance just to mention a few and are unlikely to have three meals a day. Curry -Stevens (2009, p. 52) explained that those at the bottom already show the worst form of market failure and as a result their market income is not enough for themselves and their families to survive on.
Community nursing is a very challenging, yet vital and important aspect of nursing for the community in the borough of Brooklyn, NY. It is located on the southwestern end of Long Island, southeastern of New York and it is connected to Manhattan by three bridges (Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Verrazano Bridge). Brooklyn is separated from Manhattan by the East River (Britannica, 2017) and it is considered the largest of the five boroughs in New York City with an estimated population of about 2,629,150 in 2016. Its width is approximately 71 square miles with 52.6% female, and 47.4 male residences in 2016 (Census.gov, 2016). It is highly populated, with the ethnic makeup
The vulnerable population chosen for this paper is Haitian immigrants. Topics of discussion will include description of the population, significant problems related to their vulnerability, related health and social problems, an evaluation of adequant of current strategies to break the cycle of vulnerability, ethical implications of current strategies, and proposed community and public health nursing interventions in roles of manager, advocate, teacher, caregiver and researcher.
The United States of America is the place known to many as the land of the free, home of the brave, and the place to start a better life. With any place that has good qualities, some have not so good qualities. The homeless population in the United States is at a staggering high, and many individuals are suffering because many lack employment/financial resources, housing resources, support from family and friends, and others negligence; such as natural disasters or fires. Homeless individuals may have no other choice than to live on the streets, trains, and alley ways to name a few places where homeless people seek shelter. The history of homelessness, social problems, demographics, common clinical
Some of the people are not likely to develop such a risk while others are at a higher risk. A vulnerable population is basically a sub-group or a population that is likely to develop a problem in health when exposed to risks. Another reason is the presence of worse outcomes when compared to other people. This group experiences cumulative risks that increase their mortality as well as morbidity. This is secondary to issues like poverty and low economic status (Blaikie, et al, 2014). A good example of a vulnerable population would include the uninsured, elderly, homeless, as well as those infected with HIV and pneumonia. The vulnerable people cannot advocate for themselves as they lack means of obtaining treatment for their different
Those who live in poorer communities often suffer from greater ill health while those living in deprived areas are often without access to the best health care. This lack of prevention stems from poor education often received in those areas and the culture that often permeates within them.
In this assignment I will select a vulnerable population sub-group and consider how social science contributes to understanding the social problems encountered by this group. I will do this by firstly explaining and identifying and locating the chosen sub group within the broader societal context. Next by explaining why the chosen sub group is considered to be vulnerable with reference to relevant theory and research based evidence. Then I will be identifying and explaining the role of relevant agencies, both non-governmental organisations and governmental in relation to welfare provision for the chosen sub group. Finally I will discussing the role of social science in informing public health and welfare practice in relation to the chosen
Vulnerable population means a group of population that at greater risk of developing health problems due to their less awareness, availability, and access to needed resources to fulfill their healthy wellbeing requirements. Elderly population, pregnant women, homeless person, population with suicide or homicide prone behavior, substance abuser, persons living with infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, disable and chronically ill patients fall under vulnerable population group. “vulnerable populations are those with a greater than average risk of developing health problems by virtue of their marginalized sociocultural status, their limited access to economic resources or their personal characteristics such as age and gender”(Chesnay, M. &. Anderson, B. 2012). People with lower incomes and less education tend to be at higher risk for health problems.
According to Pogge (2008), poverty is a state at which individuals are not able to fulfill their basic human needs of food, shelter and clothing. This is taken in the context of quality and insufficient amounts in quantity. Poverty is categorized into two main classes, absolute and relative
These vulnerable populations according to Shi and Stevens (2005) experience disparities in access to care and have poorer health status than the population as a whole.
Many describe poverty as an economic deprivation, or lack of income. However, this alone does not incorporate the different social, cultural and political aspects of this unfortunate reality. Poverty is not only a deprivation of economic or material resources but a violation of human dignity. The general scarcity, lack, or the state of one without a specific amount of material possessions or money. It is a versatile concept that may be defined as either absolute or relative. Time and again, poverty is a call to action, for the poor and the wealthy alike, it is a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.
Poverty is “the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor” (Dictionary.com, 2017). Based off this definition poverty is a condition that can cause a cascade of cause and effect actions that is detrimental to families and individuals both physically and mentally. Haan, Kaplan, & Camacho (2017) completed a study on the correlation between social and economic status and health in adults in Oakland, CA. They found that the lower the socioeconomic class the higher incidents of diseases and deaths related to chronic diseases (p.1161-1162). Just being without money or little money was not the only indication of health indication, a person living in an area with higher poverty issues