Vulnerable Populations - Human Services

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.

Vulnerable populations are defined as “groups of people who are at a greater risk of developing health problems due to factors such as limited resources, poverty, socio-economic status, limited education, mental illnesses, prison time, age, gender, and homelessness” (Garcel 2015). There are three main financers of healthcare for vulnerable populations which include, the federal government, state governments, and private sources. Federal healthcare payment programs include Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). These programs are managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS). Each of these programs have their own set of eligibility requirements.

According to an article in the Health Affairs Journal there are approximately 60 million American citizens covered by state based Medicaid and Medicare programs. These individuals are at the highest risk of facing chronic health issues and has issues with their ability to access quality health care services. Low income seniors and adults with disabilities make up the vulnerable population within the United States. These individuals are the sickest and poorest individuals within the community and are dually eligible for government assisted health programs, Medicaid and Medicare. Based on an article written by Rostai, Russell, Peng, Brickner, Kurowski, and Sheehan, within today’s society, caring for the vulnerable population is fragmented,

Vulnerable populations face many challenges and difficulties. Populations such as the homeless, the intellectually disabled, the elderly, and those living with HIV/AIDS face greater health risks than others. They have greater health-related problems and lack the means or ability to access needed health care. Furthermore, in addition to the many challenges, such as health-related problems, having no permanent living situation, social isolation, stigma, and poverty, they also may suffer from several mental illnesses. Unfortunately, as a result of their vulnerability, accessing appropriate mental health care is a challenge to these populations. Their health needs are often underserved. However, one way in which mental health treatment and assistance

A man freezes to death in the early hours of the day, a young woman overdoses in a alleyway, a vulnerable teenager struggles to find food. These stories all have something in common which fuels their suffering: an untreated mental illness. As time goes on, the number of people with mental disorders increases; consequently, the long-term effects are becoming more apparent. America is particularly notable for its lack of accessibility in comparison to other nations, despite studies showing the benefits otherwise. With the psychiatric industry itself to blame, a minute amount of people actually receive the treatment they badly need to live. Social detriment follows mental decline in a traceable pattern: untreated mental illness in society presents

Immigrants, low income single parents, and families living below the level of poverty are examples of vulnerable populations (Anderson and McFarlane, 2011). These populations are at a great risk for harm in society (Anderson and McFarlane, 2011). Vulnerability leads to alienation, helplessness or powerlessness which are all opposite to empowerment (Anderson and McFarlane, 2011). However, community health nurses utilizing a population-focused approach to planning, delivering and evaluating nursing care are in the unique position to be able to make a difference and transform communities through empowerment. As part of the curriculum for the Canseco School of Nursing program at Texas A&M International University, five baccalaureate nursing students

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.

The concept of ethics in scientific research has continuously evolved over several hundred years; records of the first experiments on humans, documented in the bible, date back to 550 BC.1 Throughout history, notorious cases of scientific misconduct have established guidelines and set the precedence for the governing standards of ethical conduct today.

Cases of individuals with mild to severe mental illness have seen a definite increase over the past years but the care available cannot catch up (Tavernise 2). In fact, Americans hold the highest incidence in mental illness and have the lowest quality health care. Compared to all the other first world countries, the U.S is exceptionally lacking in the health care department. Proper care is hardly achieved, the cost of most treatments is awfully high and an obscenely large portion of the population does not even have any sort of health care plan. Health care is always a ripe topic for argument, especially in the political sense. This stems mainly from the idea that our current health care program, the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, is deeply flawed. What people don’t realize is that Obamacare isn’t the main culprit and in fact it has actually improved upon a couple things (“Mental Health in America - Access to Care Data”, 2). The fault lies on over health care programs and the overall system that America has built throughout the

It is important to understand the History of mental illness. "In 1955, there were 558,239 severely mentally ill patients in U.S. public psychiatric hospitals; in 1994, there were 71,619. On the basis of population growth, at the same per capita utilization as in 1955, there would have been an estimated 885,010 patients in state hospitals in 1994 (Torrey, 1997). Most of this projected population-more than 800,000 potential patients- live in the community."

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 20% of the US population may suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in any given six month period (1991). Obviously the issue of mental health warrants close scrutiny, as such illness can translate into lost work days and lost dollars. From a health care perspective, many of those suffering can be relieved of their symptoms and return to normal life, so to speak. Schizophrenia,

It is widely recognized that mental illness affects a significant proportion of the population; however, it is complicated to determine exact numbers. This problem can be attributed to such issues as the changing definitions of mental illness as well as difficulties in classifying, diagnosing, and reporting mental disorders. Limitations to adequate mental health services including social stigma, cultural incompatibility between patients and providers, language barriers, lack of insurance and logistical barriers. In addition, significant differences in socioeconomic status, lifestyle behaviors, and access to care have resulted in health disparities between rural and urban communities (Institute of Medicine, 2004). According

On the one hand, there has been tremendous amounts of progress towards making sure patients receive beneficial and secure care, and also welcoming facilities. More money is invested into the mental health system every year, and the amount of patients has decreased noticeably. The Affordable Care Act implements assistance to the mentally ill, and also to substance abusers. This act requires some employers to provide health insurance to their workers to cover the cost of mental health treatment if needed. 62 million Americans have gained from this legislation, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years. The biggest problem with our mental health care system is that the demand overpowers the supply. Hundreds of thousands of people are left untreated because of a lack of access to care. “Nearly 40% of adults with "severe" mental illness — such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder — received no treatment in the previous year, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Among adults with any mental illness, 60% were untreated” (USA Today). The solution to our problem is to reach out to those in need, and to have more space in our psychiatric hospitals. Studies show that a decrease in mentally ill people would lead to a decrease in crime, and an increased productivity

Domestic violence is something that haunts our society, and has done so for a long time. Critical thinking must be used when dealing with such large scale issues, and domestic violence is no different. The causes and issues with domestic violence are complex, taking an in depth look and truly analyzing the problem is necessary in understanding the problem and making a difference. This paper will discuss domestic violence in depth, in order to use critical thinking to evaluate the problem. First, this paper will examine the history of domestic violence. Next, the social problems and issues experienced with domestic violence will be discussed. Also,