COMPARE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS NRS 428
COMPARE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS NRS 428
Compare vulnerable populations. Describe an example of one of these groups in the United States or from another country. Explain why the population is designated as “vulnerable.” Include the number of individuals belonging to this group and the specific challenges or issues involved. Discuss why these populations are unable to advocate for themselves, the ethical issues that must be considered when working with these groups, and how nursing advocacy would be beneficial.
The United States puts much effort in trying to eliminate or reduce health care disparities. However, vulnerable people continue to experience problems in access to health care, and they have high cases of mortality and morbidity. For instance, those who live in poverty are more likely to be in poor or fair health and have disabling conditions. The vulnerable populations include those that are economically disadvantaged, ethnic and racial minorities, low-income children, the uninsured, and the homeless (Falkner, 2018). The vulnerability of these populations is enhanced by ethnicity, race, age, gender, and factors such as insurance coverage, income and lack of natural source of care (Falkner, 2018). Their health and health care issues interconnect with the societal factors including poverty, housing, and insufficient education.
An example of a vulnerable population in the US is the impoverished. This group “consists of those who cannot financially provide the basic necessities of life” (Falkner, 2018), and may experience challenges in adopting and maintaining healthful behaviors. What makes this population vulnerable is that they have limited resources, and cannot afford healthy and affordable foods. Healthy foods are costly while refined grains, added sugars, and fats are generally affordable and readily accessible to low-income populations. These foods that are affordable and readily available typically are the causes of multiple diseases. Besides this fact, this population may face high-stress levels and poor mental health.
The poverty rate in America is 12.7% of the population, meaning about 40.6 million people live in poverty (Falkner, 2018). This population often has a hard time advocating for themselves because they do not have the funds, energy, or motivation to do so. One of the ethical issues when handling this population is their lack of funds and basic necessities to live. As health care providers we should be assisting these individuals by helping them access health care and proper treatment, along with providing resources to basics such as food, water, and clothing (Falkner, 208). We are able to do this by involving case management and social work, if doing so in the health care setting (Falkner, 2018).
Reference:
Falkner, A. (2018). Community as clients. In Community and public health: The future of health care. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs427vn/community-and-public-health-the-future-of-health-care/v1.1/
Great post! Like you pointed out, one of the most vulnerable populations is low-income and homeless individuals. These individuals are more vulnerable because in many cases they do not have access to and are unable to afford basic needs to live. not having access to these basic needs puts them at a greater risk for developing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and long-term stress and behavioral health issues such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems. (Joszt, 2018) Living in poverty, these individuals do not have the resources to advocate for themselves. One of the main issues with individuals living in poverty is the lack of access to healthcare needs. Nurses need to advocate for these individuals. The nurse can put the patient in contact with a social worker within the patient’s local area. Social workers work to help the patient gain access to basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, and also social benefits including healthcare. (Miller, 2021) This can help patients get the important resources they need so that they can lower the adverse health risks associated with poverty and improve and maintain good health.
Resources:
· Judy Han
replied toShana Fogelman
Jan 16, 2022, 7:47 AM
- Replies to Shana Fogelman
There is a lot of evidence indicating the connection between high stress, low income or poverty, and the addictive properties of sugar when it comes to eating as a method of self-comfort (Spinosa et al., 2019). Hemingsson found that low socioeconomic status is connected to obesity due to psychological distress which “transfers from parents to children, thus creating a disharmonious family environment” (2014). This distress and environment can cause maladaptive eating behaviors which along with stress induced disturbances to metabolic signals can cause obesity and weight gain (Spinosa et al., 2019). As nurses, ways to target obesity related to low socioeconomic levels include collaborating with local entities to provide nutritious foods for low income families, aggressive education about nutrition, and educating people in the community about the link between stress, income, eating, and weight gain. Patients cannot or will not make lifestyle changes successfully if they do not understand the entire problem, and simply telling people that they should eat a nutritious diet does not help them understand why they continue to make unhealthy choices.
