Incidence of Stroke in Somerset Community Services Inc - Research Paper Example

? INCIDENCE OF STROKE IN SOMERSET COMMUNITY SERVICES INC of the Field Experience Stroke is one of the fatal diseases in the world. It refers to the sudden occurrence of symptoms resulting of an interruption of the brain's blood supply. Other factors that result to stroke in the world include high blood pressure that is the most dominant cause (Elliott et al, 2012). Moreover, oral contraceptives, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and inactivity equally lead to stroke. Somerset is one of the areas that are prone to stroke cases. However, hypertension and aging result to most stroke cases (PubMed, 2012) in Somerset. Indeed, about 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year with people aged 65 years and above being more prone to this disease (Somerset Primary Care Trust, 2012). Somerset Primary Care Trust is an organization that deals with stroke cases in Europe. Its mandate includes assessing the health needs, planning, and funding local health services to improve the health of the people of Somerset. The organization came into operation in October 2006. However, on 1 April 2009, it reverted to Somerset Community Health. As a result, its mandate now includes managing 13 community hospitals, specialist community services, the work of community nurses, health visitors, and therapists in America. The services offered by Somerset Primary Care Trust include community health services, community children's services, community hospitals, and therapeutic services (LinkedIn Company, 2012). It also employs its own teams of nurses and allied health professionals to treat patients in their own homes and in community hospitals. Moreover, Somerset Primary Care Trust commissions services from specialists like opticians, dentists, GPs, pharmacists, and local hospitals (Somerset PCT, 2010). I found out that approximately 80 percent of the women who are in Somerset Community Services Inc. suffer from mental illness. Furthermore, Somerset takes part in the World Stroke Day 29 October every year and world stroke campaign. Moreover, there are stroke rehabilitation centers (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, 2010) in Somerset that provide services to patients in conjunction with their families. Nevertheless, we can actually estimate the incidence of stroke in U.S by multiplying the incidence rates reported in community (American Heart Association, 2012) like Somerset. Somerset Community Services Inc. provides services to stroke patients. For patients in North Somerset, they have a stroke unit that offers rehabilitation services to the patients (NHS North Somerset Community Services, 2011). Nevertheless, there were experiences where the nurses and therapists discharged the patients from the rehabilitation to their community teams or to their own homes with the support of the family (NHS Somerset, 2012). More so, Somerset avails home support where it encourages the family members to continue with the rehabilitation and the patient recovers fully (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2012). Nevertheless, regardless of these services, someone dies of stroke every six seconds. The Somerset Community Services Inc. equally introduced community wards allowing more stroke patients to access health care services. Most notable is the fact that incidence of stroke is more common among older people and the rates will seemingly increase in the future. Organizational Profile Analysis In Relation To the Student’s Role Statistically, Somerset Community Services Inc. provides about 25 services that entail stroke services, community nursing and therapies. More so, the organization offers shelter to single women and men with minimum to chronic housing issues like stroke. This shelter operates 24-hours and houses men and women on different floors where every floor has resident advisors and basic amenities like laundry rooms, bathrooms, and television sets. The women’s floor consists of a maximum of 66 women that deal with mental health, drug, and alcohol abuse. The women join the program with medication and the Somerset Community Services Inc. keeps all medical documents in a secured place. On the other hand, there are two floors for men that accommodate them for 1-14 days. However, this duration is adjustable where need arises. The two floors can accommodate about 60 men. Consequently, the executive director of the program states that there has been an increase in the number of stroke cases in the shelter. Indeed, this has been because of increased hypertension cases and rising age of the people in the shelter which propagates hypertension and by extension, stroke. At the same time, Somerset Community Services Inc. refers patients with severe and chronic health issues out to the Philadelphia Nursing Home. Most importantly, the organization seeks to accord client-centered services, treatment, and care to adults with stroke (Miller, n.y.). The organization equally aims at maximizing its rehabilitation potential for purposes of curbing stroke complications. The organization provides information and support on stroke related cases to patients and their relatives. Furthermore, the agency seeks to raise awareness on stroke to lower its incidence. Description of the Outcomes Achieved I will use the system that Somerset Community Services Inc. utilizes for medication and consumer transfer to deduce my analysis on hypertension and aging in relation to stroke cases in Somerset. More so, I relied on data available from the Philadelphia Nursing Home to carry out the analysis. Indeed, it is clear from Somerset Community Services Inc. and Philadelphia Nursing Home that the average age of the current population in Somerset is on the rise. This is promotes the incidence of hypertension in Somerset. Consequently, this leads to increased cases of stroke in the aging population (West Somerset, 2012). Furthermore, this results to the fatal effects of stroke in this community. Indeed, according to 2006-2008 statistics the age standardized premature death rate from stroke is 12.1 per 100,000 people (Grant et al, 2009). Moreover, among the 10 participants in the search, eight had risk factors of diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol while two of the participants experienced stroke where one had a recurrence of stroke. This shows that the incidence and prevalence of stroke is still significant in Somerset. Summary of the Student’s Contribution to the Agency/Organization The student had immense contribution to the organization. Indeed, the student volunteered to work in the organization over the summer holidays. The student took time to help the patients in the community hospitals where she offered therapy, counseling, and care to the stroke victims. The student equally participated in stroke campaigns like the World Stroke Campaign that takes place every year. At the same time, the student took part in various studies aimed at analyzing stroke and devising ways to reduce its prevalence. Actually, the student volunteered at both the Somerset Community Services Inc. and Philadelphia Nursing Home. Indeed, the student’s contribution went as far as extending care to discharged patients in their homes. Most significantly, the student took part in awareness campaigns in the community with an aim of sensitizing people on the effects of hypertension and aging in relation to cases of stroke in Somerset community. Furthermore, the student took part in collecting, interpreting, and presenting data from Somerset Community Services Inc. and Philadelphia Nursing Home to analyze cases hypertension and aging in the context of stroke. Indeed, the collected information was important to Somerset Community Services Inc. and The City of Philadelphia in identifying the preventive measures for older chronically homeless patients affected by hypertension at any age. Reflection on Challenges the Student Faced During the Field Experience Courses However, the student encountered many challenges in articulating his responsibilities. Indeed, the large number of stroke patients posed a great challenge to the student. This led to physical and psychological strain to the student. At some point in time, there was scarcity of resources that by extension affected the mode of providing services to the patients by the student. Long distance and poor terrain in accessing the homes of the discharged was a huge challenge to the student. At the same time, the few respondents may not reflect all the detail of the actual populating. Indeed, the data would not establish the effects of hypertension and aging in causing hypertension. More so, Somerset Community Services Inc. and Philadelphia Nursing Home had distinct ways of compiling data and keeping the documents. Hence, it was challenging the student to retrieve this data for interpretation. In conclusion, I find that stroke is one of the fatal diseases in the world and therefore requires serious attention. More so, various causes of stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary diseases, and diabetes among others. Notably, stroke is more common to people over the age of 65 years. Indeed, aging and hypertension are significant causes of stroke in Somerset community. Furthermore, there are efforts to help stroke patients like Somerset Community Services Inc. and Philadelphia Nursing Home. Nevertheless, the incidence of stroke is still on the rise. More research and government input is necessary to curb the incidence of stroke. References American Heart Association. (2012). Heart & Stroke Statistics FAQs. Retrieved from: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/General/Heart-and-Stroke-Association-Statistics_UCM_319064_SubHomePage.jsp Department Of Health and Mental Hygiene.(2012). Somerset Community Services. Retrieved from: http://dda.dhmh.maryland.gov/SitePages/somerset.aspx Elliott, P et al. (2012). Risk of mortality, cancer incidence, and stroke in a population potentially exposed to cadmium. Retrieved from: http://oem.bmj.com/content/57/2/94.full.pdf Grant, T et al. (2009). Somerset Lifestyle Survey 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/irj/go/km/docs/CouncilDocuments/SCC/Documents/Resources/Equality%20Documents/2009_Somerset_Lifestyle_Survey_Report.pdf  LinkedIn Company. (2012). Somerset Primary Care Trust, Community Health Services. Retrieved from: http://ke.linkedin.com/company/somerset-primary-care-trust-community-health-services Miller, J. (n.y.). North Somerset Primary Care Trust Community Stroke Service. Retrieved from: http://www.northsomersetpathways.co.uk/documents/pathways/stroke_and_tia/stroke-serviceinfoandcriteria.pdf NHS North Somerset Community Services. (2011). NHS North Somerset Community Services Quality Accounts 2010/11. Retrieved from: http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/professionals/healthandcareprofessionals/quality-accounts/Documents/2011/nhs-north-somerset-community-services.pdf NHS Somerset. (2012). Stroke. Retrieved from: http://www.somerset.nhs.uk/welcome/commissioning-partnerships/ltc-networks/stroke/ PubMed. (2012). Subtype hypertension and risk of stroke in middle-aged and older Chinese: a 10-year follow-up study. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16306467 Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. (2010). Management of patients with stroke. Retrieved from: http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign118.pdf Somerset PCT. (2010). Somerset PCT. Retrieved from: http://www.nhs.uk/Services/Trusts/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=3604 Somerset Primary Care Trust. (2012).Stroke. Retrieved from: http://www.somerset.nhs.uk/community/our-services2/stroke/ West Somerset. (2012). Health profile 2012. Retrieved from: www.healthprofiles.info Read More