Healthcare Quality Issues - Baby Boomers at Risk - Essay Example

The Issues

            The following are ranked in order of importance in the community. Cardiovascular disease prevalence in Baby Boomers for men and women is 39.3 percent and 37.2 percent, respectively (AHA, 2012). This is a significant volume of individuals, which could be attributed to the fact that an estimated 90 percent of Baby Boomers are active meat-eaters (Barnes, 2011). Further, 72 percent of Baby Boomers carrying corporate-sponsored insurance policies have some form of chronic illness (CAPAF, 2008).

            Generation X is currently the fastest-growing segment in society for growth in obesity (CDC, 2012). Active and dynamic lifestyles further contribute to obesity growth, due to fast food intake as a preferable food option, creating difficulties in establishing health information imperatives. Furthermore, Generation X currently maintains one of the lowest volumes of participation in preventative health screenings.

            Seniors in society are often sedentary, not choosing exercise as a lifestyle option. Seniors also do not take advantage of pre-screening for cancer and stroke risk due to income limitations. This group also has high cholesterol as compared to other groups, which leads to depression symptoms (Assisted Living Marketing, 2012).

 Community Health Promotions

            The local community maintains programs targeted at Baby Boomers that include vegetarian benefits education as a means to reduce cholesterol risk. The local hospital sponsors experts from vegetarian cuisine that provides innovative cooking methods to improve cardiovascular health. In comparison, the community has no advocacy or health promotion initiative to attempt to supplement or improve insurance regulations for those maintaining chronic illnesses.

            The community also has established Chair Exercise pamphlet literature that is distributed in retirement homes or other senior centers. It describes easy-to-do, low-impact exercises using common household furniture. In comparison, there are currently no social programs or counseling for those with high cholesterol to assist in identifying depression or reducing its occurrence through diet or more effective health coping.

            For Generation X, the community supports free health screenings for breast cancer and prostate cancer for lower-income young adults (and others in society). However, the literature provided does not emphasize the benefits to youths with most of the communications targeted at older adults. In comparison, this is inefficient in gaining pre-screening interest in preventative health services compared to the vast health promotion literature that describes methods to reduce obesity and change lifestyle through healthier eating patterns.

Conclusion

            There is simply not enough being done to support Generation X and seniors, with much emphasis on community health promotions targeted at Baby Boomers. It is a serious oversight in health care. More should be done to promote health services with younger citizens and seniors who are at risk for health conditions.