Effect of Healthcare on the Elderly Population - Research Paper Example

? Elderly as a Vulnerable Population and the Effect of Healthcare on this Population Elderly as a Vulnerable Population and the Effect of Healthcare on this Population Introduction The word “vulnerability” in nursing literature is used randomly but with insufficient clarity on its healthcare aspects. According to Rogers (1997)), vulnerability is an issue of level; it depends on the situation and how one observes and reflects on it. In nursing, vulnerability can be depended and decided from such factors as age, gender, race, ethnicity, social support, education, income, and life changes. Being elderly is one of the leading causes of vulnerability for which the health department of the US government has taken steps to research the vulnerable points of the elderly people to control their health-related problems. It can help nurses in giving holistic and all-inclusive attention if they are aware of the causes of elderly vulnerability (Ruof, 2002). Elderly Population’s Demographics The healthcare issues faced by the elderly need to be seen in the context of demographic changes and their effect on health and wellness. The next 5 years are critical in changing the demographics of the elderly population getting older (HHSS Strategic Plan, 2007). American population aging tenure has increased. A large number of people are above the age of 65 or older. A child born in 2006 can live till the age of 78, an increase of 10 years since 1965 when the Older Americans Act was enforced for Medicaid and Medicare. The population growth of older people increased doubly from 12 million to 36 million from the total resident American population reaching 300 million from 150 million starting from 1950 till 2006. As per the estimates of the US Census Bureau, the older people’s population would increase as the first baby boomers turn 65 in 2011. By 2030, the elderly population would reach nearer to 20 percent of the US population. It creates serious repercussions and pressures on the healthcare system to meet the healthcare needs of the elderly, particularly related to chronic and severe health conditions and disabilities. The average American on the threshold of age 75 suffers from three chronic ailments and is prescribed five distinct medicines. There is huge dearth of such healthcare professionals attending to older Americans whose population would be increasing as anticipated to be 20 percent of the total American population (HHSS Strategic Plan, 2007). Stats indicate huge shortage of certified nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal care workers whose requirement constitutes 874,000 to meet the demand in the coming 10 years while their supply would decrease to half by 2030 (HHSS Strategic Plan, 2007). Awareness Our behavior towards elderly could be biased. For example, when we hire a taxi to go somewhere and reach there in time, we may prefer young driver who, as is the stereotype assumption, take lesser time in driving to the location. In America, the population of aged licensed drivers is 30 million. If a driver’s age is less than 75, the possibility of accidents is less than if they cross the age of 75. It is because of their health issues such as dose intake or their reduced driving abilities, which could be risky. Sometimes, they are not aware of their reducing driving prowess and may argue otherwise. Some diseases such as dementia can cause cognitive blindness affecting the drivers’ acumen to identify their bad driving (Eldercare, 2010). Change in Outlook Research on the inabilities of the elder has changed the outlook on their issues. How an ordinary problem like heat can aggravate their worries is clear from the example of older peoples’ inability to cope with the heat outside. They are more prone to risk from heat-stroke. Old age becomes a hurdle in their ability to accustom to temperature change. They may have symptoms aggravated by heat and their medicines could give side-reaction to further aggravate their health condition (NIH News, July 18, 2011). Some of the factors causing heat-stroke in older people include: Past diseases such as congestive heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Reduced capacity to walk around Dementia or cognitive impairment Some medicines can also cause dehydration, resulting in poor responses to heat by the heart, blood vessels or sweat glands. Being overly obese Alcohol intake Getting dehydrated Aging symptoms in the skin like reduced activity of small blood vessels and sweat glands (NIH News, July 18, 2011). Healthcare Delivery Knowledge over the health problems of the elderly creates awareness and a sense of sympathy. One comes to know how under its strategic goals the government looks after the needs, strong points, and qualities of vulnerable populations to provide the older individuals with critical disabilities home-supplied food. The number of people receiving home-delivered food, as per latest outcomes was 312,726 while the goal is to provide 500,000 old people with home-served food by 2012, as per the national survey report on state program (HHS Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2007–2012, 2007). Health needs of elder people are also related to their behavioral health and human needs. Some older adults become a victim of mental and addictive illness. Downfall in health can create signs of depression and anxiety. Their loneliness due to separation from family members due to death or their inability to perform routine tasks makes them sad and mentally sick. In such a scenario, some older people may “self-medicate” with alcohol. There are more chances of them taking overdoses unintentionally (HHSS Strategic Plan, 2007). The nature of old age diseases is such that these can’t be cured as aging is inevitable. Therefore, priority is given to health promotion and disease control functions in the matter of older adults, their families, and the health care system. Therefore, one of the goals of the ASPE through its program on disability and health among older adults has been to enlarge the scope of knowledge on disability caused by obesity and other health affects as people progress from late adulthood towards older age (HHSS Strategic Plan, 2007). Situation & Self-reflection As a family member I wonder what I should do if the driving skills of my grand father, aged above 75, have diminished. And that’s the dilemma. As family members we don’t know how to assess their driving abilities. We dread asking an older family member whether he or she needs to modify his or her driving habits or even stop driving (Eldercare, 2010). Caretakers and family members need to tackle such a situation tactfully without hurting the feelings of the elderly driver, as it could offend the feelings of the elderly person. Observations and questions need to be framed for general conversation with alternate solutions to the problem so that feelings of the elderly driver are not hurt (Eldercare, 2010). Certain questions can help in prompting a discussion with a driver such as if the elderly driver loses the known way or there are suddenly dents ands scratches appearing on the vehicle or received a warning from the traffic police or a ticket for violating traffic rules or has met with an accident on the road or been advised to stop driving by the doctor or reacts suddenly on seeing road signs, signals, and road markings or intake of medicine affects the driving performance or stops abruptly or drives slow to cause inconvenience to others. Suggestions can accordingly be made if such symptoms appear to change for example to daylight hours, clean weather driving or to drive on less-congested roads (Eldercare, 2010). Conclusion Vulnerability of elderly people in American society poses real dangers from human welfare and healthcare perspectives. They are not in apposition to take care of their health issues. From social perspective there is need to start an awareness movement on the impending risks to the older people and demand greater contribution from the private sector for their well being and medical care, which is not possible in the absence of health insurance for which the government is also keen to play a positive role. Ethics demand that people and medical fraternity adopts a soft attitude towards the issues and healthcare problems of the elderly to reduce their vulnerability. References Eldercare.gov. (2010). A talk with an elder driver. ELDERCARE.NET. Retrieved from http://eldercare.gov/ELDERCARE.NET/Public/Resources/Factsheets/Talk_Elder_Driver.aspx HHS Strategic Plan. (2007). Strategic goal 3: human services performance indicators. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hhsplan/2007/HHSStrategicPlan0712.htm#zzee_link_132_1191343098 NIH News. (2011, July 18). NIH tips for older adults to combat heat-related illnesses. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jul2011/nia-18.htm Ruof, Mary C. (2002). Vulnerability, vulnerable populations, and policy. National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature, SCOPE NOTE. Retrieved from http://bioethics.georgetown.edu/publications/scopenotes/sn44.pdf Read More