Vulnerable Population in the Workplace Project: Elderly in Home Health Care - Essay Example

Vulnerable Population in the Workplace Project (Elderly in Home health Care) Vulnerable Population in the Workplace Project (Elderlyin Home health Care) The medical advances have been critical in providing the American people with longer and healthier lives. However, the documented and persistent disparities in health services undermine the provision of these critical services to the elderly. The difference observed in US in health outcomes has a close link with economic, environmental, and social disadvantage (Community Catalyst et.al. 2009). The disadvantages are driven by the social conditions, which a person works, live, play, and learn. This paper provides an overview of the health disparity in work place among the elderly. In the United States, health care disparity manifests itself in a number of ways both major and multiple. In one side, the health disparity is evident articles, which address life expectancy; the shortest and the longest living. On the second side, is the economic burden, in which a joint research by the Joint Centre for Political and Economic Studies, observed that cost of health care provision contributes to premature death. The aforementioned disparities lean on social and economic factors; where one lives, work, grow, and age. Primarily, social determinants such as access to care, poverty, and low socioeconomic status influence health provision in the society (RCEZEC 2009). It is arguable that the disparities in health provision influence health outcome. The health care disparity influences the lives of the underprivileged in the society more than the other groups. Health documents categorize the following groups under the underprivileged the disabled, the elderly, low income among others. The society seems to be judging the aforementioned categories before providing them with this vital service. Some critics have observed that the elderly in home health care have been subject to disparity. In a bid to establish the barriers to health care disparity, a study in a home health care for the elderly was paramount. The documentations about barriers to health care have indicated the following. The main barrier that hampers provision of health care among the elderly is the language barrier. Communication is essential tool in discharging healthcare services because of a number of reasons. Firstly, communication enables the healthcare practitioners to establish the right medication for the patients (HHS, 2010). Secondly, communications enables effective services to the patients. The second barrier documented to health care provision is the low income. Elderly, persons living in homes for the elderly have to meet the bills for the services they acquire in these facilities. In addition, meeting the expenses would depend on the income level of the individual. Coincidentally, many old people from the low-income families do not demonstrate the ability to meet their own bills because of limited savings. The above barriers have influenced provision of health care in the elderly home. The historic disparities, socially or economically has shaped the elderly that the project has targeted. Most Hispanic elderly, speakers have limited knowledge in English language. This has been a challenge in promoting health care provision in homes that host this group. The language problem has historical root, emanating from the cultural preferences, poverty, and political inclinations that shaped the lives of people in the past. Presently, attending to their social challenges involves, understanding their culture, social status and bridging between modernity and the ancient tradition. Action Plan to Combat the Barriers Since language barrier influence the provision of health care among the elderly in the elderly homes, this project has established that it can work with bilingual nurses or healthcare professionals. This plan intends to give attention to health disparity cases of elderly persons that fail to communicate their problems effectively to the medical practitioners. The Hispanic living in California display vulnerable characteristics such as poverty, elderly, or language barrier. Addressing the concerns of the elderly in the homes means introducing nurses who can understand the Hispanic language. It is arguable that literacy classes are also instrumental in improving the health care provision to this group (Chang, et.al. 2004). This project has established that literacy program in the elderly homes can lift the barrier trends among the elderly. Elsewhere, education for the elderly has proved useful especially when addressing common issues such as health concerns. Alternatively, the nurses working in the elderly homes have the ability to grasp concept in Hispanic language as opposed to the elderly. The project has created a program, which exposes nurses working in the elderly homes, to learn the culture of the Hispanic people, is critical in limiting the health care barriers. Anthropological documentations provide essential information about the cultural trends of the Hispanic. In addition, provision of these materials in the homes of the elderly, makes the service provision easy because the information gained from such materials improves the service administration (Kay & Al-Assaf, 2008). Since we intend to realize a reduction in disparity cases, the building a working relation between the Hispanic community and the nurses working in the elderly homes would boost the fight (UCSF, 2009). It is also observable that good relationship between the medical practitioners and the elderly promote the interest to offer the services. Human beings become dejected or lose interest when communication difficulty persists. A successful implementation of the above work plan would achieve the following; bilingual nurses will be able to close the barrier of language. Since exposure influence personal interests, the anthropological materials introduced will enable the nurses to understand and cohabitate with the Hispanic speakers as opposed to the present. In most cases, people tend to develop interest when they meet a given challenge. However, the motivating factors would dictate the pace at which the anticipated change would occur. Another indicator for success would be attitude developed the nurses and the elderly Hispanic speakers. Sometimes patients develop negative attitude whenever they feel victimized (Kay & Al-Assaf, 2008). Since the goal intended to change the attitudinal trends in the health sector, drumming the cultural aspects of the Hispanic speakers to their heath workers would eliminate the differences. In conclusion, disparity in health care provision is a great challenge to the vulnerable people in the society. The barriers to healthcare provision among the Hispanic speakers include language barrier, income and other cultural aspects. The language barrier is an issue, which elderly homes can solve through enlisting the services of bilingual health professionals. In addition, cultural material about the Hispanic community would enable would boost the understanding of the Hispanic community practices by the nurses. Highlighting the interest of the elderly people to the health professional would be critical in developing mechanism of handling the vulnerable group. Further, documentation of the progress made in this project would be useful in advancing interest of vulnerable groups. References Chang, L. B. et.al. (2004). Bridging the Digital Divide: Reaching Vulnerable Populations. Retrieved 22 June 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524624/ Community Catalyst et.al. (2009). Health Disparities Policy Recommendations for Inclusion National Health Care Reform. Retrieved 22 June 2012 from http://www.communitycatalyst.org/doc_store/publications/health_disparities_policy_recommendations.pdf HHS. (2010). HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Retrieved 22 June 2012 from http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa/files/Plans/HHS/HHS_Plan_complete.pdf Kay, L. T. & Al-Assaf, A. (2008). HEALTH LITERACY: IMPACT ON OLDER ADULTS http://www.aameda.org/MemberServices/Exec/Articles/fall06/Health%20Literacy%20Impact%20on%20Older%20Adults.pdf RCEZEC (2009). Eliminating Barriers and Disparities. Retrieved 22 June 2012 http://aspe.hhs.gov/ezec/issues/eliminating.htm UCSF. (2009). How Can Public Health Systems Best Support People with Diabetes? 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