From the analysis of the Oceanside city in San Diego, it is evident that there are vulnerable populations regarding healthcare concerns. The community has significant chronic healthcare conditions, mainly stemming from the high elderly population in the city. Other vulnerable people are homeless living on the streets where they indulge in drug and alcohol abuse risking their health, and are also afflicted by mental illnesses stemming from their joblessness and even homelessness. The young girls are also vulnerable due to the high rates of pregnancies which are related to the prevalent tourist activity. The core aim of this paper is a literature review. It will examine the various healthcare issues among the vulnerable populations above by using evidence to show what experts in multiple fields say are the resources, interventions, and recommendations that effectively address the same healthcare concerns in the community.
The Elderly
The first vulnerable healthcare group in the Oceanside region about healthcare are the elderly who suffer from chronic medical conditions. Chronic illnesses are a significant concern among this population, considering the substantial financial and physical toll the disease has on the patients, family, and communities. The chronic diseases among the elderly in Oceanside are compounded by the fact that there has been emerging reports that they suffer severe abuse from members of their families due to the chronic illnesses they suffer from, and also resulting financial and physical dependencies (Gatchel, Choi &Hanna, 2018). Considering the chronic diseases facing the elderly and the underlying factors complicating the issue, urgent interventions are necessary to ensure improved healthcare outcomes.
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One of the best intervention to address chronic illnesses among the elderly is at the community level. Improving physical activity levels of the old is one of the strategies at this level. Recent research has revealed that chronic elderly patients require to engage in regular physical activity as it reduces their risk of cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, diabetes, and enhancing physical functioning (Gatchel, Choi & Hanna, 2018). The CDC’s guide for community services gives various recommendations aiming at increasing physical activities among the elderly. They include social support programs for physical activity in the community setting, for example, walking groups, counseling sessions, and exercise buddy systems (Gachel, Choi &Hanna, 2018). Moreover, it also advocates for evidence-based behavioral strategies to modify behavior, rewarding positive behavior changes, and adopting of structured problem-solving skills. Further, adopting physical activity programs adaptable to the individual needs of elderly persons can be useful for elderly patients with chronic illnesses.
Diet is another intervention that can improve the health outcomes of elderly patients with chronic conditions (Gatchel, Choi &Hanna, 2018). Patients with these conditions are encouraged to take diets rich in fruits, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables, increasing water uptake and lowering salt consumption. However, it’s also emerging that some elderly patients do not have sufficient nutrition knowledge, and it is imperative to educate them on the importance of healthy nutrition as they compact their various chronic illnesses. Patients with these conditions are encouraged to take diets rich in fruits, complex carbohydrates and vegetables, increasing water uptake, and lowering consumption of salt (Gatchel, Choi & Hanna, 2018). Additionally, a team care approach to care delivery is recommended when dealing with these patients, as well as improving communication between care providers and targeted techniques to prevent complications.
The Young Girls
The second healthcare concern arising from the Oceanside region is regarding the high rates of pregnancies among girls. The pregnancies in the area are attributed to the increasing tourism activities in the city. To minimize the high pregnancies among girls, various interventions are necessary. One of the best interventions is making sex education more positive with less focus on anatomy; rather, it should aim more on communication and negotiation skills while indulging in sexual conversations (Oringanje et al., 2016). Besides, the services offered by sexual health clinics ought to be advertised widely in the communities where the adolescent girls frequently visit hence interacting with the tourists.
Moreover, another critical intervention in reversing the high rates of pregnancy among girls in Oceanside is motivating, mentoring, and setting goals among adolescents. It is imperative to prepare plans for the adolescents to achieve long-term goals, for example, education by adopting a mentorship curriculum by women groups in the community (Oringanje et al., 2016). One of the best ways to undertake this is by using cell phone counseling, incorporating aspects of youth asset development models, and emphasizing the teen's communication skills. Further, community-based social and behavioral change communication is integral in preventing the high rates of pregnancies. Here, the focus should be on community education on the importance of using contraceptives before the return of menses to avoid unintended pregnancies (Oringanje et al., 2016). Planning interventions that help adolescents prevent unwarranted pregnancies, for instance, preparing contraceptive plans, is also crucial.
Finally, school-based initiatives, for example, the school-linked clinic service, are also vital in reducing the cases of pregnancies among girls in Oceanside. The school-based interventions entail locating clinic services within the schools' premises and linking sex education initiatives with the community health centers (Zulu et al., 2018). The proximity of the school-based services offers excellent accessibility for teenagers, increasing their likelihood of using clinic services. Besides, contraceptive services are provided alongside health services offering greater confidentiality and rapport with the young girls.
The Homeless
Another vulnerable population is the homeless, who are mostly old individuals because of the high cost of housing and living in Oceanside. Due to homelessness, these people live on the streets where they indulge in drug and alcohol abuse risking their health. Moreover, the homeless are also afflicted by mental illnesses stemming from their joblessness. The challenges of homelessness among senior adults is prominent in the U.S, where recent research reveals that individuals aged 50 years and above translate to 30% of the total population. The homelessness being faced by the residents of Oceanside is aggravated by disappearing pension (Goldberg, Lang &Barrington, 2016). By being homeless, the elderly face a unique set of challenges, for instance, premature aging, crime, and problems accessing benefits. Considering the challenges above, it is imperative to address the current challenge of homelessness among the residents of Oceanside by providing better housing services (Goldberg, Lang &Barrington, 2016).
One of the interventions is for the providers of housing services to partner with local authorities in their quest to address their needs. Besides, interventions by all government levels are necessary to inhibit seniors from middle-income households slipping into homelessness. An excellent way to achieve this is by proving more income support for low-income elderly persons (Kaplan & Sansone, 2018). So, making the healthcare affordable and tailored to the needs of the elderly is critical, considering the high healthcare costs are also linked to increasing homelessness. Additionally, there ought to be more income support to the elderly in Oceanside, for example, SSA and SSI. The SSI and SSA have been noted to be a safety net program providing basic income to the elderly and disabled with limited income levels. Also, the SSA and other federal agencies should be steadfast in ensuring that the elderly in Oceanside are eligible for benefits and are receiving them within the right time (Kaplan & Sansone, 2018).
Further, making healthcare affordable and accessible is another useful intervention as it will ensure the elderly in Oceanside do not incur a lot of out of pocket costs that might eventually drive them to the streets. Finally, it is imperative for the local government at Oceanside to create more affordable and accessible housing. The housing provided must guarantee the full integration of the elderly in their communities. The features of supportive housing are deep subsidies and tolerant landlords and care management initiatives, such as client-centered counseling.
Conclusion
The paper has highlighted the underlying healthcare issues among the vulnerable populations in Oceanside, California. The city is the third-largest in Southern California. Among the key healthcare issues facing the city are high chronic illnesses among the elderly, high rates of pregnancies among girls, and increasing homelessness among the elderly, which predisposes them to healthcare issues related to alcohol and drug abuse. The paper, by drawing on previous scholarly works, has highlighted effective ways to deal with the various issues healthcare issues among the vulnerable communities to guarantee the health community.
References
Gatchel, R. J., Choi, J. Y., & Hanna, M. (2018). Epidemiology of Chronic Illnesses: Associations with the Aging Population and Future Socioeconomic Implications. In Handbook of Rehabilitation in Older Adults (pp. 3-19). Springer, Cham.
Goldberg, J., Lang, K., & Barrington, V. (2016). How to prevent and end homelessness among older adults. Justice In Aging, Apr .
Kaplan-Weisman, L., & Sansone, S. (2018). Advance care planning in homeless healthcare.
Oringanje, C., Meremikwu, M. M., Eko, H., Esu, E., Meremikwu, A., & Ehiri, J. E. (2016). Interventions for preventing unintended pregnancies among adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , (2).
Zulu, J. M., Goicolea, I., Kinsman, J., Sandøy, I. F., Blystad, A., Mulubwa, C., ... & Hurtig, A. K. (2018). Community based interventions for strengthening adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights: how can they be integrated and sustained? A realist evaluation protocol from Zambia. Reproductive health , 15 (1), 145.
