By allowing health care professionals to educate patients about issues of specific concern to their health, the program helps prevent or at least reduce the likelihood of certain kinds of health and safety threats. Similarly, by providing a medication review system and ongoing monitoring of chronic diseases and symptoms, the program allows residents to receive appropriate intervention at the earliest possible stage of disease rather than after acute symptoms manifest themselves and complications develop that require more serious forms of intervention.
Obviously, the picture presented by the program described in the article is a positive situation that demonstrates some of the most meaningful ways that health care providers can promote and help maintain human health in vulnerable populations whose members might typically receive fewer than all of the health and health-related service that they actually require for optimal health, safety, and wellness. However, another small part of the article illustrates a less optimistic constant that might be depressing to many people who think about it, especially people who are preparing to devote their lives to the service of others. Specifically, one of the social issues mentioned in the article is that there is a problem about second-hand smoke in the facility. The author describes a situation where...
However, this particular type of behavior is tremendously depressing when one considers that it means some of those we do our very best to serve have managed to make it to the very last stage of their lives without ever having learned the most basic and simple moral rules or perspective about their rights and obligations in relation to the corresponding rights and obligations of others. The idea of being offended or indignantly righteous about the "right" to smoke in public areas when doing so is injurious to the health and comfort of other represents a childish morality. Ultimately, it may serve as a reminder that, as health care professionals, we have to provide the same high quality care to all of our patients, sometimes in spite of what we might think about them as people.
Reference
Aselton, P. "Using a Wellness Program in Public Housing for Community Nursing
Clinical Experiences." Journal of Nursing Education, Vol. 50, No. 3 (2011): 163-
