Improving health welfare for a vulnerable population community

Evidence-based nursing interventions that will provide quality care to vulnerable populations

There is evidence in innovative health programs whose outcomes are Hospice care with increased patient and caregiver satisfaction costs lower than the conventional care; programs with community-based care reduces the severity of symptoms and results in a rapid functioning; for the frail elderly, it results in improved satisfaction; Patient empowerment, especially with the frail elderly and disabled adults, brings satisfaction and knowledge about their care; for the mentally ill, it lowers the rate of homelessness and for patients with diabetes or congestive heart failure, it decreases the morbidity. Usually, the beneficial effects were limited to the duration of the intervention (Aday, 2001).

There is evidence for enhanced patient satisfaction in the health care that emphasize continual care, multidisciplinary approaches, patient empowerment, and innovative approaches. Health care providers should also practice evidence-based care as it demonstrates the effectiveness. Patients with chronic conditions should be recognized with individual needs. For example, a mentally ill person should be treated innovatively (e.g., medications, a variety of outpatient treatment settings, and effective modes of rehabilitation and support). Also, serious psychiatric conditions should be treated as with inpatient care (Aday, 2001).

Other than the chronic conditions, we should also address other vulnerabilities by designing health care delivery systems. These systems should assess care to the subgroups of the population, including women's health care, geriatric care, and pediatric care. For patients with communication barriers and for those with racial and ethnic minorities, culturally-sensitive health care system should be made available. For patients with the location as barriers, telemedicine technologies, programs with incentives for practicing in rural areas, pre-hospital emergency services are necessary to improve health care delivery (Aday, 2001).

Health care resources that serve vulnerable populations

Health care models that meet needs of the vulnerable population should be provided with additional investment to develop, evaluate, and to support effective health care. There is a lack of the research and innovation in the health care and rehabilitation programs for persons with chronic illness or disabilities. For those who face geographic barriers, avenues of telemedicine, incentives for those who practice in under-served areas and pre-hospital emergency services should be made available care (Aday, 2001).

There is a need to support the development and evaluation of health care quality measures and measurement methods for the vulnerable population. In addition, there should be a focus on the vulnerable population as it may provide new insights on a variety of problems. In the general quality measurement strategies, we should also integrate vulnerable population details to tailor the measurement methods (Aday, 2001).

Promotion of quality health care and payments to health plans should be functionally available to all patients including the vulnerable populations. Individuals with chronic illness or disability should be provided with adjusting payment plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers in such a manner that they receive incentives for such innovative models. For the safety of these community health care providers, especially, for community health centers, rural health clinics, and academic health centers, risk-adjusted payments are also critical. The Federal government should implement risk-adjusted payments by convening high-level stakeholders. To encourage coordinated care among the providers and the health care service givers, payment systems should be better aligned. They should also provide coverage for improved outcomes with satisfied functional status. Also, quality performance needs due recognition and rewarded adequately through established methods to encourage the healthcare professionals (Aday, 2001).

Explain why a specific population in a community qualifies as at-risk.

The interwoven entities -- homelessness and health care put a population to risk. Homelessness usually causes poor health. Also, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2008) says that around 70% of the Homeless clients do not have health insurance. Many low-income people are unable to afford health services on their own and they do not own a health insurance as well. The Homeless people never get good nutrition, good personal hygiene, and basic first aid. In addition, because they do not have adequate housing, they are vulnerable to possibility of interrupted treatments and it is difficult to treat diseases like as tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS (Health Care and Homelessness, 2009).

It is unfortunate that many homeless people who need treatment never receive any medical care. The main barriers for such a situation are lack of knowledge, access to transportation, and lack of identity. Psychological barriers such as embarrassment, nervousness, self-consciousness, unhygienic practice also exist. The main obstacle for their health care is the cost. These homeless people cannot pay without a health care plan. As a result, these people use hospital emergency rooms as a primary health care source. It is the most effective health care form for them as it has a form of continuity, but it is expensive for the hospitals and the government (Health Care and Homelessness, 2009).

Create an evidence-based plan to promote health and wellness in an at-risk population.

There is a primary health care program for the homeless persons named Health Care for the Homeless (HCH). HCH projects provide primary health care, substance abuse services, emergency care, outreach, and assistance in qualifying for housing. It also provides dental care, mental treatment, and other supportive housing services. As HCH does not meet the requirements of most homeless Americans, more health care services should be designed to serve the homeless. A general complication in these efforts is the lack of affordable housing to the homeless. Also, Housing is the first form of treatment for these people to recover from the illness and to remain recovered. Therefore, the primary concern should be to end homelessness to reach affordable, high-quality and comprehensive health care universally. Only a health insurance system can help the homeless people with health benefits and could stop their future sufferings on the street. Also, we need a universal health system to reduce the fiscal impact and social cost of communicable diseases and other illnesses (Health Care and Homelessness, 2009).

The staff members who are recruited to work with the homeless people should have some special characteristics as well as professional expertise to handle their clients in a more innovative manner. They should also be willing to work with those homeless people, leaving behind the traditional and protected clinic or office settings. Also, they should be innovative and should be flexible to work with the homeless. Those staff members should be open to the development of techniques that are far different from the conventional medical models and the traditional adult outpatient clinics. The psychological behaviors and problems experienced by the homeless people actually affects and complicates the treatment of their health problems as well. Therefore, the real ultimate challenge of those professionals who work with homeless people is finding an approach to engaging them and to motivate them (Institute of Medicine, 1988).

References

Aday, L. A. (2001). At risk in America: The health and health care needs of vulnerable populations in the United States. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Health Care and Homelessness. (2009). Retrieved December 9, 2016, from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/health.html

Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Health Care for Homeless People. (1988). Homelessness, Health, and Human Needs. National Academies.

National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2008). "The Basics of Homelessness." Retrieved December 9, 2016, from http://www.nhchc.org.