Leisure World Community Public Health

Public Health: Leisure World Community
Leisure World is a 610 acre gated community that admits individuals of age 55 and above as members. In that sense, it is both geographic and phenomenological. The community is largely cosmopolitan, with the racial distribution of residents being wide and comprising of Caucasian, African American, Asian, and Hispanic individuals. There is, however, a predominant Caucasian population.
With the only those above age 55 being qualified to join the community, the relevance of the present recreation centers cannot be overstated – i.e. an outdoor pool and tennis court. This is more so the case given the need for this age group to engage in regular physical exercises so as to further enhance their health and wellbeing. The common health concerns among the elderly residents of this community are diabetes, hypertension, pressure ulcers, and musculoskeletal maladies. Other commonplace health concerns faced by the older adults elsewhere and are common in this particular community are identified as being anxiety and loss of independence, depression, and anxiety.
The relaxing and welcoming nature of the community is an indication of a community at peace with itself, which could in essence be the perfect place for those in their prime to live or spend most of their time. The community also seems well maintained and decent. This could be discerned from the readily available public garbage cans and proper maintenance of the lawns. In basic terms, the observations from the Windshield survey are indicative of a community that puts great emphasis on both convenience and easy access. Leisure World comes across as being relatively safe, peaceful, and being a gated community, well maintained.
Comparable geographic communities include Leisure World’s surrounding neighborhoods which comprises of Rockville, Olney, and Aspen Hill. Unlike Leisure World, which has a median age of 75.8 years, the median age of those residing in Rockville, Olney, and Aspen Hill is 37, 42.5, and 40 respectively. This demonstrates a significant median age difference. The national median age is 37.8. However, the racial distribution across the three comparable communities is rather similar, with the Caucasian racial category being predominant at 47% for Aspen Hill, 73% for Olney, and 64% for Rockville. Leisure World ranks lower on the median household income front. The community’s median household income as of 2015 was captured as $53,175. Rockville, Olney, and Aspen Hill’s median household incomes are $100,129, $133,121 and $83,115 respectively. The national median household income is $55,775, which is slightly higher than that of Leisure World.
With a private medical facility within easy reach of many, plenty of private recreation options, and a variety of transport options, Leisure World could be viewed as a model community for the elderly. The clear autonomy of the community, marked by its fencing off, could help foster stronger in-community bonds. The cost residents risk paying for this, however, is social isolation. It is also important to note that although residents could have the desire for autonomy and independence, it would be prudent for them to come to terms with the fact that their advancing age does not allow for complete independence. This is particularly the case given their declining mental and physical abilities, which at some point could call for the need for a caregiver. In the final analysis, it should be noted that with recreational facilities being in plenty at Leisure World for those who would wish to access them, residents should be encouraged to make active use of the said resources. This would help in the management of the common health concerns identified among the elderly residents of the community, i.e. diabetes and hypertension.