Community Health

Community Health

           Community Health   One of the important elements of community health nursing is the promotion of health and wellbeing during disasters. The nurse should have the relevant knowledge and experience to respond effectively to a disaster. Both natural and man-made disasters adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of individuals, families and communities. The definition and identification of the two types of disasters are crucial. A natural disaster is an event triggered by natural forces leading to adverse social and economic effects on the affected region. Examples of natural disasters include hurricanes, tornados, floods, landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (Lundy & Janes, 2014). On the other hand, a man-made disaster is an event triggered by identifiable human activities leading to adverse social and economic effects on the affected region. Examples of man-made disasters include terrorism, global warming, toxic waste release, and motor vehicle accidents.

            The two main disasters that have affected my community are flooding and toxic waste releases. Miami-Dade County often experiences flooding following major rain events and thunderstorm winds. The county’s geographical location makes is highly susceptible to regular flooding. Miami-Dade is one of Florida’s counties with a high number of Superfund sites. The U.S EPA categorizes an area as a Superfund site depending on the level of contamination by toxic waste. The Miami-Dade Department of Health applies several concepts of community health during flooding disasters. The medical personnel disinfect the areas around the temporary shelters, vaccinate the at-risk persons and educate the public on the potential disease outbreaks and ways to prevent them (MiamiDade.gov, 2017). On the other hand, the main community health concepts applied in response to toxic waste releases are public awareness and education campaigns and advocacy to promote toxic waste reduction.

            A chronic illness is a disease that persists to the end of life. It causes nonreversible pathological effects. A chronic illness requires long-term management with a focus on symptom management rather than treatment. The three main chronic diseases in my community are heart disease, cancer and diabetes. These diseases constitute the leading causes of death in the community. Chronic illnesses have adverse financial effects on patients, families and the community. First, the cost of treating a chronic illness is significantly high. The direct annual medical cost for illnesses such as lung cancer can exceed $100,000 (Thun et al., 2017). Cancer patients require regular medication and therapies to control the disease symptoms and slow its progression. Although insurance programs such as Medicare cover cancer screening and treatment, patients have to pay almost 30 percent of the medical expenses out of pocket. These expenses are higher for patients in states that have not expanded their insurance programs. Consequently, medical care uses a significant portion of the household income. Secondly, the physical and psychological effects of chronic illnesses impede the patient’s ability to engage in gainful employment. Most chronic illnesses are incapacitating. The patient becomes increasingly dependent on other people to perform most of the activities of daily living as the disease progresses. Furthermore, the onset of stress, depression and feelings of anger, helplessness and hopelessness, as the debilitating effects worsen, cause psychological instability, which affects the individual’s ability to work. Thirdly, chronic illnesses put a considerable financial strain on the healthcare system. According to CDC (2017), the medical care for patients with chronic illnesses account for more than 80 percent of the nation’s annual healthcare expenditures. The total estimate of the direct and indirect cost of cancer care exceeds $200 billion.             Comprehensive health promotion programs that focus on patient education, disease screening and expanded health insurance can reduce the cost of managing chronic illnesses. First, health care providers should educate patients about the risks factors for various chronic illnesses and the appropriate measures to prevent or delay the illnesses. Secondly, the regular screening for various chronic illnesses can support early identification of the risks or onset of a chronic illness and the implementation of interventions to prevent or slow the advancement of the disease (McLean, Williams, Lamont, & Krueger, 2013). Thirdly, expanding the current health insurance cover to support comprehensive disease screening and treatment for every person will promote regular disease screening and ease the medical burden for individuals and families.