NSG 4055 Week 4 Discussion

Vulnerable populations are patients who are racial and ethnic minorities, elderly and low-income children who are underinsured, homeless people, and those who are socially-economically disadvantaged or have certain medical conditions. The vulnerable populations have health conditions that are exacerbated by unnecessarily inadequate healthcare (vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu, 2016).

According to the National Council on Aging, about 92% of seniors have at least one chronic disease, and 77% have at least two (Faronbi et al., 2019). Some of the most common and costly chronic illnesses that older people face are cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. For older adults, coping with one or multiple chronic conditions is a real challenge. They have different needs but also share common problems related to chronic illness, such as navigating the complexities of the healthcare system and paying for care. The caregivers of the elderly are also exposed to the burden associated with their caregiving activities. They provide almost all the daily care for the elderly.

The burden of chronic illness on older persons can be managed through self-management with or without family and community support. Nurses can play a vital role in educating the elderly on self-care and management techniques. Older adults can take responsibility for their behavior and change their lifestyle, focusing on emotional, mental, physical, and social needs. As a result, they will monitor and manage illness and promote well-being (Muthukumar, 2019). The diagnosis of a chronic disease like cancer exerts financial stress on the patients and their families, and the older patients must understand how they can manage their mental health issues like anxiety and depression that are likely to emerge during the illness. Self-management is beneficial because it will empower older adults by improving self-agency and promoting a healthy lifestyle. It will also lower the use of healthcare services, and this reduces healthcare costs (Muthukumar, 2019).

References

Faronbi, J. O., Faronbi, G. O., Ayamolowo, S. J., & Olaogun, A. A. (2019). Caring for seniors with chronic illness: The lived experience of caregivers of older adults. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 82, 8-14.

Muthukumar, A. (2019, 01, 30). How Do We Overcome the Burden of Chronic Disease for Older Adults? Retrieved 02 05, 2020, from the University of Michigan: School of Public Health: https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2019posts/chronic-disease-older-adults-013019.html vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu. (2016, 02 11). 10 COMMON ELDERLY HEALTH ISSUES. Retrieved 02 05, 2020, from Vital Record: https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/10-common-elderly-health-issues/

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NSG 4055 Week 4 Discussion

Respond to one of the following questions:

Review the Healthy People 2020 objectives for older adults. Of the objectives listed for the older adult, which do you feel is most important? Be sure to include examples and references to support your response.

There are several vulnerable populations that have a chronic illness (older, homeless, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations) that face challenges when it comes to care. Choose one vulnerable population and discuss what can be done to help alleviate these challenges.