Free Essay

Health Promotion Among Adults with Disabilities

In:

Submitted By sjinks
Words 1224
Pages 5
Health Promotion among Adults with Disabilities
Stacy Jinks
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V0506
October 4, 2015

Health Promotion among Adults with Disabilities The U.S. Census Bureau has found that nearly 1 in 5 individuals in the U.S. live with a disability. That translates into over 54 million people in the United States alone. Disability has often been associated with poor health. Adults with disabilities should have the same opportunity for good health as those living without. People living with disabilities are more likely to smoke, have greater issues with obesity and have more difficulty accessing preventive health services (CDC, 2014). This paper will look at some of the disparities among adults living with disabilities, why this may be occurring and what can be done to help decrease the disparities and increase positive outcomes for this group.
Review of Health Status, Disparities and Barriers to Good Health
Disability has been defined in many different ways and pinpointing one definition that everyone agrees on can be difficult. In the Surgeon General’s Call to Action report (2005) it is generally defined as “a feature of the mind, body or senses that can affect a person’s daily life”. Until very recently people with disabilities have gone mostly unrecognized as a group facing health disparities but when surveys are taken from both groups, adults with disabilities versus those without, the gap between how each group views their personal health status is vast. Those living with disabilities are describing themselves to be in fair or poor health four times (40.3% vs 9.9%) more often than adults without any noted disability (Krahn, Walker & Correa-De-Araujo, 2015). This fact alone shows the need for providing better healthcare to those with disabilities. Education and economic factors also play a factor when it comes to this particular group. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are still being segregated more often than not in the school environment and the lack of interaction and integration into the “normal” classroom creates dissatisfaction and low graduation rates. Approximately 52% leave high school without receiving a diploma and even fewer individuals with I/DD (8%) have any college experience at all (The Arc, 2011). This creates a situation as this group become adults, where their lack of education makes it very difficult for them to understand where to even locate help if they do not have other family members involved in their care. Lack of employment is another barrier to health and health care. It is not that individuals with disabilities do not want to work or cannot work. Jobs that integrate these individuals into their community are just not available. The Arc (2011) reports that 85% of I/DD adults are not employed and of the 15% that are employed, only 57% report making minimum wage. Without government assistance or family support, this group finds themselves unable to afford much if any type of health care. It is not just the I/DD group affected by these barriers. Physical, mental, sensory disabilities are all included and no matter what group of disabilities an induvial may be categorized into they all face similar barriers and disparities and are more vulnerable to receiving substandard health care. Adults with disabilities are expected to have more difficulties with obesity (36.2% vs 21.5%) and smoke more often (27.8% vs 19.5%) than those without disabilities. For a variety of reasons, including fear and lack of equipment, they also find themselves less physically active (79.2% vs 65.9%) (Lezzoni, 2011). Lizzoni (2011) found that 13% of people with a disability reported not being treated fairly in the office setting and 18% with a severe disability felt similarly. She also documented that 22% of adults with sensory or physical disabilities were unable to access their doctor’s offices. When they could access the office, there was often a lack of specific adaptive equipment to help them within the office setting. Although there are not as many studies and research on actual issues with health care accessibility as there are in other minority groups, the few that are available show disparity.

Approaches to Decrease Health Disparities
The disabled as a minority covers a wide array of individuals and situations. Using any one approach effectively can be difficult as there are so many differences and factors among this group and not enough evidence based research (Must, Curtin, Hubbard, Sikich, Bedford & Bandini, 2014). Many of the interventions being used are those used for all communities and groups, with only a few primary interventions that are focused at the disabled specifically (Must et al., 2014). The approach has to begin at the level of the barriers themselves, which in some instances will help eliminate disparities at the health and health care levels. Begin eliminating barriers using the primary, secondary, tertiary intervention approach. Primary interventions would include integrating the disabled into the regular classroom setting as much as possible and providing the smaller classroom settings for customized education regarding health and health care opportunities related to their individual needs. Secondary interventions such as encouraging employers to hire at least one employee a year with a disability at minimum wage or higher and for communities to provide parks and areas for physical activities that include adaptive equipment for those with a variety of disabilities will decrease economic barriers and increase physical limitation barriers. Tertiary interventions include enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act and introducing new legislature in Congress to support education, workplace opportunities and affordable health care for those with disabilities (The Arc, 2011).
Conclusion
It has only been very recently that individuals with disabilities have been recognized as a minority group with disparities regarding health and health care in the United States. Due to this lack of recognition much more research and in depth study needs to be completed to get a real idea on how to move forward to reduce these disparities. As this group becomes more recognized and supported these disparities will decrease and more people with disabilities will have access to education, economic opportunities and health care to increase positive outcomes and decrease the noted disparities.

References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2014). Disability and health data system basic information. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/dhds-basic-info.html.
Krahn, G.,Walker, D., & Correa-De-Araujo, R., (2015). Persons with Disabilities as an Unrecognized Health Disparity Population. American Journal of Public Health: 105(S2), pp 198-206. Retrieved from http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302182.
Lezzoni, L. (2011). Eliminating health and health care disparities among the growing population of people with disabilities. Health Affairs. 30(10). 1947-1954. Retrieved from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/30/10/1947.long.
Must, A., Curtin C., Hubbard, K., Sikich, L., Bedford, J., Bandini, L. (2014). Obesity prevention in children with developmental disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267572/.
The Arc (2011). Still in the shadows with their futures uncertain; a report on family and individual needs for disability supports (FINDS). Retrieved from http://www.thearc.org/document.doc?id=3672.
Surgeon General (2005). The 2005 surgeon general’s call to action to improve the health and wellness of persons with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/pdf/whatitmeanstoyou508.pdf.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Healthpromotion

...in the last century, and approximately 36 percent of the population belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group. Though health indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality have improved for most Americans, some minorities experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease, death, and disability compared with non-minorities. One minority group in particular, the African-Americans, have had a long history in the United States. Some African American families have been in the United States for many generations; others are recent immigrants from places such as Africa, the Caribbean, or the West Indies (CDC, 2014). Yet, whilst the data on quality health care shows that there are few gaps in terms of disparities between Blacks and the Non-minority groups, since health indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality have improved for most Americans, the African-Americans minority group continue to experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease, death and disability, in comparison to their non-minority counterparts (CDC, 2013). In fact, the leading causes of death, according to CDC, (2014), are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and stroke. Kerri Henderson, One minority nurse writer (Henderson, 2014), states that the goal of Healthy People (2020), to “achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups,” is a very important goal for the African American population in particular. This is especially in light...

Words: 1372 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Explain The Limitations Of Older Adults Population

...Limitations In Older Adults Population Physical and functional limitations in older adults have significant influences in their daily life. Age-related changes and chronic illness such as dementia, diabetes or arthritis are the causes of decreasing older adults’ physical functions. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 61.1% of older adults over 65 years old in the United States have at least one basic actions difficulty or complex activity limitation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2016). CDC also measures adults’ physically unhealthy days by asking how many days during the past 30 days they felt that their physical health was not good, and older adults over 65 years old have the highest rate...

Words: 778 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

P4 – Outline Working Strategies and Procedures Used in Health and Social Care to Reduce Risk of Abuse. M2 – Describe Legislation and Regulations, Working Strategies and Procedures Used in Health and Social Care to

...vulnerable adult is described as an individual who is aged 18 or over, who is in need of care and support form care services, who is experiencing, or is at risk of significant abuse or neglect and who is unable to protect themselves against harm or exploitation. There are a number of vulnerable groups within society which are: the frail and elderly, the less abled and individuals with mental health problems or learning difficulties, visual or hearing impairments or with some form of disease. It is important that the promotion of safeguarding adults is carried out by health care professionals. Safeguarding adults involves protecting individuals at risk of harm. Society today is very diverse, within Britain there are many different races and individuals of different nationalities. These groups of individuals, along with vulnerable adults can be seen as at higher risk of discrimination. Therefore, there are a number of existing legislations set out to protect certain groups of individuals. According to the dictionary of Cambridge legislation is “a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament”. It is the system of rules which a particular country or community recognises as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties. Within health and social care, safe practice is very important particularly to the promotion of dignity in care. There are a number of legislations and policies to support health and safety...

Words: 2491 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Mental Illness Linked to Physical Disabilities

...their inability to work. Also due to physical disabilities, people are more confined to their homes, and are unable to drive and interact socially with those outside of their homes. There are programs designed specifically to help these people who are suffering with physical disabilties.   There are several forms of mental illness that those who are physically disabled have a higher risk of attaining than those who are not. Collingwood (2010) noted that people who have any type of physical disease or disability tend to feel more psychological distress than their counterparts who are healthier. Those who have poor physical health have an increased problem of depression, as do the social and relationship problems that are common among chronically ill patients. Nosek and Simmons (2007) stated that for the longest time, health disparities among Americans with disabilities have been ignored within the field of public health. There has been proven evidence that mental health can be a secondary complication to a person aqcuiring a disability according to Honey, Emerson, Llewellyn, and Kariuki (2010). Wisdom et al., (2010) noted that health disparities affecting the nearly 40 million Americans with disabilities (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005) have begun to gain more recognition over the past decade, as reflected in the release of several publications by the federal government intented to inform and guide policy and practice (U.S. Department of Health and Human...

Words: 1614 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Health Promotions

...Health Promotion Milena Ramos Grand Canyon University Family Centered Health Promotion NRS-429V Liza Zamudio May 4, 2013 Health Promotion According to the world health organization (WHO) health promotion is defined as the process which enables people to improved control over the determinants of health and as result to improved their own health(Jadellhack, 2012, p. 65) . The intent for health promotion is to provide information for individuals to collaboratively work together, but at the same time engaging each person to make health choices towards the main goal of becoming agents of their own health based on their decision and actions (Jadellhack, 2012) Nursing within the US healthcare delivery from its inception primary focus was to treat chronic diseases instead of preventing them. It is believed that in order for the US to continue to be an economic leader in which health care is one of the main drivers along with a productive workforce the health care industry has to continue its transition from the methodology of curing diseases towards health promotion and disease prevention.(Jadellhack, 2012) As a result of this shift, nurses skills and education levels must continue to evolved by increasing the percentages of nurses with BSN and MSN. Nurses focus on health promotion education in the communities provides positively contributions to the promotion of health in the communities. Some examples which are achieving these efforts are the increase education and...

Words: 908 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Exam

...71-year-old patient whose poorly controlled type 1 diabetes has led to numerous health problems. Over the past several years Mrs. Griffin has had several admissions to the hospital medical unit, and the nurse has often carried out health promotion interventions. Who is ultimately responsible for maintaining and promoting Mrs. Griffin's health?| A)|The medical nurse| B)|The community health nurse who has also worked with Mrs. Griffin| C)|Mrs. Griffin's primary care provider| D)|Mrs. Griffin| Ans:|D| |Feedback:| |American society places a great importance on health and the responsibility that each of us has to maintain and promote our own health. Therefore, the other options are incorrect.| 2.|An elderly female patient has come to the clinic for a scheduled follow-up appointment. The nurse learns from the patient's daughter that the patient is not following the instructions she received upon discharge from the hospital last month. What is the most likely factor causing the patient not to adhere to her therapeutic regimen?| A)|Ethnic background of health care provider| B)|Costs of the prescribed regimen| C)|Presence of a learning disability| D)|Personality of the physician| Ans:|B| |Feedback:| |Variables that appear to influence the degree of adherence to a prescribed therapeutic regimen include gender, race, education, illness, complexity of the regimen, and the cost of treatments. The ethnic background of the health care provider and the personality of the physician are not considered...

Words: 5345 - Pages: 22

Free Essay

Community Teaching Experience

...celebration,The Golden Girls for Glory (Faith Based Social Club). A group of ladies that, by virtue of age, are considered older adults. They belong to varying church congregations of various faiths but come together regularly for community based activities and sponsor many events. Secondly, one of the Golden Girl’s husbands runs a printing shop and donated his time and much of the printed material, not the least of which were the banners for the canopy on the booth at the venue for the festival. The organizers of the event provided the tote bags, canopy and chairs. A local restaurant supplier married to another Golden Girl donated disposable shot glasses upon which stickers were applied. The Golden Girls Event Coordinator is the best friend of my roommate and was struggling to find a theme for their booth this year, and I just happened to be present during her conversation about her dilemma. When I asked if she would consider allowing me to do my presentation as their theme we were all ecstatic. My chosen topic was entitled “HAVE A SHOT>>>ITS GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU” An educational presentation for the promotion of health and prevention of disease in older adults through immunizations. I took a light hearted approach with numerous plays on the party atmosphere. As I alluded to before, the Golden Girls and their spouses are technically “Older Adults” but only by virtue of their ages. They live vital, active, energetic lives, which seems to be the predominate life style of the...

Words: 1805 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Disabled Patients

...1  CARING FOR THE DISABLED PATIENT  2    Millions people in the world live with some type of disability, and nearly 20% of  adults in the U.S. are living with physical or mental disability.The oxford dictionary  disability describes a disability as a  physical or mental condition that limits a person's  movements, senses, or activities. It can divided into physical or cognitive disability and  then divided even further. A study conducted by Dinsmore allowed patients to reveal  their concerns about their hospital care. As a result of this survey, a focused piece of  research was commissioned to assess the levels of service being delivered to hospital  patients with learning disabilities.Hahn conducted a study with advanced practice  nurses and the interventions they use for older adults for preventive intervention model  for adults aging with developmental disabilities. Healthcare organizations are expected  to meet the needs of this diverse population and sensitive to patients with health­based  challenges and disabilities (Hahn 2014) .  In the study conducted by Dinsmore and Higgins,  the group for the study was  recruited from a charity organization for people with disabilities. They wanted to help the  conductors of the study with the project. The participants interviewed had to have a  disability and had to have some type of experience being in a hospital setting.Thirteen  interviews with this group were conducted and members of these people’s families were  ...

Words: 1374 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Nurse Management

...objectives are intended to promote awareness of health disparities and inequalities with people affected by learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities have poorer health status than their non-disabled peers. There are shocking disparities in the health status of people with learning disabilities compared to the non-disabled population. People with learning disabilities experience a higher incidences in morbidity and mortality to preventable diseases compared to the general population (Emerson & Baines, 2010). Approximately, 210,000 people in the United Kingdom have severe or profound learning disabilities. A further 1.2 million people have a moderate to mild learning disability (Health, Healthcare for All: Report of the Independent Inquiry into Access to Healthcare for People with Learning Disabilities, 2008). On average, 2% of people in a general practice will have some degree of learning disability (Health, Once a Day One or More People with Learning Disabilities are likely to be in Contact with Your Primary Healthcare Team. How Can You Help Them?, 1999). Since this is a small percentage primary providers lack awareness of the health needs of people with learning disabilities. The multifaceted reasons why these disparities exist, and the role of practice nurses in improving health outcomes for people with learning disabilities will also be explored (Emerson & Baines, 2010). The learning disability population have an increased rate of premature...

Words: 919 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Heart Disease and Stroke

...Heart disease and stroke Goal Improve cardiovascular health and quality of life through detection, prevention, and treatment of risk factors for heart attack and stroke. The leading adjustable risk factors for heart disease and stroke are: High blood pressure High cholesterol Diabetes Cigarette smoking Overweight and obesity Poor diet and physical inactivity The risk of Americans dying from cardiovascular disease would be significantly reduced if major improvements were made across the U.S. population in diet, physical activity, control of cholesterol and high blood pressure, smoking and drinking cessation, and appropriate aspirin use. Cardiovascular health is very much influenced by the physical, social, and political environment, including: Maternal child health: Encompass the health of women, children, and families across the life course. This approach embraces the principles of health equity, cultural competence, community empowerment, and social determinants of health in a family-centered, intergenerational approach to maternal and child health. Promotion of healthy kids and families: Availability of healthy foods, extracurricular activities in schools and physical education can do much by improving physical strength thereby reducing overweight and increasing strength and stamina. Encourage kids to develop safe and healthy habits to prevent disease and injury. Make them aware of eating nutrients for growth. To stay healthy, be active...

Words: 506 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Bacterial Meningitis

...pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes. The disease in all ages continues to be a serious cause of morbidity and mortality, despite the introduction of effective antibiotics and preventative therapy. Bacterial meningitis is a serious disease that can result in brain damage and even death. The following will describe the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis and the effects it has on the individual, family and community, and the role of the community health nurse. Epidemiological Problem Description of problem Bacterial meningitis is a common infectious disease that has been diagnosed throughout the world. In general, it affects the very young and the very old and favors males over females. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than three hundred people die each year from this disease” (Barker, 2002, p. 133). Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency that can progress rapidly, and therefore it demands rapid diagnosis and intervention to save the patient’s life and prevent disability. Bacterial Meningitis 3 Agent Of the previously stated infectious agents, Neisseria...

Words: 2712 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Grand Canyon University: Nrs-429v

...Health Status of the Hispanics Introduction Hispanics represent the largest contingent of the minority population in the U.S. The CDC (2015) asserts that approximately 1 in 6 people staying in the U.S are Hispanic. While Hispanics are a considerable part of the U.S., the group faces significant health disparities. Current health status Lifestyle diseases are the leading cause of death among Hispanics. According to the CDC (2015), every 2 of 5 deaths among Hispanics are caused by cancer and heart disease. Equally, a large percentage of Hispanics lack health insurance. The CDC (2015) estimates that Hispanics are nearly 3 times as likely to lack insurance as whites. The inadequate insurance of Hispanics can be ascribed to the economic status of the group. As a result of immigration, most Hispanics are more likely than whites to hold menial and low paying jobs. Even if Hispanics may have the ability to purchase health insurance, the requirements of ACA (2010) exclude undocumented immigrant from doing so (Hummer & Hayward, 2015). Since some Hispanics are undocumented immigrants, it becomes difficult to purchase insurance. Regardless of the fact that Hispanics have low levels of insurance, they have high life expectancy. Hispanics live longer than other populations in the country. Notwithstanding having a considerably lower level of health insurance and educational attainment and a much superior level of poverty, Hispanics presently have high life expectancy than their socioeconomically...

Words: 1027 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Brdessay

...Arthritis and Musculoskeletal conditions; Osteoporosis The Australian government has recognized nine national health priority areas (NHPAs) as a response to the World Health Organization’s global strategy Health for All by the year 2000 to combat diseases and conditions that contribute significantly to the wellbeing of the Australian community. The NHPA initiative framework aims to reduce burden of illness and injury by ensuring the continuity of care from preventive measures through to treatment, management and maintenance. Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions is one of the nine latest NHPAs having larger impact on the health of Australians. Musculoskeletal conditions are conditions of bones, muscles and their attachments such as joints and ligaments. It is not only highly prevalent but also large contributors to pain, illness and disability in Australia. Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions also constitute more than half of all chronic conditions globally and are the significant cause of severe, pain (long-term) and disability (physical) (Murray and Lopez 1996). There are five common musculoskeletal conditions: i) back pain and problems, ii) osteoarthritis, iii) rheumatoid arthritis, iv) osteoporosis and v) juvenile arthritis. All these conditions are diverse with respect to functional changes that results from the disease. However, their association with pain and impaired functioning are anatomically linked. The risk factors are congenital anomalies, metabolic abnormalities...

Words: 1583 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Ethics

...Justification 5 a) Justification by the product life cycle and Carroll's CSR model : 5 b) Justification by increasing company's value: 6 c) Justification by the income statement: 6 d) Justification by forestalling legislation: 6 e) Justification through increasing loyalty of the employees: 7 f) Justification through increasing productivity: 7 V. Problems to be addressed 7 a) HRM issues to be targeted while formulating policy for managers: 7 b) HRM issues to be targeted while formulating policy for non managerial employees: 8 VI. Human Resource Management Policy 8 VII. Policy for the Managers 9 a) Policies regarding workplace environment and safety: 9 b) Policies regarding Hiring: 10 c) Policies regarding promotion: 11 d) Policies To Reduce Presenteeism: 11 VIII. Policy for the Non-Managerial Employees 12...

Words: 3791 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Health Promotion Among Diverse Populations

...Health Promotion Among Diverse Populations Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V Health Promotion Among Diverse Populations The United States is a Nation of diverse races and cultures. The population of the United States is broken down into two classifications: the majority and the minority. As of 2014 the majority of individuals living in the US classified themselves as white, which is defined as “a person originating from any of the original people of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa”. As of 2014 this group made up 77.4 percent of the US population (USCB, 2014). The rest of the US population consists of many different races, collectively called the minority. The minority is made up of multiple different races, including but not limited to: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian American, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander. Healthcare disparities for minority groups in the US are larger than for the majority group; the minority group bears a disproportionate burden of disease, injury, premature death, and disability. For persons of these racial/ethnic minority populations, health disparities can mean lower life expectancy, decreased quality of life, loss of economic opportunities, and perceptions of injustice (CDC, 2004). The Hispanic or Latino race in particular has a larger gap in quality health care and disease prevention than most others. This report will discuss the health status, health promotion...

Words: 983 - Pages: 4