Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.

According to Porche (2004) “Some of the issues the public health system faces are changing population demographics, cultural tensions, resurgence of infectious diseases, emergence of new infections, and continued environmental hazards.\” (p. 3) Health disparities or differences in health (e.g., incidence of illness, mortality, etc.) Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.

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among specific populations, is another issue facing the public health system that has been acknowledged in recent years. Select one of the above six issues then: 1. Discuss an actual or potential health problem resulting from the issue you selected. Please write on the issue of health disparities among minority elderly population. 2. Cite two (2) Healthy People 2020 Objectives that address the health problem. 3. Offer a strategy example APRNs, might use to achieve either of these objectives. Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.

Health Disparities among Minority Elderly

According to the Healthy People (2020), health disparities are defined as the uneven burden in disease, morbidity, and mortality rates that are encountered by racial, ethnic, and religious minorities compared to the minority group. Health Disparities among Minority Elderly. These differences are results of age, socio-economic status, national origin, and language. Among the elderly, health disparities are mostly attributed to a lack of adequate access to affordable health insurance, poverty, and limited literacy (Yamada et al., 2016). Older persons encounter various barriers in accessing quality clinical services, despite their increased health risks. According to research, approximately 60 percent of older adults experience challenges accessing care when needed. Affordability is a top barrier hindering the elderly from accessing high-quality health services. Majority of the elderly are unemployed while the others have low-paying jobs, live off family assets, or receive low income from pensions. Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.Where health is not universally provided or at affordable costs, older persons avoid preventive care as they find it unaffordable. When this population accesses healthcare, they often encounter professionals with little knowledge of their health conditions or services that they do not find age-appropriate. Age discrimination and related stigma is another barrier deterring an older person from seeking care. Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.

The goal of Healthy People (2020) is to enhance health, wellness, and quality of life for the elderly. Objective OA-1 is to heightenthe pumber of older adults using the Welcome to Medicare benefits. Healthy People 2020 targets a 10 percent increase in the number of adults using Medicare. Objective OA-2 is to increase the number of adults up to date on a core set of clinical preventive services. Given the increased incidence of chronic health conditions, increasing the number of older adults seeking preventive services is vital.

Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) might achieve the objectives set by healthy People (2020) by engaging in legal advocacy to improve care for the elderly with complex health conditions (Kahana et al., 2018). Advocacy has been acknowledged as an integral component in the care of older adults. Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.

References

Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Kahana, B., Yu, J., Kahana, E., &Langendoerfer, K. (2018). Whose advocacy counts in shaping elderly patients’ satisfaction with physicians’ care and communication?. Clinical Interventions In Aging, Volume 13, 1161-1168.

Yamada, T., Chen, C., Murata, C., Hirai, H., Ojima, T., Kondo, K., & III, J. (2015). Access Disparity and Health Inequality of the Elderly: Unmet Needs and Delayed Healthcare. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 12(2), 1745-1772.

Health Disparities among Minority Elderly.