Overall Purpose for Practicum: Develop a potential project to improve the health of a specific population of interest or a population at risk.

Overall Purpose for Practicum: Develop a potential project to improve the health of a specific population of interest or a population at risk.

This practicum is designed to help you develop as a scholar practitioner and health leader to promote positive social change in your own community. In this practicum experience you will focus on primary prevention of a health problem in your community (see text for definition.) You already possess the knowledge and skills to help those who are acutely ill. This experience will help learn how to prevent a health problem in a specific population at risk at the community and system level of care (see text for definition). Consequently, because you are well aware of how to care for individuals you will now develop leadership and advocacy skills to improve the health of the community.Determinants of Health Among Older Adults Essay Collaborating with other professionals and community members in your community will be the key to a successful practicum and project. Collaborate with each other in the discussions, with your instructor, with health care professionals (nurses and other disciplines), with local and state departments of health, and most importantly with the population you hope to help. As an advocate, you will promote positive social change through collaboration with families, communities, and professionals in the health care system. You will develop a culturally relevant proposal that could improve health outcomes for a specific population at risk in your community.

WK 1

I live in a small community located in northwest metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The population as of 2019, was 21,760 people. The breakdown of the population is 31% under the age of 18, 14.9% 65 years or older, 51.2% are women. 73% White, 20.8% Black/African American, 12.7% Latino/Hispanic. I am currently practicing at a privately owned hospice company where we provide services to adult patients in their homes and facilities in North Georgia.Determinants of Health Among Older Adults Essay

Race is a major social determinant of health. African Americans have a higher rate of significant health problems and functional limitations. Economic resources are also a social determinant of health. As poverty increases, mortality rates increase. Economic resources are also needed to provide basic needs such as housing and food, and is required to obtain health care and medications. Social isolation and loneliness also are social determinants that have profound effects, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic.

As a hospice nurse, the majority of my patients are the geriatric population and the population at risk I am choosing to focus on for this project. The most prevalent health problems include heart disease, respiratory diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. Depression is also a problem that occurs, leading to increased suicide rates of the geriatric patient. Injuries or death related to falls is a perpetual problem in the elderly. Malnutrition is widespread and seen in nearly every older patient, which is related to access to food, decreased physical ability to shop, cook, or eat. Malnutrition could also happen due to other comorbid conditions that the senior has such as dementia.Determinants of Health Among Older Adults Essay

References

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cartersville city, Georgia. (n.d.). Www.Census.Gov. Retrieved September 7, 2020, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/cartersvillecitygeorgia