Essay on Health Care and Betty

Submitted By Ehanson1
Words: 3338
Pages: 14
Open Document
1. Introduction
The aim of the report is to critically analyse the assessment of health needs for a chosen individual patient within the community. The rationale for this is to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and practical links in caring for individuals in the community. The definition of community will be discussed and the patient and community profile will be introduced. The relevant demographic and epidemiology factors will be examined and the social and kinship support networks will be identified and how they work together to provide individual holistic patient care. The role of the service providers in the community will be discussed and finally the impact of current legislation on the overall care provided will be analysed.

To protect the patient’s confidentiality in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2002) the pseudonym Betty Smith will be used to refer to the patient. Informed consent was sought from the community nursing team and verbal consent from the patient.
2. Definitions
The meaning and significance of community varies enormously and how one defines this is important because it influences how community representatives may be identified and communicated with (Williams and Wright, 1998). Turton and Orr (1993) argue that problems of definition exist when looking at the word community. It is very difficult to identify a cross section of a community and there are some groups of people who are hard to reach. These include homeless people, unemployed people, asylum seekers, and minority ethnic groups (Naidoo and Wills, 2000).

Ewles and Simnett (1992) suggest that community can be defined as a network of people. The link between them may be a housing estate or an area in which they live. It might even be the work they do, their ethnic background or there may be some other common factor. Naidoo and Wills (2000) support this view and add that any geographical community will include people whose primary identity is based on different factors such as class, race, gender or sexual orientation and therefore people may belong to several different communities.

Community care may be seen to have a much wider meaning, not necessarily relating to sickness, but to other aspects of care delivery which could be applicable to the whole community (Watson and Wilkinson, 2001). Community health nursing is professional nursing directed towards communities or population groups as well as individuals living in the community. It includes assessment of the whole environmental, social and personal factors, which influence the health status of the targeted population (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 1992).

3. Patient Profile
Betty Smith is a 73 year old retired lady who lives by herself in a bungalow based in Evington. She has lived in Leicester all her life and was brought up by her mother and farther in Highfields and was their only child. She has a daughter who lives in Wigston and visits Betty regularly and has two sons, one living in Norfolk and the other in Berkshire both who are building contractors and visit Betty when they are free. She has 6 grandchildren, 3 of which live in Leicester. By profession Betty was a book keeper, however she was a licensed land lady for 8 years, care assistant and went on to become a Matron at the YMCA. Her hobbies include reading, which she has been doing from the age of 3, crosswords, watching all sports and watching the television. She has a network of friends and neighbours in the area and has recently started going out for meals, shopping and walks with them. See Appendix 1 for a detailed patient profile.

4. Community Profile
The health both of Betty and her community may be affected by demographical and epidemiological factors (Watson and Wilkinson, 2001). This is particularly relevant to the District Nurse’s (DN’s) as they are concerned about the health status and health care of sick adults in the community (Blackie and
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Health Care and Betty

Summary: Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic Communication, is about a woman named Betty whose husband has recently passed away. Since the loss of her late husband, Betty has been in a constant struggle to take care of herself. Because of this, her quality of living has declined. Betty's neighbour became increasingly concerned with her well-being, and now visits her on a weekly basis. After their last visit, Betty agreed to go to the hospital to talk with a nurse. The nurse patiently listened to Betty's story of what brought her…

Words 951 - Pages 4

JSBMHA and HIPAA Case Study Essay

JSBMHA and HIPAA Case Study Melissa Baetz HSM/230 April 30, 2015 Paulina Cary JSBMHA and HIPAA Case Study The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a policy that is intended to protect the rights of patients. Health care providers must keep information pertaining to patients confidential. The clients have the right to determine who will be privy to their personal care and health information. Personal information must be safeguarded and not shared with employers or third parties. Patients…

Words 305 - Pages 2

Betty Neuman System Model

Objective # 3 Integrate all components of the nursing process in promoting optimal health of individuals, families, and communities has been completed in every single course in the nursing program. Throughout the program we created many concept maps for patients in various age groups from diverse cultures. Artifact #1 is a final concept map completed in the health promotion I course. It is an in-depth analysis of the nursing process and how it is applied to one individual patient. The patient…

Words 365 - Pages 2

Nursing Theory

in individualized care plans for patients in hospital and outpatient settings based on years of research and theories. Theories provide the foundation for hypotheses to improve nursing care on the testable knowledge obtained overtime (Ellis, 2008, p. 82). Theories build the structure around learning and developing new approaches in the healthcare field. Nurses wear many hats as part of a healthcare team. The nurse is a teacher, coach, counselor, role model, therapist, and care provider. Ellis explains…

Words 1490 - Pages 6

Professional Workplace Dilemma Essay

Professional Workplace Dilemma GEN/480 Professional Workplace Dilemma While working in private care I became the supervising caregiver of the other caregivers. It was my responsibility to hire, fire, train, set schedules, and purchases for the needs for the house. A friend of mine, best friend at the time, came to me with a need for a job just as I had a need for a caregiver in the private care home. Since she had given me my start in caregiving I gave her the job. She did a great job of caring…

Words 990 - Pages 4

Mini Mental State Exam Paper

State Exam (MMSE) The third test administered to Betty involved an assessment of cognitive skills in which she scored 29/30. This tool is commonly used to screen for dementia (Folstein, Folstein & McHugh, 1975). Her cognitive skills are very sharp and her responses were quick. Betty did not know the date for which one point was deducted from her score, however, she knew the month, year, day of the week. When asked to count backwards by sevens, Betty admitted that she was never good at math, nevertheless…

Words 875 - Pages 4

Sociomedical Sciences: The Story Of Grandma Betty

Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and…

Words 502 - Pages 3

Competency Comparisons Essay example

Competencies Many organizations have assisted with the growth and evolution of the Nursing Profession. A commonality that is shared by these organizations is to promote a higher standard of professional education, thus increasing the quality of care and a broadening the range of nursing skills. Both Associate Degree level and Baccalaureate level degreed nurses sit for the same exam. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) perform at a different skill set based on their educational differences. According…

Words 1081 - Pages 5

Paging Nurse Betty Essay

Paging Nurse Betty Throughout my life, I have met hundreds of people. However, only a special few have had the ability to make an impact that lasts a lifetime. There is one woman in particular that has influenced my life and helped make me become what I am today. She was there to lend a hand when I needed it most. This woman that greatly impacted my life is Betty Garth. I meet Betty Garth in the six grade after a band concert. She wasn’t a student, but a parent of a friend. She welcomed me…

Words 889 - Pages 4

Case Studies Essay

scenarios: Scenario 1 – “Betty” Betty is a 39 year old single woman of Filipino origin living in Vancouver. She works as an Operational Assistant for an aircraft charter company. She has her Mother living close and an estranged Father. She is the older of the only other sibling being her Brother and has strong family ties to aunts and cousins. She is in good health and exercises obsessively. She does not use drugs but drinks to the high end of social norms. Betty describes her childhood environment…

Words 1871 - Pages 8