Vulnerable Groups: Elderly Population

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Vulnerable Groups: Elderly Population
Vulnerable groups have significant problems in the health care system, due to this population being made vulnerable because of their financial circumstances or place of residence, health, age, mental or physical state. Access to health care across different populations are the chief reason for current disparities in the United States health care system. The elderly population is a portion of the vulnerable population group and has become a very problematic issue affecting our nation. (Fagan, 2011) The elderly accounts for 14.1% of the population, this statistic is based on numbers from a report written in 2013 and by 2060, the aging population will be doubled these are the latest number based on aging …show more content…
The majority of these individuals are likely to put off health care or go without the necessary health services and medication that they need. Lack of financial resources and accessibility to funding is another barrier to health care for older people living in the United States. The elderly is often given a health insurance plans that restricts the amount of services available and the number of physicians they can use or amount of medication that is covered by the policy. Structural barriers account for the lack of access to care; an example of a barrier is the lack of failure to obtain suitable appointment times and lengthy wait times to be seen or receive care for health services needed. These factors diminish the likelihood of an older person effectively making and keeping medical appointments. The elderly are more likely to experience problems with getting transport or suffer from a lack of mobility these barriers significantly impacts access to care and increase the disparities among the aging population. Additionally, lack of health care providers in areas where the aging populations are concentrated such as in the rural areas there aren’t enough of health practitioners …show more content…
What can we considered to be best practices or do we continue to offer inferior health care to the vulnerable population. (Kilbourne, 2006) One must look at the cost that it takes to care for this population. In health care practice we must find ways to reduce the cost of care and only then will the gap of disparity will be no longer. In 1993, over 3.3 million elderly adults in the United States had a healthcare need in which they weren’t taken care of due to the cost that it would take to provide the care. In most instance Medicare or Medicaid doesn’t cover the full cost of care. It means the patient would need additional insurance or supplement policy to help cover the cost. Many elderly adults live on a fixed income and can’t afford the extra cost. Image what the number is in 2016 with the rise in health care service cost. The cost of health care and disparity goes hand in hand with this population. (Sondik,
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