Program for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease among Homeless in Hillsborough County, Florida

Intervention Program for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease among Homeless Veteran Smokers in Hillsborough County, Florida
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University
Intervention Program for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease among Homeless Veteran Smokers in Hillsborough County, Florida
COPD and other related infections like asthma are the second leading cause of death in Hillsborough County, Florida. It has an emergency rate of 28.8 persons in every 10, 000 people, and hospitalization rates of 33.4 persons per 10, 000 persons (Tampa General Hospital, 2013). Although these figures represents less than one percent of the total county population, the number of those infected but have are either not diagnosed or hospitalized is higher. Hillsborough County has a population of 1.2 million people, of whom 71, 000 are infected with COPD (American Lung Association, 2013). These statistics represent 5.9 percent of the total county population. This number is almost equal to the national infection rate. COPD affects over 23 million people in the America, which is nearly 6% of the U.S population. In the state of Florida, with a population of 19 million people, 1.2 million are infected with COPD (American Lung Association, 2013).
Nevertheless, veteran smokers are the worst hit, with a 74% chance of getting infected compared to 48% who never smoked. In this regard, veteran smokers are the most vulnerable group with regards to COPD infection. The health risk of this group is worsened even more considering that they are homeless. As a result, thy have a higher exposure risk to unclean air, which increases chances of infection with respiratory disease. Moreover, a large number of this population is likely to be jobless, retired (low income) or living in poverty. According to the Center for Disease Control findings, COPD is common among individuals with annual income below $ 25, 000 (CDC, 2012). Consequently, veteran and homeless smokers diagnosed with COPD face a surmounting challenges living with their condition. In their homeless and low income status, infected veteran smokers are unable to access medical services and manage their condition effectively. As a result, they lead poor quality life and are likely to die early. In this light, this group, as marginalized and vulnerable as it is, presents an ideal target population for study and administration of a community intervention program. Accordingly, the paper outlines a potential intervention program to help veteran smokers reduce risks of further infection and manage the symptoms of COPD.
Community Assessment
Community assessment is a study of the needs of a given population prior to the implementation of a program to address those needs. Community assessment involves understanding the social and economic dynamics of the community, such as housing, income levels, education, employment, healthcare, etc. in addition, it includes studying its values, habits, beliefs, and other cultural aspects that make it unique from other communities. It also includes assessing the resources that are available to the community and how they are utilized or underutilized in relation to its needs/problems.
Community Core Elements
History
Modern day Tampa, the county seat of Hillsborough, was established by reconstructing a fishing village war after the American Civil War. In the 1860s and 1870s, the region was plagued by yellow fever, which forced many residents to move out whilst it discouraged immigrant settlement (Brown, 2000). In 1870, the official census put the population of Tampa at 800 people, which reduced by half at the turn of the century as more people moved out to avoid the yellow fever. It was not until the 1880s that settlements began to increase following the discovery of phosphate in Bone Valley. The arrival of railroad in 1883 connected the small town to the outside world, which improved its fishing and phosphate mining industries.
Another turning point was in 1885, when Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his cigar industry from Key West to Tampa. The construction of a cigar factory and houses for workers contributed to the growth of the town’s population, especially Spanish and Cuban immigrants (Brown, 2000). Today Tampa is home to diverse ethnic groups including Asians, Hispanic, African Americans, and American Indians.
Demographics
Hillsborough County is populated by a diverse group of people in terms of gender and age. There is averagely the same number of males (49%) and females (51%) (Florida Center for Community Design and Research, 2012). In terms of age, almost half of the population is middle aged and older (above 35 years). Old people also make a significant section of the population, with those aged 50 years and above comprising about 28% of the total population. Given the history of settlement in Tampa and the larger Tampa Bay Area, the population is not homogenous. There are different ethnic groups, which reflect the town’s reputation as home to people who came from different regions looking for employment or running away from slavery during the American Civil War.
Subsystems
Economy
According to the 1999 U.S. Census, 122, 000 people in Hillsborough County, representing 13 percent of the population, live below the poverty line. 11, 500, or 9 percent of those living below the poverty line are aged 65 years and above. However, the number of veterans is higher since 59% of those considered poor are between 18-64 years (Florida Center for Community Design and Research, 2012). Viewed from another perspective, persons aged 65 years and above make just 15 percent of those who live above the poverty line. In 2012, 148, 000 households were receiving food stamps, and 7, 252 received cash benefits (Florida Center for Community Design and Research, 2012). These statistics indicate that a large majority of older persons are not financially well off. The picture could be worse if it is narrowed down to older persons who are homeless.
The implication of these figures is that the majority of older persons can not afford reliable healthcare services. This is because the group is not able to meet other pressing basic needs like food and shelter. In this light, high poverty levels among older persons is one of the major challenges that veteran smokers diagnosed with COPD face in dealing with their condition. As a result, they are in need of community intervention projects more than any other group.
Health and Social Services- housing
According to the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative, there were 2, 275 “literally homeless people living in Hillsborough County” in 2013 (The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, 2013). In terms of shelter conditions, the number is broken down as follows.
944 were living on the streets or other places not meant for human habitation,
387 were residing in emergency shelters,
578 were residing in transitional housing, and
366 were reported in jail, having be...