Vulnerable population refers to groups of individuals that get biased integration into the available health care systems due to their, age, ethnic, economic, geographic, health, or cultural distinctiveness. This isolation puts them at a threat of deficient necessary medical attention, which is risky to their health. For, example persons with disabilities and several chronic problems may lack insurance coverage since most employers cannot accept workers into their health plans who have increased medical costs.
Groups at risk of poor health are those groups of people, who face a higher possibility of getting health related hazards; they lack ability to deal with health issues. An example of groups at risk for poor health includes the homeless. They lack customary access to a conventional habitation. Their lack of basic hygiene of the places they temporarily reside provides a breeding site for disease causing organisms. They are face risks of accidents, rape, and the easy spread of communicable diseases (Zeni, 2011).
Vulnerable groups and groups at high risk for poor health usually find it difficult to advocate for themselves due to various factors. First, since these people are usually a minority, they are under-represented in the various sectors hence they usually get minimum attention. Secondly, some of them, for example infants and elderly may not have the ability to confront the people responsible for their wellbeing therefore advocacy becomes difficult. The economically unstable and the homeless struggle with necessities thereby leaving them with limited or nil resources to spend in case any cost should arise in advocacy (Shi and Stevens, 2005)
Advocacy requires a lot of time and energy to undertake, especial where one’s involvement requires personal presence. Another issue that makes advocating for these groups a risky undertaking is the employment-related consequences, sometime individual goals and organizational goal may differ putting the advocate’s employment at stake. If the advocacy procedure and ideas displeases the employer, the advocate might end up losing their positions.
As a community nurse, I would advocate for the plight of the provision of insurance policies that are affordable, considerate for the disabled, and economically malnourished. An insurance plan that is lenient on them considering their pre-existing conditions.
Reference:
Shi, L. and Stevens, G “Vulnerability and Unmet Health Care Needs: The Influence of Multiple Risk Factors,” Journal of General Internal Medicine 20, no. 2 (2005): 148–154; quote on p. 148.
Zeni, M.B. (2011) "Legislative: Population-Based Health s - Part I: An Overview Advocating Evidence-Based Health Policy" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 16 No. 3.
