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Health literacy and its importance in communication 2014
Health literacy and its importance in communication 2014
The stereotyping of homeless people
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The purpose of this report was firstly to explore the challenges for people with intellectual disabilities and homeless people attaining health literacy in Australia. Secondly this report explains the potential effects of stigmatisation and discrimination by health professionals on these two groups. Finally, it explains the role played by the Australian government in promoting health and wellness and therefore health literacy in the community. A literature review of current and creditable sources was undertaken. Results indicate that marginalised group’s and specifically those with intellectual disabilities and the homeless are disadvantaged in achieving health literacy outcomes. They are disadvantaged by individual factors, socioeconomic determinants
I decided to focus my plunge on adults with mental and physical disabilities, because I had no prior experience with this group. Coming from an able-bodied family where no one has significant handicaps, I was generally shielded from people with disabilities. Over the years, I grew to associate dangerous stigmas with these people, even though they have no control over their circumstance. The
Homelessness is a problem that happens in many different countries around the world. Definitions of homelessness are defined in different meanings by different people. However, the Stewart B. McKinney Act defines a homeless person as “ one who lacks a fixed permanent nighttime residence or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter, welfare hotel, or any public or private place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings” (McNamara 1025). It is impossible to find out exactly the number of homeless; however, the researchers can do a study to estimate that number. Based on different statistics from different researchers, the homeless population in America has been increasing as “an alarming rate” (Markos and Lima). Therefore, even though America is one of the most powerful countries in the world, homelessness, which has many common causes, has always been a big problem in society.
Radley, M. (2009). Understanding the social exclusion and stalled welfare of citizens with learning disabilities. Disability and Society, 23(4): 489-501.
“3.5 million people will experience homelessness in a given year,”(Los Angeles Homeless Services). This shocking number is one of the sad truths in today’s society. Homelessness is caused by a wide range of things including financial issues. The life of a homeless person is hard and comes with set-backs and the constant need to overcome them. Homeless people go through many challenges in surviving without a home. They can suffer from health issues, hunger, and poor emotional well-being.
The following is a response and reflection to the article “People First Language” by Kathie Snow. My first personal interpretation of the article was of a person on a rampage and I could not understand the content of the article. The author Kathie Snow seemed to be upset that people with disabilities are labeled, instead of being addressed by their name. In her article, it appeared that she was using false analogies. Her article compared people with disabilities and medical diagnoses like psoriasis, arthritis, diabetes. I am not sure if I agree with this analogy, because not all disabilities are a physical medical issue. Some disabilities are cognitive, social, or emotional and really have no relationship with medical disabilities. Although, it takes a professional medical person in some subfield of the medical field to diagnose a disability, it just seems that, there is no correlation between medical physical issues and disability. On the other hand, there were parts of the article that
“Homelessness can be the cause as well as the result of poor health” (Wise, Emily, Debrody, Corey &ump; Paniucki, Heather, 1999, p.445). This is a reoccurring theme that has existed within the homeless population for decades. While programs to help reduce this constant circle are being put in place all over the country to provide medical services for the homeless to be able to go to, many are still finding that health care needs for individuals as well as homeless communities are not being met. Many studies have been completed that study both the opinion on healthcare by those who have access to sufficient health care and homeless people’s perceptions on health care administration. While many companies are working to provide more personal health care systems, it appears that the larger problem is with a lack of people know about the health care systems that are in place to help them. Companies are trying to advertise more often to inform homeless people that there is health care out there for them.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] used the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ definition of mental illness as “health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning” (2011). Our community is exposed to a large number of individuals with mental illness. Among those individuals are the widespread homeless populations. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development reported “twenty-five percent of the sheltered homeless report a severe mental illness (as cited in Allender, Rector and Warner 2014 p. 907).” This author found the target population to be predominantly Caucasian, Non-Hispanic, single males of thirty-one years of age and older. In reviewing the research, this author found that multiple health disparities happen in conjunction with mental health and homelessness. This includes cardiac and respiratory issues and HIV/AIDs. Without the proper healthcare services, the homeless mental health population remains vulnerable.
Imagine a man on the streets, who society has forgotten. This man emits the smell of garbage; he has not bathed in months. This man sits quietly mumbling to himself. To the outer world he is just one of the many homeless, but little does society know that this man has a mental illness as well. Homelessness and mental illness are linked. These two happenings have similar beginnings. Homelessness is influenced by drug and alcohol disuse, being homeless at a young age, money problems, and trauma symptoms. Mental illness is caused by many of the same things, but it can also happen at birth. The effects that each entity has on a person are comparable. Rehabilitation is a necessary process if a victim of homelessness and or mental illness wants to rejoin society. Homelessness and mental illness have similar, if not the same causes, effects, and rehabilitations.
Homelessness is a major problem all over the world, for many reasons such as; escaping
Homelessness is typically defined as a person who lacks a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence. Homelessness reaches all ages. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty report in 2004, children under the age of 18 accounted for 39% of the homeless population in 2003 and an astounding 42% of these children were under the age of five. The same study concluded that 25% of the homeless were ages 25 to 34 with 6% ranging in age from 55 to 64.
The homeless population is vulnerable and are subject to discrimination. Sometimes, what becomes normal practice can violate compassionate, evidence-based care for clients in the homeless shelters. When a shelter client violates one of the behavioral rules, they will be exited for serious infractions without any notice. In the client case below, she was smoking marijuana in the bathroom and was in possession of the illegal substance. In these type of cases, there is moral ambiguity, where there is a vagueness or uncertainty of meaning as to what is the right and good thing (Lachman, 2016a).
Homelessness continues to be a crisis in most countries. A rising number of families and millions of people are becoming homeless each year. Poverty, mental illness and substance use are said to be the main reasons as to why individuals become homeless. Over the years, however, economic conditions have contributed considerably to homeless families. A study carried out to determine substance-use and poverty as predictors of first-time homelessness in the United States revealed that, in a given year, Americans who experience episodes of homelessness are approximately 3.5 million (Thompson et al, 2013). Additionally, increased risk of mortality and morbidity has been associated with homelessness. The homeless people live under poor and unhealthy
Health promotion is often viewed as an approach to prevent ill health conditions and most frequently people with disabilities are excluded for the reason that disability is perceived as an outcome of poor implementation
Tomorrow’s future is in the hands of today’s students. As a society, we have blindly allowed computers into our educational system in hopes of making learning fun. When in reality, learning takes hard work, discipline, and responsibility; by incorporating these do-it-all machines into our school system, we are hindering our students and our future. Hence, the making of an intellectually handicapped society. Computers are negatively impacting our students in countless ways; the internet has conveniently made plagiarism a part of many students academic lives, they have opened numerous new windows for distractions from homework, and are diminishing students social skills.
Whether born from ignorance, fear, misunderstanding, or hate, society’s attitudes limit people from experiencing and appreciating the full potential a person with a disability can achieve. This treatment is unfair, unnecessary, and against the law (Purdie). Discrimination against people with disabilities is one of the greatest social injustices in the country today. Essential changes are needed in society’s basic outlook in order for people with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to succeed in life. To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face.