Essay About Advocate Role Paper And Specific Population
Essay, Pages 1 (756 words)
Latest Update: August 27, 2021
Specific PopulationEssay Preview: Specific PopulationReport this essaySpecific Population and the Advocate Role Paper and PresentationBSHS/442October 9, 2011Jane FlournoyThe role of an advocate is essential and paramount in the lives of individuals, who are often unable to speak for themselves. As a result, the ability to successfully advocate on behalf of others determines whether or not positive change will occur to those individuals which are in need. One specific population which I would personally take on the role of becoming an advocate for is the elderly who are also homeless. Unfortunately, this population is growing and will continue to grow if advocacy for this particular segment of the population does not receive the attention that is needed to promote the cause and concern.
Diane S. McCue, MD, professor, Georgetown University
The Institute of Community Health & Community Development’s Center for the Prevention of Homelessness, Homelessness Recovery and Stigma report found that there are a number of indicators that could identify the problem that has been identified or is being discussed in the public consciousness for more than a decade now.
In 2013, the Office of Community and Development published an interactive, quarterly survey of homeless people and their families at 14 public institutions throughout the United States, highlighting the positive effects their families, family members, and friends had seen on their lives over the past five years. The Center report found that the homeless population increased by a total of 1.1 million people between 2013 and 2015, a 40% decline in poverty rate, and a 17% drop in HIV incidence. The increase represents a net negative $1,733 in health care expenditures annually, including $11,622 lost from a recent drug and alcohol overdose-related overdose, and a $15,000 loss from an opioid overdose. The Center determined that the homeless population was growing on a 1 to 4-year growth rate and that at least 80% of the increase in poverty stemmed from increased drug drug use. According to this report, increased risk factors for HIV and other mental health problems increased on-going homelessness for the top 5 percent of households, with the average increase by 1 to three times. At approximately $36,000 a year in health care costs each person in U.S. households is at a greater risk of committing violent crime and suicide, the results of which can be summarized in Table 7 (Table 1A-A). During the same period, the number of homeless people over the age of 16 rose from 5.1 million to 8.5 million – with 1 in 10 individuals living and working while being homeless. While overall homeless numbers for the U.S. have grown 4.9% over this time period, for the next decade the average increase of 9.4% for the homeless’s overall population is projected to exceed 16.8%, and that has been an impressive growth of 4.4% during this time. In 2005, 1.8 million was homeless, and for the next five years, the population has grown 4.6%. With this population that had exceeded 1.8 million for the first time during this time period, it is now projected that there will be at least 25 million homeless in 2014. As these current estimates of homelessness growth increase, the projected increase in homeless numbers will need to remain the same over the next 10 years. The increasing number of homeless individuals on the streets is indicative of the increasing complexity of the problem created by our homeless community. As homelessness continues to grow over the next 10 years, it should become clear to all of us in this critical time of our lives that homeless individuals are growing and will continue to grow.
What we can do in this time of economic struggle to reduce homelessness by reducing criminal justice and public health spending is necessary to achieve real solutions to the problem of homelessness.
