Demographics Paper
Charlisa Moore
HCS 490
1-14-13
David Dye

Demographics Paper
In today’s time there have been many changes in health care compared to the past. There seems to be more children with chronic health conditions than in past years that have caused an increase in home health care and overall health care cost. Some of the children that have cerebral palsy go to school but there are many who stay home throughout the day. Either way care is provided for children with cerebral palsy or other chronic illnesses. There are several people who are involved in the care for these children such as nurses, attendants, and therapist.
In the United States it is estimated 8,000 to 10,000 babies born each year will develop cerebral palsy [ (My Child) ]. This means that cerebral palsy will occur in two point three to three point six of every 1,000 children in the United States. Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Cerebral palsy occurs more frequently in Caucasian children than African American and Hispanic children. Also boys seem to be more affected than girls by a rate of one point two.
Cerebral palsy is a condition that can be hard to detect until a child is about five or older the statistics are not completely clear on the demographics. However, the impact that changing demographics may not affect health care in certain areas because this condition cannot be pinned to the direct caused of this condition therefore not really knowing how it could affect health care. However, it could be a dramatic change because of the cost for research and the care and treatment for children with cerebral palsy.
Children with cerebral palsy cannot be cured, but they can get help provided to help them become more independent [ (My Child) ]. Since more children have survived with this condition there has been a need for home health care and health care cost can be a factor. The children with this condition need devices that can help them with walking if they can walk or other medical devices such as wheelchairs, gateway trainers, or kid-walks. They also may not be able to feed themselves or eat orally and usually need gastrostomy tube. Children with this condition have nurses who come into the home and help with their care as well as occupational, physical, and speech therapist that helps with daily living activities to help them become more independent. However, there are some children this condition is severe enough that therapist is not needed because it will not help but nurses and attendants come to help provide care for the child. Children with this condition can get social security income, Medicaid, and many other governmental services to help parents with the cost of care for their children [ (MacLaughlin, 2009-2013) ].
Wellness programs are for conditions that can help people live better and healthier lives, such as obese patient can use a wellness program to help the lose weight and eat better that will improve his/her overall condition. Considering that cerebral palsy is a condition that has no cure a wellness program will not have an affect the cost of demographics for children with this illness. It is expensive to care for these children regardless of the help that may be provided and the only way that cost could be affected that could lower cost would be if there was a cure for this condition. However, children may be put on a special ketogenic diet to ensure they receive the necessary nutrients. Also there will be a group of individuals who can help the parents of these children with daily living activities that can help them become more independent depending on the severity of their condition.
The demographics tells me that this condition happens more in Caucasian children than any other race, and it does not matter what city or state that a person lives in; that across the United States two point three to three point six children are affected by this condition. People need to be more aware of these conditions in children, more advertisement need to be addressed on the needs for these children and their families, and the process in which it takes to care for children with these conditions. Better research is needed to have a clear and concise reason on why children develop this condition because more children are surviving with brain damage that can cause cerebral palsy. This condition is so complex that there may be many avenues that have not been brought up or thought about, but with the evolution of technology perhaps one day there can be a break through with this condition.
Depending on the severity of cerebral palsy a patient can only address these challenges by taking the medications and using the therapy needed to help him/her become independent. The community and society can educate themselves on the challenges that these children face on a daily basis and provide help anyway they can to make these children feel as normal as possible. The community and society should not judge these children because although some of them cannot communicate verbally they do have ways of showing they understand what is said to them or asked of them. It should also be understood that there are different types of cerebral palsy and that it is a multiple and complex condition that affects the children motor and cognitive skills.
Cerebral palsy was a condition that I was not familiar with until I started working with kids that have the condition. There have been many things that I have learned and been enlighten by because of my current employment and working with children with this condition. Children with cerebral palsy and their families have it hard. Yet there is so much happiness and love that is shared with and from these children. It is important to understand that cerebral palsy is a condition that affects a certain area of the brain which causes children to have this condition; however, it is not completely clear on the main factors involved with this condition occurring in children mostly Caucasian.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, May 18). Retrieved from Cerebral Palsy: www.cdc.gov/ncbdd/cp/facts.html
MacLaughlin, K. (2009-2013). CP Family Network. Retrieved from Financial Help for Children with Cerebral Palsy: www.cpfamilynetwork.org
My Child. (n.d.). Retrieved from Prevalence and incidence of cerebral palsy: www.cerebralpalsy.org