Vulnerable Population and Self-Awareness Paper
NUR/440 – Health Assessment and Promotion For Vulnerable Population
12 December 2011

Vulnerable Populations and Self Awareness
Introduction
This paper is a study of the vulnerable population of the elderly in the United States and will discuss the mindfulness of this author’s personal biases, attitudes, and conceived stereotypes regarding this population. The patient chosen as an example for this paper is Norma James from the University of Phoenix “neighborhood”. Mrs James is a widow who’s vulnerability relating to health care will be compared with information gathered through research and applied to the elderly population and those with chronic illness. The vulnerabilities faced by Norma will be a realistic representation of the challenges associated with this population.
Elderly Patients with Chronic Illness Despite the efforts of healthcare providers and various organizations across the United States to reduce or eliminate disparities within vulnerable healthcare populations, significant disparities continue to cause limited access to healthcare. This limitation poses risk to populations such as elderly and those living in poverty. The health domains of vulnerable populations can be divided into 3 categories: physical, psychological, and social. Those with physical needs include the elderly, chronically ill and disabled, chronic medical conditions include respiratory diseases, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and heart disease. Eighty-seven percent of those 65 years and older have 1 or more chronic conditions, and 67% of this population have 2 or more chronic illnesses (“Vulnerable Populations: Who Are They?,” 2006). “Chronic illnesses are significantly more prevalent among low-income and other disadvantaged populations. Additionally, the impact of these illnesses is more severe among the