subject: Late Adolesence Vulnerable Population [print this page] Late Adolesence Vulnerable Population Late Adolesence Vulnerable Population
By definition, Vulnerable is as being susceptible to attack such as physical or emotional injury. Vulnerability is a form of exposure to ridicule. The susceptibility to "falling through the cracks" is a shared common characteristic among some population in the community. There is three major groups known as vulnerable population which are elderly, people with disabilities, and children. According to study by Service Community Assessment of Needs this three group are fallen through the category due to their lack of awareness of their situation, and available resources and services. In addition, all three groups are unable to advocate for themselves and must rely on others for at least some support services. Furthermore, we have Children and families in many communities experiencing poverty, some suffering from mental health illness and others with HIV positive dealing with AIDS and transients. By looking at all the factors that predisposes the individual to become vulnerable and eventually harmed in someway is more of a concern than a head count. Working as an emergency nurse in a community setting, I have observed and lived with my experiences or even face the challenges more than I thought I could. I witnessed a life of so many young man who grew beards in emergency room living intoxicated life every day picked up by ambulance from street to emergency room in a weather below zero or above 90 degree temperature, they just lived. I witnessed lives of young ladies who faced rape, unwanted pregnancies and unexpected disease at the time of life when an individual is least prepared for major crises. As I flip this pages, my experience becomes more narrow and specific about this the population what I perceived most vulnerable. My focus about vulnerable population is late adolescence ages 18 to 25. One major assumption is the end result of vulnerability that is physical and emotional harm evidenced by homelessness that occurs highly in late adolescence. Two major concept are lack of public awareness of present situation and available resources leads individuals susceptible to vulnerability.
According to executive summary National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, estimated numbers of young adults ( ages 18 24) who experience an episode of homelessness each year range from approximately 750,000 to 2 million and are believed to be increasing. Such a large number indicates that our young adults are one of large vulnerable population in the country. It is clear that they have the same health care need that are similar to non homeless peers, but due to lack of prevention or early intervention, they often have more advance illness. This age group are more likely than any other group to have lack of health insurance. Besides lack of support and available resources for this population, lack of awareness and appropriate education about health is another predisposing factor that makes them similar to children and elderly who can't protect themselves.
Lack of health care, housing, education, employment, are major concerns and deficits exist in young adult's life. How ever, lack of social support among young adults are another major concerns. For example, adults normally have family network and friends who may offer temperately but adequate support for a person as and adult facing crisis. Similar to that, young adults ( ages 18-24) have also broad network of friends. Unfortunately, this predisposes them to even more danger and vulnerability since the network of friends tend to be close in age whom struggle with the same issues.
In conclusion, the number of unhealthy and ill individuals who can be healthy and functional is growing everyday. It is our job to discover and mind this matter with more and better effective method. we can use this as a recovery for our society to compensate for what we need to protect our vulnerable population such as elderly, disable and young children who can't protect themselves by any means through the population of young adult age 18 24 with great potentials to live and help others. This is the type of prevention that can only be achieved through education and is up to us to act fast and efficient. (Service Community Assessment of Needs, 2003, p. 47)
