Analyzing the Aggregate Strengths and Weaknesses
The evaluation of the community environment and Jewish aggregate’s position in the society is significant for the development of strategies aimed to improve unfavorable social and economic conditions and develop individuals’ welfare. Miami community-based organizations administering the health outreach programs, local anti-poverty coalitions, as well as diverse Jewish institutions, can be considered the major partners in the achievement of the identified objectives.
Cuban Jewish Aggregate
The major strengths of Miami aggregate include strong cultural identity, high level of education, and the presence of cultural and social Jewish Institutions in the district. At the same time, although the income level of the majority of Miami Jews is relatively high, 29% of the population “just managing to make ends meet” (Labgold, 2014, p. 9). Moreover, the size of the aging Jewish population is high and nearly 30% of older persons live alone (Labgold, 2014). This number emphasizes the need for the development of the strategy for efficient social service provision.
Community Assessment
The overall population in Miami-Dade County constitutes over two million citizens, and over 50% of them are culturally diverse foreign groups (Konczal, 2005). However, the issue of ethnicity-based social inequality remains topical up to now. Over 40% of the Miami Jewish population encountered anti-Semitist attitudes (Labgold, 2014). Moreover, the region is characterized by a significant level of economic inequality which is related to such social issues as inequitable access to health care and environmental injustice (Evans, Rosen, Kesten, & Moore, 2014).
Intervention
The major intervention objective is the development of equal opportunities for health care access and social service provision. Since economic inequity and ethnic discrimination may be regarded as the main factors provoking social inequality, the establishment of collaborations with social service providers to promote community members’ education and the increase of disadvantaged individuals’ access to social and medical services is important. The goals can be achieved through the initiation of volunteering programs and mobilization of non-profit organizations for building the prosperity of the Cuban Jewish Population.
The overall progress of the program initiation can be evaluated through the participants’ self-reports and interviews, as well as the analysis of official statistics indicators. The longitudinal evaluation of intervention outcomes based on the administration of qualitative and quantitative methods may help to measure the efficiency of organizational collaboration in the fulfillment of desired goals.
Risk Assessment
As stated by Stanhope and Lancaster (2016) interviews and family assessment data help to evaluate the overall social and cultural values and beliefs affecting multiple aspects of social performance, i.e. health care perceptions, political influences, individual attitudes, and behaviors, that are widespread in the community. And the assessment of the environment, home, and health risks in Barocas family from Cuban Jewish cultural background was conducted to form the understanding of potential health risks the members of Cuban Jewish aggregate may encounter, and evaluate the factors provoking their development.
“Friedman Family Assessment Model” (Stanhope and Lancaster, 2016, p. 1046) was applied to assess the family and home environment. The family is comprised of four family members of different age – a woman of 35 years (Dalia), a male adolescent of 14 years (Ben), a boy of 8 years (Asher), and an elderly male of 66 (Aaron), – and all of the family members were interviewed about their functions and roles in the family, cultural background, family health history, and economic status.
A thorough assessment of physiological conditions was conducted which helped to obtain the information about family members’ present and past disorders, previous treatment and interventions, and evaluate the potential factors that triggered health problems’ development.
The interview made it clear that heart and vascular system disorders were prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality in the family. The health history indicates the family’s predisposition to this kind of disease. Other identified current health problems in the family include impaired walking (Aaron), overweight (Asher), an increased level of stress related to the character of occupation (Dalia). The assessment data can be correlated with the overall Cuban Jewish aggregate condition in Miami. However, while applying the data to conclude health risks in the given group of society, it is important to consider the variable of family economic status because the risks in a family with an average income level may significantly vary from the problems which a lower-income family may face.
The assessment of internal family communication styles and psychological coping mechanisms is an important component of the overall assessment because the results can be used to refine intervention practices and provide additional psychological and social support to the family members who need to deal with adverse health conditions (Lee, Leung, & Mak, 2012).
The evaluation results revealed that while the family, without significant financial difficulties or problems in relationships, does not have a plan for dealing with emergencies and crises, they, nevertheless, regard family bonds, cultural and religious heritage as the main sources of support. And it possible to presume that similar values are common for the other Jewish families because the Jewish community is associated with a strong cultural identity.
Conclusion
Along with the estimation of individual physical conditions, the family assessment should include the efficient evaluation of the patients’ demographic, cultural, and spiritual backgrounds because these domains largely affect individuals’ psychological and physical states, and they may be successfully used not only in the treatment process but in building the understanding of patients’ strengths and weaknesses, health risks, and their environmental conditions. The evaluation of multicultural aspects and distinct environmental factors in one family allow nurses to develop a profound understanding of health issues and risks that are common in the community.
References
Evans, S. D., Rosen, A. D., Kesten, S. M., & Moore, W. (2014). Miami thrives: Weaving a poverty reduction coalition. American Journal of Community Psychology, 53(3-4), 357-368. Web.
Konczal, L. N. (2005). Miami diasporas. In M. Ember, C. Ember, & I. Skoggard (Eds.), Encyclopedia of diasporas, (pp. 524-534). New York, NY: Springer. Web.
Labgold, M. (2014). Summary report of the 2014 Greater Miami Jewish Federation Population Study: A Portrait of the Miami Jewish Community. Web.
Lee, A. C., Leung, S. S., & Mak, Y. (2012). The application of family-nursing assessment skills: From classroom to hospital ward among final-year nursing undergraduates in Hong Kong. Nurse Education Today, 32(1), 78-84.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.