Introduction
This paper will identify the main health risks to which the residents of Miami are exposed. Furthermore, it will present a care plan that will include strategies for minimizing existing threats. Much attention will also be paid to the ways of handling natural disasters that are likely to impact Miami. Overall, the key task of medical workers and policy-makers is to focus on the prevention of various diseases and increase the community’s readiness for environmental hazards.
Nursing Diagnosis
Food insecurity is the main health problem influencing the population of Miami. At present, it affects approximately 9 percent of Miami residents (Feeding South Florida, 2017). To a large degree, this situation originates from significant income inequalities existing in Florida. In the long run, this issue can have many negative implications for public health in Miami. One should keep in mind that inability to access high-quality food can lead to such consequences as the increased rate of heart diseases, hypertension, allergies, and obesity (Hassan, 2017).
Moreover, children, who are exposed to this threat, are more likely to have iron deficiency, decreased bone density, emotional distress, and cognitive impairments (American Academic of Pediatrics, 2018). Therefore, healthcare organizations and public administrators should develop strategies for mitigating these risks.
Heart diseases can be viewed as another threat to the residents of Miami. Currently, they are the leading cause of death in Florida as well as Miami (Florida Health, 2017). Additionally, they result in more than 40.000 annual hospitalizations (Florida Health, 2017). In most cases, these problems are caused by unhealthy lifestyles such as poor diet and smoking (Florida Health, 2017). Thus, both deaths and hospitalizations resulting from heart diseases are preventable.
Strategies for Handling Health Risks
At present, the threats of food insecurity are of great concern to governmental and non-governmental agencies. These organizations strive to ensure that those people, who are most affected by economic hardships, can get access to food. Nevertheless, it is possible to take additional measures that are also effective for handling this risk. Firstly, researchers urge policy-makers and medical workers to focus more on the needs of children from the families struggling with food insecurity (American Academic of Pediatrics, 2018).
By giving more resources to these households, the government can decrease the likelihood of various health problems caused by food insecurity. Additionally, nurses should screen these households and identify potential illnesses as early as possible (American Academic of Pediatrics, 2018). If these strategies are implemented, the effects of food insecurity can be significantly reduced.
The problem of heart diseases also requires the strategies emphasizing early identification of potential risks. In particular, medical workers should screen those individuals who are more likely to suffer from these illnesses (Florida Health, 2017). For instance, one can speak about smokers or people who tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle. In many cases, timely interventions will decrease the number of deaths and reduce the need for hospitalizations. Additionally, medical workers and educators should focus on students who should be made more aware of how the risk of heart diseases can be mitigated.
Minimizing the Threat of Natural Disasters
Miami can be struck by various natural disasters; among them, one can distinguish hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tropical storms (Rivera & Kapucu, 2015). The duty of policy-makers is to ensure that the community can promptly respond to these threats. At first, much attention should be given to the risk of hurricanes. The activities of officials should be concentrated on such aspects as early notification of residents, increasing the readiness of different emergency services, and preparing shelters (Hillstrom, 2015).
Additionally, it is important to ensure that medical workers and other emergency services can act as multi-functional teams responding to diverse threats resulting from a hurricane. Very often, this capacity will be essential for helping the victims of a natural disaster.
It is also critical to have a plan for responding to floods. This adverse event also requires the use of those methods that can increase the preparedness of emergency services (Hillstrom, 2015). Furthermore, the work of these organizations should be coordinated with medical institutions that will assist people with serious injuries. Additionally, one should take into account that in the case of floods, large groups of people can be isolated from the outside world; moreover, they may have no access to food, medical supplies, and water. Therefore, the community should be ready to provide these resources.
The supplies kit should include those things that will enable a person and his/her family to survive the first days of a natural disaster. In particular, it should have at least a gallon of drinkable water, food, clothes, prescribed medicines, flashlight, batteries, a charged mobile phone, matches, lighter, and documents required for identity verification (Hillstrom, 2015). One has to acknowledge that natural disasters may present various challenges to an individual. Nevertheless, the items included in this supplies kit can make many risks more manageable.
Conclusion
Currently, Miami is affected by such problems as food insecurity and high prevalence of heart diseases. These issues require the identification of vulnerable social groups and implementation of the interventions aimed at preventing various illnesses. Furthermore, it is important to remember that Miami can be struck by various natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. Therefore, the key task of policy-makers is to make emergency services ready for adverse events threatening the public.
References
American Academic of Pediatrics. (2018). Promoting food security for all children. Web.
Feeding South Florida. (2017). Map the meal gap 2017. Web.
Florida Health. (2017). Heart disease. Web.
Hassan, A. (Ed.). (2017). Food insecurity and disease: Prevalence, policy, and politics. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Hillstrom, K. (2015). Natural disaster response. Boston, MA: Greenhaven Publishing LLC.
Rivera, F., & Kapucu, N. (2015). Disaster vulnerability, hazards and resilience: Perspectives from Florida. New York, NY: Springer.