Gaps in Service
Write a 2-3 page (not including title and reference) paper in 6th edition APA format. Investigate different
agencies in your community. Identify 3 gaps or overlaps in services provided to vulnerable groups in your
own community. How could you deal with these gaps and overlaps to help clients receive needed
services? What should be done to improve the system?�
My community is PG county. in Maryland
Gaps in Service
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There are several agencies in Prince George’s County that aim at promoting health care
delivery to the residents. Some of the agencies offer home-based care while others provide
hospitalized care. Senior Health Insurance Program is among the agencies that facilitate medical
insurance among the old and the disabled persons in Prince Georges (Prince George’s County,
2013). The agency counsels the groups concerning the best insurance policies and modes to take.
The program reaches vulnerable groups through trained volunteers. The personnel addresses
policy such as Medicare, Medicaid, HMO Plans, MEDIGAP, and other long-term insurance
covers (Prince George’s County, 2013). Family Care Giver Program also serves the aged in the
county by educating their attendants. The agency advises caregivers so that they can make sound
decisions concerning the services they provide to the elderly (Prince George’s County, 2013). In
addition, the institution promotes independent living among elderly patients by advising
caregivers on the benefits of allowing patients a chance to solve their problems. The agency also
assists caregivers in providing quality services by giving them the information necessary (Prince
George’s County, 2013).
Vulnerable groups in Prince Georges County often receive substandard care following
gaps in service accessibility. Most of the people within the groups cannot afford high-quality
care such as having one’s personal doctor. There is a general shortage of trained healthcare
personnel and securing a personal physician is a hard task for the disabled, aged, the poor, and
other vulnerable populations (School of Public Health, 2012, Pg. 16). The groups end up not
prioritizing on the standard of care but just its availability. They are often unable to reach for
services of a high standard, and they get significant predisposition to care that is of poor quality.
There is also a gap in the level of health literacy among vulnerable groups in Prince
George’s County. A significant portion of the disadvantaged groups, including the aged, the
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disabled, and the minority ethnicities cannot understand their health status, especially when in
written medical records (School of Public Health, 2012, Pg. 15). Language barrier also hinders
care provision and education when people from the vulnerable populations fail to communicate
efficiently with healthcare professionals (School of Public Health, 2012, Pg. 16).
Vulnerable groups also lack access to technological advancement. They often lack
information concerning innovations and the availability of unique and improved services. As
such, there are fewer improvements in health outcomes among the populations.
So as to close the gaps and eliminate the disparities, stakeholders should implement
strategic measures. They should focus on educating more health care personnel so that residents
would have access to quality care. By increasing the number of medical graduates, for instance,
stakeholders would increase chances of the residents and the vulnerable groups accessing
personal doctors. Also, there should be strategies to overcome the limitations of health illiteracy
among vulnerable populations. For instance, stakeholders can set up interpreter programs and
offer materials that educate people about their health (School of Public Health, Pg. 16). Such a
move would overcome the limitations of the language barrier and health illiteracy. Marketing
innovations would also be an appropriate move in informing residents on the availability of
improved services.
So as to improve the healthcare system in the county, there should be the establishment of
a medical center affiliated with an academic institution. Such a center would anchor the
transformation process. It should create strong connections with the community for optimal
outcomes (School of Public Health, 2012, Pg. 20).
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References
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Prince George’s County. (2013). Information and assistance.
School of Public Health. (2012). Introduction to the Public Health Impact Study of Prince
George’s County. University of Maryland.
