Description of the Community
A windshield survey is a good opportunity to study deeper people, their characteristics, preferences, and attitudes to different issues. In the current paper, the community of Arlington, Texas will be observed and evaluated to identify the barriers to healthy living and understand how such factors like environment or culture may predetermine people’s attitude to their health. According to the governmental stats, more than 380,000 people live in Arlington (United States Census, 2014). From the very first minutes of the survey, it was hard to neglect the fact how pleasant and interest the city is. Though there are a number of sections according to which the city is divided, it is hard to define the evident boundaries.
Observing one rich district, it is hard to understand when it is over and find yourself in another part of the city, where people with low incomes live. It does not mean that the conditions under which rich and poor people live are the same. It means that people take care of the surrounding they live within and try to keep it properly regardless their financial opportunities. The same can be said about the attitudes to history, culture, and even health. The Arlington people respect everything they had or have. They enjoy the possibility to live in the city with its local celebrities like Dr. Bobo, who delivered more than 4,000 in different situations, or Howard “Gumpy” Moore, who became one of the most popular Santa Clauses in the city (Worcester & Barker, 2013). The opportunity to investigate and talk to the Arlington people of the middle class is used in this survey.
Community Assessment
The community chosen for the analysis shows its intentions to promote an optimal quality of life among people of any age (Texas Department of State Health Services, 2015). Regarding the cultural aspect of the community with its Six Flags Over Texas Park or the Arlington Museum of Art, it is evident that the Arlington people can choose the best options and combine entertainment and education. The absence of fences between the houses proves the desire of the people to be connected to each other. Neighbors like talking and discussing the latest events. Though it is proved that co-ruminating may influence health conditions (Guarneri-White, Jensen-Campbell, & Knack, 2015), the people of Arlington like talking and sharing their experience with each other. The presence of primary care clinics and the specification of help offered (Burns & Grove, 2010) is another factor that tells about the attention paid to health issues in the community.
Barriers to Healthy Living
Much attention is paid to the development of specialized care centers like the Senior Citizen Services of Greater Tarrant County in Arlington (Tarrant Cares, 2015). Still, not many people are ready to work and offered high-quality services in Arlington. There are many seniors, who are in need of professional nursing care, and the shortage of workers may be one of the barriers to healthy living. Another barrier is of a socioeconomic nature. It is based on lack of time for physical activities or healthy eating. People want to have more free time but cannot neglect the necessity to work and earn for living.
Culturally Competent Strategies
The promotion of Medicare and Medicaid Centers is crucial for Arlington, TX. People should know that there is the place they can come and ask for help regarding their nationality and the benefits of being an American. Another approach to pay attention to is the improvement of special training programs on the basis of which nurses can learn more about the cultural competencies, consider the existing cultural variety in Arlington, and offer the best options for patients to improve their health.
References
Burns, N. & Grove, S.K. (2010). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice. Maryland Heights, MO: Elsevier Health Services.
Guarneri-White, M.E., Jensen-Campbell, L.A., & Knack, J.M. (2015). Is co-ruminating with friends related to health problems in victimized adolescents? Journal of Adolescence, 39, 15-26.
Tarrant Cares. (2015). Community Corrections. Web.
Texas Department of State Health Services. (2015). Health promotion and chronic disease prevention section. Web.
United States Census. (2014). Arlington (city), Texas. Web.
Worcester, L. & Barker, E. (2013). Legendary locals of Arlington, Texas. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing.