Introduction
According to the US census report of 2009, people with disability were estimated to be about 20% of the population. Most of them were aged 60 and above. The majority of them are in Florida and most of them are women (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). With the increasing medical bills and the rising population of women with disabilities, it’s fitting to devise a health plan that will go a long way to enable them to meet their needs. Disability causes an individual’s physical and mental aspects to be impaired. It does not only affect all other dimensions in someone’s life but also causes the disabled to over-rely on other people. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, disabled women are facing other health challenges such as chronic illnesses, Hepatitis B and C, among others (Center for Disease Control, 2011).
Overview of the Community Health Plan
The Annual Disability Awareness month will be the best time to organize a Community Disability Awareness Program. The program will aim to enlighten the community regarding elderly women’s disabilities. A measurable outcome in the program’s success will be a decline in the rate of crime related to elderly women with disabilities. One of the leading crimes against elderly women in Fort Lauderdale is financial crimes (Roubicek, 2009). Another outcome for success will be an increase in those willing to volunteer in certain programs offered in Fort Lauderdale. Such programs include home repair, companionship, escort, and adult day care programs (Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2011).
Strategies for Evaluating the Outcomes of the Plan
It is important to have evaluation strategies. Their purpose is to monitor the project outcomes. Besides, they are used not only to find out if the objectives have been met but also to measure the success the progress and success of the plan. Collection of data on the number of current volunteers and crimes will form the project’s formative evaluation. There will be a comparison between these data and the 2011 report from members. Another formative evaluation will entail piloting the processes and program information and making necessary modifications before the launch of the main program.
The third evaluation strategy is summative evaluation. This is where outcomes are evaluated to improve the community’s current and future projects. Summative evaluation can be used in monitoring a project’s success in two ways. One way is that it can show the role played by the program in enlightening elderly disabled women. This can be shown by a decline in crime and an increase in the number of volunteers. Another way is holding a meeting with the community to get their views regarding the progress of the program (Center for Disease and Control, 2009).
How community health projects benefit from social marketing
Like other community health projects, the Lauderdale plan to help disabled elderly women is important. There is a correlation between health policies and population changes. About 52% of the population is represented by females in Florida. Community projects that allow access to drug prescription plans and health care are supposed to be looked at again to incorporate those women who are below poverty. It is therefore important to conduct social marketing of the project because there are areas of need. These include impoverished people who cannot access important services such as telephone (Fort Lauderdale, Florida poverty data information, 2010), prescription drugs, and health care. Other issues entail access to food, transport, and accommodation. Fraud prevention is also a critical concern.
Reference list
Center for Disease Control, (2011). Communicable Disease Surveillance Data 2011. Web.
Florida Department of Elder Affairs, (2011). Elder care program and services. Web.
Fort Lauderdale Florida (2010). Poverty data information. Web.
Roubicek, J. (2009). Financial abuse fraud vs. exploitation of the elderly. Web.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). American Fact finder. Web.