Introduction
Miami Gardens has been chosen to complete the healthy lifestyle assessment. It is a suburban city situated in Florida State, United States. The area was selected because Miami is rated among the leading 10 healthiest cities in the US. Further access and choice are the key drivers of healthy lifestyles and a healthy community. The way this area is designed, its paths for walking and biking, open spaces, and access to healthcare facilities and healthy foods, all lead to the overall health of a community. The male-to-female ratio in the area is 49.4% to 50.6%. The city has 40 years old as the median age having 22 percent being under 19 years of age, 55% aged 20-59 years old, and 21 % aged 60 years and above (Census Reporter, 2022). According to the Department of Health in Florida, the leading causes of death in this area comprise cancer, heart disease, stroke, unintentional injury, and chronic lower respiratory illness.
Opportunities in the Area to Participate in Activities that Promote a Healthy Lifestyle
Physical activities: Miami Gardens has complete streets, Stadium such as Hard Rock Stadium, and Miami Carol City Park. Nutrition: Skylake Mall is a convenient one-stop shopping for groceries and other errands, hotels, and 164 specialized dietetics. Health screening and immunizations: Many clinics and healthcare facilities provide medical services in the area, for example, Chan Medical Center. People in Miami Gardens can access social activities through Calder Casino for all sorts of gaming fun comprising table games, slots, and a players club. In addition, one can enjoy Friday nights for social Fridays when Casino host DJ Bam. TOPGOLF in Miami offers an entertainment complex full of fun for the whole family with gaming, golf, and a seasonal menu of tasty bites for sharing (MiamiandBeaches, 2022). Educational opportunities associated with safety/healthy lifestyle practices in the area can be accessed through Skylake Mall with a range of health and fitness facilities such as Publix, TJ Maxx, and LA Fitness.
Availability of these Opportunities to the Public in Miami Gardens
Complete streets are operated and designed to support safe access for all people, comprising bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, and motorists of all abilities and ages. The roads are constructed based on the policies, which ensure community roads are safe for walking, driving, and biking; hence, they are open to the public for free. This provides and promotes active lifestyle choices to its citizens like walking, biking, and access to mass transit. Reducing the utilization of cars and moving towards more biking and walking positively influence the environment and enhance health via increased physical activities among the residents of the city (Miami Gardens, 2022). Further, it has reduced emissions that affect respiratory systems and traffic-associated injuries.
The shopping mall is open to all public free to shop for their groceries and other food products. Clinics and healthcare facilities like Chan Medical Center are open for all people but only free for immunizations, and health screenings services. Hard Rock Stadium is a public facility but is membership required for the public to have access. Miami Carol City Park is free to all people regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, religion, and abilities. It has picnic pavilions, playgrounds, and a walking path. In addition, it has a baseball diamond, basketball courts, and a football field (MiamiandBeaches, 2022). People can have a free friendly game of touch football, an afternoon picnic, or a family strolls.
However, the Calder Casino is free to all people but at a fee for entrance for social activities. The area is full of gaming fun and a destination for entertainment, concerts, and dining. Mostly many people meet here Friday nights for social interactions with special drinks and causal food menus. The health and fitness centers at Skylake Mall are open for membership, for example, one can register for LA Fitness, TJ Maxx, and Publix. Further, there is TOPGOLF in the area, which offers entertainment to all the people and is open for membership and charges at the gate (MiamiandBeaches, 2022). It has KidZone with coaching and clinics available for children.
The Accessibility for Vulnerable Populations
Barriers to Accessibility to Healthy Lifestyle
The vulnerable population comprising the elderly, people with disabilities (PWD), and others are affected by the lack of a stable source of income. Lack of income may limit a person to have access to available healthy lifestyles. Lack of affordable housing leads to considerable homelessness and inadequate public health resources accessible, specifically for mental and social health for these groups. Exacerbating the accessibility to a health problem is coordination between healthcare providers remains lackluster without solid healthcare policy guidelines for the treatment of uninsured and homeless people in the community. The vulnerable populations are in either poverty or homeless, mostly concentrated in a neighborhood occupied by ethnic minorities (Crisanti et al., 2017). The communities encounter public health problems such as drug use, the opioid epidemic, and gun violence that contribute to death and injury, and negatively influence the Miami community’s social structures.
Vulnerable Populations Access to Health in Miami Gardens
However, in Miami Gardens the government has implemented suitable systems to cater to the needs of people with special needs like the elderly, and PWD. For instance, the elderly get treatment from current healthcare facilities and clinics. Lack of insurance coverage in minority and impoverished neighbourhoods contributes to health disparities. Therefore, both private and public health institutions offer safety net healthcare services to charity care and uninsured people. The city has special needs facilities designed to support various beneficiaries. Individuals with developmental or learning disabilities in the community are supported by many facilities. Health and educational departments in Miami provide quality education to the disabled (Miami Gardens, 2022). For instance, the blind and the deaf are supported in the community.
Further, many interventions and programs have been executed to empower vulnerable people with special needs. Accessibility to healthcare services is vital to have a healthy community. One of the goals of Miami is the Transit Development plan that helped to enhance the accessibility to key healthcare, education, recreation, social services, and employment cultural facilities. The area has a transit service path within a quarter mile of key health facilities, education, recreation, cultural and social services activities, and employment. Accessibility to bicycle facilities and walking paths have increased regular physical activities that can be associated with protection from cardiovascular and diabetes among the vulnerable populations. Besides, the government has implemented programs to offer free health screening and immunizations to all people that benefit vulnerable populations. The city offers equitable access to open spaces and parks and offers more opportunities for residents comprising vulnerable populations to socialize, meet, and connect (Endsley, 2019). Vulnerable populations can comfortably and safely walk, take transit, or bicycle to recreation centers, community parks, and sports facilities.
Conclusion
Miami Gardens has ensured that all its citizens have access to recreational, educational, and health facilities to improve their healthy lifestyles and a healthy community. The city offers and promotes active lifestyle alternatives to its residents like walking, biking, and access to parks, stadiums, and educational facilities. A community can be educated on healthy lifestyles such as food choices and improvement on the accessibility of and market for locally produced goods through shopping malls and hotels. They have established a sustainable community where all residents regardless of their status have equal access to healthcare services.
References
Census Reporter. (2022). Miami-Dade County, FL. Web.
Crisanti, A. S., Duran, D., Greene, R. N., Reno, J., Luna-Anderson, C., & Altschul, D. B. (2017). A longitudinal analysis of peer-delivered permanent supportive housing: Impact of housing on mental and overall health in an ethnically diverse population. Psychological Services, 14(2), 141-153.
Endsley, K. (2019). Health and fitness professionals: A practical career guide (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.
Miami Gardens. (2022). Physical activity – Live healthy Miami gardens. Live Healthy Miami Gardens – Healthy Community Partnership. Web.
MiamiandBeaches. (2022). Things to do in Miami gardens. MiamiandBeaches.com. Web.