Windshield Survey/Community Assessment

Windshield Survey: Lexington County

Introduction to Community

Lexington County within Kentucky state is home to a population of 298,750 people, as at 2019. The community is known to be home to 9 bourbon distilleries, which age 95% of the world’s bourbon supply (Visit Lex, 2020). An interesting fact to remember is that currently, there are more than 5 million bourbon barrels ageing in Lexington, which is more than the population. The county is also known to be the headquarters of Jockey Club, which is a national organization that focuses on breeding and racing, as well as reviews the names of all registered racehorses. Therefore, there is a jockeying culture in the community. The county also boasts of the world’s largest ceiling block found in the Lexington Public Library. Windshield Survey/Community Assessment

A pictorial representation of the high ceiling in the library.

The total population in the county is about 298,750, as at 2019. Out of this population, the white people are the most in number, comprising about 75.38% of the population, followed by the African Americans who are 14.39% of the population. Asians are at 3.64%, Native Americans at 0.25% and other races at 2.68% (Moore, 2020). Therefore, it is safe to say that the population in Lexington is predominantly white.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW

Demographics of Vulnerable Population

The vulnerable populations in Lexington include children, the older population, those living with HIV, the essential workers because of the current coronavirus pandemic, and those from the lower socioeconomic class in the county. Prisoners are another cohort of vulnerable population in Lexington, especially those incarcerated for substance abuse and possession. There are no clear statistics of the vulnerable populations. However, I was able to obtain information on the number of the elderly, which is 11% of the population. More than 21% of the residents aged 60 and above in Lexington received food assistance using food stamps in 2019. Those from the lower socioeconomic class comprise 7% of the population, where they earn an annual income of less than $10,000, and 23% of the population earns less than the said amount. Another vulnerable population in Lexington would be the veterans who comprise 22% of the seniors in the county (Lexington Senior Guide, 2020).

It is important to examine the reasons why these populations fall into the vulnerable status. A significant determinant of the vulnerable status is the socioeconomic status of the individual. From the description provided of the vulnerable population, the people earning less than $10,000 annually are vulnerable because they are unable to afford quality food, medical services, and shelter. These inadequacies expose them to vulnerabilities, especially in healthcare, where the U.S healthcare system already grapples with disparities.

Another factor that exposes the population to vulnerable status would be peer pressure. It appears that the community has several rehabilitation facilities for those with a variety of drug addictions. For instance, those in incarcerated for substance abuse or possessions are vulnerable after release from prison, in the event of a relapse. Kentucky state once ranked 3rd in the U.S in 2010 for the highest drug abuse and addiction rates in the United States (KSPAN, 2020). Drug addictions and abuse are often a result of peer pressure, where people who keep the company of drug users tend to pick up the habit.

Lastly, access to economic opportunities determines the vulnerable status of residents in Lexington. This factor directly relates to the socioeconomic status of the residents. Those from the lower cohorts tend to be more vulnerable because of limited access to quality healthcare, quality balanced diets, and quality housing. These limitations expose them to vulnerability, where issues such as stress, may push them into drug use, further exacerbating the problems, which eventuates to drug addiction.

Available Resources in the Community

The following are the available resources in Lexington, especially for those grappling with addiction problems.Windshield Survey/Community Assessment

Hope Addiction Centre

Chrysalis House, which houses homeless women and those struggling with substance abuse.

The Salvation Army

Other rehabilitation facilities for the vulnerable I found in the area include the Oxford House, Schwartz Center, the Ridge Suboxone Clinics, and the First Things First Sober Living.

Area of Survey

The specific area I chose to survey is the Greater Lexington Area, which comprises of a mixture of the low income, middle income, and wealthy population. The area also has single-family homes, apartment homes, and complexes. Most of the people in this area use their transportation to move around. For those who choose to use the public means of transport, there is the Lextran, which is a city bus system that ferries the passengers, with designated bus stops within close walking distances to all the hospitals in Lexington. There is also a transportation service referred to as wheels, which is a medical bus system. Those who prefer more private, public transportation use cab-hailing services such as Uber, Lyft, and traditional cabs.

A bus stop sign in the area for Lextran public transportation

A bus in transit, an example of public transportation

Community Strength

A major community strength in this population would be the fact that the community provides the residents with adequate resources, especially for the vulnerable populations. Those with addiction problems and homelessness because of poverty can access these facilities and improve the quality of their lives (Craft, 2017). While not everyone can access these resources, the facilities make a significant impact in the community, ultimately enhancing the health outcomes of the residents.

Nursing Assessment of the Community

What I noticed the most about this community is the lack of advertisement of the available resources in the community. There are no posters or information about the available services offered in these facilities that would notify the rest of the population about their presence or work. For instance, at the Salvation Army, which is a facility that helps those addicted to drugs, and outside would have no way of knowing that this facility helps the residents to overcome their addiction problems. The lack of advertisement places a burden on the nurse because they handle patients with severe addictions who are yet to undergo rehabilitation and face the challenge of relapse after release from the hospital, without proper and specialized rehabilitation.Windshield Survey/Community Assessment

Conclusion

My selected population for my practicum is those with substance abuse addiction. From my observation, I can conclude that people from the low-income areas in the county are prone to substance addiction problems, compared to those from the higher socioeconomic status. I can also attribute the rising number of addicts and relapses to the lack of advertising of the available community resources in the area. Without adequate information on the available community resources, the community members can continue engaging in unhealthy habits that lead to addiction and have a high number of relapse cases for the recovering addicts. Generally, I believe that the community can improve its health by doing more advertising for the addicts and referring them to the help centres, and equipping nurses with professional skills to manage addiction patients.

References

Craft, D. (2017). Drug Addiction And Substance Abuse Recovery: Learn How To Overcome The Opioid Addiction And Rewire The Brain To Live A Happy Life. David Craft.

KSPAN. (, 2020). KSPAN – Substance Abuse. Safekentucky.org. Retrieved 29 October 2020, from http://safekentucky.org/index.php/menu-drug-abuse.

Lexington Senior Guide. (, 2020). Lexington, KY Senior Guide. SeniorCare.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020, from https://www.seniorcare.com/directory/ky/lexington/.

Moore, J. (2020). Census data: Lexington’s population passed several major U.S. cities last decade. Kentucky.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020, from https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article242907571.html.    

Visit Lex. (2020). 25 Weird & Wonderful Facts About Lexington. Visitlex.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020, from https://www.visitlex.com/guides/post/25-weird-wonderful-facts-about-lexington/.Windshield Survey/Community Assessment