Pembroke Pines Community Resources

Pembroke Pines is a city in the United States that is located in Broward County, Florida. According to the 2016 census, the city has a population of 1168, 587that makes it the second most populated city in the county and number 11 in the Florida ranking of towns regarding their capacity ("Pembroke Pines, FL - Official Website - Demographics", 2017). Pembroke Pines is a primary municipality of the Miami metropolitan area. Its official motto is 'Join Us- Progress with Us." The city is mostly comprised of middle-class citizens with a median household earning of $62,116. More than 61000 housing unities in Pembroke Pine have a median value of $207 500 per unit ("Pembroke Pines, FL - Official Website - Demographics", 2017).

According to statistics of the city's population, its median age of 39.5 years. This implies that most of the residents are middle-aged. Almost 25 % of the total population is below the age of 18 years. The city comprises of people from diverse backgrounds. It is estimated that 40% of the total number of residents are Hispanic or Latino while 20% of the population is identified as Black or African American. The city occupies a total area of about 34.4 square miles that spread from East to West between the Florida Tumpike and US 21 ("Pembroke Pines, FL - Official Website - Demographics", 2017).

Just like any city, Pembroke Pines has an elderly population of 65 and above years of age. The city takes the responsibility of providing five significant resources that are geared toward older adults. The incentives allow the senior adults to transition from the stage of being independent to their point of the end of life. The administration and the community at large are entitled to the reasonability of taking care of this group of residents. The resources are categorized into five; the independent self-care, acute care discharge, long-term care, family caregiving, and end of life care.

The independent self-care resources are given to those older adults who have the capacity of taking care of themselves. The senior companion program comprises of volunteers who become friends and companions of the old residents, those who are staying alone and those living with disabilities and suffer a risk of institutional placement. This group of residents is entitled to regular medical check-ups to ensure that their health is stale. At this point, their health has not deteriorated, but they need to visit physicians regularly to maintain the stability. The adults of 65 years and above and are self-dependent can suffer from loneliness since at this age those who have children they have moved out, and due to work commitments, they rarely get time to visit and keep them company. Therefore, the community provides them with people who they make friends and share good times to make them feel appreciated.

The government also provides financial services to old adults who are independent. This group of residents mostly do not work and therefore do not have any source of income. However, they have bills to settle and sometimes the family members to do give them financial support. In such a case, the government intervenes and enrolls them to a monthly payment to enable them to cater for basic needs.

Acute care discharge resources are meant for those elderly adults that have been discharged from hospital and have no one to take care of them until they attain full recovery. Such residents are entitled to skilled care services that are offered by the city community. They are given healthcare personnel who ensure that the treatment care plan is followed accordingly since most of the people in this group do not have the capacity of even taking medication according to the doctor's prescription (Hunter & Miller, 2016). Therefore, the support services are offered until the time they are checked and ascertained to have achieved full recovery.

Pembroke Pine city offers long-term care for elderly adults of 65 years of age and above. At some point, this group of residents requires long-term care since at their age most of them cannot execute duties like cooking, feeding, and cleaning among other essentials. Therefore, the agency provides care programs where they are taken care of. There is the provision of long-term care, the day care services and those who stay at the old age institutions. Some people prefer going to the care facilities during the day and being returned to their homes in the evening, and this goes on daily. However, others stay at the institutions where there are people who are employed to take care of all their needs including providing them with food, feeding an bathing them, engaging them in physical activities among others. This level of resources also includes recreational facilities for the elderly. Community social health workers also provide services of uniting the old with their families by contacting them and educating them on the social needs of this group of people (Sultz & Young, 2014). They encourage the family members to visit them, spend some time with them and make them feel loved and appreciated.

The government of Pembroke Pines also offers medical services to the old adults. When people grow older, biological functions start declining, and they stand high risks of lifestyle diseases. Therefore, they are entitled to either cheap medical insurance or to free medical services to cater for their healthcare needs.

Family caregiving is an essential aspect for older adults who stay at Pembroke Pine city. When people grow old, they need their families even more. There is a need to feel the love and attachment, feeling of belonging and being loved. The city, through community social workers, provides information regarding the needs of the elderly adults (Miller, 2014). Sometimes, they easily suffer from neglect because only a few people understand their needs. At this age they cannot demand what they want, after living a life working hard to educate the children and make them comfortable, it is essential for them to be shown some love, to have a sense of belonging and know that there are people who genuinely care for them. Therefore, family caregiving resources that are provided are guidelines on how to satisfy the needs of the elderly. Families are encouraged to find time out of their schedules to visit the old. They should also have a financial plan that caters for monetary needs of this group of people.

When people get to the age of 65 and above, it is normal to think of the end of life. At this age, biological functionality declines and they suffer old age diseases. The hearing, sight, metabolism, heart rate, digestion and many other body performances decline and hence the reason behind issues of heart complications, kidney failure, liver problems, blood pressure and many other illnesses that are associated with old age. Consequently, preparing the senior members of society for the end of life is essential. Some of the resources that are offered include health care and advisory services to make them ready for death. In preparation for the end of life, they are taken through the procedures of writing a will to determine how the wealth they have accumulated will be shared among the family members (Sultz & Young, 2014). Another will is also written concerning the medical procedures that they would like to undergo and at if at some point of illness they can allow their life to be terminated. The resources help the old adults to be prepared for death and makes them comfortable knowing that they will be handled according to their wish and that the family members will remain at peace even after they are gone.

The Pembroke City provides the various levels of resources discussed above with the aim of addressing some questions. The first issue that is considered is, What are the needs of an independent old age resident? The community can identify the necessities of such residents that help them in designing the resources that should be made available to them. The second question addressed the medical needs of this group after they are discharged from the hospital. What care should be given to the old age patients after discharge? It is important to note that most of the senior residents stay by themselves and have no one to take care. After release, having a caregiver to ensure that the treatment plan is followed to the end is imperative in facilitating complete healing (Keigher, Fortune & Witkin, 2010). Therefore, this question determines the kind of resources that should be given after they have been discharged from the hospital.

The long-term care level resources determine things that the old adults require for sustenance in their late years of life. What are the general needs of senior residents at their old age? This question is significant in establishing the overall needs of people in their old age. It determines the resources that can be availed to make their lives comfortable, keep them healthy, and feel them loved and appreciated. What are family care needs of the senior residents in the community? This question is essential in finding answers to the kind of family caregiving level needs of the old adults. Finally, who can elderly adults be prepared for the end of life? This question is essential in establishing ways of ensuring that this group of people is ready for death and that when they die, they will rest in peace knowing that they wishes were or will be granted.

In my community, the above-discussed resources are available. Our proximity to the city allows us to have access to most of the incentives that are offered by the government. Only those who live far away from the city that does not have full access to all the resources. However, the government puts a lot of efforts to ensure that it covers a more significant population (Fincham, 2011).

An adult who is aging can seamlessly transition from each level of the resource as long as they have access to the benefits. First of all, when people retire, they still have the energy to live by themselves. At the age of 65, depending on the physical activity of the resident, he/she can engage in self-care activities like feeding, cleaning and attending to basic needs. They are sturdy enough and do not need the help of a caregiver. After a few years, the effects of the decline of biological functionality become evident, and they become ill. They are hospitalized, and by the time they get discharged, they are weak and can no longer depend on themselves. At this point, they require assistance to implement the treatment plan. It is also at this juncture that the need for long-term care plans develops. There is need to find a way of sustaining the person, and a solution can be taking the individual to old people's care homes.

At the care facilities, most family members neglect the old. They do not give them financial support, they rarely visit them, and they start feeling like a burden to the society. It is at this point that social healthcare workers contact the family and enlighten them of the needs of the old adults at this stage. They encourage them to find time out of their busy schedules to visit them, allow children to play with them, have conversations either face to face or through the phone. This way, they will feel loved and will stay happy. After this level, the senior community members become too old, and their life could end anytime. Then comes the need to prepare them for the end of life. At this point of them are too ill to recover, and those who are not sick are very weak. The social health workers prepare them for death. For those who had not written a will concerning how their properties can be shared are helped to do so, while following the legal procedures. The old adults are also requested to give any other wishes for instance how to be handled at their point of death and the place of burial. Most senior community members who have access to the resources at different levels achieve the continuum of care (Keigher, Fortune & Witkin, 2010).

Safety and quality of life are significant aspects of life in old age. The senior community members have worked hard during their youthful years, most of them have raised and taken care of their family. When they get to the age of 65 years, their physical and even mental ability starts declining. They require the support of caregivers to go through this last stage of life gracefully. In addition to the above-discussed resources, home safety gadgets can be designed so that they send an alert to the hospital when the person is sick. Additionally, people should be prepared for retirement and old age. They should plan for it during their working days and ensure that they save enough financial services to take care of their needs when they cannot generate any income.

References

Fincham, J. (2011). Health policy and ethics. London: Pharmaceutical Press.

Hunter, S., & Miller, C. (2016). Miller's Nursing for wellness in older adults. North Ryde, N.S.W.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Keigher, S., Fortune, A., & Witkin, S. (2010). Aging and social work. Washington, D.C.: NASW Press.

Miller, C. (2014). Nursing for wellness in older adults. Pembroke Pines, FL - Official Website - Demographics. (2017). Ppines.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017, from http://www.ppines.com/index.aspx?nid=352

Sultz, H., & Young, K. (2014). Health care USA. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.