A person can be at risk for poor health but not considered vulnerable (Maurer, pg. 528). A person’s lifestyle, life choices, or disease processes that they are presented with can place them in the at-risk group for poor health. A middle aged employed male patient who is obese, has hypertension, and a smoker is at risk for poor health due to the fact that there are life choices and medical treatments available. A vulnerable group is one that is more apt to develop and health problem, but have a difficulty accessing health care and the outcome is a shorter life span (Maurer, pg. 528). A group that is part of the vulnerable population is the poor, homeless, disabled, mentally ill, very young, and very old (Maurer, pg. 528). A single mom with a new baby who is homeless would be a part of the vulnerable population.

The vulnerable population group can create a spiral affect within itself. If a family becomes poor; they can become homeless. If they have a young child or an elderly parent within the family dynamics, then the situation becomes that much worse. If one of the individuals within the household has a mental illness or is disabled, then the effects are even more increased. This group has a hard time obtaining basics and thus may need to choose between seeking medical care and these basic necessities (Maurer, pg. 530). If there is a way to help break this cycle, then that would be beneficial to humanity as a whole and worth advocating for these vulnerable population groups. There is a need for a way that this group doesn’t need to choose between food and medical care. The system that is in place is broken. There has to be a better solution to help this vulnerable population.

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