Healthcare Disparities

Healthcare Disparities

Absolutely, healthcare disparities exist everywhere, and they definitely exist here in WV. Lets be honest most people don’t think much of the people of WV, we are thought of as illiterate, obese, drug afflicted and not health conscious. In my current job however, I work in a long term care facility. We deal with a great number of patients that have dementia. One of the biggest issues that I find in working with these patients is the lack of self awareness from families and even staff when dealing with these patients. I find that things are said that are sometimes insensitive or that they often talk about the patient as if they are not present. This is an issue for me, while they don’t often understand we will never fully know what they can comprehend and what they cannot. Just because someone has dementia does not mean that they are ignorant or that they cannot hear what is being said about them. These patients are often at risk for abuse and neglect. Along with this, care for these patients is not cheap and often only patients with the ability to private pay or have insurance are available for care facilities, and unfortunately this is often limited to white, educated and financially secure families. People diagnosed with dementia of racial or ethnic minorities are often cared for by their families and not able to get help. This is also a concern because by the year 2060 minorities are expected to be approx. 45% of the population of those >65.  So, how does my organization address these issues? We do require appropriate training in taking care of these patients. However, there is nothing in my organizations control in regard to the access to care or insurance issues. 

I do feel the practices of my organization in relation to the current healthcare access issues in the U.S. create disparities. Without equal access to healthcare, I don’t think that you will ever be able to fix this disparity, granted that is not the only issue. You would also have to figure out how to overcome the stigma, fear, and ignorance of dementia. Having diversity in the providers of care to these patients is also a way to help. By developing a workforce that reflects the racial and ethnic demographics of the patient is a great way to ensure that these patients are getting care that is less likely to be impacted by racial prejudices. In the fact that we do not have a racially diverse state, we are often unable to get funding to explore treatment options and conduct research to develop innovative treatment options. 

I think another important thing to note is the availability of care. Morgantown in relation to other rural areas in WV has many options when it comes to care. Those affected by dementia in rural areas lack that availability to quality care and in some cases any care at all. So people that do not have the resources to travel to these areas are at a great disparity. 

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