Key Determinants Affecting Healthcare For Children In Greater Geelong Region

The health sector is being considered among the most complex and challenging sectors in which the nurses or the health professionals are actively required to focus on identifying the emerging health threats and challenges within the industry and accordingly the care plan is to be developed. This discussion will focus towards the Greater Geelong region located in the southeast region of Victoria and is considered the largest provincial city of Victoria (GG, 2020). It can be identified that within the region there are various social as well as industry barriers affecting the quality of care being provided (GG, 2020). In Geelong, the children can be identified to be the most vulnerable group to such social factors and facing health issues that are to be monitored and further eliminated. This discussion will help in evaluating and understanding the key determinants affecting healthcare and defining upon key practices to serve the vulnerable group in the region and ensure the improvement of health standards.

In the Geelong region, children are among the most vulnerable group due to the lack of care facilities as well as ineffective social behavior or approach (GG, 2022).  They are being considered as the key vulnerable group because from the industry data it can be reflected about 4.9% of Australians are Indigenous and among such 36% of the population accounts for children and are living in the rural areas. Due to such, it becomes a key challenge to ensure the availability of quality and effective healthcare services for the children (Arefadib & Moore, 2017).

It can be identified that the key Communicable Health Issues being faced by children in the Geelong region are Influenza, Pertussis as well as Glandular fever (YMCA, 2020). It can be identified that within the Greater Geelong region there are various determinants present contributing towards having a negative impact over the health status of children within the society.  Vulnerability Of Children In The Geelong Region Discussion Paper Such determinants can be identified as:

Social Inequality: In the Geelong region it can be identified that the society faces a major threat due to the high inequality status within the society. The individuals living within the region face a huge power gap resulting in having a major impact over the health status of the individuals within the industry and further contributes to affecting the healthcare efforts for the children in the society (Bull, 2020).

Lack of required healthcare facilities: Apart from the social inequality it can also be identified that Geelong is a small region within Victoria, Australia hence it has a limited or low focus in terms of healthcare. Due to such, it can be identified that the children are the most vulnerable group affected by the communicable and infectious diseases further affecting the healthcare standards within the region.

Ineffective focus on health in society: A key determinant that can be identified within the Geelong society is the lack of social awareness towards health and unhealthy practices. As per the industry data, it can be reflected that about 37% of the men, as well as 19.5% of the women living within the region, were dealing with obesity or overweight. Further 18% of boys and 17% of the girls in age group 2-17 were also facing the challenge or health threat of obesity (GG, 2022).

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The Communicable Health Issues Being Faced By Children In The Geelong Region

Lack of awareness: It can be identified that a key determinant influencing the health status of children is the lack of social awareness with respect to the availability of health policies and programs within the healthcare sector (Lane, 2019).

An industry analysis being conducted by Brown & Zurynski further reflects that in the Australian region the threat of the medical complexity is high in the rural regions such as Geelong. Further had supported the presence of the social determinants of health in the region including the lack of knowledge as well as the knowledge gap in the industry (Brown & Zurynski, 2018).

Considering such the key health determinants and factors there is a need for the registered nurse to adopt key strategies that can contribute towards eliminating the impact of such social determinants and the health status of the children can be improved. Based on such it can be reflected that there is a need for the nurse to ensure the development of an awareness program focused on reflecting upon the healthcare issues such as Influenza, Pertussis and awareness is to be created about the causes as well as the impact of such communicable diseases over their child life standards and growth. Such awareness programs can be directed towards providing the parents with information with respect to the key health programs and policies available which can contribute to a child’s better health (Blackstock et al., 2018).

Also, the nurses can ensure that through the awareness program the individuals can be made aware of the healthy eating practices for their children so that the threat or challenge of communicable diseases can be eliminated. It has been identified that a major health threat being faced within the Geelong region is obesity, therefore, considering the approach to literacy and awareness will help the nurse to introduce healthy practices and positive behavior among the individuals so that the overall health status within the region can be improved (GCK, 2018).

Focusing on the nursing practices will also help the nurse to identify and understand the key health challenges being faced within the Geelong region and further such can be communicated to the healthcare regulatory authorities operating within the region so that they can consider eliminating the emerging gap and can provide the individuals within the region with improved healthcare services. Such awareness and learning approaches are further to be aligned with that the cultural context and practices within the industry. As in the Geelong region, it can be identified that the majority of the population living is aboriginal hence, they face challenges in terms of social injustice as well as the lack of resources (Mayes, et al., 2018).

In society, there is a need for the nurse to ensure the development and implementation of a change plan or program which can contribute towards introducing change in the society in terms of the individual attitude towards different social groups and the access to healthcare facilities available. Such will help to overcome the threat of social inequality and the power gap within the Geelong society and can advocate for quality and advanced care facilities for the aboriginal groups as well as for the children (Moore, et al., 2015).

Social Inequality As A Key Determinant Affecting Healthcare In Geelong

The nurse’s focus on analyzing and developing a care plan helps to ensure that the key gaps and issues at both the operational level as well as the individual level can be identified and considered. As it can be identified that in the Geelong region, the individuals can be identified to have limited access to the health care facilities within the society therefore there is also a need for the registered nurse to ensure that key approaches and practices are being adopted that can further promote and improve care reach in the industry (GG, 2022).

Evaluating the approaches toward children’s healthcare in the Geelong region, it can be identified that the government has actively focused on introducing key policies and strategies including Children Services Regulations 2009, Child wellbeing and safety act 2005, as well as Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. Geelong’s Children Centre has also been established with an approach toward providing education and fulfilling the healthcare needs of the children within the society. Geelong’s Children center is an integrated children’s center that ensures providing the children with ancillary services along with health care and education (GCC, 2022).

It can be reflected that the children’s center has actively been focused towards staffing highly qualified professionals in the healthcare sector so that the emerging health threats for the children can be identified and further eliminated. Based on such it can be reflected that the establishment of the children’s care center fulfils the government policies and approaches towards child education and healthcare. Along with such the key strength of the program is it ensure the implementation of diversified and advanced approaches within the society, i.e., providing children with the knowledge and understanding of their values, culture as well as sustainability (GG, 2012).

To further enhance the learning outcome and the children’s well-being in society, Geelong children’s center has defined several key frameworks including that of promoting children’s understanding of their self needs as well as the society, ensuring their connectedness with the external society and working towards their wellbeing. Such aspects and approaches reflect upon the key strength of the program or the integrated efforts within the society (Talbot, et al., 2020). However, despite such effectiveness it can be identified that there are certain weaknesses and challenges associated with that of the program is the increased challenges in terms of the social pressure as well as the identified determinants of health (GCC, 2022).

Such social inequalities, as well as the challenges, result in having a major impact over the success of childcare success within the industry. In the Geelong area, it has been identified that there exists major social disparity and issues affecting the accessibility to healthcare. Such can further be supported through that of the industry research conducted by Adamson et. al. which reflects that in child care services there is an increased need for the nurses to focus towards the emerging cultural and social differences as they affect the development and implementation of strategies within the society (Adamson, et al., 2017).

The overall discussion has been focused on evaluating the need for health promotion for a vulnerable group within the society. It can be identified that children are among the most vulnerable group in the Greater Geelong region. The emerging challenges within the society including that of social inequality, discrimination as well as lack of awareness has been the key factors affecting the access and delivery of quality care services for the children within the society. Through the discussion, it can be reflected that there is a need for the registered nurses to actively ensure developing and implementing key strategies and approaches which can ensure the identification and elimination of such healthcare issues and challenges in the Geelong region.

References

Adamson, E., Cortis, N., Brennan, D., & Charlesworth, S. (2017). Social care and migration policy in Australia: Emerging intersections? Australian Journal of Social Issues, 78-94.

Arefadib, N., & Moore, T. (2017). Reporting the Health and Development of Children in Rural and Remote Australia. The Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.  Vulnerability Of Children In The Geelong Region Discussion Paper