Population/Community Health Nursing Discussion Forum

Vista Hills is a small, low-income community within a major metropolitan area. In home visits to several older clients, the community/population health nurse assigned to the area discovers that they have not been able to keep medical appointments or get prescriptions filled due to lack of available transportation. There is a bus that traverses the area, but it only has stops on major thoroughfares, and most older community residents have difficulty walking from their homes to the bus stops. In the past, the community had access to a Dial-a-Ride service that provided door-to-door transportation for the elderly for 50 cents a ride (round trip). This service was discontinued several years ago because of escalating costs. Some residents use taxi services to meet their transportation needs, but find this very expensive given their limited incomes. The city in which the community is located has some funds for transportation services for elderly clients, but the funds have not been allocated to this community because older residents comprise only 11% of the overall population.

What roles might the community/population health nurse play in addressing this community health problem? What interventions could be implemented by the community/population health nurse and why would those interventions be appropriate to this situation?

Post your response by 5 pm on June 1 and respond to just one other person by midnight.