Vulnerable Populations And Self Assessment Research Paper

Vulnerable Populations And Self Assessment - Research Paper Example The Belmont report of the year 1972 defined vulnerable population as the groups that because of their availability in the areas of the researches being conducted like hospitals, institutions, camps as well as prisons might sometimes bear the burden of the research that are unequal and thus there is the requirement of extra protection for these groups. The vulnerable populations of the society are generally the weaker sections like the women, children, the poor or the elderly people along with those who are mentally incapacitated. The vulnerable groups are not able to obtain and the use the rights of the society that they are entitled to by the declaration of the constitutional rights. (Ravindran, n.d: Chatterjee and Sheoran, 2007, pp 1- 6) In the last few decades the life expectancy of the general population of the society has experienced a significance increase. In most developed and the developing countries of the world with the following trend the life expectancy is assumed to exp erience a general increase over 80 years. Thus the elderly populations of the society are increasing. However the fast modern lives of the working population as well as the youths the person of providing cares to these elderly population of the society are on a considerable decrease. (Amrita institute of Medical Sciences, n.d) Thus the Geriatric population of the society is the vulnerable group chosen for the study.... The likelihood of living alone of the geriatric population also experience increase with their aging. Maximum of the elderly population live in communities with only 4 to 5 percent of the population of age group more than 65 years live in nursing home or other medical institutes as studied from the geriatric population of the American society. The general support systems for this section of the society are generally their family members, friends along with neighbors. However certain other support system also exits in modern societies that are the old age homes or the elder care agencies as well as the age centers (Gleich, 2009). In fact Sperry & Prosen (1996) rightly says that aging is basically a developmental course, and the elderly population would be addressed in a better way provided â€Å"theorists, clinicians, and researchers develop more positive images of aging†. This leads to a standard shift in our philosophy about the elderly person. to make this effective it is im portant to â€Å"confront the myths and misconceptions we have about aging and carefully consider the ever-increasing evidence that aging is in fact a development process† (Sperry & Prosen, 1996, p.3). They are characterized with negative thinking, low productivity and weakened health condition. With more health care facilities and social security provided to the section of the society the population with age more than 65, living below the poverty level have declined to about 9.8 percent in the year 2004 which is expected to experience more decrease in recent future. Study reveals that 36 percent of the total health care cost of the American society is