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Older Community Assessment

Name

Affiliation
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Older Community Assessment

Introduction

All individuals must be well informed of the resources present in their neighborhood.

This is especially important for the elderly since it will help navigate the community with

minimal difficulties. Knowing the availability of these resources will help older people to assess

their needs immediately, especially in emergencies. The elderly must have a list of all the

services near them, including dental services, pharmacies, hospitals, groceries, delivery options,

and senior services. This will help them avoid unnecessary stress.

Frequently Visited Services

It is essential to know the distance and routes used to access resources available in a

community. I realized that the most crucial locations are averagely within two miles to access.

H-E-B is a grocery store that is 2.5 miles away, and the roads and streets are safe and can be used

to access it. It also has a pharmacy inside with a pharmacist present and a clinic as well. The H-

E-B also delivers their fresh groceries and other household goods. Walgreens pharmacy is also

available, but this pharmacy delivers drugs within 1-2 business days (Walgreens, n.d.). Because

of the need to refill medications like antidiabetics and antihypertensives, it is essential to have

nearby locations to meet that need. Wells Fargo is a financial institution that is located 2.5 miles

away and can be accessed from the service road. It offers loans and savings accounts. I

recommend that individuals consider the distance of the drug store from where they live when

choosing their primary healthcare service provider.

The Health Texas Medical Group, the closest hospital, is 4.5 miles away from, and the

other hospital is Christus Santa Rosa Hospital Westover Hills that is located 4.8 miles away. It
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has adequate spacing and short ER waiting times. It all accepts all insurances and offers

specialized healthcare services. These hospitals are essential for geriatrics in case they need non-

urgent medical care. Marbach Smiles- General and Specialty Dentistry is located 1.1 miles away,

and it offers a variety of dental insurance plans with qualified dentists and nurses.

Crucial Emergency Services

We need to know the emergency services in our neighborhood as well as the crime rates.

According to Neighborhood Scout, San Antonio's crime rate is per 1000 persons. The property

crime rate is 43.77 per 1000 residents (Neighborhood Scout, 2020). The low crime rates show

that the elderly are at a lower risk of being abused, but prevention and resources are critical

(Pillemer et al., 2016). For precaution purposes, it is essential to be aware that the Sheriff’s office

is 2.7 miles away, and the fire station is located 1.1 miles away. Apart from the described

hospitals and healthcare facilities, there are EMT services located 8.7 miles away.

Pets & More

Another important location to be aware of is pet services for people with pets and house

assistance. There is a Petsmart store that is located 2.5 miles away. It has pet supplies, a

veterinary clinic, and pet grooming. There is also a veterinarian clinic situated two miles away

from my neighborhood, and it offers vaccines, praying, boarding, and grooming pet services.

There is a dog park available, and it is only four blocks away from where I live, and individuals

with dogs can walk their dogs. There also adequate sidewalks, and the cars drive at speeds of

around 15-20mph, and hence it is a safe neighborhood for the elderly. Lee lawn care services are

only one mile away, and it provides power wash services. BB’z is 0.6 miles away, and it offers

house cleaning services.

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Delivery Provides Ease

Being aware of the delivery programs is essential in case of difficulties in transport or

needs for scheduled meals. Alicia Trevino Lopez Senior One-Stop Center is available, and it is

thirteen miles away. It provides services that aid senior citizens above 60 years to stay active,

healthy, and independent. They offer lunch, fitness, social services, and transportation to and

from caregivers. It also offers educational programs. This neighborhood also has meal delivery

services, and Meals on Wheels is location services.

How to Get Around

An individual must be aware of online apps such as Uber and Lyft that offer taxi services.

This neighborhood has several taxi companies that can be accessed with a local number. Their

charges vary depending on distance, and they can safely take the individuals to their hospital

appointments or the groceries. They also offer wheelchair services, but this needs to be ordered

before schedule.

I am Walking Here!

The ability to walk around a community is an activity beneficial to all people and

especially the elderly. Poor sidewalks can impede this. This neighborhood has good sidewalks

that are in good condition and minimize fall risk for the elderly (Catona, 2020). This good

quality reduces the risk of falls of the elderly and prevents them from harm from incoming

traffic. Research has shown that having sidewalks in quality conditions leads to increased rates

of geriatrics walking with minimal physical exertion compared to damaged ones (Chudyk et al.,

2017).
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Conclusion

Because of the resources that my neighborhood offers and the low crime rates, I would

consider it an ideal neighborhood for the elderly to live in.

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References

Catona, D. (2020). Older adults’ perceptions of falls and falls prevention: An interview-based

study. Innovation in Aging, 4(Supplement_1), 300-

300. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.961

Walgreens. (n.d.). Pharmacy, Health & Wellness, Photo & More for You. https://www.walgreens.com/

Pillemer, K., Burnes, D., Riffin, C., & Lachs, M. S. (2016). Elder Abuse: Global Situation, Risk Factors,

and Prevention Strategies. The Gerontologist, 56 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), S194–S205.

https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw004

Chudyk, A. M., Mckay, H. A., Winters, M., Sims-Gould, J., & Ashe, M. C. (2017). Neighborhood

walkability, physical activity, and walking for transportation: A cross-sectional study of older

adults living on low income. BMC Geriatrics, 17(1). doi: 10.1186/s12877-017-0469-5

.Neighborhood Scout. (2020, June 22). San Antonio, TX crime rates and statistics. The leading all-in-

one real estate market data platform in the USA -

NeighborhoodScout. https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/san-antonio/crime