Case Study Helen is a 54-year old woman who was born in a small coastal mining town. Her parents died when she was little, so she was raised by an older aunt. Her aunt did not know how to read and Helen struggled in school. She married young and had two children but separated from her husband just after the birth of her second child. She sole-parented her children from a young age. Initially her husband helped financially, but when the youngest was only 5 years old the mine he worked in closed and he could not find consistent employment. He worked for a casual employer and sustained a head injury at work. He had felt okay at the time of the accident and was embarrassed and worried about the job, so did not report it or get treatment. Afterwards, he became forgetful and later developed depression. Despite being divorced Helen ends up caring for him in times of crisis. Helen had no trouble finding work when the children were little. She worked in grocery and retail positions around town. She and her neighbors would share childcare duties and work opposite shifts. As the children grew up she found it harder and harder to stay employed and money kept getting tighter. Without the mine, other businesses in town turned over quickly and more and more people were leaving. Many of her lifelong friends have left the town. Currently, she volunteers at the RSPCA and makes a little money cleaning for the post office and the town hall. Her children grew up and moved to the city looking for employment. Neither of them did well at school, but her son finished Grade 12. Her daughter lives with her boyfriend in a tiny one room apartment. Her boyfriend is working and going to school in the evenings. Despite their long hours they are struggling to make ends meet. Her daughter is pregnant and has developed gestational diabetes. She feels very tired all the time and wants Helen to move to the city too. They are excited about the baby but also worried about how they are going to be able to afford rent when the baby arrives, and her boyfriend is thinking about quitting school. Helen wants to be closer to help her daughter but the cost of visits on public transport is prohibitive. She has been saving for visits by eating toast for her evening meal, but can still only afford to visit monthly. Excerpt from Assessment 2 criteria Case study questions •What are the characteristics of the individuals in this case study? •What are the social determinants of health that are evident in the case study? •Select one of these social determinants and describe the best way(s) to address this issue in order to have an impact on the whole of population? •What roles should health professionals play in addressing this issue? Assessment Criteria •Demonstrate knowledge of the social model of health •Find and apply health data to selected case study •Describe a strategy(ies) to address the issue in the case study that demonstrates an understanding of social determinants of health •Academic writing skills (1200 words) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Assessment Task 2: Useful sources of data for this case study include (but are not limited to): • Australian Bureau of Statistics www.abs.gov.au • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare www.aihw.gov.au • METeOR http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/181162 • Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network http://aurin.org.au/ • Public Health Information Development Unit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/phidu/about/ • UNICEF http://data.unicef.org/ • Whitehall Studies http://www.ucl.ac.uk/whitehallII/research/main‐findings • World Health Organisation http://www.who.int/healthy_settings/en/ • Brotherhood of St Laurence (social exclusion) http://www.bsl.org.au/research‐andpublications/social‐exclusion‐monitor/who‐experiences‐social‐exclusion/ The key questions you need to address are listed below with some prompts (hints) as to the kinds of information that you might include in your answer. Please be guided by the weightings in the assessment rubric and suggested word counts in response to each question. You may use the questions as headings but you need to write in sentences and paragraphs, not dot points. You do not need an introduction or conclusion for the paper or for each question. Case study questions (and prompts): • What are the characteristics of the individuals in this case study? (300 words) o Who are they? Where and how do they live? o What evidence can you find that supports this? o Information and statistics about household incomes, family structure, education, employment, housing • What are the social determinants of health that are evident in the case study? (400 words) o What are the specific social determinants that apply to this case study? o How do these social determinants impact on the health and wellbeing of the individuals in the case study? O Refer to evidence that links social determinants to health issues • Select one of these social determinants and describe the best way(s) to address this issue in order to have an impact on the whole of population? (300 words) o This question requires you to think beyond the level of the individual to the community or population level o You may choose to focus on one strategy or discuss a range of strategies in your answer, however, please ensure that you discuss the strategy(ies) in enough depth to demonstrate your understanding o What strategies can you identify that relate to addressing the wider social determinants in your case study? o Are these strategies upstream, midstream and downstream? o Why are these strategies likely to work? What is the evidence to support this? • What roles should health professionals play in addressing this issue? (200 words) o This question requires you to consider the broader role of health professionals – beyond providing individual care or treatment. o What is the role of health professionals in addressing social determinants of health? Marking Criteria: (40% weighting) • Demonstrate knowledge of the social model of health • Find and apply health data to selected case study • Describe a strategy(ies) to address the issue in the case study that demonstrates an understanding of social determinants of health • Academic writing skills Case study questions: • What are the characteristics of the individuals in this case study? • What are the social determinants of health that are evident in the case study? • Select one of these social determinants and describe the best way(s) to address this issue in order to have an impact on the whole of population? • What roles should health professionals play in addressing this issue? Assessment criteria • Demonstrate knowledge of the social model of health • Find and apply health data to selected case study • Describe a strategy(ies) to address the issue in the case study that demonstrates an understanding of social determinants of health • Academic writing skills Links to unit's intended learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Task length 1200 words Date due Thursday 22 March 2016 by the end of the day (Week 5). Responses What are the characteristics of the individuals in this case study? Educational Qualifications relate to education outside of primary and secondary school and are one of the most important indicators of socio-economic status. With other data sources, such as Employment Status, Income and Occupation, Australia's Educational Qualifications help to evaluate the economic opportunities and socio-economic status of the area and identify skill gaps in the labour market. Australia's occupation statistics quantify the occupations in which the residents work (which may be within the residing area or elsewhere). This will be influenced by the economic base and employment opportunities available in the area, education levels, and the working and social aspirations of the population. When viewed with other indicators, such as Educational Qualifications and Individual Income, Occupation is a key measure for evaluating Australia's socio-economic status and skill base. Individual Income statistics are an indicator of socio-economic status. With other data sources, such as Household Income, Qualifications and Occupation, they help tell the story of the economic opportunities and socio-economic status of Australia. The amount of income an individual receives is linked to a number of factors including employment status, age (as for instance students and retirees often receive a lower income), qualifications and type of employment. The incomes presented on this page are for the latest Census year only. For comparison of incomes over time, go to Individual Income Quartiles. Australia's income statistics are an indicator of socio-economic status. With other data sources, such as Household Income, Qualifications and Occupation, they help tell the story of the area's economic opportunities and socio-economic status. Individual income levels are not comparable over time because of the influences of economic change such as wage level fluctuations and inflation. The income quartile method is the most objective method of comparing change in the income profile of a community over time. A detailed explanation of how Individual Income quartiles are calculated and interpreted is available in specific data notes. Australia's employment statistics are an important indicator of socio-economic status. The levels of full or part-time employment, unemployment and labour force participation indicate the strength of the local economy and social characteristics of the population. Employment status is linked to a number of factors including Age Structure, which influences the number of people in the workforce; the economic base and employment opportunities available in the area and; the education and skill base of the population (Occupations, Industries, Qualifications).