Community healthcare is composed of medical services that aim to control the health status of the citizens living within a particular area. These services are more inclusive, giving more affordable, if not free, healthcare assistance to those who may not have the means to go to other health professionals. The state or privately-owned companies that wish to give back to society fund these most of the time. Community healthcare also attempts to encourage people to care more about their well-being. As more and more people put their all into their careers, more people are also failing to put their health first. This results in cases where diseases get diagnosed late and are already in worse states.
What Are the Services That They Provide?
Different healthcare units provide various services tailored to the perceived needs of the residents in a specific community. General wellness programs are usually conducted, but other more specific services can be given depending on the state of the public. These are some of the common ones that everyone can avail themselves.
Counseling
Putting weight on mental health is part of the mission of health providers. Some will conduct talks and lectures to show people the importance of taking care of one’s mental needs, but actual consultations can be done privately with an expert o the topic. Counseling is done to help people with a range of struggles. This may include health counseling on emotional and physiological stresses and other personal problems on family, self-esteem, and identity.
General Health Checkup
General health checkups are the most common services that you can find in community healthcare drives. Most will have a variety of professionals with broad expertise to assist a range of health issues, but some will also have more specialized professionals for other cases. These checkups will typically involve knowing your medical history to provide you with a more accurate diagnosis and checking your weight and diet to assess your lifestyle. They will then proceed to do basic tests like taking your blood pressure to avoid heart diseases and other invisible problems that may be symptoms of more severe health threats. They will also alert you of the risks of having these conditions and give you helpful advice to maintain your health as stable as possible.
Dental Checkup
Dental checkups can also be a part of community healthcare. Visits to dental clinics are usually more expensive than visits to other medical facilities, but dental appointments are also crucial as oral health can give us a glimpse into our overall health. As part of community healthcare, dental checkups can be more accessible to the underprivileged. They will be able to afford the basics and think about their options after being evaluated. This will give them more insight into their oral health instead of ignoring it entirely.
Senior, Disabled, and Pregnant Care
Community healthcare will also cater to the more delicate conditions of the elderly, disabled, and pregnant women. Priority will be given to them as they are more vulnerable to possible diseases in the area. Full health checkups may be done, especially for seniors, as their bodies will need to be maintained to prevent natural diseases or the worsening of already present problems. People with disabilities may benefit the least from a community healthcare program but can still be accommodated when specialists are around to examine them.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation services may also be offered to help people dealing with addiction. Some of the most common rehabilitation programs in this kind of health service are for alcohol, drug, and smoking problems. Medical professionals can help them break these habits using tested methods that primarily involve changing their lifestyles. But patients will have to make regular visits to let the experts monitor their progress and keep them on track until they have completely let go of their vices. Other cases that can also be rehabilitated in these centers are physiological difficulties for seniors and the disabled.
All in all, community healthcare is there to help those that have limited access to health services. They aim not only to reach out by serving but also by educating the people about the health risks that every one of us faces in our present condition. But community healthcare may not be enough to keep us in great health for a long time. To treat more serious problems, specialists are needed. These experts use more advanced and more effective practices and equipment, making their services more costly. But having community healthcare is already a step in the right direction to ensure a safe and healthy society.
