Health Care :: social issues

Health Care Within the health care arena there is a growing concern about the needs of the elderly. Families wonder if their loved ones are getting the proper care that they need With the growing costs of health care and the decreasing resources of primary care physicians it is feared that only the physical needs of the patient are met. Concerns rise about the social psychological and environmental needs or the elderly. A study by Barbara Berkman and associates tries to provide some answers to people concerned with this issue According to the study many people are not aware of the social services they may have available to them. Because of this, many elderly people are not getting the care they need outside of the physical care necessary to "live." It is felt that screening a patient for social or emotional needs is becoming increasingly important. The focus of this study was to devise a questionnaire to identify the psychological, social and environmental needs of elderly patients. Three hospitals from different geographic locations were chosen for this study. At each hospital a care coordinator was chosen to be responsible for questionnaire review, communication with physicians, and further assessment and intervention when deemed necessary. Lists of patients 65 and older were generated from the caseloads of primary care physicians from the three hospital sites. The questionnaires were mailed out with physicians cover letters and consent forms in the summer of 1993. In the questionnaire patients were asked to assess their self-percieved notions of there medical and psychosocial needs, as well as the level of their functioning. Upon reciept of the completed questionnaires the care coordinators from each hospital assess the results of the survey. Those patients assessed as being high risk received follow up phone calls. Depending on the situation, high risk patients were given information only, indirect referrals, or direct referrals. The findings for the study indicate that approximately 56% of all people surveyed were in need of intervention. The three highest relative risks for all three sights were: difficulty with food preparation, difficulty in doing house work, and difficulty getting around the home. All three hospital settings agree that patients who reported having problems in the survey were judged to need intervention more than those who did not report having problems. Although the study had good intentions, I feel the study was unclear in its objectives. The study was to design an assessment tool that would identify the psychosocial and environmental needs of elderly patients.

R.L Stevenson shows many opposites in the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

In the book Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde the two main characters are complete opposites. Dr Jekyll is a kind person however when he changes into Mr Hyde his attitude changes into a nasty, evil person. R.L Stevenson carries on the ‘opposites’ through the book keeping the readers guessing. The two doors to Jekyll’s house seem to be complete opposites. One is shabby and in a dark corner of a building which is described as a ‘sinister block’. By saying ‘it showed no window’ suggests that its dark and secrecy; maybe they have something to hide. The wall is described as discoloured and suffering negligence – lack of care and maintenance making it sound unattractive. On the door, the fact that there is no knocker or bell gives an unwelcoming feel and being described as blistered and distained would also make it appear uninviting. However the street, which the door lies on, is a contrast to what has just been described. The buildings in the street are described as ‘freshly painted shutters and well polished brasses’ making the whole street sound like it has an air of general cleanliness. In the First chapter, also ‘The Story of the door’ there is another opposite. This is between Mr Hyde and the young girl. It says ‘one little man .. stumping along at a good walk’ and ‘a girl of maybe eight or ten .. running as hard as she was able’ this is opposing because there are two different genders, ages and paces. In the chapter ‘Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease’ R.L Stevenson describes another opposite with Mr Utterson and the other people that had been to Dr Jekyll’s dinner. ‘In the man’s rich silence, after the expense and the strain of gaiety.’ This tells us that Mr Utterson is happy to be quiet, as the other guests that have left were quite loud and talked to him a lot. Also in this chapter and the following chapter, another opposite is the reaction and personality of Dr Jekyll. Speaking with Utterson, Dr Jekyll is put across as ‘every mark of capacity and kindness’, which makes him warm and loving, then in the incident of the letter he is rather shifty and reacts differently to Utterson that he did before. In the ‘Search for Mr Hyde’ there are two different characters in contrast, Dr Lanyon and Mr Utterson. For example it says ‘received his crowding patients’ referring to Dr Lanyon. This puts across to the reader that Dr Lanyon is a very open, friendly person, where as, as we can tell from the ‘Dr Jekyll was quite at ease’ chapter Mr Utterson is different, he is much quieter and would prefer to be on his own. Another opposite that R.L Stevenson puts in the book is in the chapter ‘The Carew murder case’. At the beginning of the chapter the setting is peaceful. ‘The details were few and startling’ this portrays that it was a very still, open night with only beautiful features. It describes a maid looking out of her window into the pretty night. Her views on the night we’re very optimistic and loving. ‘ She was romantically given’ by saying this it puts across to the reader that the night is quiet which would make it easy to think and by saying ‘romantically given’ puts across that she has romantic view on life. The scene then changes drastically. Before the night was calm but all of a sudden it transforms, much like the transformation of Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde. The night turns dark when Mr Hyde enters the scene. It was like a presence of evil had come into the lane. ‘The horror of these sights and sounds’ this describes what the maid saw Mr Hyde doing to the old man. R.L Stevenson shows many opposites in the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. These help to keep the reader thinking and to surprise the reader.

The Period in American History from 1781 to 1789

The period in American History from 1781 to 1789, when the United States was organized under the Articles of Confederation, was not characterized by a strong and effective government, but instead provided the framework upon which a more effective government could be built. The Articles of Confederation, since they prevented a strong central government from having power over states' rights, tended to create problems for a government that wished to rule with any amount of authority.This was particularly evident in the areas of foreign relations, internal discontent over tariffs, and political party struggles. While the United States was attempting to establish itself in diplomatic affairs, this became increasingly difficult to do since the federal government had little power when it came to tariffs and import duties, and also because it had no way of enforcing any agreement which it made with other countries. John Jay's Treaty with Great Britain proposed measures which would improve re lations between Great Britain and the U.S. , but because the U. S. was not a strong military power, it lacked the means to enforce the agreements of Jay's Treaty. A similar type of situation occurred when the U. S. tried to negotiate with Spain over the right to navigate on the Mississippi River. Because of the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation, the United States did not reach a peaceful settlement concerning the Mississippi River until the Pinckney Treaty of the 1790's.Political party struggles (or struggles between the beginnings of political parties) also tended to bring about disunity in the early government, thereby weakening its effectiveness. Rawlin Lowndes reflected the attitudes of the pre-Constitutional era in his speech to the South Carolina House of Representatives, when he stated that, rather than tear down the existing government and adopt a constitution, attempts should be made to improve the existing structure.Further conflicts over the n ature of the Constitution occurred between federalists, who supported a Constitution with provisions for a strong central government, and anti-federalists, who favored supremacy of states' rights. These conflicts added to the existing troubles of the government under the Articles of Confederation, thus making it even more difficult to rule effectively. Internal problems also existed in the area of land distribution, although these were solved fairly effectively by the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.The manner in which new lands acquired from Great Britain had been redistributed also caused an increase in the faith of the government between 1781 and 1789. However, internal struggles continued to exist. Tariffs that were passed between states caused internal friction for the new country and the lack of a unified monetary system brought additional problems. Since the government under the Articles was not given power to set up a sound currency system, or to e stablish a national bank, even greater disorganization prevailed.The founding fathers realized this need for a stronger central government and eventually organized at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to discuss the problem. Although they recognized the present government's weaknesses, they also saw that the basic structure of it was based on a sound principle and should not be done away with completely. Although problems continued to exist over questions like whether to have a national bank, the Founding Fathers eventually agreed that a Constitution and a strong central government would be needed if the government of the U. S. was to rule effectively.

Management and Group Essay

Reliable, Planning and organizing, resourceful, capable of making sound decisions with her job, not widely affected by emotions †¢How can understanding stages of group development and group properties help employees in a work group function more effectively? As a manager, how would you help employees come to that understanding? Understanding the stages of group development is very important to anyone involved in a group or organization. Understanding the stages can make for a healthy group because in order to perform well you need to have accomplished the prior stages before moving on. Understanding the stages of group development enables employees to work more effectively since results in a clear plan. The stages enable employees to work together as a group to finish the assignments that the company has. As a manager, I would sit down the employees and give them to bottom line. Typically when groups have an idea of the main goal or plan, the individuals come together to work towards that goal. †¢Although the optimal level of conflict can be functional, no conflict or too much conflict can be dysfunctional. What steps would you as a manager take to stimulate some degree of conflict when appropriate and reduce conflict when it is excessive? I would ask tough hard questions to stimulate a degree of conflict when it is appropriate. I would also use conflict in problem solving type training just to see how the employees react. Knowing how your employees react during stressful times is a great thing for managers to know. †¢What is the difference between a group and a team? Would your strategy be different for putting together a group than creating a team? Explain your answer. A group is a collection of individuals who coordinate their individual efforts. On the other hand, a team is a group of people who share a common team purpose and a number of challenging goals. Members of the team are mutually committed to the goals and to each other. This mutual commitment also creates joint accountability which creates a strong bond and a strong motivation to perform. Yes, my strategy would be different. I would have to try to get the group to work towards the same goal whereas a team is already doing just that. †¢In the article, â€Å"Conflict in Work Teams†, the author discusses several strategies for resolving group or team conflict. Which type of strategies seems to fit you best? Compromise is the type of strategy that best fits me. What criteria should you consider when determining the best conflict resolution strategy? I would get the employees to turn their anger around to interact peacefully and productively with their peers. Leaders learn how to conduct presentations, guide discussions, and help participants understand the purposes and pitfalls of anger and how to channel it into constructive and useful actions

Anthropology-African Religions

The roots of modern day Islam were sown a couple of centuries ago when the once proud Muslim empire began to be overwhelmed by expansionist movements dominated by European colonialists.This has led to a cultural turmoil in Muslim world who once used to live at the pinnacle of glory saw its silent burial with the meek subjugation of the Islamic Caliphate at the hands of mighty British army in early twentieth century. While a sizable section of the Muslims chose to follow the path shown by great statesman like Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, many continued to be festered by the wounds of humiliation.Now Muslims in many countries are looking to reassert themselves after a long period of humiliation and oppression, sometimes at the hands of foreigners and sometimes at the hands of their own leaders. Contrary to popular belief, Muslims are not a monolithic group, nor there is any centralized authority within Islam.The Islamic civilization from its birth has gone through debates and counter debates . Except for the Shahadah (God is one and Mohammad is his messenger) and the five mandatory duties (Hajj, Zakat, Roza, Namaz and Shahadah) everything else in Islam has been subjected to deep scrutiny and analysis with the result that many schools of thoughts kept appearing and disappearing.That is why contradictions are evident to people both inside and outside the Muslim community. The orientalists, the conventional authorities on Islam, have been accused of being essentialist and insensitive to the change, negotiation, development, and diversity that characterizes lived Islam.Some scholars, primarily anthropologists, have responded to the tendency to essentialize by giving up the idea of conceptualizing one â€Å"Islam† and instead have focused their inquiry on what they call various â€Å"local Islams.† Others have focused on sociological or political-economic approaches in explaining the modern forms of political and social activism among Muslims to the exclusion o f â€Å"scriptural† Islam from their analysis. (Anjum O., 2007)Islam was brought to Sub-Saharan Africa in the first place via the trade routes from the Arab countries and North Africa. The African Muslims have always maintained quite close links with the Arab world, from which a number of reformers came.But Islamisation was essentially carried out by Africans themselves, who shared the same life, spoke the same language, lived in the same cultural world entirely. There is no doubt that, for African Muslims,  «Africanicity » and Islam are in no way opposed. For them Islam is not an imported religion.For many, abandoning the Muslim religion is equivalent to the rejection of all their family and tribal traditions, so intermingled are the two socio-religious universes. One must conclude that Islam, in its traditional African form, is entirely a part of the African cultural heritage and thus an African reality. The long cohabitation of Islam with traditional African religion h as also had an effect at the cultural level.The African languages are in general languages with a concrete vocabulary, rather limited in the expression of more abstract realities or more developed reflections. With the Arabic language Islam has been able to fill a gap. Many African peoples, some scarcely touched by Islam, have borrowed a complete abstract, and especially religious, vocabulary from Arabic, with no more than the changes proper to the structure of each language.The relative success of Islam may be related to its compatibility with many aspects of African culture–for example, plural marriage for men, which was opposed by Christian missionaries. Nonetheless, Islam was also embraced because it provided symbolic identification with successful traders and travelers throughout the world, and it was seen as an alternative to European religion.Its agents were black, and it preached on behalf of those who lacked the trappings of Western civilization. These adaptations of local practices by the Islamists is not only unique in Cà ´te d'Ivoire, it has happened world over and plays an important role in shaping the thoughts and mind processes of the Muslims.

Calamitatum Of The Individual

Calamitatum Of The Individual Essay In the realm of critical thinking, Abelard undoubtedly ranked highly in his day. He was an expert dialectician, philosopher and theologian, and as a result led a movement towards individual thinking. He traveled a lonely path of individuality, and when his ideas were suppressed, he found different ways to express his individuality. The beginning of his life was marked by extreme personal freedom. As his journey through life continued, he found himself compounded with innumerable restrictions. The role of monk could not change Abelard, and his individuality brought him even greater misfortune. He may forewarn others against the risks of such extreme individualism, but his life clearly shows that Abelard thought his individuality was a natural part of him, a part that was as inseparable as his faith. From the beginning of Abelards Story of my Calamities he portrays himself as an individual. The as oldest child in his family his life was intended for a military career, but as he tells us, he abandoned Mars for Minerva, denouncing the popular and glorious profession of arms for that of learning. In writing this he shows his clever and distinct way of thinking by referring to dialectic, the art of examining options or ideas logically, as a weapon of war. I chose the weapons of dialectic to all the other teachings of philosophy, and armed with these I chose the conflicts of disputation instead of the trophies of war. (p. 58, ll. 7-9). This is remarkable for the son of a soldier to make such a choice even renouncing his inheritance and pursue only intellectual advancement. Leaving home, he traveled off to school in Paris. He was welcomed for a short while, but soon found disfavor with his teacher Champeaux, the grand master of dialectic at the time, by refuting his arguments and proving himself several times to be the superior in debate. This shows Abelards superior intellect at a very early age. This is no doubt a major reason for his individuality. One of his intellectual rank finds it hard to conform to others standards, and naturally becomes a spectacle when showing his skills. This early conflict caused Abelard to leave and start his own school. Unfortunately, he could not maintain it and had to return home. Years later he was teaching in Paris again, he tells us how pupils flocked to him from every country in Europe, a statement which is more than corroborated by the authority of his contemporaries. He was, In fact, the idol of Paris, eloquent, vivacious, handsome, full of confidence in his own power to please. As he tells us, the whole world at his feet. In the Story of My Calamities, he confesses that at that period of his life he was filled with vanity and pride. I began to think myself the only philosopher in the world, with nothing to fear from anyone, and so I yielded to the lusts of the flesh. (p.65, ll.13-15). The first part of this statement is a window into what made Abelard an individual. He felt that he did not have to follow the same rules that other people did because he was superior to them. The result was a man that did things differently, for better or for worse. The second part of that statement lead Abelard down his next path of individuality, the first to cause him physical pain. To these faults he attributes his downfall, which was as swift and tragic as was everything, seemingly, in his dazzling career. He tells us in graphic language the tale of how he fell in love with Heloise, niece of Canon Fulbert. READ: Daedalus Myth And Portrait Of The Artist EssayIn the midst of his exploits he met Heloise, and in the first time writing about her in The Story of My Calamities he describes her individuality. in the extent of her learning she stood supreme. A gift for letters is so rare in women that it added greatly to her charm and had won her renown throughout the realm. (p.66 ll.15-17). This shows that Abelard valued individuality highly in others as well as in himself. He arranged an agreement with Heloises uncle to educate her, and gained access to Heloise. Their relationship encompassed the maximum in personal freedom and experimentation. They had a premarital sexual affair of unparalleled proportion. The whole affair was entirely against the rules of society at the time, and was the culmination of the progressive pattern of freedoms, turned into the abuse of opportunity. Soon after Abelards individuality and superiority caught up to him. Heloise became pregnant, and Abelard could not successfully sidestep the ethics of society again. To appease her uncle, Abelard offered him satisfaction in a form he could never have hoped for: I would marry the girl I had wronged. (p.70, ll.6-7). In this offer, Abelard showed that he was out of touch, because to marry in secret was really just an insult, and he considered it a complement of the highest magnitude. As a result of this final insult, the uncle could not contain his rage any longer, and had Abelard castrated. This very profoundly caused him pain for the rest of his life. Then Abelard embarked down his last path, but still as an individual. He made the decision to become a monk. About this decision he writes, I admit that it was shame and confusion in my remorse and misery that rather than any devout wish for conversion which brought me to seek shelter a monastery cloister. (p.76, ll.15-17). Abelard is distinguishing himself from others by demonstration that while he made a choice that others had also made, he made the choice for special reasons, reasons that are different from anyone elses. Of course, as soon as he was positioned in this monastery, he started making waves with the head of the monastery, and doing things not expected of a monk: I applied myself mainly to the study of the Scriptures as being more suitable to my present calling, but I did not wholly abandon the instruction of the profane arts in which I was better practiced. (P. 77, l.31) This aroused the envy and hatred of the other heads of school against me. (P.78, l.5) It would seem that Abelards extreme individuality led him into trouble no matter where he turned, or what endeavour he undertook. When he did apply himself to religion, he got himself into more trouble than even he expected. In his most unpopular argument he says that even though there is only one God, God did not beget Himself, even though there is the Son, the Father, and the Holy Ghost. This sets off a multitude of enemies against Abelard, and is the beginning of a very bad reputation for him. He refuses to recant anything he has said, and is forced to his own book burned. This attack on his pride was the one to cause him the most pain. Abelard is harassed at every step by enemies, and eventually he moved to the wilderness. Abelard lived there in an oratory of weeds and thatch (p.88, l. 22), while other his peers surely would have thought of him as uncivil. This shows that Abelard really just doesnt even care what anyone thinks. Soon, many eager student appeared at the wilderness spot, and a school was eventually created. Being an irrepressible individual, Abelard titles the school controversial name of Paraclete as a way of reemphasizing his beliefs about God, causing enemies to attack him. He is again forced to leave for fear of injury or death. READ: Art Of Poets EssayHis refusal to conform to the certain norms of society was consistent even when his life was endangered. It comes to the point where he states, But now Satan has put so many obstacles in my path that I can find nowhere to rest, or even to live; a fugitive and wanderer, I carry every where the curse of Cain (p.102, ll.15-17). With standing all adversity Abelard proves himself definitely a true individual Through good times and bad, that is maybe his only constant. Even though in closing Abelard says, This is my experience all the time; a poor monk raised to be an abbot, the more wretched as I have become more wealthy, in order that my example may curb the ambition of those who have deliberately chosen a similar course. (p.104, ll. 18-21), it is painfully clear that the lone path of individuality was the only route for him.

Investment Apprisl Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Investment Apprisl Techniques - Essay Example I will prticulrly provide literture review of few contemporry theoreticl pproches to the issue. Recent reserch (Steier & Greenwood, 2005) hs shown tht the due diligence process is n itertive one, where the first step is to ssess whether proposl meets the investment criteri of the venture fund (e.g., with respect to the investment stge, sector, or mgnitude of the investment proposl) nd whether the proposl is vible t first sight. forml vlution of compny will only be performed when the proposl psses this initil test. Other economic gents hve to vlue compnies in other settings; e.g., investment bnkers hve to determine the introduction price of new compny on stock mrket or they hve to pprise tke-over cndidte. Finncil nlysts hve to ssess whether the stock mrket vlue of compny is significntly higher or lower thn its 'true' economic vlue, in order to decide when to sell or buy stocks. The venture cpitlist's vlution process, however, is likely to differ from the ones used for these purposes, becuse of the very different nture of the compnies they hve to vlue. Investment proposls, recei ved by venture cpitl funds, re often very risky, due to the erly stge of development of the compny, the lck of trck record of the compny, or the degree of innovtion of products or mrkets. Moreover, the compnies re not quoted on stock mrket, so publicly vilble informtion is limited. The present study sheds light on this neglected re through n exmintion of how Europen venture cpitlists proceed in this difficult tsk. The vlution of investment proposls is importnt for venture cpitlists becuse the vlue of the compny determines the proportion of shres they receive in return for their investment nd thus their ultimte return. It is importnt for entrepreneurs, too, becuse vlution tht is too low will led to n excessive dilution of their shre in the compny. Moreover, when entrepreneurs know how venture cpitlists vlue investment proposls, they re better prepred to dpt their business pln to the needs of investors. They will be ble to produce the required informtion nd to understnd the wy venture cpitlists use the informtion. The vlution process consists of three sequentil steps. First, informtion is gthered on the venture, its mngement tem, nd its future prospects. Second, this informtion is used to pprise the risk of the venture nd hence the required return on the investment, nd to estimte the (future) csh flows nd profit potentil. Finlly, one or more vlution method is used, which combines the elements of risk, return, nd profits or csh flows in order to compute the vlue of the compny. Becuse non-public compnies hve few legl informtion requirements, the gthering of informtion is more difficult thn with public compnies. Due to dverse selection nd informtion symmetry problems, this is nonetheless one of the most crucil phses in coming to decision. One of the most importnt sources of informtion is the business pln, which projects the future of the compny, together with historic ccounting dt (especilly the blnce sheet nd profit nd loss sttement), nd future ccounting dt (especilly csh flow forecsts). mit et l. (2003) point to the fct tht the mngeril trck record of the entrepreneur nd his or her fmilirity with the product nd the sector my provide some hints s to the future success of the venture. However, venture cpitlists fce importnt informtion symmetries with respect to compny-specific dt, since the entrepreneurs my disclose only wht they deem necessry in