Table of Contents
Introduction
Heart disease is a condition prevalent among the elderly people and causes one in every four deaths. According to Arizona Department of Health Services, the risk factors for heart disease are hypertension, high blood cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, overweight, reduced physical activity and smoking. The increased exposure to the identified risk factors makes the elderly highly susceptible to the heart disease problem in Arizona. In essence, heart disease is a problem that causes many deaths, and adequate funding will facilitate research on risk factors thereby, leading to the identification of permanent solutions. Therefore, this study aims at identifying the prevalence of heart disease among the elderly population in Arizona. Furthermore, the research will identify strategies for reducing the risk factors hence preventing the deaths caused by heart disease.
Purpose of the Project
Primarily, this project intends to determine the risk factors associated with increased rates of cardiovascular disease among the elderly population in Arizona. For a long time, healthcare providers in Arizona have failed to identify a lasting solution to the challenge of heart disease, which continues to claim lives of many elderly people. Determination of the risk factors will lead to formulation of the best preventive and treatment strategies. Thus, the success of the project will provide a permanent solution to this health issue affecting Arizona.
The Target Population
This program aims at the elderly population aged above 65 from Arizona. Notably, the ageing population has weak immune systems that increase their susceptibility to many types of diseases. Thus, exposure to any identified risk factors increases their chances of acquiring heart disease. Evidently, the old population has high implications for hypertension, which causes heart failure. In addition, Blackwell et al. (2014) indicate that diabetes affects many aged people and contributes to high blood pressure, which leads to heart failure. Therefore, continuous accumulation of fats in the blood vessels leads to the formation of plaque, which causes the onset of heart disease. Lastly, the old population finds it difficult to access medical cover (Bui et al., 2011). In fact, only a few have the Medicaid insurance cover. Therefore, Bui et al. (2011) states that high costs for treatment makes it difficult for the elderly people with heart disease to access health care. Hence, addressing the identified issues will help in promoting the health of the target population.
Benefits of the Project
As mentioned earlier, the success of this project will lead to identification of a viable solution to heart disease problem facing the aging population in Arizona. Principally, the project will determine the prevalence of risk factors that lead to heart disease. For example, Go et al. (2014) states that identifying the factors leading to hypertension and diabetes will help in reducing the incidences of heart disease. Besides, this project will determine the physical activities suitable for the elderly population, which can assist in reducing weight and improving the blood pressure. Moreover, this project will promote healthy eating practices and other lifestyle behaviors, which can improve the overall health of the old populations (Go et al., 2014).
The Cost of Budget or Justification
Budget Plan
| Activity /Resources | Cost |
| Travelling | $2500 |
| Accommodation | $3000 |
| Food | $2500 |
| Laptops | $5000 |
| Stationery | $1000 |
| Indirect costs | $2000 |
| Total | $16,000 |
This budget presents the estimated total costs for the project. To start with, traveling within Arizona will require high transportation costs depending on the selected region. The major focus is in cities such as Phoenix, where elderly people from mixed cultures live. Besides, it will be costly to travel to rural regions where most of the elderly populations reside. Next, the study will require spending much time away from the hospital. Hence the study team will need food and accommodation. Lastly, collection, analysis, and storage of field data will require stationary and laptops, which are also expensive to acquire.
Evaluation of the Project
Evaluating the project will consider three factors. The first one is a reduction of the identified risk factors. The second factor is reduced incidences of heart disease in the defined population. The third and last factor is a decrease in the costs for treating heart disease in the elderly population. It is important to note that adherence to exercising programs and consuming healthy diets are the only factors that can lead to positive health outcomes.
Conclusion
Heart disease is still the leading healthcare problem facing the elderly population in Arizona. Nevertheless, it is easy to identify a viable solution by funding several research projects. For this reason, this project aims at identifying the risk factors associated with the prevalence of heart disease among the senior citizens in Arizona. The project is beneficial in that it will lead to the identification of strategies that can reduce risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and reduced physical activity. Therefore, due to expenses such as travelling and accommodation, the estimated cost for this project is $16,000.
- Blackwell, D. L., Lucas, J. W., & Clarke, T. C. (2014). Summary health statistics for US adults: national health interview survey, 2012. Vital and health statistics. Series 10, Data from the National Health Survey, (260), 1-161.
- Bui, A. L., Horwich, T. B., & Fonarow, G. C. (2011). Epidemiology and risk profile of heart failure. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 8(1), 30-41.
- Go, A. S., Mozaffarian, D., Roger, V. L., Benjamin, E. J., Berry, J. D., Blaha, M. J., … & Fullerton, H. J. (2014). Heart disease and stroke statistics-2014 update. Circulation, 129(3).