B3 - Environmental factors that affect development Flashcards
Types of Environmental Factors that affect development
- Housing
- Access to Health Care
- Geographical location
- Pollution
How does Housing impact on development?
- Unhygienic - infections, cold, flu.
- Damp - Mould - asthma, allergies. = damage
- Unsafe - broken windows, unsafe staircase.
- cold weather - hypothermia - mainly affects older people as they’re unable to afford heating.
- lack of open space - no garden = no social opportunities. Might become overweight, limited social activity.
How does Access to Healthcare impact on development?
- corridor/hallway is too thin
- cobbles in the pavement
- transport to facilities
- no ramps
- broken lifts
How does Geographical location impact on development?
- taxi prices = expensive
- missing appointments
- missed bus - bus times
How does Pollution impact on development?
- Air pollution - effects on cardiovascular system, can cause respiratory issues such as: COPD, asthma.
- Sound pollution - struggle to sleep, rest and work due to distractions.
- Water pollution - infections & illness.
Define Pollutant. Name some Outside and Inside Factors of air pollution.
Pollutant - a substance that contaminates something such as air/water and it may be unsafe.
Outside factors:
- Chemicals from vehicle exhaust systems
- industrial emissions
Inside factors:
- mould
- cleaning products
Describe Poor Housing Conditions
(at least 3)
- Dampness (mould)
- Structural defects
- Overcrowding
- Poor cleaning, cooking facilities
- Drying clothes, indoors with poor ventilation
- Spread of infection through poor sanitation
- Lack of open green spaces.
- Deprived areas
- Vandalised, broken or misused playgrounds.
Name health impacts that may happen due to Air Pollution
- Respiratory disorders
- Cardiovascular problems
- Allergies
Define Respiratory disorders
Respiratory disorders are conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleura and pleural cavity.
Define Cardiovascular problems
Cardiovascular problems are described as any disorder or disease of the heart or blood vessels.
Define Allergies
Allergies are caused by irritants such as dust or pollen causing the nervous system to overreact.
Information about Respiratory Disorders
- Tobacco smoke, combustion products and air are harmful to the respiratory system.
- Respiratory disorders range from a runny nose or sore throat to conditions such as bacterial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and lung cancer
Information about Cardiovascular Problems
- Exposure to other chemicals that cause air pollution increases the risk of thrombosis and raised blood pressure.
- Exposure to pollution during pregnancy may be linked to the baby having congenital heart defects and cardiovascular disease in later life.
Information about Allergies
- Hayfever is a seasonal reaction to certain types of pollen.
- It can cause sneezing, watery eyes and a runny nose, lethargy and flu-like symptoms.
- An asthma attack causes difficulty in breathing as the airways (bronchi and bronchioles) become inflamed and constricted.
Name Respiratory Disorders
- Asthma
- COPD
What is asthma described as?
Asthma is a common lung condition that causes occasional breathing difficulties.
Symptoms of asthma
- wheezing
- breathlessness
- a tight chest
- coughing
Causes of asthma
- allergies
- smoke, pollution and cold air
- exercise
- colds or flu
What is COPD described as?
It is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
Such as:
- Emphysema
- Chronic Bronchitis
Symptoms of COPD
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent chesty cough with phlegm
- Frequent chest infections
- Persistent wheezing
What is COPD caused by?
- long term exposure to harmful fumes or dust.
- rare genetic problem that causes the lungs to be more vulnerable to damage.
What is Hypothermia described as?
Hypothermia is described as a dangerous drop in body temperature below 35°C.
Symptoms of Hypothermia
- shivering
- pale, cold and dry skin
- slurred speech
- slow breathing
- tiredness or confusion
Causes of Hypothermia
- Not wearing enough clothes
- Staying out in the cold too long
- Falling into cold water
- Have wet clothes and get cold
- Live in a cold house - older people living alone and particularly at risk.
How can living conditions cause Cardiovascular Problems?
- Children living in overcrowded housing tend to have problems with growth and have an increased risk of heart disease.
- Poor quality housing can lead to stress. - this then affects an individual’s blood pressure.
- High blood pressure changes and damages the artery walls + increases the risk of blood clots and strokes.
- Lack of exercise and poor diet lead to cardiovascular problems caused by lack of green spaces.
- poor living conditions develop unhealthy habits - smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol.
How can poor housing lead to anxiety and depression?
- Stress of paying bills.
- disturbed sleep due to worrying/fear of safety.
- anxiety of meeting the needs of a family.
- choosing poor lifestyle choices to control emotions.
- inability to concentrate.
- lack of privacy/independence.
- fear of crime.
- lack of light/heat can cause depression.
- feeling of shame
- bullying
What are the challenges to accessing health and social care services?
- transport
- opening times
- cultural and behavioural barriers
How does the local authority help to provide health and social care services?
- Transport
- Suitable opening times
- Financial support
- provide more support in schools and poorer areas.
- mobility support
- healthy living centres
Name Adult and Children’s Social Care services
- Housing
- Home care
- Benefits: financial support
- Residential care
- Supported living
- Day centres + Luncheon Clubs
- Children’s services
Name Health Services
- community health
- walk in centres
- paediatric care
- dental
- pharmacy
- maternity services
- mental health
- sexual health
- urgent/emergency care
- eye care
- home nursing
- chronic healthcare
What do both Health and Social Care services offer?
- advisory services
- advocacy
- discharge planning
- transport
- nursing home
- end of life care
- safeguarding
What makes travelling to appointments stressful?
- Having to financially pay for travel, parking, arranging lifts, publkic transport times.
- Living in remote areas means transport is often unreliable.
- Hospital car parks are very expensive - usually unaffordable for service users with regular appointments.
—-> appointments being cancelled, missed or rebooked. - This can have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of frail and vulnerable people or families with young children.
How could transport issues impact health and wellbeing?
- Health and deterioration
- Spreading of disease and/or illness
- Loss of money
- Reliance on others - family members. Then feeling guilty/a burden.
- Increased rates of anxiety and depression.
Why might some not have the same access?
1. Service Availability
- Specialist services or drugs are not available in some geographical areas.
- There may be restrictions on delivery or service opening times.
- Pressures on services because of increased demand, e.g. winter flu, may limit availability.
- Waiting times are affected by lack of availability of specialists and hospita! beds.
- Lack of public transport to take individuals to and from services.
2. Individual circumstances
- Mobility difficulties restrict physical access.
- Learning and/or communication difficulties can impact on a person’s understanding of and contact with available services.
- Sensory difficulties impact on a person’s ability to find out about and access services.
- Personal circumstances,
such as caring for others or working long hours, can make attending services difficult.
How can the inequality of access to the NHS be overcome?
- Extend GP hours
- Introduce more NHS walk in centres and healthy living centres and extend the NHS 111 service
Name the needs and requirements of particular services.
- They aim to promote an early intervention policy.
- Try to improve the health and well-being of young children and their families.
- Improving health and reducing poverty is important for preventing long term health problems and reducing the risk of premature death.
- Elderly/men/anyone of a certain religion or culture less likely to seek support.
What kind of people are unable to access services?
- Homeless people and vulnerable immigrants - whom are at risk of infectious diseases
- Some families are difficult to reach - travelling families or they don’t have English as a first language.
Reasons why people can’t attend GP surgeries
- caring commitments
- working long hours
- transport difficulties