Chronic Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Chronic Illness - Essay Example With the fact that this is a serious problem in mind, it is important to take a critical look at some of the specific trend details, with particular attention to demographics and the state-by-state basis. This owes to the fact that different demographics is affected differently and states have diverse localized approaches to dealing with t problem, such as community health programs. Another important element to address includes the interventions that have been put in place in dealing with the problem as well as ways in which national and local policy impacts health care of individuals with chronic illness. This paper seeks to illuminate, among others necessary, the aforementioned issues and concepts. The basic definition of a chronic illness is one that cannot be cured, but can be treated. There is a wide range of them, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia and different mental health problems among many others. One would add that there are various ways in which chronic illnesses can be prevented because they are preventable. Apart from prevention, they can be managed effectively using frequent exercise, improvements in diet, therapy, and early detection (Chang & Johnson, 2014). Chronic illnesses occur throughout one’s life cycle, aggravating in old age. It has been noted that, over the last one decade, chronic diseases have replaced infectious diseases to become the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. In addition, their prevalence has been on the rise. In a report that was presented in 2011, based on a primary research study, it was noted that chronic illnesses have not only increased among older adults but has also led to an increase in disability and impairment cases (Hung et al, 2011). This study established that chronic diseases are increasingly affecting adults between