A Windshield Survey is a collection of subjective personal observations. It is your personal observations on what you see and experience in a specific environment. Sentinel City® and Sentinel Town® provides you with a safe way to immerse yourself in several different types of neighborhoods, from the safety of your home or office. For this windshield survey, you will tour the community, record your observations, and submit a written response that addresses the specific items listed.
Sentinel World –Windshield Survey
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Sentinel Windshield Survey
Introduction
This paper will look at a community health assessment of Sentinel City, a virtual city. The information was collected by touring the virtual city on a bus and foot in some instances. The city is subdivided into several districts which vary in income, population, and quality of living. The four districts are Nightingale Square, the Acer Tech Center, Caster Park District, and Industrial heights. The four districts vary in terms of race composition, appearance, and resources. The city has various resources that range from social, recreational, health to security resources.
Windshield Survey
The Nightingale Square bus is well maintained and clean. The buildings are made of concrete and bricks. The area has well-developed roads and railway transport. The city has trees and other open and green spaces which make the environment appealing. Several eateries are available such as restaurants where the residents can socialize and access foods. The area has a gymnasium, dental health office, a pharmacy, beauty and tattoo parlor, gas station as well as convenience stores (Sentinel City, n.d). The square has a recreational center where people can engage in physical exercise and socialization. There is also a grocery store providing access to goods.
Acer Tech Center has concrete and brick buildings. The area is clean and green with some green grass and shrubs notable around the City Hall and along the streets. The streets are busy with people on bikes and foot. Security is also enhanced as police officers can be seen walking on the streets. Besides road transportation, there is railway transportation which acts as a supplementary mode of transport for the residents. The area has restaurants, a city hotel, a coffee shop, a barbershop, and a large farmer’s market that provides access to fresh farm produce. There is a group of protesters around the city hall carrying banners.
Casper Park District on the other hand is an area whose buildings appear old and made of brick. The area is crowded and untidy with heaps of trash visible on the corners of the buildings. Some of the notable businesses include a coffee shop, a bookstore, a doughnut shop, check cash areas, and several grocery stores. The area also has a daycare center (ABC Daycare) and Casper Senior Living Center. Other notable views in the area include graffiti, piled-up crates, stray dogs, and cats. Similarly, there are construction workers notable in the area. The area also has billboards advertising flu vaccines, fighting addiction as well as messages cautioning people against texting and driving. Pedestrians and motorcycles were also noted on the streets.
Industrial heights are characterized by brick buildings. The area has factories resulting in smoke rising into the sky. There is a fenced area that has hazardous material in barrels and there is also debris. Similarly, there is graffiti. There is a soup kitchen behind a church, a playground filled with children, and burning care which could be a result of gang violence. There are check-cashing stores and convenience stores with a notable absence of fresh foods. The billboards available advertise against teen pregnancy and smoking. There were also concrete barricades around the area.
Scavenger Hunt
From the Sentinel bus tour, the virtual city has many resources which if utilized well could support the health of the residents. For example, there are parks which if utilized well by the residents would support positive health outcomes such as healthy weight and positive mental health. The recreational department offers an educational program, food, swimming lessons, adult fitness, city sports, and gardening programs. The healthcare system provides medical care to different members of the society such as the elderly, children, adolescents, and adult population. City hall offers provides support services including offering resources to assault victims, legal aid, emergency funds, group, and individual therapy. The Better Clinic provides services such as contraception services, women’s health screening, and preventive services. The Soup Kitchen provides food to the low-income, the homeless, and the veteran population. The housing project provides housing for low-income families.
The simulation of the virtual city provided me with an opportunity to correlate wealth and the well-being of the community. Individuals living in well-up areas have better life opportunities such as better education opportunities, comprehensive health services, recreational services like the parks and gymnasium, and pedestrian lanes among others. Other factors like the availability of social support services like funding, and advocacy promote the population’s wellbeing and ability to cope. Healthcare professionals, therefore, need to be proactive members of the society to ensure that they promote the wellbeing of the populations while at the same time being change agents in the society. The Sentinel windshield provided me with the opportunity to experience disparities that exist in societies while at the same time exploring the opportunities that can result in positive healthcare outcomes. Healthcare professionals need to be active change agents in their communities to support communities achieve optimal health outcomes.
Reference
Sentinel City: Sentinel City. (n.d).