presentation

Conducting a Community Health Assessment Phase One – Defining the Community One population that can be used for a community assessment is a geriatric aggregate. Geriatric populations can be found in several different places in a community, including volunteer organizations, senior citizen centers, community activity centers, and nursing homes.

The following criteria must be clearly delineated before starting phase two of a community health assessment:

• Who is the specific population being assessed? • What is the role of this population within the community? • Does this community exist within a certain neighborhood?

o Are there geographic boundaries that separate this group from others? • Is the community limited to a specific setting? • Where is this group located? • Why is a community assessment being performed?

o What purpose will it serve? • When will the community assessment be conducted?

o Are there time limitations for completing the assessment? • How will information for the community assessment be collected?

o What resources are available to fund the community assessment?

Phase Two – Community Assessment After defining the community, the next phase is assessment. Some resources and methods are described here and in the other project documents. These items serve as a starting point. Other resources and methods may be used when a community assessment is conducted. Using a variety of methods is helpful when one is trying to discover the needs of a community. Monetary resources and time frame for completion may influence which methods are used.

A. Data Gathering - Collecting information that already exists When demographic data are collected, it is useful to collect data from a variety of levels so comparisons can be made.

If the population being assessed is located within a specific setting, it may be best to contact that agency to retrieve specific information about that population.

After data are collected from various sources, it is important to review the information and to identify assets and areas of needed improvement in the community by comparing local data (if available) with state and national data. This facilitates organization of the information that has already been obtained and provides direction for the next step of the process.

B. Data Generation – Developing data that do not already exist There are several ways to generate data:

• Windshield Surveys • Participant Observation • Informant Interviews • Surveys • Focus Groups • Secondary Analysis of Already Existing Documents

A description of each of these examples is in the document “Generating Data for a Community Health Assessment.”

C. Data Interpretation After the data have been collected, it is important to analyze the information to identify any significant themes or trends. This can be done by organizing the information that has been collected during data gathering and data generation.

Answering the following questions may assist in data interpretation:

• What similarities are apparent between the data that were gathered and the data that were generated?

• What differences are apparent between the data that were gathered and the data that were generated?

• What are the strengths and assets of this community? • In what areas is improvement needed in this community?