Community Health Worker, DDNHI
Reporting from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) continue to show the disproportionate number of infections and deaths from COVID-19 in those who are 65 and older. Neighbors and non-profit organizations are working to provide relief for our most vulnerable loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors.
Serving the community, one household at a time
At this time of isolation with many folks unable to get food or leave their homes, The West End Community Foundation is working on feeding seniors in the neighborhood. Debbie Royster is a Community Health Worker at Duke Population Health Management Office and is using the Neighborhood Compass to help them identify where to focus those efforts.
“I used the address of the organization and went under the domain ‘Demographics’ and selected the subcategory of ‘Retirement-Age Population.’
Comparing the percentage of the retirement-age population in different geographies, whether by census tract or blockgroup, allowed Ms. Royster to: 1) determine the areas with the greatest senior population, and 2) make comparisons to the County. This was the first step in helping her organization develop a plan to determine which neighborhoods to target.
Learning about your community
Debbie Royster, on using the Compass as both a tool for learning more about the communities she serves and for training others:
“As a Community Health Worker, I am currently working on a project Duke-Durham Neighborhood Health Initiative. I am presenting the Durham Neighborhood Compass to individuals, groups, non-profits, and for profit organizations. I ask for an address from someone within the group or the individual. I go through the different domains (ex. Civic Engagement, Demographics, Health, and Housing) highlighting how neighborhoods compare against the county and other neighborhoods.”
What can you learn about your community? And how can you turn this knowledge into action?
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