Continuing Case

Carter Cleaning Company

Written and copyrighted by Gary Dessler, PhD.

The New Safety Program

Employees’ safety and health are very important matters in the laundry and cleaning business. Each facility is a small production plant in which machines, powered by high-pressure steam and compressed air, work at high temperatures washing, cleaning, and pressing garments, often under very hot, slippery conditions. Chemical vapors are produced continually, and caustic chemicals are used in the cleaning process. High-temperature stills are almost continually “cooking down” cleaning solvents in order to remove impurities so that the solvents can be reused. If a mistake is made in this process—like injecting too much steam into the still—a boilover occurs, in which boiling chemical solvent erupts out of the still and over the floor, and on anyone who happens to be standing in its way.

As a result of these hazards and the fact that chemically hazardous waste is continually produced in these stores, several government agencies (including OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency) have instituted strict guidelines regarding the management of these plants. For example, posters have to be placed in each store notifying employees of their right to be told what hazardous chemicals they are dealing with and what the proper method for handling each chemical is. Special waste-management firms must be used to pick up and properly dispose of the hazardous waste.

A chronic problem the Carters (and most other laundry owners) have is the unwillingness on the part of the cleaning/spotting workers to wear safety goggles. Not all the chemicals they use require safety goggles, but some—like the hydrofluoric acid used to remove rust stains from garments—are very dangerous. The latter is kept in special plastic containers, since it dissolves glass. The problem is that wearing safety goggles can be troublesome. They are somewhat uncomfortable, and they become smudged easily and thus cut down on visibility. As a result, Jack has always found it almost impossible to get these employees to wear their goggles.

Identify the information hub and topic selected. Provide a summary of the practice problem.

I have selected the center for disease control (CDC) for the discussion. In this discussion, the practice problem will be diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by high blood glucose levels. It is among the major chronic illnesses causing high mortality and morbidity, commonly in the elderly population. Diabetes affects people of all ages and can be caused by several factors, including lifestyle and genetics. Lifestyle issues associated with diabetes include lack of physical; activity, unhealthy eating, eating foods rich in 'bad' fats, which may cause obesity and, consequently, diabetes. Alcohol abuse is another lifestyle feature that also may cause diabetes. A less common cause is the genetic composition, whereby certain mutations or specific genes may lead to diabetes.

Diabetes has two main types, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is a condition whereby the islet cells responsible for producing insulin are destroyed, and therefore no insulin is produced. This is commonly due to an autoimmune reaction. In type 2 diabetes, there is either inadequate insulin production or the cells are not responsive to the insulin produces. A minor type of diabetes is gestational diabetes, which occurs in pregnant mothers who have never been diagnosed with diabetes.

Compare and contrast national and state levels of data. Use the state of your residence as a basis for the comparison.

            According to the statistics, there is not much difference between the people who are aware or not aware of their blood glucose status. Both national and state data on the ratio of the individuals who are prediabetic and diabetic concur. This justifies that many people do not know their status regarding blood glucose levels. Therefore, they are diagnosed at the point where the disease can not be managed wholly non- pharmacologically, like nutritional and exercise therapy. From both national and state data, type 2 diabetes is most common. Although it can be prevented when detected early, since patients do not reach health screening and checkups, the condition remains undiagnosed until too late (CDC, 2020).

Describe how data from your home state compares to data from other states.

            Since data varies from population to population, diabetes is pronounced in states like Indiana, where the health services are not accessible to the population. Comparing other states, type 2 diabetes remains the major diabetes type for all states, accounting for about 90% of all diabetes cases (CDC, 2020). In Florida, the prevalence of diabetes is lower since people have access to health screening services and they can afford to pay for continuous health checkup. This ensures that people at risk of diabetes are identified and managed appropriately. Also, in all the states, the elderly is more affected, leading to higher mortality and morbidity related to diabetes.

Describe the impact of the organization or intervention to improve outcomes.

            An appropriate intervention to reduce the rate of disease development would be to create an awareness program that could be community-based. To teach the community the importance of health screening concerning diabetes (McElfish et al., 2019). In conjunction with this, health screening services should be made available to all people at an affordable fee to ensure that health coverage is achieved. Implementation of this intervention could help in the early detection of abnormal blood glucose before it gets worse. This information is therefore used to manage the patient appropriately. Identification of various requirements for the patient will also be identified, and healthcare professionals will be able to provide competent and evidence-based care to the affected individuals. The provision of affordable and accessible health care services to address diabetes will help to reduce diabetes cases since the individuals will be willing to obtain health screening after adequate education.

Share your professional experience related to the topic.

During my nursing practice, I have observed the same statistics. I discovered that type two diabetes was more common than type 1 diabetes. With several aggravating factors, the major one is bad nutrition, comprising of unhealthy fats. This could be linked to the cultural view of an obese or a big person as wealthy or of a higher social rank. Lack of physical activity was also a reason for the occurrence of diabetes. I also observed that many patients with prediabetes and diabetes were not aware of their condition. This worsened their condition to the extent that they could be managed without pharmacological intervention.

References

Diabetes | Social media | Resource center | Diabetes | CDC. (2020, February 13). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/socialmedia/infographics/diabetes.html (Links to an external site.)

McElfish, P. A., Purvis, R. S., Esquivel, M. K., Ka‘imi, A. S., Townsend, C., Hawley, N. L., ... & Kaholokula, J. K. A. (2019). Diabetes disparities and promising interventions to address diabetes in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations. Current diabetes reports, 19(5), 1-9.

EDUC 543

Case Study Analysis Assignment Instructions

Educators work with families from diverse backgrounds. In order to develop an in-depth appreciation for the differences among the families of our students, it is important to consider how we might respond to real-life situations. Case studies provide opportunities to analyze and address difficult situations outside of the classroom in order to prepare educators for the realities and challenges of teaching.

For this assignment, you will review an assigned case study and write a 400-500-word essay in current APA format that contains three sections, which address the following components:

1. Identify the key issue or issues in the case study.

2. Recommend a plan for developing and/or maintaining a positive working relationship with the parent featured in the case study, and supporting the child of that parent, who is a student in your class or school.

3. Provide a rationale for the plan you have chosen.

You must include at least one citation from your textbook and at least one citation from another scholarly resource in this assignment. Resources should be listed on the reference page in current APA format.

Culturally Specific Child-Rearing Practices Case Study

It is the beginning of a new school year, and you are holding an open house for parents in your classroom. The mother of one of your students makes the following statement during your initial conversation:

Most enlightened African Americans who choose to recognize that racism exists can attest to the almost daily instances where we are treated rudely or in an inferior manner simply because we are black. Sometimes it happens at a store or a restaurant. Other times, itis at our children's school. Sometimes, it is blatant; other times it is subtle. But it is constant . ... I recall the first time I was aware of my mother being treated in a discriminatory manner. We were shopping for luggage in a local store . ... The sales clerk, after following us around in a suspicious manner for some time (another common occurrence), asked my mother if she were going to buy the luggage or not. He tried to rush her to buy it and refused to open it for her. She insisted that she would not buy "pork in the pig" (a statement that I came to understand later). Finally, the sales clerk reluctantly opened the luggage. To make a point, my mother did not purchase the luggage. I learned several things from this instance. First, insist on good service. Second, do not buy from businesses that treat blacks disrespectfully. Third, although my mother did not do this, I learned to discuss such instances with your children. My mother was too embarrassed to do this. It is a horrible feeling to be downgraded in front of your children. Fourth, I decided that I would not lose my temper like my mother did. I later learned to complain to a supervisor or write to the company. ... I have used what I have learned with my daughter, Stephanie. We have even devised typical responses, comments, and actions for these occasions. Many may think that such responses are petty or amount to overkill. I hardly think so. There is a wealth of evidence which suggests that fighting biases is necessary to counteract powerful negative messages that African American children receive. I want her to learn to stand up for what is right and I firmly believe that being treated fairly and with respect is a human right. (Tutwiler, 2017, p.64)

- Case 3B: Culturally Specific Child-Rearing Practices. This case study was extracted from the course textbook, Teachers as Collaborative Partners.

Neighborhood Watch Practices Case Study

It is the last day of school before a two week winter break. You notice that one of your students has been distracted and despondent all day. You call the student’s mother to express your concern, and she tells you the following:

I woke up at 5 this morning to the sound of a motor droning outside my bedroom window and flashing red and white lights reflecting along the wall. I got up and looked out the window and saw a fire truck, an ambulance, and four police cars parked across the street blocking the entrance to the alley. I threw my bathrobe on over my nightgown and went down the stairs . ... I stepped out into the morning. It was still dark . .. and . .. chilly. Across the street, two newsmen talked in low tones as they pulled their cameras out of their vans. "What happened?" I asked. ''There's a dead man in the alley, ma'am," the younger one replied. I was stunned, even though I had guessed already that there'd been a murder. A crowd began to gather, oblivious, it seemed, to the cold air, the early morning blackness and the drizzling rain, as they stared down the alley past the yellow ribbon to the bloody body that lay several feet ahead. "I need to see his face," I muttered to no one in particular. I was desperate to see if he was someone I knew, perhaps one of the kids for whom my home had been a haven when my children were growing up. I eased my way to the outskirts of the crowd and stood like a statue until I was sure no one was watching me . ... I took a deep breath and walked slowly toward the body, constantly looking over my shoulder, hoping to get close enough to get a good look at him before they pulled the sheet up over his face. A deep sadness came over me as I looked at the still figure of a young black man. He couldn't have been more than 19, maybe 20 years old. He was lying face up. His L.A. Raiders cap, soaked in blood, lay inches away from his head. The stiff, dark fingers on his right hand were frozen around a McDonald's paper cup as though he'd been struggling to hold onto it, and cold coffee spilled over his hand and onto the concrete. "Oh, Jesus," I moaned. And I began to weep. I wept for that boy's poor mother and for the mothers of the children who have died in wars they didn't plan. I guess I just mourned for all the mothers in this country, the only place in the world where young black men get blown away every day over a pair of sneakers, the wrong colors, or a cup of cold coffee. I stood watch over the body until the coroner finally pronounced him dead and took him to the County Morgue. Then I went home and filled a pail with water and got myself some rags. I went back out into the alley, got down on my hands and knees and I scrubbed and scrubbed until all the blood that the rain hadn't washed away was gone (Tutwiler, 2017, p.64).

- Case 4C: Neighborhood Watch. This case study was extracted from the course textbook, Teachers as Collaborative Partners.

Discipline-Practices Case Study

You are nearing the end of your summer vacation and you have just received your class list for the upcoming school year. You go to your school to start making preparations, and another teacher tells you the following story about the parent of one of the students you will be teaching in the upcoming school year.

Toni arrived at her son's middle school, belt in hand, and demanded a private room in which to whip the boy for not attending school. In her judgment, this reaction was supported by her views of the importance of education and what her actions must be to ensure that her children receive at least a high school diploma. She recounts the school's reaction to her desire to discipline her son this way: I proceeded to go up there and they said, well Mrs. Howard, you can't do this. And I said, I can to, because it will be a cold day in hell before the cops brought my child in here (i.e., the school) on two good healthy legs for skipping school! (-Toni, a low-income single mother), (Tutwiler, 2017, p.64).

- Case 6A: Discipline Practices. This case study was extracted from the course textbook, Teachers as Collaborative Partners.

They Just Let Her Went Case Study

It is the fourth week of the school year, and you have been collecting data on one of your students who is struggling to make academic progress in your class. You call the student’s mother in for a conference to discuss your concerns, and during the conference, the mother tells you the following:

First she was in the second. . . and they passed, they let her went, they just let her went to third grade. . . . The man that was s'posed to been helping her . .. he say he doesn't like keeping kids behind .. . at the time I felt like she wasn't ready to go to third grade. . . . I was telling him she needs to stay in that grade . .. make her learn more . . . then she would know everything . .. but they say she'll pick up. . . . Her port card, evertime she got her port card, it was all Fs. I mean all of em. . . . She was still behind her grades and stuff, and she still is. She haven't move up none. . . They pass her to fourth grade, and why they do it, I don't know. (-Fern, single mother of three living in poverty), (Tutwiler, 2017, p.64).

- Case 8A: "They Just Let Her Went." This case study was extracted from the course textbook, Teachers as Collaborative Partners.