My idea of a healthy community would be a community where the inhabitants have good overall physical health as well as good mental health. While we cannot get rid of disease, we can lower the rates of chronic disease.

A healthy community would provide a network for socialization, lower pollution, clean water, excellent and affordable primary care, and good schools. In these community's health promotion would be adopted by every community member and they would strive to maintain a lifestyle free from illness, injury and disease.

Healthy communities have a lot in common. These communities embrace the belief that health is more than the absence of disease, it includes the tools needed to allow people to maintain a high quality of life and productivity. These communities are continually evolving to meet the needs of their inhabitants and provide the healthiest lifestyle possible. They provide a healthy environment including clean air, clean water, proper sanitation, education and health promotion.

There are many different views on what the ideal healthy community is and how to obtain it. If I was providing care to a community that did not match my idea of a healthy community I would gather information, statistics, and data on the community to analyze how and where I could make changes and improvements.

(Maurer & Smith, 2013) Take for example you find that there is an increase in children's hospital admissions for asthma exacerbation. Say I found that the children suffering lived in homes where the families could not afford adequate air filters for their air conditioning units. I would look for grants or companies that would donate the right kind of filters to help these families keep their children healthier.

Maurer, F.A and Smith, C.M. (2013). Community/Public Health Nursing Practice. 5 th edition. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.