University Conjoint 413
Current Issues in Aging

Introduction

Gerontology has grown as an academic and career field in all industrialized countries, as more and more people survive beyond age 65. While this increase in the population of older adults represents a triumph of public health, disease prevention, and medical technology, it also raises critical issues for public policy in these countries. Social and health policies have expanded to fulfill the basic economic, housing, and health needs of this burgeoning segment of the population.

The increased number of elders in the United States and resulting policies has created new career opportunities for people who are interested in working for and on behalf of older adults. One of the dilemmas faced by many families is the need to care for an elderly relative at home. There is a growing need for employer-supported eldercare benefits, flextime, and alternative models of informal caregiving that supports both elders and their family caregivers. Social and health policies must address structural changes in families, employment, and retirement. The aging of baby boomers will also place demands on current policies because of the sheer numbers of this cohort, as well as the cultural values they bring with them that differ from those of earlier cohorts.

These dynamic societal issues require constant re-examination of public policies, making modifications and even discarding them as needed. This course will address the implications of these population changes for career choices, public policy and its need for flexibility, and the need for alternative models of long-term care. These are critical issues that will need to be addressed if society is to enhance the quality of life of current and future cohorts of older adults.

Course Objectives

When you have completed this course, you will be able to

• describe population trends at work in the United States and other developed nations that have significant societal implications for care and management of elders;
• demonstrate proficiency in the use and critical assessment of resources related to aging available on the World Wide Web;
• describe trends in career development in the field of aging including preparation required, funding, and social arenas in which these new careers are emerging;
• evaluate selected public policies (local, state, federal) that aid or hinder social and health programs for an aging population;
• demonstrate an understanding of the issues underlying the continuing development of long-term care models, including privatization versus public funding, impact on family caregivers, autonomy versus dependency of care recipients in the selected models; and
• evaluate the issues involved in different policy approaches to providing long-term care for chronically ill persons across the life span.

Scope of the Course

Current Issues in Aging examines several major aspects of concern to persons interested in the field of aging.

Lesson One

The course begins by examining the demographics of aging in the United States. These will be compared and contrasted with trends for selected developed countries as well as several Third World countries. There has been both a rapid escalation in the number of persons 65 and older in the population, and most especially, a continuing increase in survivorship of persons 85 and older (the "oldest-old"). In 1900, persons over 65 years accounted for four percent of the United States population. Data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1997) indicate that this number has swelled to 12.8 percent, or an eleven-fold increase compared with a mere threefold increase in the number of persons under age 65. Predictions based on the aging of the baby boom generation indicate that these numbers will begin to rise sharply after 2010, so that by 2030 the number of persons aged 65 and older will account for a 30 percent growth in this segment of the population to 69 million.

Lesson Two

In response to the changing demographics noted above and the growing needs of this population, a range of career opportunities has burgeoned over the past 10 to 15 years. Lesson Two will focus on careers in aging. These will be explored in depth through readings and descriptions of persons in different gerontological careers.

Lesson Three

The third lesson addresses use of the World Wide Web to conduct literature searches in the field of aging. If you're not already adept at using the Internet to conduct such searches, you will be expected to engage in a self-paced tutorial or take a class that teaches strategies to help you make best use of the Internet. Such tutorials are widely available in public and college libraries; classes are also offered for little or no cost in most libraries as well. In addition to learning (or sharpening your skills in) use of the Internet, you will use a model for evaluating the format and content validity and reliability of selected Web sites.

Lesson Four

The fourth lesson will focus on public policies that have influenced the development of programs and services for older adults, societal attitudes about what should and should not be provided, as well as the impact of the aging network on public policy development and funding. A general introduction to the concept of public policy, the factors that affect its formulation, implementation and termination will set the stage for examination of specific public policies at the national, state and local level. Course packet materials include an outline of this process.

You will have the opportunity to explore several of the social issues that have been addressed through public policy development at the national level, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Major programs such as these have had a profound effect on the quality of life of older Americans. They have provided a sense of hope for the future in all Americans, especially those who are caregivers to frail elders, but they have also become an increasingly larger share of federal expenditures. Current plans to reform Social Security through privatization and of Medicare through expansion of prescription benefits will also be evaluated. Variations in public policy programs (entitlement, age-based, needs-based, etc.) will be explored.

Lesson Five

The fifth and last lesson addresses the continuum of long-term care (LTC) through an exploration of the different LTC options available to seniors and their families. Of special interest will be an analysis of funding sources and needs and the ramifications of these different options for different segments of the population. Projections for changes in the delivery of LTC will be addressed for the United States. To some extent, we will describe developments in LTC in other industrialized nations.

Required Technology and Skills

In addition to the technology requirements and skills noted in the Online Student Handbook, for this course you will need access to a videocassette player in order to view the required videos for this course.

To Get Help

Follow the Help links you see on the left side of your screen. The information you find there can help you solve most of the problems you may encounter with UW Online.

If you still need technical help with UW Online while you are taking this course, go to the top of your online course syllabus and click on "help information."

About the Online Environment

Your online course offers several advantages to the traditional classroom, including the comprehensive Online Student Handbook, the ability to communicate electronically with students and with your instructor, and links to a rich array of online resources.

Online Student Handbook

This handbook answers questions about your online learning course, such as how to purchase your text, schedule an exam, obtain a transcript, and get technical help if you need it. The handbook also provides additional resources, such as how to order books or journals from the library and how to study for an online course.

Communication with Your Instructor and Student Peers

• Online Discussion Forums, designed by the University of Washington award winning Catalyst team, allow you to communicate with other currently enrolled students and with your instructor. We encourage you to use the discussion forum to exchange ideas, resources, and comments about your course work with other students in this course. This unstructured forum is monitored by your instructor.
• You can use e-mail to ask me a question or preferably post your question on the discussion forum. I will reply to all discussion forum questions on the forum, and to e-mail questions via e-mail.

Online Resources

As an online student, you have access to a wealth of Web resources compiled to provide fast, easy access to information that supports your online learning experience. Organized by subjects, Online Resources link you to sites with help for writing and research, study skills, language learning, and library reference materials. All links have been assessed for credibility and reliability, and they are regularly monitored to ensure their usability.

About the Readings

Several reading assignments augment the materials included in the five lessons described above. You'll receive these reading materials in the mail after you register for the course.

You'll read several chapters from Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. This book discusses how age-related changes in the biological, functional, and psychological domains can influence the older person's interactions with his or her social and physical environment. It gives attention to differences by age, gender, ethnic minority status, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class.

Careers in Aging: Opportunities and Options is a booklet designed by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education for upper-division undergraduate and graduate students and adults considering a career change. It addresses questions such as: What are the implications of an aging society for employment of professionals? What does it mean to work in the field of aging? What types of jobs exist for gerontological specialists? What kinds of education programs are available? What should you look for when you select a gerontology or geriatrics education program?

About the Videotapes

Additional support materials for the course include two videos. The first of these was developed specifically for this course in conjunction with Professor John J. Madison, senior lecturer in Public Affairs at the University of Washington. He provides a generic overview and analysis of the processes involved in policy development, applicable at any level of government. In addition, a copy of Professor Madison's analysis is included in the course pack.

The second video, "Societal and Political Aspects of Aging," was developed at the University of Hawaii. This video is comprised of three segments. The first explains how the status of older adults corresponds to the resources they control, and explores the roles older adults play in the political arena. The second segment presents information on a number of social programs developed to meet the needs of older adults in the United States. The third segment focuses on long-term care. Because long-term care is so expensive and because the demand for it is growing, its financing is a major policy issue in the United States. You have two options for viewing this video. The video can be viewed online at the Annenberg/CPB Web site. You will be required to register at the site, but registration is free. For more information on viewing the videos on the Annenberg/CPB Web site, including technical requirements, go to http://learner.org/view_programs/view.programs.html. You can also rent the video from UWEO. See the Video Rental information in the Student Handbook for details.

In Lesson Four, you'll receive questions and suggestions to help you focus on the most important points of these videos.

About the Assignments

You will be asked to complete four written assignments for this course. See the course outline for a description of the assignments.

Specific information for each assignment is provided after lessons Two, Three, Four, and Five. In general, it is important for you to complete the readings, videos, and Web site reviews relevant to each assignment before embarking on the assignment. Support your statements with examples from the readings, videos, or Web sites. Be sure to include a "References" section which lists the relevant materials you cited in the text. You are free to use whatever format for references you choose. If you wish, you may use the Course References page on the course syllabus after Lesson Five as an example of how to format your references.

I will make every attempt to send you an e-mail commenting on your assignment within two weeks of receiving it. Please wait until after you have received my feedback before you submit the next assignment. In some cases, I will contact you if your assignment needs extensive revision to obtain satisfactory comments.

Assignment Guidelines

E-mail is the preferred method of submission. If you submit your assignments by e-mail, please follow these guidelines:

1. Send your assignment as an attachment to an e-mail, preferably as a Microsoft Word document.
2. Please include your name and student number in the e-mail message, and make sure that Current Issues in Aging, Assignment 1 (or the appropriate assignment number) appears in the subject line.
3. Your assignment should be double-spaced, with margins of at least one inch on all sides. Each paragraph should begin with an indent.
4. To determine length, make sure that when originally formatting your document you have used a 12-point font.
5. Please remember to keep a copy of your work.

If you submit your assignments by U.S. mail or fax, please follow these guidelines:

1. Your assignments should be typewritten, double-spaced, with margins of at least one inch on all sides. Each paragraph should begin with an indent.
2. Number your pages, even if you end up handwriting them.
3. Use typefaces that are 12-point. For dot matrix printers, please separate the pages.
4. Enclose the Assignment Identification Sheet that matches that assignment's number.
5. Please remember to keep a copy of your work.

How You'll Be Evaluated

The assignments have been developed to supplement your learning from the readings and videos by providing the opportunity for you to apply and evaluate the use of these materials for your particular interests and circumstances.

Your written assignments should demonstrate that you have learned the concepts that are the focus of that assignment. You should present your ideas in a clear, succinct manner, and avoid misspellings and grammatical errors.

Grading is based on a point system, with 100 points possible for the entire course. Below are the assignments and maximum points you can earn on each one.

Assignment 1	Your biography and ideal career trajectory	2-3 paragraphs	15 points
Assignment 2	Web search for a gerontological topic	3-4 pages	25 points
Assignment 3	Public policy debate in aging	3-5 pages	30 points
Assignment 4	Application of long-term care concepts and options	4-6 pages	30 points

How to Succeed in This Course

In order to succeed in this course, you will need to read all of the required materials, view the required videos, become familiar with useful and good quality web sites in aging, and complete and submit assignments following the directions you are given. If you have difficulty with completing any of the assignments for any reason, it is your responsibility to confer with me in a timely fashion so that adjustments or additional options might be considered.

About the Course Developer

Joan E. Bowers, Ph.D.

I received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1961 and a Master of Science in Nursing in 1962 from the University of Pennsylvania and received my family therapy training at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic under the supervision of Salvador Minuchin and colleagues. I hold a clinical certificate from the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and have maintained a small private practice in individual and family therapy. Prior to receiving my doctorate from Teachers College Columbia University in New York in 1978, I spent eleven years in clinical practice and in-patient psychiatric nursing administration in a large community mental health center and teaching hospital in Philadelphia. My funded research has been in couples interaction and in family interventions conducted by acute care nurses. In addition to these areas my publications also focus on loss of a parent and childhood grief as well as a number of book chapters on psychiatric nursing issues.

I spent ten years teaching psychosocial/mental health nursing and family therapy at the University of Washington. This was followed by a focus in university nursing program administration at University of Nebraska in Omaha, DePaul University in Chicago, Holy Family College in Philadelphia, and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. I retired from academic nursing in 1998

Following my retirement I enrolled in the Certificate Program in Gerontology and received my certificate in December 2000. I now serve on several advisory boards and also work as a volunteer with the Snohomish County (WA) Superior Court Guardianship Monitoring Program and with the Washington Talking Books for the Blind Library, where I do a weekly radio program entitled Disability News. The program is broadcast throughout the state of Washington on a limited access band by the Evergreen Radio Reading Service in Seattle. The remainder of my time is spent traveling, doing photography, and caring for a large flower garden in Lynnwood, Washington, where I have lived since my retirement.

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