Class Descriptions

Policies and Services for Older Adults

SW644

Credits:	3
Prerequisites:	SW 530
Faculty Approval Date:	09/03/2014

Course Description

This course will examine social policies, problems, and trends in social programs and services for older people. It will focus major attention on the strengths and limitations of existing policies and programs related to health, mental health, income maintenance, income deficiency, dependent care, housing, employment and unemployment, and institutional and residential care. This course will provide a framework for an analysis of the services provided to older people. This analysis will include the adequacy with which needs are met in various subgroups of the elderly population and across core diversity dimensions (including ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation). It will also include proposals for change in policies, programs and services. Programs will be compared in terms of access to benefits and services provided to older people.

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Describe the evolution and organization of policies and services for older people in the context of the problems that give rise to the need for such policies and services. (Practice Behaviors 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)
2. Critique the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. social service delivery system for older people. (Practice Behaviors 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)
3. Identify the problems facing the development of services for older people and suggest approaches to address these challenges. (Practice Behaviors 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)
4. Identify criteria for assessing the success of programs for older people. (Practice Behaviors 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)
5. Critically evaluate alternative policies and services for older people with a special emphasis on similarities and differences related to human diversity and dynamics of oppression and privilege. (Practice Behaviors 4.IP, 4.SPE, 4.CO, 4.MHS, 5.IP, 5.SPE, 5.CO, 5.MHS, 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)
6. Discuss typical ethical concerns related to policies and services for elderly people. (Practice Behaviors 2.IP, 2.SPE, 2.CO, 2.MHS, 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)
7. Use a political economy framework to critically evaluate policies and services provided to older people in terms of such issues as privilege, oppression, diversity and social justice. (Practice Behaviors 5.IP, 5.SPE, 5.CO, 5.MHS, 8.IP, 8.SPE, 8.CO, 8.MHS)

Design

This course will include short lectures with discussions, student presentations, and guest lectures by expert policy practitioners. These lectures and presentations will address specific policies and programs/services for older people within both an historical and a contemporary context. Additionally, this course will include a field component in which students will engage in the process of assessing and understanding Medicare Part D. Their field and case study projects will require that they spend an unusual amount of time collecting information in the community; therefore, the instructor will allow time from class for students to spend in the field collecting data for field and case projects.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course includes social justice, oppression, and power relationships that have implications for social policies and services for elderly people. The "political economy of aging" paradigm, a social policy paradigm by Dr. Carol Estes and colleagues, is used to critically analyze policies and services provided to older people. The political economy of aging paradigm addresses the "interlocking systems of oppression' of race, class, gender, and aging," thereby, creating an excellent model for understanding oppression, privilege, and proposals for change.