Community Change Proposal – Walk Group Project in the Bay Shore Area

Community Change Proposal – Walk Group Project in the Bay Shore Area

According to the World Population Prospects 2019 Revision, the data indicates that by 2050, 1 in every six persons across the globe will be aged 65 years and above. This means 16% of the world’s population will be in the 65+ age bracket, a rise of 5% from 2019. By 2050, the populace in North America and Europe is projected to present 1 in 4 persons aged 65 years and over. In 2018, persons 65+ years, for the first time in world history, outnumbered children below five years. Again, by 2050, those aged 80+ will be thrice the current number in 2019: 426 million against 143 million, respectively (World Population Prospects 2019 Revision).

The United Nations Organization (n.d) reports that an aging population is set to be one of the 21st century’s significant transformations in society. The implications of these transformations will likely affect all sectors of the community, including financial markets and labor, goods, and services demand, such as social protection, transportation, and housing, as well as intergenerational ties and family structures  (UN, n.d). Further, the UN (n.d) asserts that elderly persons are seen as development contributors with their abilities to act for their betterment and that of their societies, which should be entwined in programs and policies at all levels. Countries are, in the coming decades, likely to encounter political and fiscal pressures on public healthcare systems, social protection, and pensions for elderly populations (UN, n.d).

Hence, it becomes necessary to delay the aging process and even increase the societal contribution of the elderly. The cry of the elderly could be like that of King David: ‘Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.’ Psalms 71:9 NIV.  When an economy has more elderly and fit people retiring later than they should, living healthier than they otherwise would, the burden on its society is reduced significantly. The need to culture a mindset of a healthy elderly society needs to start now for sooner and long-term benefits for the elderly themselves and the economy as a whole. By including the elderly in the activities and economic sector of Bay Shore, the project will be an act of reverence for God and, indeed, an act of worship: Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly, and revere your God. I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:32 NIV). This project proposes that it is possible to increase longevity and enhance the lives of the elderly populace in the Bay Shore area through a Walk Group community project.

Brief Profile on Bay Shore Populace

According to Data USA (n.d), in the Bay Shore area, 9.72% of the population lives below the poverty line. The most significant percentage of this category of persons is females aged between 45 and 54 years (Data USA, n.d). The 2014 healthcare spending per capita was $9,778, which was a 4.57% increase from the previous year (Data USA, n.d). The average number of patients seen by a primary care physician is currently 1202 per annum, up from 1199 the last year (Data USA, n.d.). Based on this information, it can be seen that there is a possible relationship between healthcare spending, the number of persons that become sick in a year, and the population living in poverty. This is a field for research beyond the scope of this current proposal.

The median age of the Bay Shore populace was 34.77 in 2017 (Data USA, n.d). Native-born citizens had a median age of 30, while foreign-born citizens were at 43. As of 2016, the average age of the populace in Bay Shore was 34 (Data USA, n.d). As of 2019, there were 3,294 elderly persons out of the 22,531 adults living in Bay Shore (Data USA, n.d.). The difference in age median among native and foreign-born citizens also poses an area for research concerning health problems. Studies show that different health conditions tend to affect different racial groups and at different frequencies. For example, the rates of blood pressure prevalence among whites and Blacks or Hispanics vary even across ages, as shown in various studies (Morenoff et al., 2007; Crimmins et al., 2007; Sorof et al., 2004; Geronimus et al., 2006).

The old-age dependency ratio in Bay Shore is 17.1. This ratio is the number of elderly persons aged 65 years and above against those working (15-64 years) (Data USA, n.d). This ratio is of importance to this proposal as it highlights the need for the elderly in the community to be less dependent on the working population. For this to be achieved, a shift needs to take place where more people aged 65 and above continue to work. Doing so will require a strategy to be put in place, and that will improve the health of the elderly and increase their productivity. This should be followed by creating a network where the rest of the community can access the elderly by approaching them for jobs and work opportunities.

Group Walks

Organized group walks have been found to improve mood, cholesterol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, among other health aspects in the walkers. Walking has minimal downsides. Research by Hanson & Jones (2015) showed that participants who joined group walks had improved lung power, better general fitness, and enhanced physical functioning. On average, participants body mass index and blood pressure, as well as other risk factor measures, improve with walking. Additionally, the researchers noted that participants of walk groups have a lesser tendency for depression, though other mental health conditions’ effects were not apparent. Lastly, the authors noted that 75% of participants remained loyal to their walking groups in the course of the studies.

Proposed Community Change

The proposed community change is the creation of a walk group project in the Bay Shore area. As mentioned earlier, the average age of Bay Shore dwellers is 34 years. This means in a few years, those above 40 years will form a more significant proportion of the community. This proposal suggests that the current work of the author will initiate the project. The organization will provide the necessary human resources to begin the change with the expectation that other volunteers will join in. The initial manpower required involves fitness experts, nurses, and doctors as well as other subordinate staff. The organization will spearhead the community change and will request the backing of the public health department and other local officials. The walk group project will create a healthy and safe place for the elderly in the community to exercise, gather, and socialize. To get stakeholders and participants on board, the project will pitch on “each person will eventually get old; it is how one chooses to get old that can be changed.”

Purpose of the Community Change Project

1. To create a fun and healthy way for the elderly in the community to keep fit and increase their longevity.
2. To bring businesses and the community together. Companies will, in the future, be requested to fund the project through sponsorship. For example, the shoe and apparel business could be requested to sponsor the walk group team with suitable apparel for walking.
3. The walk group project hopes to inspire others in the community to walk for better health and, thus, create a healthy community.
4. The walk group initiative will hopefully steer the community to better care for their elderly and realize the latter’s purpose to the community.
5. The walk group setting will be a great place to network among community members. Some older adults can still be productive, and networking with others during the walk can provide job and income-earning opportunities for them.
6. Older people often feel lonely and ignored. The walk group project will create a place for friendships and relationships to be commenced and nurtured.
7. The walking group automatically creates a shortcut for marketing teams for various businesses. If a company has a new product or would like to test out a new product, passing out this information via pamphlets, banners, etc. to the walk team members will be much easier.
8. The walking group will provide a solid ground for research studies for any healthcare professional seeking to understand the effect of walking groups on the health, well being, and longevity among the elderly.
9. Other benefits are likely to emerge as the change takes root in the community.

In conclusion, the Lord promises to take care of each one of His faithful in their old age: Isaiah 46:4 NIV ‘Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.’ It is our duty as the younger members of the body of Christ to carry out God’s purpose of caring for the elderly. The youth are called to carry the elderly even as they would one day need to be carried. The community project will allow the elderly to interact with the younger generations and in this, have an opportunity to regain their self-worth.

References

Crimmins, E. M., Kim, J. K., Alley, D. E., Karlamangla, A., & Seeman, T. (2007).  A Hispanic paradox in biological risk profiles. American journal of public health, 97(7), 1305-1310.

Data USA (n.d.). Bayshore, NY. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/bay-shore-ny

Geronimus, A. T., Hicken, M., Keene, D., & Bound, J. (2006). “Weathering” and age patterns of allostatic load scores among blacks and whites in the United States. American journal of public health, 96(5), 826-833.

Hanson, S., & Jones, A. (2015). Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med, 49(11), 710-715.

Morenoff, J. D., House, J. S., Hansen, B. B., Williams, D. R., Kaplan, G. A., & Hunte, H. E. (2007). Understanding social disparities in hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control: the role of neighborhood context. Social science & medicine, 65(9), 1853-1866.

Sorof, J. M., Lai, D., Turner, J., Poffenbarger, T., & Portman, R. J. (2004). Overweight, ethnicity, and the prevalence of hypertension in school-aged children. Pediatrics, 113(3), 475-482.

United Nations (n.d).Ageing. https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/ageing/

World Population Prospects 2019 Revision. https://population.un.org/wpp/ https://population.un.org/wpp/

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Whether you will be writing a business plan, a community change initiative, a project management plan, or a research paper, the concepts presented here apply. The business plan question will be about a product or service and basically how it can impact its world through the business you plan (see more below). If you choose to do one of the other types of projects, thoughts about developing your research question are fleshed out here.

Walk Group Project in the Bay Shore Area

Develop a research question that:

1) You are personally interested in and

2) that is focused and manageable.

It is important to work on something that you are personally interested in or care about so that you will be motivated to complete the project and use the results in your organization or community. It is also very important to narrow the focus of your research topic and your paper. Researching a broad topic such as “business management” is difficult since there may be hundreds of sources on all aspects of business management and since your time and other resources are limited. On the other hand, a focused question such as “What are the pros and cons of Japanese management style?” is easier to research and can be covered more fully and in more depth. Examining relationships and apparent effects that one variable may have on another is also an effective approach to your research question. For example, does a certain managerial strategy improve performance?

How do you develop a usable research question? Choose an appropriate topic or issue for your research, one that actually can be researched. Then list all of the questions that you’d like answered yourself. Choose the best question, one that is neither too broad nor too narrow. Sometimes the number of sources you find will help you discover whether your research question is too broad, too narrow, or right where you want to be.

If you know a lot about the topic, you can develop a research question based on your own knowledge. If you feel you don’t know much about the topic, think again. For example, if you’re assigned a research topic on an issue confronting the typical ancient Babylonian family, remember, by virtue of your own family life, you already know a great deal about family issues. Once you determine what you do know, then you’re ready to do some general reading in a textbook or encyclopedia in order to develop a usable research question. (Empire State College, para 2-3)

Thinking Ahead — About Your Research or Business/Project Plan Proposal

Your research project should be in an interesting and compelling area, and business plans also require a good amount of research, so these things apply there as well. Preferably your idea/topic would accomplish several things. First, it will satisfy the requirements of this course; second, it would hopefully apply to your own workplace but also be a general problem that many managers face; third, you could publish your paper should you so choose. For business plans, instead of “manager,” read “market,” which has a problem to be solved. The research question that you will seek to answer with your project (it is called a question. However, it is more of a statement) should be focused and specific.

Note that the proposal part of your final project must be completed and submitted in Session 5 and serves as the “final” project for this course. You will be building the various sections for your proposal session by session in this course.

Refer to journal articles and do a Google search for examples of research questions. Search for journal articles using Summon, available via CCU’s Clifton L. Fowler Library . The staff at CCU’s library are very helpful and there is even a 24-hour “helpdesk” service if you need some guidance in finding the resources you need. You can find it on the library website link.

Below are two Gantt charts. The first one reflects your final project steps and rough timeline if you are choosing a research-oriented paper (including a community change initiative project) through this course. The second one reflects the steps and rough timeline if you are doing a business plan. Some of the steps will not apply to you in this project, but are left in to show where additional work might be called for depending on the project in question.