Social Policies for Older Adults
How do you want to see your future? Imagine that it is 30-40 years in the future, and you are facing your aging process – what will that look like?
I would like to see myself looking less aged compared to my parents or grandparents at their current ages. This is because of advancements in biotechnology studies which have shown that stem cell rejuvenation is a possible mitigator to some of the physical by-products of aging. I also expect to benefit from new treatments and technologies designed to help me maintain functionality and mobility longer in order to live my life as I want and longer than it was ever thought to be possible. Do you need help with your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com.
The current opportunities or lack of well-being through the aging process
One of the main challenges facing the elderly is dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to this is the fact that most elderly people prefer to age in place, which further compounds the problem of patient safety (Hooyman, 2015). Currently, dementia and Alzheimer’s are forcing elderly people to live in situations such as nursing homes, as this is where they can access nursing care around the clock. However, technology can change all this by allowing patients to age in place. For example, motion sensors can be placed in a person’s home and can alert a caregiver in case the elderly person makes an unprecedented movement, such as waking up and leaving the bed in the middle of the night and failing to return. The technologies can help in balancing independence in a safe way for patients that have dementia.
Project older adult well-being 30 years in future considering policy, technology and life-space
The elderly adult’s well-being would benefit from genome technology advances. Currently, ongoing studies aim at developing computing techniques that are more powerful. These studies sift through the millions of variations of genetics to identify those that determine responsiveness to supplements, exercises, diets, and more (Morgan, 2014). These studies will be well advanced in the next 30 years or so and will provide information that can be used in recommending interventions that are optimal in prevention capabilities for individuals. It will be possible to provide genomic-based personalized guidance, which will have a significant impact on the perception that people will have of aging as well as the high cost of diseases that are age-related. Personalizing aging strategies will help identify the diseases that one is at the highest risk of developing and hence, develop more appropriate prevention methods.
The number of seniors is expected to reach 73 million by 2030; hence, society stands to benefit from their energies and talents (Morgan, 2014). However, this will call for strategic thinking and planning. The healthcare and housing systems are bound to be affected by the rapid growth of the senior population numbers. Thus, comprehensive public policies need to be developed to respond to these challenges to increase the supply of suitable and affordable homes for low-income seniors. One of the tools that can be used is the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. The taxing credit can be expanded dramatically and combined with an effort that focuses more on utilizing it to build and preserve affordable homes for adults in the low-income bracket. It will be more important to foster greater bonds of collaboration between the healthcare and housing fields because this will improve the seniors’ health outcomes, reduce the cost of medical care, and enhance their quality of life. In addition, a more engaged and healthier senior population will be beneficial to society.
Lastly, policymakers will need to create incentives for property developers investing in urban plans, landscapes, and buildings, to make it easier for healthy habits supporting successful aging to be adopted (Lepore, 2020).
References
Hooyman, N. R., Kawamoto, K. Y., & Kiyak, H. A. (2015). Aging Matters.
Lepore, M. (2020). Building a New Future in Politics and Aging. Public Policy & Aging Report, 30(2), 37-38. doi: 10.1093/ppar/praa008.
Morgan, R. C. (2014). What the future of aging means to all of us: An era of possibilities. Ind. L. Rev., 48, 125.
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Question 
Social Policies for Older Adults
Community well-being is a universal human concern that engages the young as well as the aging. However, as we age, the well-being of individuals shifts in need and the focus on policy, technology and where and how we live is often overlooked until the need is critical.
Social Policies for Older Adults
How we age and how we take care of the aging is a direct result of our values about individual versus societal responsibility and how the demographic, economic, and political context shapes the types of policies passed and the nature of eligibility criteria. We know the policy-making process is complicated by the fact that the older population is not one political constituency but several, in which race, gender, class, functional ability, sexual orientation, and rural/urban residence and may be greater influencers than age. As noted in your text – Although public spending for older adults has increased in terms of total dollars, it has declined when measured as percentage of the gross national product. More importantly, older adults and their families now spend more on health and long-term care than they did before the passage of Medicare and Medicaid. Autonomy and dignity as we age is a convergence of policies and social interventions that involve individual responsibility as well as community awareness and the willingness and ability to act. Gerontology as a field is at the front of this challenge by translating gerontological research findings for policy makers and the general public as well as advocating at the local, state, and federal levels.
Module 13 Objectives: At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Describe the primary federal policies, programs, and regulations intended to benefit older adults
2. Analyze the historical, economic, and political context that has affected the development of age-based policies / relate these factors to the intergenerational inequity debate
3. List the primary characteristics of Social Security
4. Analyze the benefits and limitations of Medicare coverage / discuss its future stability and solvency
5. Report Medicare and Medicaid as the two major insurance systems for the benefit of older adults
6. Identify limitations of current policies and future directions for long-term services and supports
Module 13 Resources / Materials :
1. Textbook reading: Chapter 13 Policies to Promote Older Adults’ Well-Being
2. Videos:
Global Aging and Social Policy
Write 2 double-spaced pages reflecting on the following case/scenario:
- Policy, aging affects all – how do you want to see your future? Imagine that it is 30-40 years in the future, and you are facing your aging process – what will that look like? Reflecting on Chapters 12 and 13 that address the well-being of older adults through policy, technology. Discuss the current opportunities or lack of well-being through the aging process and then project older adult well-being 30 years in future considering policy, technology and life-space. Tie all concepts together in your narrative being helped by Chapters 12 and 13 readings, your life experience, and your research (use 2 outside resources).