Approved 5/16/02

UNDERSTANDING GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL POLICY

Level III

RATIONALE:  The population of people age 65+ years is rapidly growing in the United States due to the coming of the baby boom generation and expanded life expectancy.  The U.S. Census Bureau projects that this group will double in the next 30 years from 35 million to 70.5 million people.  Our social services, health and long-term care , retirement, and work policies will all have to adjust to the new issues this radical expansion in our older population is expected to bring.   With the projected insolvency of the Medicare trust funds and the Social Security trust fund, government must find ways to restructure or refinance those programs.  With people living longer and healthier, new roles for older people can be explored.  With more people needing long-term care, workforce problems, financing issues, and service delivery models must be developed and tested.  These changes and others will challenge policy makers to develop new policies appropriate to the changing demographics of our elderly population.  The development of gerontological social policy occurs within a complex social, economic and political context.  Policy makers and advocates not only need to be familiar with what the policy is and how it functions, but must also know the context within which it occurs and the theories upon which it is based.  This competency is designed to assist students in analyzing and evaluating information as they seek to understand and influence the development of new social policy appropriate for our elder population.

COMPETENCY:  Can identify and evaluate the theories that a gerontological social policy is based on and how the policy works; and can critique a policy or proposed changes on both practical and theoretical bases.

CRITERIA: 

1.      Identify and describe the gerontological social policy area, issue, or problem to be studied.  Describe the social, economic, and political context in which the policy operates.

2.      Identify and describe two underlying theories, interpretations, or explanations used to analyze an issue, problem, or policy area.  State the main ideas and basic assumptions that underlie each theory.

3.      State the strengths and weaknesses of the theories for analyzing the problem, issue, or policy area. 

4.      Evaluate the effectiveness of the current policy in relation to its stated goals, societal concerns, and the needs or views of people to be served by the policy. Present a position defending a particular gerontological social policy or change in policy.  In defending your position:

1. State your definition of the problem or issue to be addressed by the policy.
2. Identify the theory or theories you would use to support your position.
3. Identify other factors critical to developing your position.
4. Discuss the moral and political commitments which underlie your position and the resulting implications for action.
5. Compile a bibliography of the sources used.

PORTFOLIO LINKS:  You are expected to use the Level III Communications Portfolio writing standards as guidelines for the essays required by this competency.  At a minimum, writing should demonstrate Level II Communications Portfolio standards. Papers written for this competency may be considered for submission to the Level III Communications Portfolio.

STANDARDS:

1.      For Criterion 1, the statement of the gerontological social policy must include:

1. the problem the policy is intended to address and the goals it is expected to achieve;
2. a description of the population(s) affected by the policy; and
3. a description of the social, economic, and political context in which the policy operates.

2.      For Criterion 2, your description of the theories must present an organized system of assumptions or principles which is used to explain or predict a set of phenomena, facts, or events.

3.      For Criterion 3, in discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the theories, first examine each theory for its own internal consistency, then for its usefulness in developing or explaining the social policy and its practical implications.  Support your evaluation by comparing the theoretical explanation with concrete facts regarding the social policy or problem.

4.      For Criterion 4, your evaluation of the policy must be based on at least two commentaries on the policy or on commentary and factual information on the operation of the policy including such information as numbers of people served or not served, cost of the policy, and effectiveness in accomplishing its stated goal.

5.      For Criterion 5, your articulation of a particular position must include the definition of the problem, the theories you are relying on, and the moral and political implications of your position.  It must also include a discussion of specific initiatives you would propose.

EXAMPLES OF DEMONSTRATION:

1.      Prior learning:  A student had worked as a policy analyst for AARP where she had examined laws that governed early retirement practices.  Using her previous research on the topic, she updates history, describes the different theoretical approaches to proposing new policies and writes a position paper.

2.      Independent learning: A student concerned about nursing home residents prepares a position statement on the reduction of the personal needs allowance, and the effects of this policy on the residents and their families in which she addresses all of the criteria and standards. 

3.      Course:  A student takes a course on mental health for the elderly.  In the course he examines the problem of low insurance coverage for mental illness.  Following the criteria and standards, he writes a series of papers examining mental health parity proposals.