Approved 5/16/02

WORKING ON A GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL ISSUE

Level III

RATIONALE:  After one acquires an in-depth knowledge of an issue or problem in the field of gerontology, an important skill is the ability to use that knowledge in a manner that benefits society.  To implement change, you must be able to identify the problem, plan a project that will in some way contribute to the resolution of the problem, and then implement your plan.  The tools available to individuals and organizations working on social issues that affect elders are similar to those working on any social policy, but the players may vary.  Knowledge of the aging service network and the advocacy network is essential.  The aged are not a monolithic group and their diversity in race, education, living situation and economic status affects their interest in social issues.  Their age and health can affect their ability to organize and implement strategies.  For some issues, such as care for cognitively impaired elders, one must work through others to determine the most appropriate course of action and goal.  The pragmatic and ethical issues this entails must be confronted prior to devising a course of action.  An understanding of the level of government or social organization at which a solution must be worked, the identification of the stage of the problem and a knowledge of the interested parties are all needed to implement change.   The object of this effort is not to further your knowledge—although that will be a side benefit—but to provide a service to a group, the community, or society as a whole that is trying to bring about positive change to a social issue that affects older people.

COMPETENCY:  Can identify, plan and carry out a project that contributes to the resolution of a gerontological social issue.

CRITERIA:

1.      Choose an appropriate project. Identify and describe:

1. a particular issue as it relates to aging;
2. who is affected by it; and
3. what problems the issue poses.

2.      Identify the background sources of information needed to understand the issue including its history, previous attempts at reform, and a current analysis of the problem. 

3.      State the goals of your involvement.

1. based on the problems identified in criterion 1, define the aspect of the problem to be addressed; and
2. provide criteria upon which success can be measured.

4.      Plan your project.  Include in your plan:

1. the general purposes toward which your plan is aimed and the specific goals of your project;
2. identification of the players who will assist you in carrying out your project and those who will be opposed to the project;
3. the steps necessary to carry out your plan and the timetable which you will follow in carrying out the plan; and
4. justification as to why this project will make an impact on the issue you have chosen.

5.      Implement your plan.

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 and presentations made may be considered for submission to the Level III Communications Portfolio.

STANDARDS:

1.      Have your project idea approved by a faculty evaluator. Your project must have a primary purpose other than your own learning, and other than inquiry by itself.  It must be designed primarily to have a constructive impact on other people, on institutions, or on the community at large.

2.      Your project may be a collaborative project involving numbers of people.  It is not necessary that you have full responsibility for carrying out every aspect of the project but you must have some individual responsibilities that can be identified and evaluated.

3.      The project must require at least ten weeks of work on your part but be able to be carried out within two semesters.  The goals must be realistic and you and you colleagues must have the resources to carry out the plan of action.

4.      Your activities and role must be documented.  Documentation should include a bibliography of your research if any, a log of telephone calls and meetings you attended, and letters, memos, and reports you wrote while working on the project.

5.   Prepare a written report or oral presentation of your project that addresses its implementation and preliminary outcomes.

EXAMPLES OF DEMONSTRATION:

1.      Prior Learning:  A student who had worked for a state legislator on the Joint Committee on Health Care researched abuses in long-term care industry.  She assisted in writing a report and organizing a press conference on its release.  The student writes a report evaluating the effort and its effectiveness.

2.      Independent learning:  A student is aware of the regulations of Medicaid which impoverish both a husband and wife when one of them must go into a nursing home, leaving the spouse in the community unable to afford the home and necessities.  The student arranges for an attorney to write legislation that would protect community spouses, obtains sponsors for the legislation, promotes the legislation within the elder advocacy network and testifies in its support at the State House.

3.      Course: A student completes a CPCS course that addresses this competency.

4.      Field project: Students, studying the mental health problems and services of the elderly, plan to write a report for a new governor’s transition team on the impact of recent federal legislation on state responsibilities to the disabled population.  The students divide among themselves the responsibility for researching different aspects of the new law, each write up their own findings and then write a descriptive report for the transition team, describing the history of the law, the scope and requirements of the law, and the major issue for implementation.  The report is delivered to the transition team and appropriate officials within the new administration.