What Aging Policy Problem Matters Most to Me and Why
Assignments
1. What Aging Policy Problem Matters Most to Me and Why (15% of course grade)
DUE: WEDNESDAY, SEPT 14 AT 2:00 PM (Los Angeles Time)
Prepare a 600-750 word written essay on the aging policy or problem that matters most to you and why. The policy can be local, state, national or international. Your interest can be personal, ethical, social, economic, religious, but it should move beyond what you’ve studied in other classes and include a connection to public policy. Discuss all of the following areas: 1) What is the aging policy problem that matters most to you? 2) Why do you care about this issue? 3) Why should others care about this issue?
Some illustrative examples of relevant policy problems include i) the epidemic of loneliness among older adults, ii) evacuation of older adults during wildfires and iii) nursing home quality and affordability. The topic can but need not be US-focused. If you are an international student, you can cover a topic that is relevant to your home country. Please note that this is a personal reflection, should reflect you, and reflect your voice and be written by you and only you. You do not need to offer a solution to this problem. But, rather you need to explain why it is important and why others should pay attention to it. Upload this to Blackboard under the Assignments section. No papers can be emailed to professors. All Papers must be submitted through Blackboard which checks papers with Turnitin.
What Aging Policy Problem Matters Most To Me and Why
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What Aging Policy Problem Matters Most To Me and Why
In most industrialized nations, including the United States and other countries such as China, Japan, and those in Europe, aging is increasingly becoming an important policy issue. With more than 40 million people aged above 65 years in the United States today, some of the frequent challenges facing this aging population include loneliness, nursing home quality and affordability, and evacuation during wildfires. In this reflection, I discuss that social isolation and loneliness are among the aging policy problems that matter most to me, why I care about the issue, and why it necessary for others to care about loneliness among the elderly.
The aging population in the United States and the world faces social isolation as the elderly experience declined social contacts or interactions with others resulting in loneliness. This subjective feeling has serious public health risks affecting an ever increasing number of older adult populations. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines (2020) notes that about 24 percent of community-dwelling Americans above 65 years are socially isolated and 43 percent of adults above 60 years report feeling lonely. Although there are challenges in measuring loneliness among geriatric population, evidence suggests that older adults are socially isolated and this puts their health at increased risks.
I care about the issue of loneliness as it is associated with increased risks of developing dementia and often result in premature deaths. Besides these increased health risks, lonely adults also suffer from frequent hospitalization and emergency department visits, which increases the cost of care. Loneliness and social isolation result in poor social interaction among the elderly, which have been associated with increased risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure (...