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History

Analysis of Old Americans Act of 1965

Social Analysis

Problem Description

There was the number of problems faced by the community of older Americans in the second half of the twentieth century. The issues included hunger, poverty, social isolation, affordable housing, and lack of productive and independent living. There was lack of the public assistance and support for these people. These barriers have created the number of obstacles for the older Americans to receive proper aid and funding. Most of the early adults were passing their end of life. In 1965, the enactment of the older American Act had provided this population a range of social services. These include meals and nutritional, legal support and the services related to the prevention of elder abuse along with the help of caregivers. These services make it easy for older Americans by avoiding the nursing homes and stay in their homes to live an independent life. Older Americans beginning at the age of 65 years and older are qualified for these services. The establishment of the administration on aging by the act is also facilitating and overseeing the needs of the older Americans in today’s society.

Lack of proper cooperation in helping older individuals was stumbling the performance of caregivers. The planning and the financing of the different programs required organization among the local, state and the federal level agencies (Adams, 2017). For the inaccuracy and the effective audit of the aging networks was also lacking and it required the leadership role at the federal level. There were certain efforts for the better cooperation and effective services for the older American society. There were traditional ways of supporting these people like charity, assets, labor and the family. The extended family was one of the primary sources of support for the aged individuals (Thomas, 2014). The responsibility laws were applied to look after the older people. The grants and the assistance programs have gained positive support for older Americans.

The programs and the services funded through the Older American Act helping the people in maintaining their health and independence. Millions of the senior that are above the age of 60 are getting benefits from the act. The act was amended passage of time to modify the structure of national aging and services network. Operating in the 56 states the system is providing its services to the aging population. There are around 600 area agencies that are performing their functions under this act. In the same way, 260 organizations belong to the different tribes, and these are representing approximately four hundred tribes. The employees are about ten thousand along with the volunteers for providing services and support to the aging population. Similarly, the theoretical framework for the aged people has extended many behavioral changes.

Theories of Human behavior

The social scientist has tried to counter the problem of an aging populace by providing certain methods. The Erik Erikson propounded the Activity theory of the aging. He took the particular interest in the behavioral psychology of late adulthood (Eriksson, 2016). The development and the aging are perceived through the study as equal to the occurrence of the behavioral changes. Erikson was of the view that ego integrity in older adults while avoiding the despair is the main issue among the aging populace. Those people that develop wisdom at this stage of their life without having regrets of the past are the successful older adults.

According to the theorist the in the older adults, the positive connection is there between the activity and healthy aging. The theory holds that the withdrawal from the social action leads to the escape from the traditional American belief of activity, industry and the energy. Growing old means different things for the older adults. Those people that passed active life in their young and middle adult age will remain active as older adults. These older Americans have mostly conducted the review of their life (Eriksson, 2016). Certain ways for the older adults to look at their past like scrapbooks, muse over the photo albums and the visits of the favorite childhood places. Older adults look back at their history and try to find the meaning and purpose of their life. According to the Erikson older adults have intense need of sharing of the memories with the family or with those who are close to them. It will provide them relaxation in their behavior and healthy life.

Influence of Aging over Implicit and Explicit Behavior

The implicit and the explicit behaviors unfolded through the changing divergent association of the age factor. The core construction of both types of the responses revealed that older adults perceive the severity of their health (Chen, 2014). The implicit action is mostly high in the young’s while the older adults have, the fewer preferences. Regarding the explicit attitude, the older adults have the higher choice than the young people. The human behavior of the older adults are reflected through the genetics of the aging. Ethics are concerned with the activity that influences the older Americans, and the changes that occur during the late adulthood of the individual. The explicit attitudes are consist of the conscious level. These are quickly formed and can readily report to the self. However the implicit behavior are the unconscious level of the individual, and these are mostly not known to us (Gonzales, 2015). The act will assist the experts in devising their policies regarding the change behaviors of individuals with old age.

Social values and Conflicts

The congress looking at the social conditions and the conflict associated with the old age people have devised the Older American Act. The concerns of the policymakers were the lack of community and social services for the older adults. The demographics show that the problem of aging is a serious concern with the changing trends and situations. The state is challenging to the enhance the number of dependent people. Those countries that are less develop have the more significant issue of dealing with the fast-growing older adults. According to the estimates in Latin America and the Caribbean, there will be 40 million older population. In the same way with the year of 2025, the ratio will increase up to the 10 percent (Gonzales, 2015). The stunning growth of older adults would be an enormous challenge for the decision makers and those who are expert in the formulation of the policy.

The majority of the older Americans are living in the urban areas. The socioeconomic picture of the Latin Americans and the Caribbean requires the attention of the policymakers. The social impact of the aging population is involved. The plans and the programs will be the result of social values and the conflicts. The economic condition, social relationships, and the benefits will impact the policy. The commercial and the cultural competition are profoundly influencing the issue of older adults in the present society. The social productivity along with the inequalities that hinder class, race, gender, are the core values that influence the parameters of aging people.

Short and long-term Goals of the Policy

The quick and the long-term goals of the policy will impact on the future challenges and the social competition among the different segments of the society. Instead of the focusing on the limitations of the aging the plan will seek the opportunity for the older adults. The ways to maximize the well-being older adults along with the mental, social health will be the priority of the program (Huffman, 2018). According to the study those older adults who are adopting the social health behavior, and increase activity have the independent and meaningful life. The American population has the opportunities to improve the quality of their life by following the programs of the older American Act. An older adult can live more than twenty years by following the social interactions and the relationship with the other members his society. Volunteer working or services by the older adults also help them in preserving their health and happy life.

Political Analysis

Major Stake Holders

The support and the cooperation of the social members of the society help the aging community to have the purposeful life. There are the number of stakeholders that involved in the policy planning for the aging population. Those include the elected officials and the first agency staff of the organization. The town and the urban planner along with administrator of public works are the critical players in determining the values for aging people. They have the power base to support the aging phenomena. The metropolitan planning and policy department is also responsible for dealing with the issue of older adults (Lloyd, 2015). The development groups along with the chamber of commerce are also the critical shareholders in providing better facilities to the aging populace.

The care centers along with the area agencies for aging have the part in promoting welfare and wellbeing of older adults. The policy of the older people also influences the non-governmental organization. The healthcare fitness community is also an important stakeholder in providing support to the older adults. The associations and the representatives of the community foundation play enhance role in the power base. Lobbies and the representatives have the power to oppose any policy that harms the older adults. Certain are the social factors that provide opponent and the supporters to have the active stance on policy decision of the aging people.

Changing Environment and Decision Making

Change is a primary and significant part of human lives. It can affect any policies like the social, aging and the health care policies. With the changing environment and conflict of interest, communities are required to adopt those changes and to move accordingly. The population of older adults profoundly influences the aging procedure. The aging adults are more likely to take poor and disruptive decisions than those who have young age with active power of making decisions (Lynn, 2015). Some are the inconsistent choices that compel older adults to take weak decisions. The study conducted in this regard which concludes that healthy adult of around 65 years of age made unusual and irrational choices in comparison with young adults. The stunning research further explains that older adults with normal mind show decline in choosing consistency and rationality. The irrational decisions by the aging population lead them to a have loss in social and financial conditions. The desirable policy intervention can help the older people in taking rational and reliable non-conflicting decisions (Thomas, 2014).

Policy Evaluation

Outcomes of Aging Policy

The increasing aging population of the United States is affecting the socio-economic positions of the policymakers. The policy of the aging has provided million of the people with much-needed services and health care. There are approximately eleven million older Americans that are getting the services from Older American Act policy. The groundbreaking policy for the aging people needs renovation. Those who have the most significant economic and social needs are targeted by the law which shows the outcomes are of considerable importance (Ugalde, 2015). The act has also provided employment opportunities for many needed and low-income adults. The community services and the service employment program have benefited to the aging people. The applications of the Older American Act are operating in every district and states of the US. People are consistently helping and enjoying the meaningful life.

Unintended Consequences of the Aging Policy Program

The unintentional consequences are the main problems for the people with old age. The conflicts between the behavior and the attitudes of the caregivers will influence the life of aging people. The older depressed and alone adults require certain actions and caregivers recognize that enrichment activities are essential for the older adults. The number of the older adults are suffering from malnutrition and loss of their weight due to the lack of support from the health care centers. High rates of depression, diminishing smell and taste along with other disabilities are the leading factor in neglected older Americans. The policy can eradicate such kind of lapses in the health of the aging population. The act has the effective cost which is easily managed by the average older American.

Conclusion

Concluding the analysis on the Older American Act it is worth mentioning that the act has provided the baseline for the happiness of millions of older Americans. The policy programs of the law have different functions and services for the aging population. The excellent social, nutritional and health care services through various programs are continuously serving the aging people. It is a high time to revisit the policy with innovative and effective decisions. People can get extensive health care facilities for the happiness, prosperity and their independent life.

References

Adams, M., & Tax, A. D. (2017). Assessing and meeting the needs of LGBT older adults via the Older Americans Act. LGBT health4(6), 389-393.

Bailey, M. J., & Goodman-Bacon, A. (2015). The War on Poverty’s experiment in public medicine: Community health centers and the mortality of older Americans. American Economic Review105(3), 1067-1104.

Chen, Y., & Feeley, T. H. (2014). Social support, social strain, loneliness, and well-being among older adults: An analysis of the Health and Retirement Study. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships31(2), 141-161.

Eriksson, J. K., Hildingh, C., Buer, N., & Thulesius, H. (2016). Seniors’ self-preservation by maintaining established self and defying deterioration–A grounded theory. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being11(1), 30265.

Gonzales, E., Matz-Costa, C., & Morrow-Howell, N. (2015). Increasing opportunities for the productive engagement of older adults: A response to population aging. The Gerontologist55(2), 252-261.

Huffman, K. F., & Upchurch, G. (2018). The health of older Americans: A primer on Medicare and a local perspective. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society66(1), 25-32.

Lloyd, J. L., & Wellman, N. S. (2015). Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs: A community-based nutrition program helping older adults remain at home. Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics34(2), 90-109.

Lynn, J., & Montgomery, A. (2015). Creating a comprehensive care system for frail elders in “age boom” America. The Gerontologist55(2), 278-285.

Thomas, K. S. (2014). The relationship between Older Americans Act in-home services and low-care residents in nursing homes. Journal of aging and health26(2), 250-260.

Ugalde, M., Carson, K. L., Dye, C., & Haley-Zitlin, V. (2015). Evaluating the nutritional risk of older adults participating in the South Carolina older Americans act.

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