Overview The final project for this course is the creation of an analysis paper.

The aging population in the United States is increasing, and with this increase comes a greater focus on the unique needs and concerns of the specific group. These needs and concerns vary extensively throughout the population in terms of physical, cognitive, and social abilities, and the varying degree of support systems. To address the wide array of potential needs and concerns, professionals in the field must have a wide breadth of knowledge of the background, influential factors, and potential approaches to meet the needs and address the concerns of the aging population.

For this assessment, you will use information gathered from the interview and independent research you conducted in your milestones to inform your analysis paper of a specific primary concern of the aging population. In your analysis paper, you will compare the primary concerns identified in the interview and those discussed in the course, and select a specific concern on which to focus the remainder of your analysis paper. You will compare the historical and current perspectives of the concern, draw connections between the concern and well-being of individuals, and analyze the impact of relevant factors on the concern. To conclude the analysis paper, you will make recommendations to both address the concern and communicate relevant information about the concern to the aging population. Ensure you support your claims throughout the analysis paper with evidence from your interview and literature review.

Note that the interviewee MUST remain anonymous; real names and identifying factors of the interviewee must not be used. For example, you may refer to your interviewee as “Mr. M” or “Ms. R.”

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, and Five. The final analysis paper will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Compare current and historical perspectives on aging for identifying potential improvements in the public perception of the aging population

 Analyze the interrelationship between primary health concerns of the aging population and their well-being

 Recommend strategies for appropriately communicating health information to the aging population

 Analyze factors that put aging populations at increased risk for physical and mental health complications

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prompt Your analysis paper should answer the following prompt: Use the information you gathered from the interview and independent research you conducted in your milestones to inform your analysis of a specific primary concern of the aging population.

Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: You will set the stage for your analysis paper by comparing the primary concerns raised in the interview you conducted in a previous milestone with the primary concerns identified in the course and in your independent research. Specifically, compare the primary concerns raised by your interviewee to those discussed during this class. Consider why the identified concerns are concerns for the aging population.

II. Perspectives: Now that you have analyzed multiple concerns of the aging population, you will select one primary concern on which to focus your analysis paper, comparing the historical and current perspectives of the specific concern.

A. Primary Concern: Select one of the previously identified primary concerns to be the focus of the remainder of your analysis paper, explaining why you selected this specific concern. For example, you may explain that you found one concern more interesting than the others, or you may have a personal connection with a specific concern.

B. Historical Perspectives: Describe the historical perspectives of the selected concern for the aging population, supporting your description with evidence. For example, what was the public perception of the concern with respect to the aging population 20 or 30 years ago? How did the aging population perceive the concern 20 or 30 years ago? Consider that the specific concern may not have been a concern for the public or aging population in the past.

C. Current Perspectives: Describe the current perspectives of the selected concern for the aging population, supporting your description with evidence. For example, what is the public’s perception of the concern for the aging population?

D. Compare Perspectives: Compare the historical and current perspectives of the concern, citing specific similarities and differences in the perspectives. What stood out about the similarities and differences in the search?

E. Potential Improvements: Identify potential improvements in the public perception of the aging population with respect to the concern, supporting your claims with evidence. If you do not feel that the public perception could be improved, justify your response with evidence.

III. Primary Concern: In this section, you will continue to analyze the chosen primary concern, drawing connections between the concern and the well-being of an individual, as well as identifying both factors that put the aging population at risk with respect to the chosen concern as well as protective factors with respect to the concern.

A. Concern Impacts Well-Being: Explain how the identified primary concern impacts the overall well-being of the aging population, supporting your explanation with evidence. Consider how the concern impacts the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the aging population. In other words, discuss how the concern impacts the well-being of the population.

B. Well-Being Impacts Concern: Explain how the overall well-being of individuals in the aging population might affect how the individuals are impacted by the primary concern, supporting your explanation with evidence. For example, if an individual is physically active, he or she may have a decreased risk of acquiring a chronic illness. In other words, discuss how individual lifestyles may impact the concern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C. Factors Influence Health: Identify social, economic, and environmental factors that influence the health of the aging population with respect to the concern, substantiating your identifications with evidence. For example, an individual might not have transportation to receive his or her medication or might not be able to afford the medication.

D. Protective Factors: Explain how the previously identified factors are protective factors for the aging population with respect to the concern, supporting your explanation with evidence. For example, if the concern is chronic illness, a protective factor would be a support system in place for group exercise, or the ability to afford fresh fruits and vegetables.

E. Aging Populations at Risk: Explain how the previously identified factors put individuals in the aging population at risk for physical and mental health complications with respect to the identified concern, supporting your explanation with evidence.

IV. Communication: To conclude your analysis paper, you will create evidence-based recommendations for both addressing the concern and communicating your recommendations to the aging population.

A. Recommendations to Address Concern: Propose a recommendation to address the concern based on your previous analysis. Justify your recommendation with evidence.

B. Communication Strategies: Propose strategies for appropriately communicating your previous recommendation to the aging population, justifying how your proposed strategies are appropriate. Consider the specific tools for communicating the recommendation and why these tools are most appropriate for the aging population.

C. Tailor Communication Strategies: Explain how you will target your communication strategies to meet the potentially diverse needs of the aging population. For example, how will you tailor your communication strategies to be appropriate for individuals who are blind, home-bound, or deaf?