Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

GRN 503 - Health Policy Issues of an Aging Population


This course focuses on the social, economic, and health challenges confronting our society with regard to the aging of the population from policy and program planning perspectives. Students will examine and critically analyze current social and health care policies and trends and resultant service delivery systems as they impact families generally, and older adults specifically. This course will consider the historical context out of which the current aging infrastructure has evolved. An appreciation for the role policy plays in enacting health care practice and the reciprocal role that health care practice plays in informing policy will be major points of emphasis. Policies to be considered that impact on older adults and their families include but are not limited to the Older Americans Act, Medicare, Medicaid, OASDHI (i.e.m Social Security), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Affordable Health Care Act. These policies will be examined in the context of a scarce resource environment, special interest group politics, and matters of equity, social justice, and fairness. Learning will underscore the importance of student competencies in promoting the effective and humane operating of health and human services systems that provide resources and care to older people and their families as well as contributing to the development and improvement of social and health policies that support persons throughout the life span.

This course partially satisfies the requirements for obtaining the University of Maine’s Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Gerontology.

Prerequisites & Notes
GRN 500 (Opportunities and Challenges of Aging)

Credits: 3