careers-voting in elders

7/28/2019 Careers-Voting in Elders

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Gerontology Careers

Politics & PoliciesThe Elderly Citizen


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Diversity

Gerontologists caution against treatingolder people as a homogenous group.

A policy or service that suits one group maynot suit another.

Differences in minority elders.

In the future, older population will be morediversed.

Higher proportion of minority elders.


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Gerontology Education

Colleges and Universities offer courses ,degrees, credit certificates in gerontology.

Geriatric Education Centers offerinterdisciplinary programs.

Types of gerontology programs: scientific,professional, and liberal arts.

Larger older population means more jobsfor young people.


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Work and Careers in Gerontology

Medical profession recognizes the need for moretrained geriatricians.

Workers in nearly every field will see more older

people as clients and customers in the future. Students in fields such as nursing, social work,

physiotherapy, and occupational therapy havethe greatest chance of working with older

people. Students in other programs may decide to focus

their interest on serving older clients.


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National Institute on Aging

National Institute on Aging states the needfor nursing homes will increase by two anda half times between 1985- and the early

years of this century.

National Institute on Aging says that

community health nurses will quadruplebetween 1985 and early 2000s.


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Older People and Voting

Compared with women, men have a higherproportion of registrants and a higherproportion of voters.

Compared with women, men have showless decline in registration and voting with

increased age.

Voting participation increases witheducation.


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Voting

The higher a person's level of education, thegreater the likelihood the person will work for acampaign/ political party.

People with higher incomes show greatertendencies to vote.

Educated, affluent people tend to understandthe political system and see a strong linkbetween voting and social policies.


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Voter Participation

Minority groups elders have lower rates of votingthan the general population.

The gap between the proportion of white andminority voters grows with age.

Culture, language, and literacy barriers may keepsome minority older people from voting.


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Voting

Minority groups show greater voter participationamong older than younger age groups.

Older people have a greater impact on electionresults today than in the past.

The population of older people will make up alarger proportion of voters.


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Voting

People coming into old age today havebetter incomes and more education thanolder people in the past.

Writers predict that higher voter turnoutand the growing number of older people

will create a power bloc.

Fear that older will gain control of local &

national politics.


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Political Office

When all of the baby boomers reach age 65they will make up one -quarter of the votingage population.

Older people hold varied political beliefs andthey differ by social class, race, and gender.

In the U.S., older people make up a highproportion of political officeholders, and thehighest political posts often have the oldest

people in them.


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Political Office

The trend toward older presidents couldreturn.

The system still favors the olderofficeholder.

For example, the oldest members of theSenate and House of Representatives havemore power than younger members.


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The American Association of

Retired Persons (AARP) Dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all

as we age.

Envisions a society in which everyone ages

with dignity and purpose, and in whichAARP helps people fulfill their goals anddreams.

AARP has over 3,200 local chapter, over 35million members and offices in all states.


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AARP

AARP grew out of the National Retired TeachersAssociation (NRTA) that began in 1947.

Low membership fees

Subscription to AARP The Magazine and AARPBulletin.

Offers services to its members including life andhealth insurance, discount pharmacy service,special credit card rates, travel, educationprograms, etc.


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Older Americans Act (OAA)

Introduced in 1965 with the goal ofassuring the well-being of the elderly.

Funding for this act grew from $6.5 millionin 1965 to just over $1.6 billion in 2002.

OAA also set up the Administration onAging (AOA) within the Federal Departmentof Health and Human Services.


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Administration on Aging

AOA provides home and communityservices.

AOA works with federal, state, local andtribal agencies in the National Network onAging.


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Network on Aging

The National Network on Aging servesabout 7 million older people and caregivers.

The network has 56 State Units on Aging;

655 Area Agencies on Aging; Tribal andNative organizations; two organizations thatserve Native Hawaiians; 29,000 service

providers; and thousands of volunteers. Most programs target poorer older people,

people who live in isolation and people with

severe health problems.


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Older Americans Act

OAA programs (managed by AOA) fall intosix categories:

Supportive services

Nutrition services

Preventive health services

National Family Caregiver Support Program


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Older Americans Act

Services that protect older people fromabuse

Services to Native Americans

These services get state and local supportas well as federal funding.

In 2005, a new program- the National

Family Caregiver Support Program. Focuses support on family caregivers for ill

or disabled older people.

careers-voting in elders

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