Social welfare system plays an essential in providing support to the vulnerable groups in a community such as the elderly people, children, and women. Social welfare activities focus on providing different services to community members such as education, healthcare, food, housing assistance, and unemployment compensation. In the United States, the benefits are available at different levels in the region, and they serve the interests of different people in the community. The research I contacted assisted me in achieving deciding on the best approaches for addressing the problems facing my grandmother. The most vulnerable group in the United States is older people who need support from the social welfare programs that exist within the country. The population resource center indicates that one every eight Americans are 65 years older or above thus making it a significant move for the government to provide support to such vulnerable groups (Sherraden & Gilbert, 2016). Different social programs are designed to serve the interests of vulnerable groups depending on their age. This paper focuses on analyzing the various social welfare programs that serve the interests of the older adults thus recommending the best approaches for addressing these challenges.
Background information: Setting
This project seeks to examine and evaluate the different programs in the United States that are designed to ensure there are continuous application and support of vulnerable people especially the older people in the society. Analysis of the different programs that have been put in place provides an incentive for choosing the best alternative that serves the interests of older parents especially those in the level of grandmothers. Luckily, there is a community government worker who appears to be my friend and can be informative about the various programs that have been put in place to assist old people such my grandmother. Similarly, he can assist in identifying some of the beneficiaries of the programs thus analyzing their effectiveness in the community. The Federal government of the United States has established a social welfare agency referred to as the National Institute on Aging seeks to understand the aging process and the kind of diseases likely to face aging people. This institute focuses on understanding the behavior of people in all age brackets thus creating an alternative approach for addressing such challenges primarily health related diseases. This organization plays an essential role in resource allocation, care to give and addressing issues of disability that are likely to affect the older people in the community.
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The second welfare social program employed by the state government in the United States is the New Hampshire Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services which provides services to the aging population. The program recognizes qualified members as those with 60 years and above, and they live with care workers or relatives acting as caregivers. There is always a decision-making process that seeks to explain the problems facing the majority of people in this age group thus providing mechanisms for addressing such challenges. The report indicates information needed in identifying the challenges that face the older people in society and the resources required in serving the interests of people over sixty years. The analysis focuses on identifying the potential risks and harms likely to face older people in the future thus identifying opportunities providing a solution. The investigation usually takes sixty years, and they report on whether the individual is at the risk of experiencing future risks as either moderate or high risk.
The third agency is No Senior Left behind the movement that seeks to offer pharmaceutical assistant to older adults and those with disabilities. The treatment approach is administrated through the state department of healthcare and family service programs that provides treatment to the older people in society. This program targets people who have attained the age of 65 years or above and also disabled people in the community. The last social welfare agency seeks to offer support to the aged people in the city to ensure that old people in the community have access to home care services needed to support their lives. For example, the program seeks to offer fund services to the clients to ensure that the community serves the interests of the people living on their homes or non-institutional setting.
Based on the above information related to the social welfare program for supporting the vulnerable groups, I decided to focus on conducting research on the functioning of the homecare option program for the elderly designed to offer support to the aged people by helping such people survive in the home setting and the non-institutions where such people live. The process began by researching the beneficiaries of such a program to identify the kind of benefits that such people by joining the program. Majority of the target population for the research are approximately 65 years and above, and they remain active on social media thus making it easy to collect information directly from the beneficiaries and caregivers. In other occasions visiting the homes of recipients created an opportunity for face to face interview thus creating first-hand knowledge related to the benefits associated with this program. For the Homecare option program that is designed to ensure that victims continue receiving healthcare services without the need for moving to such interventions from healthcare centers far from homes. Similarly, I conducted online search with some of the employees working in such program especially the chairman of the program who revealed that the program is effective and it supports the majority of the people in the society.
Findings
In my research, I focused on collecting information from a friend from meals on wheels to ensure that I achieve the set objectives for effectiveness of the programs put in place by the government. The social community employee revealed that systems such as no elder left behind and homecare option approach has been effective in serving the interests of people in the society. The beneficiaries argued that it has been helpful to their life because they did not have to move to move to far places in search for medical interventions. Based on the responses, I acknowledged that the program understands the dynamics for every aging individual in the community and increased commitment which reduces interaction with family members. Improved technology has changed the way of interaction and physical appearance to understand the needs of aged people has become a challenge in the community.
The respondents remained active and willing to provide answers to research questions such as the kind of services they offer to clients, mechanisms they apply in identifying qualified candidates and the services they provide to such older adults in the community. The answers revealed that this policy increases effectiveness by combining efforts with the system and program known as no senior left behind. Each program has its duties and responsibilities in the community as no top left behind approach analyzes the risks and future challenges likely to face the older adults in the city thus recommending the kind of treatment they should receive.
Literature Review
According to Yen et al., (2012) as people continue aging, the reduced mobility and interaction and their geographical location shrinks. In effect, it becomes difficult for such people to serve their interests especially when it comes to the assessment of health and seeking medical attention. This condition compels social policy formulators and programs designed to assist old people in developing interests in understanding the relationship between old people in society and their engagement with members of the community in their neighborhood. In some occasions, older people with the age of 55 years and above may have resources needed in serving their interests, but they may have limited access to using such funds. However, family composition and seeking access to public policy programs determine the kind of support that such people can achieve from members of society and the type of assistance they need. Health and environment become the first approach that needs to be researched thus identifying the relationship between the aged and the context in which they live.
The findings revealed that health effects associated with the aging population vary depending on the age of individuals and the geographical location where they live. For instance, if people are found to have a similar period of 65 years, they are likely to show similar characteristics that are different from those with 83 years and above (Yen et al., 2012). In effect, the services and support programs should serve the specific interests of each member of the target population, for example, a 65-year-old person may a positive perception about neighbors in the society may actively get involved in social activities. However, 83 years old can fail to interact with such people making it challenging to get support from neighborhoods.
According to Furstenberg et al., (2015) the increasing pressure from the public and increased concern for the majority of people to reduce support for the older people exposes challenges to the families. Even in developed nations such as the United States, people have access to resources needed in serving the interests of old people especially regarding payment for health treatment. However, commitment to activities such as work and education has minimized the ability for families to be effective in supporting old people in the society. Given the challenges that such people face in the community, it is evident that public programs become the available and viable alternative for solving such problems (Furstenberg et al., 2015). For example, family members may have adequate funds for providing treatment to the older relative; however, they do not have time and skills needed in examining the condition and future health risks likely to face the parent.
Old people experience various changes in life as they try to cope and adapt to changes in the environment. For instance, the majority of people at the age of 65 years receive retirement, and they spend much of their time at home compounds because of reduced mobility. In some occasions, they even find it challenging to seek intervention and help from people in the society as well as medical assistance without support. However, the increased concern for people to offer assistance to such people makes it challenging for community members to determine their needs and the kind of policy applicable to providing aid to such people. The condition worsens due to a commitment by people in workplaces and the change in behavior associated with people as they continue aging. For example, they become prone to diseases and may increasingly show characteristics of antisocial behavior thus making it challenging to ask support and assistance from neighbors.
Health is an essential aspect for old people in the society. As a result, Homecare options program will be in a position to address the healthcare needs of grandmother and providing solutions to changes that may expose her to severe health diseases in the future. As a result, there is a need for keeping in touch with the policy’s healthcare providers, so that in case of any signs, old people receive treatment while at home because of reduced mobility to visit medical centers for treatment. In some cases, old people do not have an opportunity for understanding the severity of some health issues. In effect, this program needs to be combined with the plan no elder left behind to continuously access and recommend treatment approaches based on the possibility of future health risk that she is likely to face.
Despite the viability and importance of the above policies to old people in the society, it is evident that there is increased concern by politicians regarding the effectiveness of this approach in American’s economy. The proponents of the program support the program, and they have a positive perception about the risks and challenges facing old people in the society and the kind of care they need from the public. Health is essential to people and as people continue getting old; they develop reduced mobility and become antisocial thus making it difficult to receive support from neighborhoods. In some occasions, old do not even become aware of the neighbors in the setting thus increasing the condition thus worsening their interaction condition. The opponents of the policy challenge the effectiveness of the system especially regarding economic growth in the country arguing that there is only a need for a passing burden for caring for old people to family members.
Conclusion
There exist different social welfare programs that serve different interests to people in society in the United States. Based on the research conducted on the 65 year old and the 83 year old neighbors, it is evident that the programs remain supportive to their lives. They had a common perception that healthcare remained the most essential aspect for the aging people in the society. These programs are essential to the members of the community because they serve the interests of the old people in the society and they follow the interests of people in the society. The strength of the social welfare programs is that they understand the social dynamics of the old people in the society and the kind of interaction that takes place in such settings. From sociological view, these programs remain essential to the public because they underst6and the needs of people in the community and takes an initiative for integrating aged people in the society. Commitment and increased concern for people engaging in economic activities reduce the ability and time available for ensuring that people keep frequent visit to the aged in their families. No elder left behind, and the homecare option approach increases the opportunity aging people in the society to receive services without the need for receiving services and treatment without the need of moving to seek for such services
References
Furstenberg, F. F., Hartnett, C. S., Kohli, M., & Zissimopoulos, J. M. (2015). The future of intergenerational relations in aging societies. Daedalus, 144(2), 31-40.
Sherraden, M., & Gilbert, N. (2016). Assets and the poor: New American welfare policy. Routledge.
Yen, I. H., Shim, J. K., Martinez, A. D., & Barker, J. C. (2012). Older people and social connectedness: How place and activities keep people engaged. Journal of aging research, 2012.
Appendices
The research focused on understanding the effectiveness of different programs in the society which can serve the interests of old people. I made an observation from an interview with one of the government officials working as the facilitator of such policies and two beneficiaries of the program. Questions included, what programs have been put in place to assist old people in society? How frequently do officials and healthcare facilitators visit target population? What kind of services do program facilitators offer to the target population? The respondents remained active throughout the interview and beneficiaries revealed that the programs have been helpful. I, therefore, recommended such programs to grandmothers because health risks increase with age of the individual. The respondents revealed some challenges they face in implementing the programs such as failure to become aware of the existence of old people in particular regions because relatives and neighbors do not create awareness of the existence of such people in the society.
