Overview

Aging and death are not subjects most people enjoy talking about, but they are facts of life. As a long-time staff member of the Elder Services Resource Center, you are aware of the many significant issues and decisions all people face as they age. The center, established by the founder of nearby Maven Manor Nursing Home, operates on the belief that all people, young and old, should have access to the resources they need to help themselves and their loved ones with questions about aging and end of life. In your career at the center, you have never experienced a dull moment. So it comes as no surprise that the upcoming weeks will be busy one's for you. You'll be educating a group of newly hired Maven Manor employees about the aging process and compiling critical reference information on legal and care issues for your center's website. You will also share your expertise with the community by writing about the impact of the country's aging societyand sharing broader cultural and social perspectives on human mortality.

Directions

You and your colleagues at the Elder Services Resource Center frequently work with residents and staff of Maven Manor Nursing Home. Maven Manor recently expanded its facilities, creating living space for 20 additional residents. With more residents coming, the home also needs to hire more staff. Some positions will require expertise in geriatrics, but not all. Cafeteria workers, office staff and housekeepers, for example, may be new to working with an older population. You've been asked to prepare orientation materials for new staff members who need basic information about the needs of senior residents.

Go through the Project resources, which contain information you can use to prepare the two documents listed below that Maven Manor staff will use with new staff members. Be sure the information you include in the documents is written in your own words.

1. A three-to-four-page reference document on key physical, psychological and social factors of aging
o Explain at least six common physical factors of aging.
o Explain at least two psychological and two social factors of aging.
o Create four descriptive vignettes. The vignettes are essentially brief written scenarios, or examples. For each vignette, write a one-to-two paragraph description of a situation involving a fictional resident who is experiencing the effects of a specific aging factor. Describe the problem the resident is having and its connection to the aging factor. Make the vignettes realistic and useful for employees who will work with older adults.
o Organize the information for easy reference. It needs to be accurate, professional and written in language that is clear and easy for staff without previous training to understand.

2. A one-to-two-pageinformation sheet about facility design features for the elderly.
o Explain what the staff may notice about the design and features of Maven Manor because it was built for older residents.
o Indicate which factor(s) of aging each feature is designed to address and why it helps.