medical sociology

This activity requires you to arrange a visit to a nursing home in your community and interview management, personal care staff, and nursing staff. Your objective is to learn as much as you can about the services provided to the residents, problems experienced by the staff in meeting their needs, and the recommendations of management for improvements to the program. The elderly belong to the group of citizens in our society that is at the heart of the debate we are examining. You should have the opportunity to learn first hand about them, their needs, and the aspirations of those charged with their care. (If a nursing home is not available in your area, you may choose another facility as long as either the facility or the section of the facility you visit deals exclusively with the elderly. In the rare case that no facility is available, students may research this issue in ProQuest and on the Internet to prepare a paper that addresses care of the elderly.)

This activity is comprised of three parts. (100 points) (A 5-page response is required for the combination of Parts A, B, and C.)

Part A

The first phase of this activity is to plan your visit by researching the facility. Learn as much as you can about the services, structure, staff and contact personnel. Prepare a visit profile to include the facility, the people you would like to interview, their roles and responsibilities, and several questions you plan to explore with each category of person you interview. It is important that you plan each interview by writing down the questions you want to ask in advance of the interview. (30 points) (A 2-page response is required.)

Part B

The second phase of the activity involves making the visit and conducting the interviews. Following your interviews, prepare a statement of findings. This statement should contain a detailed list of the facts you have uncovered. (40 points) (A 2-page response is required.)

To help you in your data collection interview activity please consider the following set of questions to explore with the nursing home managers and staff.

Managers

How is the facility structured and organized?
What is the socio-medical profile of the typical resident?
What programs do you provide for the residents?
What are the most difficult problems you have experienced in running the facility?
What has been done to solve the problems?
What improvements would provide the most benefit to the programs and residents?
What are the greatest impediments to implementing these improvements?
Personal Care and Nursing Staff

What is your typical day like?
What program activities are most beneficial to the residents for whom you care?
What are the most difficult problems you have in caring for the residents?
What changes would most help make your job easier?
Do you think the residents are happy here?
If so, why and if not why not?
Do the residents maintain contact with their families?
Are families involved in end-of-life counseling sponsored by the facility?
What is the most difficult medical care problem encountered by the nursing staff?
Under what conditions does the facility employ life-extending medical interventions?
What is the stated facility policy on this issue?
I have provided these questions as a guide to you in preparing for the interviews. Please use them as such and not as an exhaustive and inclusive list of questions. Please feel free to expand, eliminate, or modify your questions, as appropriate, to accomplish the objectives of the activity.

Part C

The final phase of the activity is to prepare an analysis of your findings, which you should relate to the Lecture and Research Update and the Required Readings in this assignment. Prepare an analysis statement explaining your conclusions on care for the elderly, recommendations on how to improve that care, and your position on whether health care to the elderly should be rationed. (30 points) (A 1-page response is required.)

Solution Preview

Medical Sociology

Part A

Visit Part Profile

I am interested in Summerset Assisted Living in Atlanta because I have seen plenty of positive reviews about the facility. Having been founded in the December of 2000, the facility offers services that are suitable for older adults. The staff is amicable to facilitate the organization’s mission of being the best provider of home care to the elderly. The quality of care is well reflected in the design of the facility that allows natural light to penetrate the building.

(1,549 words)