Week 4: Advocacy and Resources


Mallory Jones
AET/508
June 29, 2020
Charity Jennings

Throughout the world and the span of Human history, every community has consisted of numerous special populations working together for the common good.  However, the needs of these populations have often been poorly understood and often overlooked by the majority.  A detailed analysis of these groups and their need would fill several volumes, so for our purposes we will focus on one group in particular; adults age fifty and above who are either nearing retirement or have already done so. 

Population Description and Needs

First, we will begin by more closely defining our target population and their needs.  While this group could be further compartmentalized by ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, our purpose here is to analyze organizations that will serve them all inclusively based on their common needs. 

Setting racial and gender considerations aside for the moment, we see that people that fall into this age group have the following traits in common:

  1. Declining health/physical capacity
  2. Declining cognitive skills
  3. Increased social responsibilities, including family and social organizations

Therefore, our special population group will require services that meet their specific needs.  They will require extra time and financial support for their rising need for medical support, they will require services that support their declining faculties, and they will require services that they can fit into their existing lifestyle. 

Definition of Advocacy

Now that we have defined our special population group, we need to take a moment to consider what we mean by advocacy.  In this case, advocacy means having the credibility and political influence to garner the added support our special population requires.  This means organizations that can gather the financial and political support our special population requires.

Educational Groups/Networks

Here we begin our analysis of advocacy groups available to the citizens of south-central Virginia, specifically the counties of Brunswick, Mecklenburg, and Halifax.  These organizations include the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), the Lake Country Area Agency for Aging (LCAAA), and the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (VDARS)

  • AARP:  a nonprofit agency who provides a wide variety of services to stakeholders that meet their membership requirements.  They define themselves as: “a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.” (AARP, 2020)  The AARP Foundation manages the agency and provides finding by soliciting donations.  A nationwide agency, AARP offers a vast variety of resources and services to its clients through its local chapters: an analysis of the list would be far beyond the scope of this paper. However, they include health and wellness, legal, and professional services.  It is worth noting that AARP is all-inclusive, with divisions dedicated to minority communities such as Asian, Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ, and Native American.
  • LCAAA:  A local agency specifically dedicated to the tri-county service area.  Their stated goals include providing advocacy for individuals age 60 and older and help them maintain their dignity, personal and economic independence. (LCAAA, 2020)  The agency has been operating in its current form since 1975, and receives its funding from: “Title III and Title V funds from Older Americans Act and local funds from the Counties of Brunswick, Halifax, Mecklenburg, and the Town of South Hill.” (LCAAA, 2020).  The LCAAA is affiliated with the Virginia Department for Aging, and their program offerings include: In-Home care, Adult Day Care, Nutrition, Transportation, and Insurance Counseling.  
  • VDARS:  A state-level agency whose mission is to support “Virginians’ efforts to secure independence, inclusion and integration” (VDARS, 2020).  A state-funded agency, VDARS supports not just our special population, but also all Virginians with disabilities.  For services specific to our special population, they offer the Office for Aging Services, Dementia Services, Adult Protective Services and the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.  

The Office for Aging Services works with the local Area Agencies on Aging, and offers several programs, including the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP), a Senior Farmer’s Market, Public Guardianship/Conservator Program, and a Falls Prevention program.  

Conclusion

            As our aging population increases in number, there will always be a need for programs to support them, especially those with reduced physical and mental faculties.  For adults approaching retirement age, it is vital for them and their caregivers to be aware of the variety of services designed to meet their needs.  To that end, we have explored national non-profits such as AARP, state-level government agencies such as VDARS, and a local Agency on Aging.  We have examined the programs they offer, and we have seen that all are dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life for our aging population.

References