What Will You Do Different?

Well, here we are.  It's nearly over. Just this post and then your FINAL Research Social Policy posting next week. We hope you enjoyed the course and feel like you got your monies worth. Lets review just a bit of what we have covered this semester.

This semester we have learned about numerous issues in aging:  You can now speak to these issues (or find them in  your materials).

• the changing demographics

• the extension of life expectancy

• why we need to study aging and how to do research in the field.

• you can weed out garbage on the internet and discern a legitimate site

• biological and sociological theories of aging

• you have looked at the meaning of old age

• the challenges to health care costs and rationing health care

• you have looked at abuse and protection issues and a families role in an elder's life

•  the challenges to the Medicare and Social Security programs

• what it actually takes to retire and what is happening to traditional retirement systems.

•  the concept of “successful ” aging and things you can do to age successfully

•  how to plan to successfully die and create your own funeral. 

We have also examined how to plan financially and legally for our elder years and we hope that you take all of those lessons to heart.  I hope that you all have been stimulated by what we have learned about aging and aging programs and will consider being involved in any of the advocacy programs that you and your fellow classmates studied.   We have examined a lot of issues and concerns in this semester and I encourage you to share what you learned with friends and family so they too will understand the challenges facing the aging population in America.

This week you are being asked to post the effect these leanings have had on your life. How/what will you change as a result of this knowledge?  

Don’t forget there is still one more week after this and another discussion board posting.

Next week you are posting a summary of your research topic.  PLEASE make sure you read the instructions for this discussion board in the assignment link.  This is a big assignment worth many points so be sure you follow the directions and do your best work. We hope that you will continue to learn and share with each other. 

I will be in touch on the discussion board and I look forward to reading your research summaries.
It has been my honor to be your professor for this semester. I look forward to any feedback you would like to give regarding the class, the curriculum or the format.  The class grades will be posted at the eservices as soon as I can get all the materials and discussion boards graded. I wish you all the best in your educational pursuits.

Your faithful Professor Sue