PACO 630 Gerontology and Counseling

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

The increasing percentage of older persons in the population of the United States will require an increased provision for their counseling needs. To offer effective counseling for the elderly, those working with them in many life areas must know the physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that are significant in later life.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 4 Discussions in this course. For each Discussion, the student will post 1 thread of 200–250 words and 1 reply of 200–250 words. All key components of the prompts in each thread and reply should be answered, and each post should have a clear, logical flow, with major points stated clearly. Major points in each thread should be supported by the Learn materials or outside sources and thoughtful analysis. Where applicable, references should be cited in current APA format. The student must edit all posts for typos, spelling, and proper grammar. Sentences should be complete, clear, and concise, and paragraphs should contain appropriately varied sentence structures. (CLO: A, B, C)

The goal of this assignment is to prepare the student’s mind and heart to receive, learn, and grow while engaging with an older person. After contacting a participant or participants for permission and scheduling times to discuss insights, perspectives, and life stories, the student will be required to spend at least 10 hours observing and noting behaviors and actions during the course of this multi-part assignment.

Elder Connection: Selection Assignment

The student will identify a person or persons 75 years of age or older willing to participate in this assignment and complete the Elder Connection Selection Template (de-identifying information about the participant(s) to comply with HIPAA regulations). The student must clearly develop the template and thoroughly address each item. The student must use excellent APA formatting and/or a graduate writing style, with no spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. (CLO: A, B, C)

Elder Connection: Engagement Assignment

The student will complete the Elder Connection Engagement Template, summarizing findings and observations of older adult lived experiences. All 10 elements in the template must be identified. The template must present information about the required elements in bullet point form. All required elements must be included and presented with strong headings and organizational clarity. The treatment of the topic must be logically oriented, with graduate-level work clearly evident. Additionally, the student must incorporate content from the Elder Connection Selection Template. Information must be de-identified to comply with HIPAA regulations. (CLO: A, B, C)

Elder Connection: Analysis Assignment

The student will finalize his or her time with the designated elder person and write a report based on the 10 or more hours spent with the older person. The student must incorporate content from the Elder Connection Engagement Template and submit the template with the assignment. Using the content from the previous assignment and other sources of informed material, the student will write out his or her experience, including a breakdown of the hours spent emphasizing what was learned about the person’s or persons’ lived experience. All elements of the report should be clearly developed and include no gaps of information. The assignment should demonstrate excellence in the development of the material. The assignment must be 500–750 words and double-spaced and must include a reference page for any references used. The assignment must reflect graduate-level work in spelling, grammar, and current APA formatting. Information must be de-identified to comply with HIPAA regulations. (CLO: A, B, C)

End-of-Life Plan Assignment

The student will submit an End-of-Life Plan Assignment that identifies the process of gathering information about end-of-life services. To complete this assignment, the student will engage resources such as a funeral home, a hospice care chaplain or facility, or online research. The assignment is comprised of 3 parts, outlined below:

• Part I: Complete a cost-estimate for a funeral or memorial service.
• Part II: Obtain a sample of a will, including directives for end-of-life medical decisions, that will also cover disposition of assets.
• Part III: Write a eulogy, poem, or similar tribute to be read at a planned service, or secure samples that address the context of a loved one.

The student will submit the Plan with all 3 parts contained in a single document. The document must be well organized and use headers to differentiate sections. Resources must demonstrate excellence in the understanding and presentation of the assignment. The student will consult with a professional or provide sources/samples for each of the issues above, as required by the assignment instructions. This paper must be double-spaced in current APA format; grammar, spelling, and punctuation must reflect graduate-level work. (CLO: A, B)