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GER204 Aging and Professional Practice (8)

Abstract

Individual narratives of aging introduce an examination of the Australian context of health and aged care in which the bio-medical and social models of health care are critiqued. The concepts of social construction of aging and emancipatory practices lead to examination of a range of practitioner roles relevant to practice with older people and encourage the development of reflective practice skills. A range of health and wellbeing issues of aging (including identity, decision-making, mental health, dementia, grief and loss) are examined from the perspectives of the professional, the aging person and the family carer.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Location

Session 1
DistanceAlbury-Wodonga Campus
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: GER204
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject information

Duration Grading System School:
One sessionHD/FLSchool of Humanities and Social Sciences

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
- be able to utilise various concepts and theories relating to professional practice with older people
- be able to demonstrate an understanding of health care and aging in a variety of contexts which extend beyond medical ideology and include sociological approaches
- be able to demonstrate an understanding of how ethics, values, language and socially constructed views of aging may inform practice within the health care professions
- be able to recognise and examine the complexity of issues facing older people in relation to health , wellbeing, choice, independence and care
- be able to reflect critically on issues of power, decision-making and control in relation to their own practice as professional carers working with older people
- be able to identify participatory and emancipatory professional roles and begin to reflect on these in relation to their developing practise
- be able to identify and develop opportunities for health-promotion in relation to practice with older people
- be able to identify issues of significance to family carers and consider collaborative practices of professionals which enhance carers wellbeing as well as that of the older person

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:
Narratives of Aging Health Care and Aging - Social Model of Health - Social constructions of Aging - Australian Health and Aged Care service systems Professional Practice with Older People - Values, attitudes and Ethics - Professional care - roles and power dimensions - issues of aging for practitioners - bereavement and loss, dementia and depression, the needs of carers.

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The information contained in the 2015 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 01 October 2015. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.