Title of the paper (2 points)
The title aims to catch the attention of the
reader and compel him/her to read on and so needs to be descriptive, punchy and relevant.
Executive summary (7 points)
The executive summary aims to convince the
reader further that the brief is worth in depth investigation. It is especially
important for an audience that is short of time to clearly see the relevance
and importance of the brief in reading the summary. As such, a 1 to 2 paragraph
executive summary commonly includes:
– A description of the problem addressed;
– A statement on why the current approach/policy option needs
to be changed;
– Your recommendations for action.
Context and importance of the problem (15 points)
The purpose of this element of the brief is to
convince the target audience that a current and urgent problem exists which
requires them to take action. The context and importance of the problem is both
the introductory and first building block of the brief. As such, it usually
includes the following:
– A clear statement of the
problem or issue in focus.
– A short overview of the root
causes of the problem
– A clear
statement of the policy implications
of the problem which clearly establishes the current importance and
policy relevance of the issue.
It is worth noting that the length of the
problem description may vary considerably from brief to brief depending on the
stage on the policy process in focus, e.g. there may be a need to have a much
more extensive problem description for policy at the evaluation stage than for
one at the option choosing stage.
Critique of policy option(s) (10 points)
The aim of this element is to detail
shortcomings of the current approach or options being implemented and
therefore, illustrate both the need for change and focus of where change needs
to occur. In doing so, the critique of policy options usually includes the
following:
– A short overview of the policy option(s)
– An argument
illustrating why and how the current
or proposed approach is failing.
It is important for the sake of credibility to
recognize all opinions in the debate of the issue.
Policy recommendations (10 points)
The aim of the policy recommendations element
is to provide a detailed and convincing proposal of how the failings of the
current policy approach need to changed. As such this is achieved by including;
– A breakdown of
the specific practical steps or
measures that need to be implemented
– Sometimes also
includes a closing paragraph re-emphasizing
the importance of action.
Sources consulted or recommended (6 points)
Many writers of the policy brief decide not to include any
sourcing of their evidence as their focus is not on an academic audience. For
this assignment, you are required to include a reference page, completed
correctly in APA format. In-text citations must also be completed correctly in
APA format. The quality of your sources is also important. Reminder, you must use a minimum of ten
sources.
Please
note: unless you ask the professor for permission, only ONE of your references
is permitted to be dated earlier than 2013.
In other
words, your academic sources must be dated 2013, unless you ask for permission
and give the professor a rationale for using sources older than this.
Quality and Clarity of Writing: — for each of the sections of your policy brief, points
may be subtracted if the quality and clarity of the writing is poor. Please be
certain to not only spell check your paper but also Proof Read it for potential errors that spell check may miss.
References
N.d.). (rep.). Illinois Department on Aging FY 2023
Respite Services Report.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, August
7). Caregiving for family and friends – a public health issue. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/caregiving/caregiver-brief.html
Super, N. (2021). Three trends shaping the politics of aging
in America: An update. Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, 7(4),
1–6. https://doi.org/10.24966/ggm-8662/100107
Staff, I. E., Wray, T., & Sneeden, C. (2023, December
22). Illinois Department on aging seeks input from family caregivers.
Illinois Eagle.
https://illinoiseagle.com/2023/08/14/illinois-department-on-aging-seeks-input-from-family-caregivers/
Truesdale, M., Taggart, L., Ryan,
A., & McConkey, R. (2021a). Experiences of reciprocal caring among adults
with an intellectual disability caring for an older family member. Journal
of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(3), 240–248.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12380
U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Celebrating national family caregivers month with
BLS Data. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
https://www.bls.gov/blog/2023/celebrating-national-family-caregivers-month-with-bls-data.htm
Which U.S. states have the oldest populations?. PRB.
(n.d.). https://www.prb.org/resources/which-us-states-are-the-oldest/
Steenfeldt, V. ostergaard, Aagerup, L. C., Jacobsen, A. H.,
& Skjodt, U. (2021). Becoming a family caregiver to a person with dementia:
A literature review on the needs of family caregivers. SAGE Open Nursing, 7,
237796082110290. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608211029073
Wolff, J. L., Mulcahy, J., Huang, J., Roth, D. L., Covinsky,
K., & Kasper, J. D. (2017). Family caregivers of older adults, 1999–2015:
Trends in characteristics, circumstances, and role-related appraisal. The
Gerontologist, 58(6), 1021–1032.
https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx093
The issue/topic for discussion today is about family caregiving for older
adult family member with intellectual disabilities. Based on the impact of older population
retiring. According to the article Which states have the oldest population, The
share of older adults will continue to increase as more members of the large
baby boom cohort reach retirement age. By 2030, 26
states are projected to have age profiles similar to those of Florida and Maine
today, with at least 20% of their residents age 65 or older. This demographic
shift has implications for many federal and state programs that support older
adults. There will be a need for caregivers which means that it can have an
impact on the family. It would be helpful to have support for family members
who are taking care of older adults specifically with intellectual. According
to the article, Experiences of Reciprocal Caring Among Adults with an
intellectual disability caring for older family members Ageing family
caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities experience a number of
unique challenges which increase over time (Truesdale et al., 2021). The impact
of taking care of a family requires healthy mental health but it can be
intensive and complex. Having benefits and support will help with family
caregiving. According to the article, Family Caregiving in Dementia:
Caregivers’ Mental Health and Nature of Caregiving (2020), There is has an
impact on caregivers because they will need more support themselves as time
goes on when supporting and caring for older adults within the family. Family
caregiving is more intensive, complex, and long lasting than in the past and
caregivers rarely receive adequate preparation for their role. (Basu et
al.,2020).
Long-term support and benefits for
family caregivers
When supporting family members with intellectual disabilities
there are changes that need to be made in the family member that needs to
support an elderly family member. According to Becoming a Family Caregiver to a
Person With Dementia: A Literature Review on the Needs of Family Caregivers,
transitioning into becoming a family caregiver entails major individual
consequences, often leading to intertwined changed roles and reshaping of the
caregiver’s life course (Pearlin, 2010). Previous research shows that caring
for a person living with dementia can affect health and social and
psychological well-being of caregivers; often referred to as the caregiver
burden (Brodaty & Donkin, 2009; Campbell et al., 2008; Lethin et al.,
2020). According to the article three trends shaping the politics of Aging in
America: An update, caregiving is a long-term trend and issue as the year
progresses. Being a family caregiver takes work and patience.
The number of caregivers is shrinking as the need for care explodes In my
original article, I highlighted the long-term trend of the demand for
caregivers outstripping supply. Again, the pandemic exacerbated this problem,
devastatingly impacting both unpaid family caregivers and paid Long-Term
Services and Supports (LTSS) workers. One silver lining of the pandemic may be
the long-overdue recognition of the importance of both unpaid and paid caregiver.
It is expected that your policy brief will reflect some knowledge
and understanding of the policy process that you have learned about in this
course.
