Social policy development for the aged in the modern day context - Dissertation Example

Over the past couple of decades, the senior citizens have become contributing members of the society in their own way (Chung, McLarney and Gillen, 2008). The complete change in the perception about the elderly in the past few decades warranted for a change in the way policy makers devised policies to meet their meets. In 2002, under the aegis of United Nations, the Second World Assembly was conducted in Madrid and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging was declared. The conference proposed a strong plan for providing social care and social development for the elderly, and for providing supportive environments for the same (DESA, 2002).

This plan forms the basis of several countries own policies. Though the awareness regarding the need for a social policy for the elders is a recent development, many nations have already formulated policies regarding this. For most developed nations, these policies for the elderly revolve around improving the social status that the senior citizens have and ensuring that they continue to function at their optimum (Voit and Vickers, 2012). Policies continue to focus on their safety and healthcare, but also endeavor to enhance participation in cultural and social activities.

The overall aim is therefore to improve the quality of life for the elderly members of the society. Most nations like the United States and Canada have active Elderly Assistance Programs that function with the help of the government and the non-governmental organizations and help provide a supportive environment to the elderly citizens (Litwin, 2000).On the other hand, in the developing nations, such policies are in a nascent stage only. However, much of the policymaking related to the aged is undertaken in a normative manner with the government paving the way to develop new benefits or incentives for the elderly in a bid to make their life more comfortable.

There appears to be little focus on understanding the perceptions of the elderly and their opinions on what social policies related to them need to imbibe. The current research therefore endeavors to fill this gap by exploring the perceptions and opinions of the elderly and hence to present an assessment of their needs from their perspectives. The following research questions will guide the research: Research Questions 1. Are the senior citizens of XYZ satisfied with the quality of social policy aimed at them? 2. What are some of the changes that are needed for social policy so that the needs of the older citizens are adequately met?

Literature Review A review of the available literature has highlighted the fact that The Elderly Assistance Programs of several countries are found to have become more and more responsive to the needs of the overall development of the seniors (Everard et al 2000). For example, in the European Union (EU), several innovative policies have been implemented that provide for the elderly to engage themselves more with their lives. Countries in the EU provide facilities that enable the elderly to have free or subsidized access to the cultural institutions.

Also, there are several initiatives and programs that the elderly can participate in or lead, like the EU environment care programs that