| CODE | HPN3008 | ||||||
| TITLE | Elderly Care and Lifestyle Management | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Health, Physical Education and Consumer Studies | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The content of this unit will address good health care and lifestyle management for the elderly whether they would be living in their own homes or in a residential home. One would need to discuss the issues of aging, options and planning for elderly, the situations that may arise, post-retirement options for an active and healthy lifestyle. The unit will look into international documents and programmes for a healthy and innovative approach to elderly care and lifestyle management such as: The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) which recommends a checklist in preparation for retirement and to caring for elderly in retirement (find checklist examples in the Prepare to Care guide on the AARP website). Another aspect of the unit would focus on qualities needed in individuals who are in contact with elderly such as: care, respect, honesty, appreciation and teamwork. Study-Unit Aims: The aims of this unit are to help students: 1) Increase the knowledge on issues related to elderly care; 2) Appreciate that the wellness concept is applicable to every age including senior citizens and the old old; 3) Realise that the world population is growing older and that wellness and common diseases (infectious, acute, chronic, degenerative, etc) have been changing and professionals are required to help in elderly care; 4) Appreciate that health care and self care for the elderly requires a professional, studied handling of knowledge and innovation; 5) Acquire knowledge to be able to proceed to careers or further professional development in the field of elderly care and lifestyle management. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Determine the needs of the elderly and to take actions according to their needs; 2) Outline plans to provide elderly individuals and their families with assistance so that they can lead a healthy life through their own efforts and actions; 3) Develop different kinds of learning activities or programmes to support elderly and make changes in the beliefs and value systems of individuals, their attitudes and skill to support changes in their lifestyles; 4) Describe opportunities for families to become increasingly more involved in the work of self-care-incompetent individuals’ rehabilitation, and individuals with poor self-care; 5) Determine the learning needs of independent living or care-requiring elderly, in cooperation with families, to plan appropriate educational initiatives. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Practise skills that would help if working with elderly such as listening, being conscientious, being compassionate, being determined to make a positive difference in another person's life and being innovative; 2) Show empathy with the elderly through simulated or authentic discussions and life-stories that would give such experience and draw up possible ways of empowering elderly clients; 3) Practise good communications skills which can be useful when working with elderly through different exposure to elderly on video clips and through tasks or field placement. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Formosa, M, (Ed). (2013) National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing: Malta 2014-2020. National Commission for Active Ageing, Valletta: Malta. Retrieved from: http://www.mfss.gov.mt/en/Documents/Acetive%20Ageing%20Policy%20-%20EN.pdf - Kydd, A., Duffy, T., & Duffy, F.J.R (eds). (2009). The care and wellbeing of older people: A textbook for health care students. Supplementary Readings: - Bowden, A., & Lewthwaithe, N. (2009). The Activity Year Book: A Week by Week guide for use in elderly day and residential care. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. - Carlson, R. (2003). The Don't Sweat Guide to Retirement: Enjoying your new lifestyle to the fullest. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Karen Mugliett |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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