In this activity, you will discuss how a social sciences approach can address the challenges for rural and remote health in the context of aging.

Reference Guide Links:  

• Thinking in Rural Gap: Mobility and Social Inequalities.

Step 1: Review

Study the given scenario below:

Imagine yourself as a medical social worker. Early in your career, you are deployed for a two-month medical mission to a rural “aging” community (residents are mainly 65 and older) in your country. As this is your first time receiving such an assignment, it is expected that you will encounter some challenges and social influences that may hinder the success of your medical deployment. As a medical social worker, how do you think a social sciences approach can address the challenges that you will encounter in the rural “aging” setting?  

Step 2: Respond

Reflect on the given scenario by recalling some concepts covered previously, such as the social influences affecting rural health (see reference guide links above). After reflecting, study the “Rural Aging Community Assessment Table” and fill in the fourth column with the necessary details.

Note: Each box entry should be between 100 - 300 words (a total of 300-900 words for this table).

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “post to forum.”

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will reflect on the possible benefits and challenges of improving rural health in the context of social and behavioral sciences.

Reference Guide Links:  https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/social-determinants-of-health 

Step 1: Review

Select one of the four common issues present in rural health.

Rural Health Issues:

• Prevalence of substance use disorders.
• HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases as social and psychological issues.
• Prevalence of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and COVID-19.
• Resource distribution in rural health sectors.
• Access to health care centers and health facilities.

Step 2: Respond

After selecting one rural health issue, prepare a 500 - 900 word reflective piece of writing with the following inclusions:

• Social and behavioral concepts/models that can be used to explain why the issue is considered a “rural health” problem, 

• e.g., cervical cancer illiteracy as a rural health problem can be explained by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Theory of Reasoned Action because:

• Briefly summarize the concepts/models of your choice.
• Provide a few examples of how it applies to your selected health issue.

• Potential approaches to improve the response to the selected issue that becomes evident after analyzing it under the lenses of social and behavioral sciences, 

• e.g., incorporating the Theory of Planned Behavior entails an intervention approach or strategy that includes education and literacy through small group classes and teach-back methods.

• Possible benefits and challenges of integrating/applying these concepts/models in addressing the issue

• e.g., Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior provides reliability in the prediction of the behavior of individuals towards substance use/abuse, as it helps identify the biggest barriers to changing behavior, addressing the often-challenging gap between the “intention and behavior of the concerned individuals.

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “post to forum.”

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will revamp a bar graph to any form of visual (chart, infographic, slideshow) and present the following:

• Analysis of the burden of disease in people aged 60 years and older.
• Examples of how living in rural communities present challenges and opportunities to address health issues among older adults.
• Demonstration of how a specific health issue can be influenced at different ecological levels.

Step 1: Analyze

Analyze the leading contributors to the burden of disease in people aged 60 years and older in 2010. Take note of the following key features of the figure:

• Most prominent disease burden contributors in both low-income and high-income countries.
• Least prominent disease burden contributors in both low-income and high-income countries.
• Potential explanations for the most significant differences of disease burden contributors among low-income and high-income countries.

Step 2: Respond

From the data, choose one disease contributor and reflect on how the prominence of the disease can be influenced at all ecological levels - For example: how the prominence of cardiovascular disease can be influenced at the individual, population, and community levels. 

Your ideas for how to respond to your selected health issue at each ecological level should be contextualized for older adults in a rural health community.

Step 3: Design

Select your preferred digital/non-digital tool to revamp the given graph to your chosen visual representation. Ensure that you also include the key features from Step 1 and your ideas from Step 2. You can use chart features of PowerPoint or visual design apps like Canva and Visme. Choose a visual type that will enhance the clarity of the data based on “rank” or “prominence.”

Step 4: Present

Present your visual analysis highlighting the key features from Step 1 and the ideas from Step 2. Record yourself or your screen using the online tool, Loom.  If you are using PowerPoint, you may embed an audio recording in your presentation. The presentation should be of 3 - 5 minutes duration only.

Step 5: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste the shareable public link of your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 6: Interact

Evaluate and categorize the work from one of your peers based on items A - E of this rubric. Provide a rationale for the grade you provided, as well as comments or suggestions for improvement. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the list below as an example:

In this activity, you will reflect on how ethical principles govern the health and well-being of older adults in a rural population. 

Reference Guide Link: Ethical Challenges in Pursuing Public Health Goals  https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/cfm/resources/ethics/chapter-03.pdf 

Step 1: Review

Read and review the four topic questions below. Select one to reflect on.

In the context of ethics:

Step 2: Respond

After reflecting on your chosen topic question, prepare a 300 - 500 word reflective argument based on the following ethical principles:

• Autonomy
• Justice
• Beneficence
• Non-maleficence

Please see the reference guide links above for more information about these ethical principles.

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “post to forum.”

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will reflect on the impact of community health workers as key players in a community-based intervention program for a rural aging community. 

Step 1: Review

Study the given scenario below. 

Step 2: Respond

Prepare a 500-900 word email correspondence about:

1. Initial outcomes of the program

• Different roles carried out by facilitators and other collaborators
• How does each role/function contribute to the overall success of the program?
• What are the indicators that the participants have benefited from working with the facilitators?
• Impact of the intervention program on the participants
• What significant differences did the intervention program make in the community?
• How are the facilitators and other collaborators accountable for the success rate of the program?
• What modifications need to be made to increase the impact of the program in the event that it will be re-implemented or replicated?

2. Important considerations for the adaptation of the program

• What new goals can be incorporated into the program related to substance use/abuse, and alcoholism?
• What additional roles/responsibilities can be explored to increase workforce participation in relation to achieving the new goals?
• How can the members of the community, including those who did not participate (e.g. teenage groups, younger adults), benefit from the “improved” program?

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to the forum.”

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will discuss the process of implementing some recommendations and a rural health model to support rural aging in place. 

Step 1: Review

Study the given scenario:

1. Recommendations on public health and healthcare infrastructures on rural healthcare delivery.
2. One selected model from the eight models that support rural aging in place.

• Housing
• Legal Assistance
• Telehealth/Home Health
• Caregivers and Caregiver Well-Being
• Transportation Programs
• Community Integration
• Community Supports
• Designing Age-Friendly Communities

Note:  As talk guides, review the following course readings again:

Establishing and Maintaining Public Health Infrastructure in Rural Communities.
(Read Chapter 4: Recommendations)

Module 2: Evidence-Based and Promising Aging in Place Program Models.
 (Read the section that aligns with your chosen model in the Peer Activity)

Step 2: Respond

Prepare a 3-5 minute talk about the implementation of the recommendations on infrastructures and chosen health model to support rural aging in place, with the following highlights:

• Key features of the recommendations on infrastructures and health model.
• A real-life example of the health model anywhere in the world.
• Possible challenges when implementing both the recommendations on infrastructures and health model.
• Possible ways to effectively implement both the recommendations on infrastructures and health model in the rural aging community.

Step 3: Present

Present your talk by recording yourself using Loom or any video-recording/video curation tool that allows you to share your work through a link. 

Step 4: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste the shareable link of your talk in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 5: Interact

Evaluate and categorize the work from one of your peers based on items A - E of this rubric. Provide a rationale for the grade you provided, as well as comments or suggestions for improvement. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the list below as an example:

Item A is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item B is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item C is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item D is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item E is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….

OPTIONAL Step 6: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will create a brochure to demonstrate your analysis of how various stakeholders in a coalition work together to impact community health and public health interventions in rural settings. 

Step 1: Review

• Review these four common models of rural health coalitions/partnerships. 

• Integrated Rural Health Networks.
• Telehealth/Telemedicine Networks.
• Collective Impact.
• Community of Practice.

• Choose one model and click on the title to access the associated website. Review the information found on the website and select one (1) example of a real-life coalition that exemplifies the chosen model.

• Access the link of the real-life coalition and study its website, paying attention to: 
• • The coalition’s shared goal/s; 
  • The stakeholders involved in the coalition; and 
  • The functions of the stakeholders. 

Step 2: Assess

• After completing Step 1, you will assess how various stakeholders in a coalition work together to impact community health and public health interventions in rural settings, highlighting the following details:

• The common goal of the coalition.
• The rationale on the need for the coalition.
• Specific stakeholders of the coalition and their roles. 
• A brief description of how the coalition works together.
• The impact of the community health and public health interventions on the rural settings that they serve (eg. success stories/data, testimonials).

Step 3: Design

Select your preferred digital/non-digital tool to create the assessment brochure. You can use features of Word or visual design apps like Canva , Visme and Venngage. To help you out on how to make a brochure, you may view this link for inspiration: https://www.canva.com/create/brochures/. 

Step 4: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste the shareable link of your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 5: Interact

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to the forum.”

OPTIONAL Step 6: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

This assignment is a summative evaluation where you will demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired during the course. You are going to make a proposal for a program that can strengthen public health response for providing health care services to rural older adults. 

Learning Resources: Learning Resource 1, Learning Resource 2

Step 1.  Review

Review all of the contents of Module 4 Lesson 2: Strengthening Collaboration in Public Health Response resource, especially Learning Resource 2 - the study on how a preparedness program is used to enhance personal Disaster and Emergency Support Networks of Older Adults in a Rural Community. 

These resources are relevant for you to solve the given scenario below:

• Prevalence of substance use disorders.
• HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases as social and psychological issues.
• Prevalence of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis.

Step 2.  Respond

Prepare a 750-1000 word program proposal, putting in all of the details of the COVID-19 emergency preparedness and response program for older adults in mind. Use the format below.

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click on the “Reply” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. If your work is a google document, you may paste it as either an attachment or a “shareable link”. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

Evaluate and categorize the work from one of your peers based on items A - E of this rubric. Provide a rationale for the grade you provided, as well as, comments or suggestions for improvement. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the list below as an example:

Item A is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item B is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item C is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item D is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item E is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”