The Golden Acres (Home for the Aged): A Closer Look into its Programs and How it Addresses the Needs of the Elders

Abstract

This study is an evaluation of the programs and services of the Golden Acres (Home for the Aged). It also presents and describes the idea of aging and elderly using different approaches such as age, physiological, psychological, cultural, and health. This thesis also describes how Filipino culture treats the elderly segments of its population and the role played by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to this particular sector of the Philippine population. Besides this, the thesis also laid down the specific laws and legislations instituted by the national government in order to uphold and protect the rights of every Filipino elderly. Furthermore, the researcher tried to unveil the condition of institutionalized elderly in the Golden Acres. Based on the programs and services offered by the institution, the study presents an analysis and from this point, recommendations are offered for each program and services. In order to provide substance and weight to the study, previous works, reports and discussions were likewise utilized. Chapter 1 of this thesis deals with the intention of the researcher in undertaking this study specified in various headings starting from the background of the study itself and it basically provides the reader with the "bird's eye view" together with the course of the study, its objectives, probable significance, the framework and methodology used by the researcher in order to gather the data. Chapter 2 highlights the concept about elderly/aging using different approaches such as age, physiological, health, psychological and cultural. The definition of elderly/aging using age as an approach solely looks into the number of years an individual has lived since birth. Physical changes and variations in bodily attributes that occur as the process of aging progresses was tackled by physiological approach. The approach on Health seeks to define this process through the changes in the functioning of the body as an individual grows old and the illnesses identified with aging/elderly. Furthermore, this chapter deals with the concept of aging in global picture----international trend. Finally, the chapter also presents the status of the elderly in the Philippines and the way Filipino culture deals with this sector of the population. Chapter 3 is devoted to the laws, legislations and services for the elderly in the Philippines. The laws specifically covered were Republic Act 7342 or more commonly known as "Senior Citizens Act of the Philippines” which aims to maximize the contribution of the elderly, provide discounts with the use of Senior Citizens ID and tax exemption. The second law discussed was Republic Act 7876 or "Senior Citizens Center Act of the Philippines" which mandates every municipalities and regions in the Philippines to provide centers that would in turn serve the needs of the elderly. The significance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other institutions for the elderly were likewise presented in this chapter. For the 4" Chapter of the study, the researcher presented a case study of the Golden Acres. It looked into the institution's history, objectives, mission and vision. Then, a description of the Golden Acres as a physical structure was also provided in the study. Besides introducing the programs and services of the institution, this chapter also covered its bureaucratic side. Chapter 5 deals with the elderly demographic profile which includes the elders’ recollections about certain experiences in their lives. These are presented based on the narratives delivered by the elderly themselves. Chapter 6 pointed out the programs and services for the elderly primarily undertaken by the institution. These services include: Homelife, Social, Dietary, Occupational and Medical Services. Anecdotes and narratives of the elders were presented to illustrate their perception and evaluation concerning the endeavors undertaken by the institution in order to address their needs. A generalization immediately follows each program or services based primarily on the stories narrated by the respondents. On Chapter 7 of this thesis, the researcher made an assessment of the programs and services of the Golden Acres to judge the success and effectiveness of the institution's endeavors. The evaluation was made with regards to the strengths, weaknesses, threats and possible areas of improvement. Through these, the researcher is able to gauge the success of the Golden Acres as a social welfare institution catering to the needs of the elders.