SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Age & Disability Chapter 11:2 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Section 2: Age and Disability Objectives: Discuss the effect that the aging of the population is having on society. Explain how the aging of the population is affecting the life chances of older Americans. 2 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Ageism: Ageism: The belief that one age category is by nature superior to another age category. EX: TV commercials use elderly people for over the counter medications, dentures, insurance, burial plans, etc…. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS The Aging World: About 606 million people aged 60 and older worldwide. Europe: oldest region of the world. Africa: youngest region of the world HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Graying of America: The phenomenon of the growing percentage of elderly Americans as part of the total U.S. population. Check out pg. 273 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS 2 main reasons for Graying of America 1. Advances in health care. 2. Variations in birthrates have changed the age structure of the U.S. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Births in U.S. rose sharply in 1946 and stayed the same until 1960s. (baby-boom generation) Today’s Age: late thirties to mid-fifties. By 2030, will increase elderly population nearly 70 million. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS The Politics of Aging: Elderly have become both a political force and a topic of debate. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Bringing needs of elderly to national level: AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) THE LARGEST special-interest group in the U.S. Provides financial advice & health-care insurance plans. Travel and prescription –drug discounts Modern Maturity- magazine HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Concerns for Elderly: FYI Social Security: Funded by payroll or income taxes on workers, employers, the self-employed. Current payroll taxes fund the benefits paid to current retirees. Challenges: Declining birthrates and longer life expectancies mean fewer workers to support growing numbers of retirees. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Concerns for Elderly: Social Security: Dependency ratio: the number of workers for each person receiving Social Security benefits. 1960: 5 to 1 2030: 2 to 1 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS “Old-Old” Challenges: (85+) Medicare: Government-sponsored health-insurance plan for elderly Americans and Americans with disabilities. Medicaid: State and federally funded health-insurance program for low-income individuals. FYI: these programs are the sole sources of health insurance for close to one quarter of elderly Americans. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Is there hope for Social Security? Raising retirement age Cutting benefits Increasing Social Security payroll taxes. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Age Inequality in the United States: Social Security have made older Americans financially secure at the expense of younger generations. Poverty rate for elderly: 10.2% Poverty rate or general population: 11.3% Poverty rate for children under age 18: 16.2 % HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Elderly African Americans: 22% Elderly Hispanics: 19% Women are hit by poverty than are men! Poverty levels increase with Hispanic & African American women. Poverty levels often high among old-old (85+). HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Americans with Disabilities: Cover a wide variety of conditions: Physical disabilities Chronic health impairments Mental retardation Mental illness Visual, hearing, and speech impairments. Blindness, deafness, and paralysis HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Prejudice & Discrimination: Stereotypical belief that their disabilities make them incapable of doing productive work. Result: High unemployment rate among disabled. Receive government assistance, but still struggle financially. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Disabled struggled for civil rights. All Handicapped Children Act of 1975: Guaranteed children with disabilities a public education geared toward their needs and abilities. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS ADA: “Americans with Disabilities Act” (1990) Address 4 main areas: 1. Employment: Illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in hiring, promotion, and pay. 2. Public services: Transportation 3. Public accommodations: Hotels, restaurants, theaters, etc…. 4. Telecommunications: Telecommunications-relay services (TRS) Hearing and speech impaired HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Chapter 11: Section 3 Health 21 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Section 3: Health Objectives: Describe the state of health care in the United States. Identify some of the special health-care concerns of various segments of American society. 22 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS What are your THREE main concerns when you receive healthcare??? HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS We will focus on THREE Main Issues: Cost of Health Care Quality of Health Care Access to Health Care HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Section 3: Health Health Care in the U.S. Focuses on THREE Main Issues: 1. Cost of Health Care – concern over the rapid rise in health care costs Why rise in cost? Turn to Pg. 281 Hospital care Advances in technology Fears of malpractice lawsuits Increased spending on prescription drugs 25 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS 2. Quality of Health Care – some believe that managed care has decreased the quality of health care. Managed care: limits costs by requiring patients to choose approved doctors who have agreed to reduced rates, requiring approval for treatment, and setting limits on drugs that can HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON 26 be prescribed. SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS 3. Access to Health Care – distribution of physicians, both geographically and within the medical profession, has limited accessibility to health care. Geographically: Beverly Hills: 1 Dr.: 254 Poverty stricken: 1 Dr.: 24, 500 Professionally: Short in general-practice doctors. Most in specialty fields (EX: Cardiologists) WHY?? More $$$ 27 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Section 3: Health Health Care Concerns Today 1. Health Insurance – unequal health care exists between public and private insurance programs. Private insurance: people pay set periodic fees. Public insurance: government programs such as Medicare (elderly) and Medicaid (poor). Canada: Gov’t finances health care through national health insurance. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON 28 SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Inequality and Health: Poor people are LESS likely than wealthy Americans to receive adequate medical care. Turn to pg. 284 …THEN, turn to pg. 282 29 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS 2. Alternative Medicine – is a concern because there are few scientific studies on the effectiveness of alternative treatments. EX: Chiropractic, massage, meditation, yoga, herbal remedies, etc…. 30 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS 3. AIDS – has developed into one of the most serious public-health problems in the U.S. and around the world in just two decades. AIDS: a disease that attacks the immune system, leaving a person vulnerable to a host of deadly infections. HIV: virus that causes AIDS. 31 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS HIV is transmitted through: Sexual contact Contaminated blood and tissue Use of contaminated hypodermic needles 32 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Highest Risk: Homosexual and bisexual males (46%). Intravenous drug abusers (25%). Sexual partners of high-risk persons. Persons receiving blood transfusions. Babies of high-risk mothers. 33 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS How is government helping??? Spent $10 billion!!!! 70% went towards care and assistance. 34 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS A Global Affair: Sub-Saharan Africa: 70% 35 of HIV and AIDS sufferers live! HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AIDS 36 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome About 70% of the estimated 36 million people in the world currently carrying HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, live in Africa south of the Sahara. By 2000: 17 million already died of AIDSrelated diseases. 37 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AIDS: In Zimbabwe, a child is more likely to die of AIDS than of any other cause!! Treatments cost too much for Africans or their governments to purchase. In Zimbabwe: Life expectancy fallen from 65 years to 41 years because of AIDS!! HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON 38 SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Estimated that by 2010, 10.7 million children in Africa under the age of 15 will have lost at least one parent to AIDS!! 39 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Doctors Online? Turn to pg. 282 Answer #1 & #2 Also, answer the following: Have you ever referred to health-related web sites for information? Why do you think such online medical sites are so popular? 40 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS Complete the following in pairs: Segment of Society Special Health-Care Concerns Poor people Elderly individuals AIDS sufferers People suffering from chronic illnesses 41 HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON