The document outlines a policy proposal aimed at assisting Iris, a 78-year-old woman struggling with loneliness, depression, and financial difficulties after her divorce. It emphasizes the need for policies that enhance civic engagement for older adults and improve healthcare access for low-income individuals like Iris, while providing support for her to make informed choices about her living situation. The overall goal is to promote Iris's well-being and health by ensuring she receives adequate medical care and social support.

1. SOCW 6361 wk7 Assignment
Defending Your Policy Proposal
This also has to connect with my final project on disability I
will attach other assignments that have been done to help
Submit a slide show presentation summary of the policy
proposal you created from last week's Discussion. Be sure to
incorporate feedback from your colleagues. Make sure that your
summary presentation provides a solid rationale for the passage
of your policy, using reputable sources from experts in the
field. This should be a simulation of a summary presentation
you would make to "real-world" policy leaders, so make sure
you are succinct and informative. You can include any visual
aids that you think help your presentation.
Bullet points used on slide show and attach a transcript so I can
do a voice over everything cited intext and full references
The slideshow can only take 4–5 minutes and no more than 6
minutes.
Make sure that your assertions are supported by appropriate
research and reputable resources.
Last weeks discussion and responses
Problem
Iris a 78-year-old divorced lady who lives alone and relies on a
pension from the pace she used to work as an elementary
teacher and the social security retirement benefits. Two years

2. ago her husband divorced her for a younger woman and Iris was
not blessed with any child. Iris is forgetful, old, and in need of
someone to talk to despite claiming to be independent. Iris is
also going through depression because of being divorced by her
husband abruptly in the last two years and also because she
misses her independence because she now needs to stay in a
facility that can provide care for her as it gets harder for her to
take care of herself. This paper will look into a policy that can
help Iris control and take care of herself.
Solution
One of the ways of helping Iris is to provide a way in which she
can have company. A policy that will provide or extend the
civic engagement of adults will go a long way into helping Iris
to extend her stay at the facility she was sent to. This policy
should help improve her wellbeing because she feels loneliness
because Iris is still dealing with the divorce, she went through
which happened abruptly without warning. Policymakers should
ensure this is considered so as to give her and other older
people at the center time to heal and focus on their health rather
than missing home (Zarbo, et al, 2017). The policy should also
focus on restructuring health care systems so that those who
receive low pensions and retirement benefits can get something

3. that will help them receive proper medical aid. The medical care
system should search for ways to increase financial incentives
especially for those from low-income families so that they can
be able to access medical aid that encompasses a variety of
medications. For instance, Iris cannot use the money she gets as
a pension to pay for all her medical bills as well as the bills
waiting for her at home because she obviously left a house when
she got in a accident. This would be very helpful in solving her
medical care bills.
This policy should also cover for Iris to remain at the facility
forever. She should be given choices or options in which she
can choose from. For instance, she can be asked whether she
would go home to live alone or stay at the facility to get help
giving her the pros and cons. As a smart woman, Iris should
trade her independence and wish to go home for the health and
social benefits that she would get with staying at the facility.
Finding the best solution in this context to keep Iris safe and
healthy is better than letting her go back to her house and
wallow in depression and not get the care and help she is in
need of. Therefore, the trade-off here is telling Iris the
consequences she is to face once she goes back home, letting
her weigh the benefits and consequences of leaving and staying
at-home care. The overall purpose of policies is not to find the
optimal solution but the best solution that can work in favor of

4. all participants (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine, 2018)
Conclusion
In conclusion, Iris is facing depression that is affecting her
judgment and the activeness of the mind. She needs a
distraction that can help forget the messy abrupt divorce that
her ex-husband made her go through. She is also lonely because
she has no children and is facing financial challenges. The
medical care policy can positively impact Iris's life by paying
her medical bills at the home care visits from people who love
her should help cheer her up.
References
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
(2018). A DecisionFramework for Managing the Spirit Lake and
Toutle River System at Mount St.Helens. Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press.https://doi.org/10.17226/24874
Zarbo, Cristina, Brugnera, Agostino, Cipresso, Pietro, Brignoli,
Ovidio, Cricelli, Claudio, Rabboni, Massimo, Bondi, Emi &
Compare, Angelo. (2017). E-mental Health for Elderly:
Challenges and Proposals for Sustainable Integrated

5. Psychological Interventions in Primary Care. Front. Psychol.. 8.
10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00118.
REPLY QUOTE
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3 days agoTasha Jones
RE: Discussion - Week 6
COLLAPSE
Respond to a colleague who selected a different case from yours
with another approach to address the identified problem. What
is the responsibility of the social workers working with Jose
and/or Iris to advocate for a change in the social policy?
Hello Summerlove,
In the case of Iris, I would suggest allowing her to stay in her
own home with a caregiver. I would find out about Medicare
insurance for her and sign her up for social security income. As
a policy advocate, I would do research housing and insurance
for this client. I would prepare a policy proposal based on

6. housing need for elderly care. This place would be like a group
home but a duplex for two residents with caregivers. I believe
addressing this housing issues will help this client regain her
independence and help her to feel better about herself. The
evolution of the Federal Shelter Program proposal demonstrates
that effective policy advocates combine analytic skills in
identifying, comparing, and selecting policy options with other
policy practice skills (Jansson, 2018). Social workers respect
and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist
clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals
(NASW, 2017).
Reference
Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate:
From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Pacific Grove,
CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series. Chapter 8, "Placing
Policy Proposals in Policy Briefs in the Second, Third, and
Fourth Steps of Policy Analysis” (pp. 246-283)
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of Ethics
of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-
Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.aspx

7. Karlise Newman
RE: Discussion - Week 6
Summerlove,
As social workers, we have to advocate for the community and
our clients but lobbying, signing petitions, and encouraging
change. Having a solid plan and educating the client, her
family, and the community on what is needed to see these policy
changes is imperative.
Sources
Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate:
From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Pacific Grove,
CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.
Chapter 8, "Placing Policy Proposals in Policy Briefs in the
Second, Third, and Fourth Steps of Policy Analysis” (pp. 246-
283)
Chapter 9, "Presenting and Defending Policy Proposals in Step
5 and Step 6 of Policy Analysis" (pp. 284-326)