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SAGE Journal User Guide

Article 1:

Ruggiano, M., Whiteman, K. & Shtompel, N. (2014). “If I Don’t Like the Way I Feel With a Certain Drug, I’ll Tell Them.”: Older Adults’ Experiences With Self-Determination and Health Self-Advocacy. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 0733464814527513.

This article examines perceptions of older adults’ health self-advocacy behaviors and the context under which they self-advocate for their chronic conditions.  Concern over quality of life is the most common motivator for older adults to engage in health self-advocacy, suggesting that providers may help facilitate self-determination by framing health communication within the context of quality of life. 

Questions to Consider:

1. What is health self-advocacy, and what are some factors that impact an individual’s participation in it?

2. What is the relationship between Self-Determination Theory and health self-advocacy?

3. What might influence an older adult’s decision to not self-advocate, and how might a social worker support this client in making a shift to the decision to self-advocate?

Article 2:

Lynch, M., Estes, C.L., & Hernandez, M. (2005). Chronic Care Initiatives for the Elderly: Can They Bridge the Gerontology-Medicine Gap? Journal of Applied Gerontology,  24 (2), pp. 108-124.

The authors describe initiatives designed to meet the chronic health needs of the elderly and strategies used by policy advocates who have worked to improve services for elders with chronic health problems within the Medicare program.

Questions to Consider:

1. Describe the three major categories of chronic care programs for older adults.

2. In what ways do the described federal and state programs differ from each other?

3. What is the difference between case management programs and disease management programs?