After visiting a nursing home or senior center, it is important that you start reflecting upon the different things, situations, and people you observed. If you interviewed any person connected to the nursing home or senior center (elder or staff member), you can definitely analyze their perspectives as well.
Once you have organized your ideas about your observations, you should start examining the different reasons why elders are sent to nursing homes, and the validity of this decision.
Then, based on your observations, your reflection about nursing homes, and your analysis of the validity of these places for the elderly, you will proceed to write your paper. The requirements for your final essay are:
Part I: Description and Reflection of your Observations
In two pages (more if need be), give a detailed description of your observations. You can describe the location, place, staff members, and elders. Additionally, you can explain your experiences going to the nursing home/senior center: what you expected to find and what you actually found. Also, you may want to give a detailed account of the aspects of the nursing home/senior center that struck you, and how those findings changed your viewpoint about these places. You are also encouraged to include the limitations (obstacles) you found during the development of this project, and your reflection (explanation) on why you encountered those difficulties. You must end your reflection by adding ideas on what you learned from that experience.
Part II: Argumentative Essay
Once you have written your reflection and description of your observations, you will write an argumentative essay where you take a position on
whether nursing homes are suitable places for the elderly or not.
In this part you should not include anything from your observations or your personal experiences with other elder people (grandparents, uncles, aunts, neighbors, etc.) Instead, you will use the readings (at least 2) assigned for this unit, and 2 researched articles to support your position (the articles should come from any of the databases at the library; articles from Wikipedia or similar websites will not be accepted). In order to brainstorm ideas for your essay, you might want to consider the following questions:
· Should nursing homes be used as the primary source of care for the elderly? Why? Or why not? (The answer to this question may reveal your position on this issue)
· Are nursing homes suitable places for the elderly?
· What is the psychological impact (positive or negative—depending on your position) of sending our elders to a nursing home?
Important aspects to keep in mind:
· Your thesis statement must reflect a clear position (a strong statement), and it should not include personal opinion such as “I think,” “In my opinion,” “my position is…” etc.
· Note that each argument you list must be developed into one body paragraph, and you must use quotes and/or paraphrased examples from the readings as your supporting evidence. Personal experience will weaken your arguments.
· Your conclusion must restate your main ideas/arguments, but most importantly your thesis statement to reaffirm your position.
You should start making appointments with Elysia or Jose so she/he can help you brainstorm ideas and also help you with the structure of this essay. Remember that for this final essay there is no second draft, so the success of this assignment will entirely depend on your seriousness, dedication, and willingness to work on it and edit it as many times as possible.
Final Presentation (Group Project)
Dates: December 11 & 16
Nursing Homes in America
Instructions:
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Mr.Q
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