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Cultural Immersion & Agency Assessment Report

Jillian Mills
Wilmington University

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Cultural Immersion & Agency Assessment Report
Population Selected for Cultural Immersion
For this particular assignment I have chosen to study the Elderly population. The
agency that I am doing my internship with is an agency that serves the elderly population. I
have chosen this population because up until my internship I did not have hardly any
interaction with this population. I thought further looking into this population from a cultural
stand point would boarder my view about the population and also the agency in which I have
interned at. I know have a better understanding for this population but I know that there is
still a lot more that I could learn about the elderly. I hope this cultural immersion paper will
give you a better understanding as well.
History of the Elderly population
When the United States of America was first founded the average age that a person
lived to be was about thirty-five years old. Well we all know that was a very long time ago
and since then many things have changed in the United States and around the world. Since
that time we have seen changes in medicine, technology, and education to name a few. So,
naturally individuals are started to live longer over the years. But now more than ever the
elderly population has begun to grow and rapidly. This is due to the fact that the individuals
that are considered to be the baby boomers are now beginning to reach the age of sixty-five
years old. In the United States an individual is considered part of the elderly population once
he or she has hit the age of sixty-five years old.
Now, because there is an increase is population of elderly individuals we have also seen
an increase in care for the elderly population as well. As individual ages there may be a
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reason that they need to enter a senior living facility or that they might need at home care
from a skilled person. This is where facilities like Millcroft will step in and become the
caregiver for that person who is unable to care for themselves on a daily basis. There are
many different types of senior living facilities throughout the United States and the world.
We are seeing more now that family members are unable to care for their loved ones because
of one reason or another, and so putting them into a skilled assisted living center is what is
best for both the individual and the family. Individuals are able to receive social security
benefits from the government once they turn sixty-five and half. Medicare and Medicaid are
ways that the elderly population can pay for senior living facilities so that they can receive
that care that need and deserve.
Direct Immersion Experience
I was able to attend a community meeting at local church that my mother attends on a
regular basis. I choose to attend this meeting because I thought it would give me a direct
insight for my cultural immersion paper. The meeting was held to discuss the care of the
elderly population in the community of the church. It was interesting to see because majority
of the individuals that were in attendance at the meeting were of the elderly population. This
is normal to see at the church meeting because individuals who are officers of the church tend
to be of the elderly population.
At this meeting the topic of care of the elderly population was to be discussed. This
church is connected to a few local senior living facilities. The pastor and the officers of the
church make regularly visits to the senior living facilities, to meet and talk with residents who
are members of the church and who are not members. I thought that this was interesting
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because I have seen pastors come into Millcroft many times to meet with residents there.
During this meeting the topic of respect was brought up. I can tell you personally that respect
is a huge issue at Millcroft and from the first day that I was there I was told that the number
one thing that can do for the residents here is to treat them with respect and dignity.
I was glad that I got the opportunity to attend this meeting because it gave me insight on
the elderly population and their feelings. I have learned more about this while interning at
Millcroft, but I am thankful for the chance to sit in on a smaller group meeting and really hear
the topics that are talked about within the elderly population. Growing up I did not have any
grandparents because they had passed away before I was born, so I have not had the chance to
experience interactions with the elderly population on a daily basis like most people.
Personal Interview
I choose to do a personal interview because I personally know an individual who has
dealt with this cultural. I interviewed my aunt. This reason that I interviewed her is because
she was the sole caregiver for my great-grandmother before she passed away from
Alzheimers disease. My aunt is now considered to be part of the elderly population of the
United States, but she was not when she was caring for my great-grandmother. I wanted to
get her understanding of the elderly population and the cultural behind it.
The first question that I asked her was, why did you decide to take care of your
grandmother verses having her live in a senior living facility? She responded that because of
the disease that her grandmother was suffering from she felt that she could give her the best
care. I think that if my great-grandmother was still around today and suffering from
Alzheimers disease that it would be more beneficial for my aunt to have put her in a senior
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living facility. The next question I asked was, how did this experience with your grandmother
impact your life? She answered that question very slowly. She said that she is grateful for the
time that she spent with her grandmother because she was very close to her, but she gave up a
lot of her own life to care for someone else. I think that is important to always be there for
your family members, but not at the cost of sacrificing your own life like my aunt did. The
last question that I asked her was, How has the elderly population changed since you have
gotten older? Her response was that the elderly population has gotten a lot bigger in size. She
mentioned that there are more and better benefits for the elderly population now. The one
thing that my aunt said that stood out the most for me is now a day you see more of the
elderly population still employed. I am glad that I got to interview my aunt for this report
because she is very knowledgeable in this area.
Agencys Community
Millcroft Senior Living Center is located at 255 Possum Park Road, Newark, Delaware
19711. The facility is located in a residential area of Newark. They are closely located 5
minutes by car away from the local Christiana Hospital. Transportation is not very good in
this area because the closest bus is almost a mile away from the facilities main entrance. For
the resident that reside that Millcroft there is a shuttle bus service that can be used during the
day time hours. There are a lot of shopping areas within a five mile radius of Millcroft. It is
close to the main interstate highway I-95, so that family members who come to visit can
easily access Millcroft by car. There are a couple elementary and middle schools located near
Millcroft. Millcroft is surrounded by housing developments.

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Access
Residents come to Millcroft on their own terms unless they are coming in by an
ambulance from the hospital. Residents are responsible to getting to the facility themselves.
They are also responsible for getting their belongings to the facility as well. What many
residents do is hire outside moving companies to more their things into their new room. Most
residents have help from their family members when they are moving in or moving out.
Receptivity
If I was a member of this population I would feel very welcomed at this facility. All the
surroundings are very comfortable. I can see that the individuals who work at Millcroft are
friendly and always willing to help. Everyone is always greeted with a hello and a smile. The
dcor and pictures on brochures are all appropriate to the population that is being served. The
brochures are easy to read and easily accessible.
Administration and Staff Training
Training at Millcroft is excellent and it is offered to everyone that works there.
Everyone is invited to attend trainings. Trainings are done every six months for a full day of
work. At these trainings there are specific topics that are covered each time. Yes, there are
trainings that employees can attend that specifically deal with cultural issues. There are
individuals who are currently employed at Millcroft who are a part of the elderly population.



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Funding
Millcroft is a corporately owned company. All the funding for training comes out the
revenue that has been earned that year. Millcroft has a budget that they must follow. This
budget is set by corporate.
Staff Sensitivity
I have observed during my internship that staff is sensitive and aware of the residents
needs. Respect is one of the major concerns at Millcroft and every resident must be respected
at all times by every employee. From what I have observed staff has always treated residents
with respect and dignity. I am sure that there are times that staff can be unprofessional,
because everyone is human but mostly all residents are treated respectfully.
Effort
Millcroft does a great job with keeping the residents involved with everyone that
happens in the facility. There are numerous committees that residents are encouraged to be a
part of on a monthly basis. During these meetings the residents opinions and concerns are
heard and dealt with accordingly. Millcroft does an excellent job with effort.
Quality
Millcroft serves the elderly population. They do address cultural barriers when they
exist, and all staff is trained on how to properly address these situations.


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Effectiveness
Millcroft does a fantastic job at serving the elderly population. The number of residents
who reside at Millcroft is constantly increasing daily. Residents always have great things to
say about Millcroft and the serves that they provide.
Efficiency
Millcroft works well with other agencies with the placement of resident and their care.
Millcroft works alongside many home health care agencies to provide quality care for resident
when they leave faculties to go home. Millcroft also has a great partnership with Christiana
Hospital.
NASW Standards for Cultural Competence
I feel that Millcroft was very much aware of their self awareness towards the elderly
population. Being able to learn about different populations has always been a passion on
mine. One reason why I chose Millcroft was because I had never worked with the elderly
population before and I wanted to see if I would like doing so. I am so grateful to have the
experience of this internship at Millcroft. I have learned so much throughout this journey and
I am sad to see that it is now over. I will always remember the experience that I had at
Millcroft.