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Data and Cultural Issues
Krystal Rozier
Professor Morgan McAfee
HMSV 8218
Unit 2 Discussion 1
07/22/2021
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Data and Cultural Issues
Data collection is an essential part of human services programs since it helps establish the
number of people in need of vital services. However, it is important to consider cultural issues
when collecting data to ensure the process does not undermine the cultural beliefs of the
population served (Annink, 2017). During data collection, the service personnel engage the
respondents in a series of questions to ascertain the persistent problem to the target population.
Nevertheless, some people from the targeted group may feel some of the questions are
insensitive, hence failing to give sufficient responses. Consequently, this issue may result in
insufficient data to help create viable programs for the community. When the cultural issues
were not addressed in The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (2021), it became difficult to
establish the estimated number of senior adults in need of physical, financial, and social security.
Furthermore, different data sets may impact the culture of the population served by
human services organizations. For example, The Florida Department of Elder Affairs specializes
in providing services to senior adults in Florida. The organization collects information such as
the demographic statistics of the elderly and the time spent when attending to them (2021). These
types of data sets may influence the response of the senior adults to caregiver services as they
would know the extent to which they receive social services. The ethical issue that may arise
when using the selected data for cultures would be the failure to inform the participants
regarding their information (Mertens, 2018). Although data collection is crucial in planning for
service delivery, it is also essential to inform the respondents how their data will be used during
the entire period.
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References
Annink, A. (2017). Using the research journal during qualitative data collection in a crosscultural context. Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 7(1), 1-17.
https://doi.org/10.1515/erj-2015-0063
Mertens, D. M. (2018). Ethics of qualitative data collection. The SAGE handbook of qualitative
data collection, 33-48.
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs. (2021). Publications & Reports: Demographic profiles
& statistics. https://elderaffairs.org/publications-reports/demographic-profiles-statistics/
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The Florida Department of Elder Affairs
Krystal Rozier
Professor Morgan McAfee
HMSV 8218
Unit 2 Assignment 1.5
07/27/2021
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The Florida Department of Elder Affairs
About
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) is a state human service agency that
delivers essential services to the aged population in Florida (2021a). DOEA is among the 11
Area Agencies on Aging in Florida that conduct background screening to ascertain the seniors’
eligibility to the social services program. The organization was established in 1992 to provide
home and community-based care to seniors who had a higher risk of admission to long-term care
facilities. Since then, DOEA’s goal is to ensure the independent living of senior adults in Florida
while they remain active and fulfilling to their communities (2021a).
Mission and Vision
The mission statement for DOEA is “To promote the well-being, safety, and independence of
Florida’s seniors, their families, and caregivers” (The Florida Department of Elder Affairs,
2021). Similarly, the organization’s vision statement is, “For all Floridians to live well and age
well.” These statements provide the purpose of DOEA as it strives to serve the aging population
in Florida. Additionally, DOEA has four main goals, which are:
1. Ensure that any Floridian in need of long-term care services receives a timely and
appropriate assessment of need by applying a fair, objective, and transparent priority
scoring methodology.
2. Protect vulnerable Floridians and their families by establishing the Office of Public and
Professional Guardians.
3. Promote compassion and awareness for Floridians affected by dementia by expanding the
Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (DCCI) across Florida.
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4. Complete all federal and state statutory and regulatory requirements effectively by
maximizing the number of elders served.
Management and Program Information
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (2021b) has operations run by a management
team headed by a secretary, deputy secretary, and the Inspector General. Other members in the
management team include the Legislative Director, Director of Communications, the General
Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief of Human Resources. DOEA also offers a wide
range of programs, including mental wellness, nutrition, home-care for the elderly, Emergency
Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP), National Family Caregiver Support Program,
disaster preparedness, elder abuse prevention program, insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, longterm care Ombudsman program, and transportation (The Florida Department of Elder Affairs,
2021c).
Publications and Data
DOEA documents its information and data through periodic publications and reports.
These publications contain demographics and statistics of the population, monitoring tools,
budgetary and legislative reports, performance measures, client satisfaction surveys, and a
summary of programs and services (The Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2021d).
Issue in the Organization
The needs analysis conducted by the organization highlighted the necessity of increasing
caregiver services to their programs. Since the mission of DOEA advocates for independent
living of the seniors in Florida, it will be essential to focus on caregiver support programs to
improve the well-being of the elderly. According to the 2019-2020 Comprehensive Assessment
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and Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES), about 110,765 senior adults got evaluated
for the caregiver program (The Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2021c). Hence, the
caregiver support program will be appropriate to provide services such as health and wellness for
those with chronic or mental illness, transportation, home-delivered meals, and counseling. The
caregiver program will be effective in offering physical and emotional support for elderly
persons in Florida. Consequently, the program will ensure the seniors stay in their homes or the
communities as they wish rather than in the nursing homes.
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References
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs. (2021a). About Us. https://elderaffairs.org/about-us/
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs. (2021b). Management Team.
https://elderaffairs.org/about-us/management-team/
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs. (2021c). Programs & Services.
https://elderaffairs.org/programs-services/
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs. (2021d). Publications & Reports.
https://elderaffairs.org/publications-reports/
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