Students will also gain practical ideas on how to interact with and support families, empowering them and building on their strengths. This course is relevant to your experience. The material outlined and the people studied share many of your experiences as a member of the human race and as a member of some kind of a family unit. As you make your way through this course, keep in mind how the elders you know have lived their lives and live within a family. Older adults and their families do not exist in a vacuum.
Families are systems that exist in and are affected by larger systems in society.
Families are part of these informal care circles. The situations in which an elder and his or her family find themselves are influenced by policies of a larger society. You will learn about family systems theory and how it helps us understand family dynamics. Definitions of family have varied over time and across cultures. Today, the definition of family and who comprises that family is a source of much discussion.