scholarly journals Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Gerontological Social Work

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 456-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marla Berg-Weger ◽  
J. E. Morley
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Gerontological Social Work

Community Development with Older Adults in Their Neighborhoods: The Elder Friendly Communities Program

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol D. Austin ◽  
Elizabeth Des Camp ◽  
David Flux ◽  
Robert W. McClelland ◽  
Jackie Sieppert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Gerontological Social Work ◽  
Multicultural Practice ◽  
Development Practice

In this article, the authors report on lessons drawn from more than 3 years of experience with seniors-led community development at the neighborhood level, the Elder Friendly Communities Program (EFCP). Although community practice has a long history in social work, it has been largely neglected with older adults. Based on analysis of qualitative data, the authors discuss key themes that inform community development practice with seniors including (a) challenging the dominant paradigm of community-based service delivery, (b) efficiency and sustainability, (c) expectations and perceptions of expertise, (d) involvement and leadership, and (e) multicultural practice. With a growing and increasingly healthy elder population, it is time to expand the scope of gerontological social work practice beyond a focus on disability and dependency.

Experiences with Technology Amongst an International Sample of Older Adults: Results from a Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian J Miller ◽  
Erin M Roark ◽  
Noelle L Fields ◽  
Courtney Cronley
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
World Health ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

Abstract Identifying and implementing effective strategies to combat social exclusion and isolation is critical, given that eradicating social isolation has been identified as one of the social work profession’s main goals. Training older adults to use information and communications technology (ICT) effectively may be an appropriate intervention to combat and mitigate the negative impacts of social isolation within the aging population. ICT has demonstrated promise with older adults, with research demonstrating that older adults with higher technology use report better self-reported physical health and subjective well-being. Given this promise, the authors of this study seek to create more nuanced understanding of the experience of ICT usage, as told by an international sample of older adults using a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS). Using the QIMS methodology paired with phenomenological reduction, the authors synthesised nine (N = 9) qualitative studies through the lens of the World Health Organization’s age-friendly domains. This process resulted in three overarching themes that describe older adults’ experiences engaging with technology: ‘desire for empowerment’, ‘connection’ and ‘aging well’. Findings from this study highlight overall benefits of technology use among older adults aging in the community. This study concludes with implications for social work research and practice.

scholarly journals Social Work, Gerontology, and the Arts: A Creative Approach to Teaching Undergraduate Social Work Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-287
Author(s):  
Kathleen C. Sitter ◽  
Gail Wideman ◽  
Jessica Furey ◽  
Kandice Gosine ◽  
Chelsea Skanes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Creative Teaching ◽  
Gerontological Social Work ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Approach To Teaching

In this article, we explore how social work students cultivated a deeper understanding and community connection with older adults through personal engagement with artistic practices. We begin with an exploration of gerontological social work, noting the trends and challenges in this specialization. Guided by extended epistemology as a conceptual framework, we consider the role of the arts within critical pedagogy and describe an undergraduate course taken concurrently during student eld-placements. As part of the curriculum, students designed artifacts about their experience working with older adults, which supported critical re ection and student-led learning. As an exemplar of a creative teaching model, further considerations for implementation are also discussed.

Preparing BSW Students for Competency With Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. S-73-S-91
Author(s):  
Susan Allen ◽  
Michele Kelly ◽  
Latoya Brooks ◽  
Marie Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Matched Pairs ◽  
State University ◽  
Rank Tests ◽  
Gerontological Social Work ◽  
Signed Rank

As the population of older adults in the United States grows, there is an increasing need for social workers to serve this group. This study examines the effects of a gerontological social work curriculum infusion project for baccalaureate social work students at a southeastern state university that was funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. Attitudes regarding interest in gerontology and perceived competency in gerontology- related skills were assessed pre- and postintervention. Nonparametric Wilcoxon matched- pairs signed rank tests revealed significant increases in interest in pursuing further gerontology- related experience and related competencies. Open- ended reflection comments were analyzed to further understand the students’ experience with the program. Results indicate that infusion of gerontological concepts into the curriculum increased the number of students interested in pursuing careers in gerontology, increased students’ competency with this population, and enhanced their understanding of the unique needs of older adults.

Social isolation and health in older adults

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Cacioppo ◽  
Louise C. Hawkley
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation

Addressing Social Isolation To Improve the Health of Older Adults: A Rapid Review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Veazie ◽  
Jennifer Gilbert ◽  
Kara Winchell ◽  
Robin Paynter ◽  
Jeanne-Marie Guise
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Rapid Review

Addressing COVID-19 Worry and Social Isolation in Home-Based Primary Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Elizabeth Weiskittle ◽  
Michelle Mlinac ◽  
LICSW Nicole Downing
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Home Based Primary Care ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Socially Isolated

Social distancing measures following the outbreak of COVID-19 have led to a rapid shift to virtual and telephone care. Social workers and mental health providers in VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams face challenges providing psychosocial support to their homebound, medically complex, socially isolated patient population who are high risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. We developed and disseminated an 8-week telephone or virtual group intervention for front-line HBPC social workers and mental health providers to use with socially isolated, medically complex older adults. The intervention draws on skills from evidence-based psychotherapies for older adults including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Problem-Solving Therapy. The manual was disseminated to VA HBPC clinicians and geriatrics providers across the United States in March 2020 for expeditious implementation. Eighteen HBPC teams and three VA Primary Care teams reported immediate delivery of a local virtual or telephone group using the manual. In this paper we describe the manual’s development and clinical recommendations for its application across geriatric care settings. Future evaluation will identify ways to meet longer-term social isolation and evolving mental health needs for this patient population as the pandemic continues.

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