Marijuana use among older adults in the U.S.A.: user characteristics, patterns of use, and implications for intervention

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 732-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. DiNitto ◽  
Namkee G. Choi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Social Service Providers

ABSTRACTBackground: Epidemiological studies show that the number of older adults using marijuana is increasing. This study aimed to determine the correlates and patterns of marijuana use among older adults that might help health and social service providers better assist this group.Methods: Data are from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S.A. The sample consisted of 5,325 adults aged 50 years and older.Results: Of the sample, 2.8% were past-year marijuana users. Of them, 23% had used marijuana on at least half the days of the year. Past-year users were more likely to be younger (50–64 years old), black, and not married, and they had significantly higher psychological distress scores, but they did not rate their health as poorer than others in the sample, nor did they attribute many problems, including psychological problems, as being related to their marijuana use. Nevertheless, past-year users present a high-risk profile because, in addition to frequent marijuana use, they also are more likely to smoke cigarettes, engage in binge drinking, and use other illicit drugs.Conclusions: Health and social service providers should be alert to the small number of routine marijuana users among the younger members of the older adult population, especially those suffering significant psychological distress, so that these individuals can be encouraged to utilize services that will help alleviate this distress and promote a healthier lifestyle and increase general well being.

scholarly journals Challenges and Prospects for Digitizing the Social Service Providers' Activities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.E. Gasumova
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Social Service Providers ◽  
The Social

This article presents the author’s definitions of “digitization of social service provision” and “digitization of social services” concepts and identifies the difference between them. It presents the results of an interview with 18 experts — the heads of institutions and organizations of social service provision implementing the rehabilitation of disabled people in Perm region. The research was conducted in 2019 and sought to identify problems and prospects for the digitization of the social services sphere. Interviewees rated their satisfaction regarding the convenience and time cost of automated systems that are currently being used in their organizations; characterized their needs in introducing various innovative interactive services, mobile applications, and other digital software; and expressed their attitude to various innovations. Social innovations were developed by the researchers and offered to experts by interviewers (for example, services for assessing the quality of work of specialists by service users, quick selection of the right social service, filing a complaint, referring a citizen to another organization, counseling in video mode, electronic appointment service, etc.). The research has shown how innovations can improve the performance of social service providers’ work and the quality of their interactions with citizens, which will ultimately increase the satisfaction of social service users and will positively affect the level of social well-being in society as a whole. A number of problems have been identified that currently impede the development of digitization: they are related to staff resources, the level of computerization, the lack of motivation among managers and personnel of social service organizations to implement innovative IT, and a certain distrust that such technologies can facilitate the activities of the organization and increase its effectiveness. Keywords: digitization, social service provision, social services, social institutions, social work

scholarly journals Organizational culture in social services – focused on the workers’ well-being

2022 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 03003
Author(s):  
Lenka Chlebanova ◽  
Marketa Rusnakova
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Service Providers ◽  
Client Care ◽  
Current State ◽  
Social Fund

Objectives: In the field of social services, the organizational culture today is defined mainly through professional values, for individual social service providers by vision, mission, goal, or organizational values. In the context of increasing the quality of services and culture supporting the clients’ wellbeing, the workers’ well-being is an important subject of interest. The aim of the research is to find out the current state of the documents defining the organizational culture of social services. Materials and Methods: Review and theoretical analysis of the literature on the topic. Qualitative content analysis of documents. Documents defining the organizational culture of social service providers in Slovakia were analysed. The documents on the provider’s web page encompassing vision, mission, goals, and values were found. Results: From the documents, it was found out that support to employees is still neglected. At the practical level, the support to employees was expressed as the support of education, supervision of employees, a social fund for cultural or sports activities, rewarding of employees. Employee s’ satisfaction or a committed approach towards employees were expressed rarely. Conclusions: The provision of social services today faces many demands and dilemmas that “social work services„ bring with them. Incorporating support for employee’s well-being into the organizational culture of social services can be an essential step towards better client care and higher quality services.

scholarly journals Social service providers' perspectives on casino gambling in older adult clients

2015 ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim L. Stansbury ◽  
Blake Beecher ◽  
Mitzi Schumacher ◽  
Fayetta Martin ◽  
Mary Ann Clute
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Casino Gambling ◽  
Gambling Problems ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Social Service Providers

There has been an upward trend in gambling, particularly among older adults. With the baby-boomer generation moving toward retirement, this trend is expected to increase. Availability and social acceptability of casinos in the United States are 2 of many precipitating factors for older adults' increased enthusiasm for gambling. Noticeably absent from the literature on casino gambling is the perspective of senior social service providers (SSSPs). The present study used a cross-sectional open-ended questionnaire completed by 88 SSSPs in Washington State. The purpose of this study was to describe the SSSPs' (a) perceptions of older adults' motivations to participate in casino gambling, (b) experience with older adults who have gambling problems, (c) views and knowledge of problem gambling, and (d) perception of the need for training on gambling problems. The most prevalent reasons cited for older adults to patronize casinos were the entertainment of gambling and the desire to win money. The least prevalent reasons included peer pressure, to learn new things, and for a public smoking environment. Many respondents (42.0%) felt that their clients were aware of the risks of casino gambling. However, almost one third (29.5%) reported that their clients were largely unaware of the risks. Almost all of the respondents (85.2%) reported they had not received any training regarding problem gambling. The findings indicate the need to educate SSSPs about the potential positive and negative consequences of casino gambling.

In the aftermath: The effects of hurricanes Harvey and Maria on the well-being of health-care and social service providers.

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara M. Powell ◽  
Paula J. Yuma ◽  
Jennifer Scott ◽  
Alexia Suarez ◽  
Ivelisse Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Service Providers

Perceptions of Health Education of Selected Health and Social Service Providers in the Bahamas

1982 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-290
Author(s):  
Audrey Marie Deveaux ◽  
William A. Darity
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Social Service Providers ◽  
Education And Health

Health education is a new component of the health care delivery system in the Bahamas. In the past, confusion and uncertainty was expressed regarding the contribution of health education to the health care services. The intention of this study was to investigate the perceptions of selected health and social service providers to health problems, their most likely solutions, and to health education and health education related issues in the Bahamas. A questionnaire was either mailed or hand delivered to 412 selected health and social service providers in New Providence and the Family Islands in the Bahamas. Of these 127 (31%) usable questionnaires were returned. A discussion of the study findings, study limitations, implications for health education and suggestions for future research are presented. The survey results showed that a majority of respondents indicated consistent support for health education and health education related issues. This support was evident even when responses were crosstabulated with such variables as age, profession, and years of experience in present occupation.

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