scholarly journals Comparing Families and Staff in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living: Implications for Social Work Practice

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 535-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheryl Zimmerman ◽  
Lauren W. Cohen ◽  
David Reed ◽  
Lisa P. Gwyther ◽  
Tiffany Washington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice

Increasing Student Empathy Toward Older Adults Using the Virtual Dementia Tour

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. S-23-S-40
Author(s):  
Jana Donahoe ◽  
Lisa Moon ◽  
Kathy VanCleave
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Student Knowledge ◽  
Course Content

Educators know too well the challenges of teaching BSW students about social work practice with older adults. Students hesitate to work with older adults due to personal fears about aging, lack of experiences with this population, or stereotypical misconceptions about older adults and nursing homes. It is apparent that many students have difficulty empathizing with older adults because they have never experienced what it is like to be an older adult with dementia. A solution to this problem is incorporating an immersive experiential learning simulation called the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) into BSW course content. The findings indicate that the VDT was an effective evidence-based learning tool for increasing student knowledge about aging and improving their empathy and sensitivity toward older adults with dementia.

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