Promoting Actively Aging: Advancing a Framework for Social Work Practice with Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbra Teater ◽  
Jill Chonody
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Gerontological Social Workers

The United States is experiencing a growing aging population, and the profession will need to increase the number of gerontological social workers. However, the social work profession has been relatively quiet in the debate on theories of aging as well as the development of approaches to social work practice with older adults. This article aims to further advance social work practice by critiquing existing aging theories or frameworks against social work values and ethical principles and by presenting the development of actively aging as a framework to guide practice with older adults. Actively aging considers the interplay between individuals' experiences; their meanings of aging; and their social, environmental, political, and cultural structures. The five principles of actively aging are presented, as well as considerations for future research and theory development on aging.

CROSS-CULTURAL ADOPTION IN SOUTH AFRICA: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-398
Author(s):  
Cyndy Snyder
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adoption Research ◽  
The Impact

This article reviews the literature on cross-cultural adoption in South Africa and provides new insights and research questions to help social work practitioners and researchers better understand the impact of cross-cultural adoption for adoptees. The article compares the context of race and adoption research in the United States and South Africa, paying particular attention to strengths and limitations of research studies from both countries. In this paper, I argue that race and racism shape the experiences of black cross-cultural adoptees, and therefore adoptees’ ability to navigate such circumstances should be a central focus when assessing the impact of cross-cultural adoption. While much research from both countries has focused on the experiences and perspectives of parents and social workers, future research should focus on the adoptee perspective. Practical implications for those involved in social work practice and social services in the South African context are also addressed.

Social Work in Health Care with Older Adults: Future Challenges

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara J. Berkman ◽  
Daniel S. Gardner ◽  
Bradley D. Zodikoff ◽  
Linda K. Harootyan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Future Challenges

Dramatic changes in demography, epidemiology, and the financing and delivery of health care have significantly affected the lives of older adults and their families. The authors review current and future trends in aging and health care in the United States and their implications for social work practice in enhancing the health and well-being of older adults and their caregivers. Health care social work in the 21st century requires the development and application of evidence-based knowledge that reflects the interrelatedness of aging, physical and mental health, and intergenerational family processes. The authors demonstrate the value of social work research to issues that are in the forefront of gerontological health care practice, policy, and education.

Visions of community

1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Pauline Jivanjee ◽  
Susan Tebb
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Women's Movements ◽  
Work Education

Experiences traveling in Kenya provide a backdrop to an examination of the principles and practices of the Harambee and women’s movements in Kenya as they compare with feminist social work practice in the United States. Concluding remarks address the implications of our learning for our work in social work education.

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.

Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part II: Dual Relationships Revisited

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Freud ◽  
Stefan Krug
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Dual Relationships ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

The authors, both social work educators, serve on an ethics call line committee that provides insights on how the provisions of the (United States) National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW, 1996) interface with the ethical dilemmas encountered by the social work community. In this paper, the authors highlight aspects of social work practice that they consider ethical, yet not easily accommodated by the provisions of the current Code. They also question the 1996 introduction of the concept of dual relationships into the Code and suggest that the Code adopt the less ambiguous term of boundary violations. Also recognized by the authors is the need for clear boundaries for the protection of clients against temptations that might arise in a fiduciary relationship, and for the legal protection of social workers. But, the authors argue, social work practitioners in certain settings, with particular populations, and in certain roles, inevitably face multiple relationships as an integral aspect of their work. The authors conclude that social work's adoption of the psychoanalytic constrains of anonymity, neutrality, and abstinence has detoured the profession from its original double focus on individuals and their society.

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