BSW House Calls: A New Look at Aging Through Experiential Learning

Though baby boomers are now turning 65 in rapid numbers, too few social workers are interested in working with older adults. Students in an undergraduate social work practice class were encouraged to enroll in a half-day gerontological social work experience as part of a BSW Experiential Learning (BEL) grant, funded by the Hartford Foundation. Sixty-two students participated in a supervised geriatric clinic orientation and interdisciplinary house calls. Fifty-three students without the intervention served as a comparison group. Five BEL measures assessed interest in aging coursework, fieldwork, graduate study, gerontological careers, and perception of aging competency. Significant change from pre- to posttest on each BEL measure was found for the intervention group but not for the comparison group. In multiple regression analyses the intervention explained 7% to 12% of the variance for the five BEL measures at posttest. The relationship between experiential learning and a BSW student's interest in gerontological social work is discussed.

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Increasing Student Empathy Toward Older Adults Using the Virtual Dementia Tour

Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work ◽

10.18084/basw.19.1.fv3222u1026517q3 ◽

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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Cultural Competency: A Key to Effective Future Social Work with Racially and Ethnically Diverse Elders

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1606/1044-3894.3432 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 86 (3) ◽

pp. 347-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Jong Won Min

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Ethnic Diversity ◽

Ethnically Diverse ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Future Generations ◽

Service Needs ◽

Gerontological Social Work ◽

Strategic Approach ◽

Racial Ethnic

With 2 dominant demographic imperatives of the aging population and increasing racial/ethnic diversity of the older population, current and future generations of racially and ethnically diverse elders are expected to experience complex and diverse sets of service needs. More than ever, the social work profession needs a strategic approach to working with current and future generations of diverse elders. The author presents information that allows a better understanding of future issues and problems facing racial/ethnic minority elders and discusses how social work can effectively and successfully address these future needs. Five specific recommendations are proposed: (a) reconceptualize race/ethnicity and diversity in social work practice, (b) identify and develop a conceptual framework for social work with racially and ethnically diverse elders, (c) consider a multidisciplinary community-oriented and neighborhood-based approach, (d) advance culturally competent gerontological social work with diverse elders, and (e) strengthen gerontological social work education with an emphasis on cultural competence.

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

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1606/1044-3894.3438 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 86 (3) ◽

pp. 401-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

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.

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