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The Productivity Commission Inquiry into Aged Care: a critical review
- Author:
- HUGHES Mark
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 64(4), December 2011, pp.526-536.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The final report of the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Aged Care was handed to the Australian Government in June 2011. The report recommends a substantial restructuring of Australia's aged care system to make it fairer, more responsive to the needs of individual consumers, and more sustainable in the context of population ageing. The aim of this paper is to examine the context for the Inquiry into Aged Care, including some of the key drivers for reform, such as population ageing and inequities in the financing of aged care. It considers the major recommendations of the Inquiry and their reception within the aged care sector. It argues that, while acknowledging the necessity of a safety net and the needs of diverse groups, the recommended reforms continue to advance the neoliberal restructuring of Australia's health and welfare systems. The paper also examines the role and potential of social work in the context of the recommended changes, arguing that the transfer of recommendations into actual policy provides an opportunity for social work to argue its unique contribution and potential in the delivery of aged care.
Bridging critical feminist gerontology and social work to interrogate the narrative on civic engagement
- Author:
- NETTING F. Ellen
- Journal article citation:
- Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 26(3), August 2011, pp.239-249.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article aims to highlight the work of feminist gerontologists whose contributions in gerontological journals may not always be read by many social work feminists in other fields. Specifically, the article highlights the work of feminist gerontologists who critically analyse the intersection of age, gender, and race, and who question the inherent assumptions in dominant policy and practice narratives. Beginning with a brief background on the emergence of critical gerontology, the work of feminist activists is briefly reviewed and the scholarship of feminist gerontologists in social work is highlighted. The article uses the current narrative on civic engagement as an example of how the discourse changes when feminist gerontologists raise questions about unintended consequences. Finally, the article ends with discussing implications for social work educators and practitioners.
Old age identity in social welfare practice
- Authors:
- WILIŃSKA Monika, HENNING Cecilia
- Journal article citation:
- Qualitative Social Work, 10(3), September 2011, pp.346-363.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Social welfare for old age is based on the assumption that ageing results in dependency. However, research on old age identity and social welfare work is limited. This study investigated the process of old age identity construction within a setting of social welfare work with old people. It aimed to identify social welfare practices that construct and enforce certain old age identities. The data analysed in this article were part of a study of a non-governmental organisation, based in Poland. The method of analysis was inspired by nexus analysis, which analyses social actions through a historical and ethnographic perspective. The analysis focused on practices that produced, sustained and promoted particular old age identity, and findings indicated a complex process in which social welfare professionals create the identities of preferred clients. In conclusion, the authors suggest that social welfare practice is often geared toward imagined client identities that have little to do with real people.
Population aging and social work practice with older adults: demographic and policy challenges
- Author:
- CRAMPTON Alexandra
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 54(3), May 2011, pp.313-329.
- Publisher:
- Sage
As life expectancy increases, living into older ages is the norm, rather than the exception. Improvements in global health and longevity across the lifespan bring challenges for social work practice. At the same time, these changes are part of population aging trends that are not universal or inevitable. This article considers policy and practice challenges in social work and social work practice with older adults through understanding population ageing demographic trends. It draws connections between ageing and social work through demographic terms and measures. It then examines the current deficits in current ageing policy discourse, and the need for social work advocacy in policy reform. The article concludes with implications for social work practice with older people given ageing policy trends.
Dementia care: a global concern and social work challenge
- Authors:
- KAPLAN Daniel B., BERKMAN Barbara
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 54(3), May 2011, pp.361-373.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Within the first four decades of the twenty first century, overall global population is projected to increase by 33%. However, for people over the age of 65, the projected increase is 160%, and for those over 80 years, there is an expected increase of 233%. These facts suggest that the implications of global ageing for professionals in the fields of health and ageing cannot be ignored, particularly for those who practice in the field of dementia. This article presents a discussion on the care needs of individuals with dementia and their family members. It examines the state of readiness of the social work profession for responding to the needs of these individuals. The authors assess professional social work roles and the size and scope of the supportive evidence base for social work practices in dementia care, and suggest several important areas for future research.
Social work, social policy and older people
- Author:
- JOHNS Robert
- Publisher:
- Learning Matters
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 192p.
- Place of publication:
- Exeter
This book explores the development of welfare provision for older people throughout the twentieth century and beyond. It starts from the Edwardian era, moving on to the creation of the welfare state, then to the era of community care, and next to the lived experience of older people in Britain today. The most influential aspects of policy are discussed alongside the development of social work practice with older people. Each chapter includes a case study and a reading list. The book also analyses contemporary developments, such as localism and empowerment. It is likely to be of interest to social work students to explain why social policy is important to social work and how it has a real impact on the everyday life of vulnerable people.
Critical reflections on a social inclusion approach for an ageing Australia
- Authors:
- LUI Chi-Wai, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 64(3), September 2011, pp.266-282.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article explores the concept of social exclusion and the issues and challenges in applying a social inclusion approach to social work practice for Australia's ageing population. While social exclusion has been identified as a major issue facing older people, it has not yet been identified as a priority area for Australian social policy on ageing. After critically examining the circumstances behind social exclusion, and highlighting the complexity of applying a social inclusion approach to ageing issues, the article illustrates the emerging issues and challenges for social workers in adopting a social inclusion approach to ageing issues in the Australian context. The article identifies a number of key issues that must be addressed by service providers committed to redressing social exclusion in later life, including: economic deprivation; cumulative disadvantages; social participation and civic engagement; and cultural recognition.
Commitment of licensed social workers to aging practice
- Authors:
- SIMONS Kelsey, BONIFAS Robin, GAMMONLEY Denise
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 36(3), August 2011, pp.183-195.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
There is a need for an interdisciplinary geriatric workforce, which includes gerontological social workers, to provide care for the rapidly aging population. The aim of this study was to identify the client, professional, and employment characteristics that enhance licensed social workers' commitment to aging practice. The study involved secondary analysis of survey data collected by the NASW Center for Workforce Studies for their 2004 national study of licensed social workers. It focused on the 181 full time participants who identified aging as their primary area of practice. Binary logistic regressions identified several variables as being significant predictors of commitment to aging. These were: the clients' source of insurance; practitioners' years of experience in social work and gerontology; perceived adequacy of training; number of social work colleagues in the work environment; perceived appropriateness of delegated tasks; and annual income. The findings reveal that the promotion of training and competency-based education and the need for sufficient job challenge and appropriate assignment of roles will encourage commitment to working in the field of gerontology.
It takes a Village: community practice, social work, and aging-in-place
- Authors:
- MCDONOUGH Kathryn E., DAVITT Joan K.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 54(5), July 2011, pp.528-541.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Most of the growing population of older adults prefer to age in their own homes and communities. However, most communities are not prepared to handle the long-term care needs of the aging population. This article examines one model, the Village, which communities are using to help older adults age-in-place. The purpose of the article is to frame the conceptual underpinnings of the Village initiative within community-based practice and empowerment approaches. The article begins with a description of the Village model, highlighting the differences between Villages and the traditional aging system and Naturally Occurring Retirement Community-Social Services Programs. The article then outlines practice theory supporting the Village initiative. It considers the functions of and related challenges for social work practice within this model. It argues that social work’s practice philosophy is particularly compatible with the empowerment and community-focused philosophy of the Village model.
Social protection of older people in Finland from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries: messages for current policy and practice from an historical analysis
- Author:
- TOPO Päivi
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 41(5), July 2011, pp.876-893.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This article explores how social protection of the elderly has evolved in Finland since the eighteenth century, and examines the influence of historical developments on current policy. It highlights two inter-connected themes in particular – the shifting levels of paternalism and the cycle from early ‘annual auctions’ through state provision to increased privatisation and commissioning of services. The shifting levels of paternalism show that there has been a shift from strong to weak paternalism and from the duties to the rights of people in their old age. Recent developments, however, show distressing indications of leaving the most vulnerable old people to fend for themselves in a complex care system. With respect to increased privatisation and commissioning of services, statistics show that more severe problems of health and functioning are now required before gaining access at higher charge to services of a quality that may have deteriorated. Abuse and violence are understood in this article as an issue of structural discrimination associated with old age, living in poverty or suffering from severe problems of health and functioning without access to necessary care and assistance. The implications for social work policy balancing protection and personalisation are discussed.