Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Role of the social worker in old versus new culture in nursing homes
- Author:
- MEYERS Sandy
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 51(3), July 2006, pp.273-277.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The author argues that social workers play a crucial role in the lives of people living in nursing homes. It is discussed how many social workers are trying to change the prevailing nursing home culture from one of delivering services to sustain life to one of infusing life with the joy of living it. The article discusses how social workers should actively listen and help people grow based on their individual needs and interests, and not to those of the nursing home.
Inducing older adults into volunteer work to sustain their psychological well-being
- Authors:
- CHEUNG Chau-Kiu, KWAN Alex Yui-Huen
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing International, 31(1), Winter 2006, pp.44-58.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
This study focuses on the ways in which social worker induction into volunteer work sustain the well-being of older people. The study surveyed 719 Chinese people aged 60 or above in Hong Kong, China. Results show significant contribution of social worker induction to the older person's self-esteem, life satisfaction, and self assessed health. Moreover, social worker induction magnified the benefit of volunteering. However, social worker induction was less salutary to older people with higher incomes and more illness.
Empowerment in residential care for the elders: the case of an aged home in Hong Kong
- Authors:
- MOK Bong-ho, MUI Anita
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 27(1/2), 1996, pp.23-35.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
While empowerment is practised largely in oppressed communities of minorities, women and the disabled, it is an extremely useful concept and approach for social work practice in residential settings that are under undue bureaucratic and profession control. This article describes a pioneering empowerment project in a residential home in Hong Kong, which aimed at assisting residents to conquer their feeling of powerlessness and to speak up for themselves to improve their quality of life in the home. Argues that given the opportunity, residents of the home are willing and able to bet involved, organised and mobilized to promote their own well-being, and staff are able to see the positive side of empowerment and not feel threatened.
Evaluating the effectiveness of home-start support in Dutch families
- Authors:
- METZE Rosaline N., ABMA Tineke A., KWEKKEBOOM M.H.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work, 19(3), 2019, pp.327-350.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Summary: Family Group Conferencing as deployed in child care might be useful in elderly care to strengthen older adults’ social networks and self-mastery. When Family Group Conferencing was implemented for older adults in the Netherlands, social workers were reluctant to refer. To discover reasons for this reluctance, this study examined social workers’ views and attitudes concerning Family Group Conferencing for their clients. Findings: In an initial exploratory study, a survey was distributed among social workers who worked with older adults and were informed about Family Group Conferencing, followed by three focus groups of social workers with and without Family Group Conferencing experience. Semi-structured individual interviews were also held with social workers and an employee of the Dutch Family Group Conferencing foundation. The respondents were positive about Family Group Conferencing, but hesitant about referring their older clients. Reasons were: they were already working with their clients’ social networks; they feared losing control over the care process; and they wondered how they could motivate their clients. They also reported that their clients themselves were reluctant, because they seemed to fear that Family Group Conferencing would lose them self-mastery, and they did not want to burden their social networks. Applications: The findings indicate that implementing Family Group Conferencing in elderly care is a complicated and slow process, partly because social workers have little experience with Family Group Conferencing. To facilitate social workers it might be necessary to offer them more guidance, in a joint process with the Family Group Conferencing foundation. One might also experiment with alterations to the Family Group Conferencing model, for example, by focusing less on family networks and more on reciprocity. (Edited publisher abstract)
In their own words: participants’ perceptions of the impact of adult day services
- Authors:
- DABELKO-SCHOENY Holly, KING Shawn
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53(2), February 2010, pp.176-192.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This qualitative study, involved twenty-eight one-to-one interviews with older people who had attended adult day care services based on four day health programs, for more than 3 months, in a mid west urban area of the United States. The purpose of the study was to gauge the benefits of these services to its older participants, rather than look at outcomes from an administrative, funding or accreditation perspective as seen, say the authors, in much of the research to date. This study attempted to identify outcomes through the lived experiences of older people using adult day care to build a theoretical understanding that connects experiences with outcomes. Three main groupings of experiences and outcomes were identified by these authors. Firstly, social connections were made among participants. Secondly, there were empowering relationships developed between participants and staff. Thirdly, there was much evidence of enjoyment of the activities and services provided. Further, these experiences seemed to be associated with a perceived improvement in psychosocial well-being and decrease in burden or dependence on the care giver, say the authors. These results suggest there is merit in further examination of the role social workers can play in supporting a psychosocial approach within adult day care services.
First do no harm
- Author:
- THOMPSON Neil
- Journal article citation:
- Social and Public Policy Review, 3(1), 2009, Online only
- Publisher:
- University of Plymouth
- Place of publication:
- Plymouth
Social work has for some considerable time professed a commitment to empowerment as a fundamental value. However, professing a value and making it a reality as a genuine underpinning of practice can be two different things. This paper presents an account of a case in which the actions or inactions of social work staff left individuals feeling distressed, disempowered and traumatised. The dissatisfaction in the case arose due to a lack of liaison and lack of a thorough assessment and the failure of authorities to respond adequately to complaints made. By describing and analysing the actions taken, the paper shows how a lack of genuine commitment to empowerment can have extremely detrimental effects. In doing so, it exposes the dangers of forms of practice that are not person-centred or based on partnership. Lessons are highlighted in the areas of case records, assessment, managing conflict, personal/professional boundaries, recognising grief, and providing information.
Transforming community care: a distorted vision?
- Authors:
- GORMAN Helen, POSTLE Karen
- Publisher:
- Venture Press
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 103p.
- Place of publication:
- Birmingham
The authors use their research to show powerfully how a generation of social workers have been disillusioned by care management. They also use their own practice experience with older people to demonstrate the continuing possibilities for social work to empower service users and practitioners to develop care management in the future. The book reveals social workers are increasingly bogged down with bureaucracy, leaving them with less time to spend with elderly people. It also highlights funding difficulties, with local authorities unable to afford to spend cash on preventative work.
Transforming community care: a distorted vision?
- Authors:
- GORMAN Helen, POSTLE Karen
- Publisher:
- Venture Press
- Publication year:
- 2002
- Pagination:
- 103p.,bibliog.
The authors use their research to show powerfully how a generation of social workers have been disillusioned by care management. They also use their own practice experience with older people to demonstrate the continuing possibilities for social work to empower service users and practitioners to develop care management in the future. The book reveals social workers are increasingly bogged down with bureaucracy, leaving them with less time to spend with elderly people. It also highlights funding difficulties, with local authorities unable to afford to spend cash on preventative work.
Autonomy, choice and decision making: how nursing home social workers view their role
- Author:
- REINARDY James R.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Health Care, 29(3), 1999, pp.59-77.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This American study explores how social work practitioners perceive their roles in fostering the autonomy and decision making of nursing home residents. The social workers' theory of practice is organised under three dimensions of autonomy: free action (supporting residents choices), decision making (helping residents deliberate effectively), and continuity (maintaining a sense of self). The interviewees strongly identified with an advocacy role. The article explores the interviews perspectives and suggests further research questions.