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Understanding social workers’ hidden roles in medication safety for older adults: a qualitative study
- Authors:
- WAGLE Kamal, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Health Care, 60(4), 2021, pp.369-386.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Older adults are vulnerable to risks associated with medications. This study explores the roles of Social Workers in facilitating medication safety for older adults. Eight social workers from federally qualified health centers participated in a case-based and interactive medication safety curriculum. They participated in an in-depth, semi-structured interview to explore their roles and strategies in assisting older adults and caregivers with medication management. Findings were transcribed and analyzed. Six themes characterizing social workers’ roles in medication management were identified: a) Referral: matching patients and medication-related resources within the health-care system and community; b) Communication: connecting providers, patients, caregivers, and support system; c) Access to medicine: addressing unique needs of each patient to foster their ability to obtain their medicines; d) Social Determinants of Health: investigating the social challenges of each patient and facilitating specific medication management approaches to meet identified needs; e) Engagement: engaging patients in co-developing a treatment plan; f) Caregiver Support: preparing caregivers to assist in medication management. Social workers are trained and well positioned to provide a multi-faceted approach to improve medication management for older adults. Their unique perspectives and skills are important in addressing the complex challenges of medication management. (Edited publisher abstract)
Job satisfaction among gerontological social workers in Ontario, Canada
- Authors:
- SIMONS Kelsey, AN Sofiya
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 58(6), 2015, pp.547-571.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Little is known about job satisfaction among Canada’s social work workforce in ageing, although social workers remain a key component of interdisciplinary care in health and social service settings. This study begins to address this gap in knowledge by examining individual, interpersonal, and job-design factors influencing the job satisfaction of gerontological social workers in Ontario. Data were collected via two online surveys with a sample drawn from the Ontario Association of Social Workers’ membership list (N = 104). A multiple regression model explained 37% of the variance in job satisfaction, F = 5.47[10, 93], p < .001). Three independent variables were significant (positive affect, β = .21; promotional chances, β = .21; and client acuity, β = −.18). The results suggest the importance of promoting strategies for enhancing job satisfaction, advancing promotional opportunities for social work clinicians, and providing educational and clinical supports to clinicians. (Edited publisher abstract)
Social workers as research psychotherapists in an investigation of cognitive–behavioral therapy among rural older adults
- Authors:
- SHAH Avani, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Research, 37(2), 2013, pp.137-145.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Reports on the treatment fidelity of in-home cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) delivered by a sample of clinically trained, master's-level social workers to a group of primarily rural, medically frail older adults in the United States as part of the Project to Enhance Aged Rural Living (PEARL) clinical trial. The social workers in this study received brief didactic and experiential CBT training. Audiotaped sessions were randomly selected and evaluated by independent reviewers. Results showed that the social workers adequately delivered CBT as measured by the Cognitive Therapy Scale. Older adult participants also evidenced pre- posttreatment improvements, suggesting that the social workers' delivery of CBT facilitated improvement. (Edited publisher abstract)
Gerontological social workers' perceived efficacy for influencing client outcomes
- Authors:
- BONIFAS Robin, GAMMONLEY Denise, SIMONS Kelsey
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 55(6), August 2012, pp.519-536.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Health and social service delivery are increasingly under political and financial stress due to economic recession, state budget crises, and an ageing population. Using a sample of 269 practitioners from the 2004 National Study of Licensed Social Workers, this study used a quality assurance structure-process-outcome model to investigate factors at the practitioner, workplace, and service delivery levels that influence the perceived efficacy of licensed gerontological social workers to affect client outcomes in the context of a highly challenging health care environment. A regression model accounted for 33.9% of the variance in perceived efficacy with 3 aspects of service delivery satisfaction having significant effects: ability to address complex/chronic care, to influence the design of services, and to help clients navigate the system. Implications for practice are discussed.
Effective social work with older people
- Authors:
- KERR Brian, et al
- Publisher:
- Scotland. Scottish Executive. Social Research
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 4p.
Older people do not require social work support simply because of their age. They are not an homogenous group with a single set of needs. This study has highlighted the potential limitations of categorising older people as a separate service user group, as if different from other adults. Many people come to social workers’ attention for the first time following the onset of illness or frailty in old age. Others may have experienced difficulties during adult life which are exacerbated, or combine with adverse circumstances, as they grow older. As part of the 21st Century Social Work Review, the Scottish Executive asked the Social Work Research Centre at the University of Stirling to review the evidence base for effective social work with older people. This short piece of work (conducted during July and August 2005) involved a review of various key texts and recent research.
Being a social worker in homes for the aged: the real, the ideal, and the gaps between
- Authors:
- KOREN Chaya, DORON Israel
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 44(3/4), 2005, pp.95-114.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Various theoretical research studies, both academic and professional, have considered the important role social work plays in institutional settings. However, worldwide, very little empirical research has been conducted to examine how social work actually functions in homes for the aged. The study considered here helps to address this, by describing three key aspects of this issue: (1) the function social workers in homes for the aged in Israel actually fulfill (their “real” function); (2) the role that these social workers think that they should be fulfilling (their “ideal” function); and (3) the gap that separates “the real” (what social workers actually do) from “the ideal” (what social workers feel they should be doing). The study's research findings show not only that a gap exists, but also its essence. In the case of both the real roles social workers play in homes for the aged and what they perceive to be the ideal roles they should play, as well as in the case of the gap between the two, “paternalistic” activities were emphasized far more than “empowering” activities, which advocate or promote autonomy. The data obtained outlines possible future research directions, identified while attempting to understand the factors that contribute to the current reality of care in homes for the aged.
The impact of crisis and austerity on long term care for older people in Portugal - an analysis based on the experiences of social workers in private institutions for social solidarity
- Authors:
- ALMEIDA Vasco, BARATA Maria Joao, DANIEL Fernanda
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Service Research, 48(1), 2022, pp.108-119.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In Portugal, long-term care (LTC) for older people rests mainly upon Private Institutions for Social Solidarity (IPSS). The debt crisis of 2008-2013 and the austerity policies that followed had a considerable impact on all sectors of the country’s economy and social services. How did this crisis and austerity impact long-term care for older people? This study approaches this question with qualitative research using content analysis, based on individual interviews of a geographically convenient sample (N = 20) with social work staff of IPSS providing social responses of LTC for older people (1 full-time social work staff per each institution), located at the Center Region of Portugal. The main themes revealed by the analyzis were: financing, human resources, partnerships and quality. The results show a strong impact at the level of financing, yet, a correspondent lower impact on the quality of the services. Also, some dynamics of innovation appear in issues of partnerships and human resources. Although the results and discussion are limited to a specific historical and geographical context, upon further research, they can be considered as implications of crisis and austerity on older people’s social services more broadly, and a reference point to compare with future social policies. (Edited publisher abstract)
Corpus-assisted analysis of the collocational profiles of the terms denoting elderly care workers
- Author:
- RUSSO Daniel
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 25(3), 2021, pp.193-201.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the terms used in the Macmillan Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary to identify the people who are paid to provide care to the elderly and check their presence in a corpus – professional home care (PHC) – of three UK-based specialised websites. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on the frameworks and methods of corpus-assisted Discourse Analysis (Baker, 2006). The terms were extracted from a corpus of British websites of companies providing PHC services. Findings: This study highlights that in the PHC corpus, the words “caregiver” and “carer” are used as synonyms at the level of popular communication, whereas “care assistant” and “care worker” are used for intra-specialistic communication. The analysis also points out the variations in terminology observed in the corpora that are intended for different communication contexts, e.g. how professionals define themselves compared to how external actors identify them. Originality/value: This paper provides insight into the terminological aspects of caregiving in the professional field through a corpus-based study on specialised terminology integrating lexicographic considerations. This methodological framework can capture the sociolinguistic attitudes of speakers. (Edited publisher abstract)
Transgender competence in social work with older adults in Sweden
- Authors:
- SMOLLE Sofia, ESPVALL Majen
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Service Research, 47(4), 2021, pp.522-536.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Despite a growing transgender aging population with differing needs and care preferences, professional knowledge on gender identity and expression is still limited. This study examines Swedish social workers’ knowledge, experiences, and prerequisites for working with older transgender adults in municipal social services. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 16 social workers and the collected data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The analysis is presented through three themes: Heteronormative Discourse, Causes and Consequences of Invisibility, and Terminology and Pronouns. The results indicate that the challenges in social work with older transgender adults are related to invisible needs, a lack of knowledge, and social services organizations that do not prioritize issues related to gender identity and expression. Implications for social work are discussed as an increased reflective practice and a norm-critical approach, in order to grasp the older transgender individual’s specific experiences and needs, beyond stereotypical ideas and thoughts on sexual orientation. However, to be able to develop this reflective practice, institutional and organizational conditions for increased knowledge are required as well as an historical understanding of exclusion and a deeper attention to the meaning of equal treatment. Future research suggestions include examining the relevance of LGBTQ-certification. (Edited publisher abstract)
Practical implications of physical distancing, social isolation, and reduced physicality for older adults in response to COVID-19
- Author:
- CAMPBELL Anthony D.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, early cite 5 June 2020,
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic involves physical distancing measures which have the potential to lead to increased social isolation among older adults. Implications of social isolation are potentially wide-ranging including poorer health outcomes, disruption of social interactions and routines, reduced meaningful activity, reduced social and emotional support, loneliness, potential for grief, loss, and trauma responses, limited access to resources, and reduced physicality. Social workers must advocate for the value of social relationships and identify creative ways to enhance the social connections of older adults during pandemic responses or other situations that require physical distancing measures. (Edited publisher abstract)