Social Work and Transitions of Care: Observations from an Intervention for Older Adults

Making the transition from hospital to home can be challenging for many older adults. This article presents practice perspectives on these transitions, based on a social work intervention for older adults discharged from an acute care setting to home. An analysis of interviews with clinical social workers who managed 356 cases (n?=?3) and a review of their clinical notes (n?=?581) were used to identify salient themes relevant to care transitions. Concepts developed and discussed identify the role of surprises after discharge, an expanded view of the client system, and relationship building as instrumental in carrying out effective care transitions.     

Families on Television: A Content Analysis

An analysis of television programs telecast during peak viewing hours in Melbourne over one week uncovered the pattern of representation of family life. This version of family life was then compared with official statistics of the Australian population and families to highlight the discrepancies between reality and the mediated world of television. Several clear trends were observed. Programs were male-dominated, middle-aged biased, white Anglo-Saxon and largely middle-class oriented. Considerable discrepancy was apparent between family structures in the real world and the media world of family types. Further, analysis of marital relationships, sexual division of labour, ageing, and an evaluation of values reinforces a traditional conservative aura. It is considered that the dominant program formulae fail to recognise new social realities, and that orthodox family stereotypes could be affecting decisions made by policy makers.     

Depression in Older Adults: A Meta-Synthesis

Depression in older adults is often overlooked and dismissed as a part of aging. A body of knowledge—both quantitative and qualitative—has developed on the topic of depression in older adults. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been used to synthesize the quantitative findings of studies, and our research seeks to synthesize the qualitative studies that have been conducted on elders' experience with depression. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria, and 4 major themes were extracted: experiences, causes, recovery, and barriers to treatment. These themes are detailed and their implications for practice are explored.     

Raising Self-esteem through Social Networking Intervention for Older Chinese Adults in Hong Kong

Sudden physical changes can take a toll on older adults' self-esteem. Broadening their social support networks is one approach to retaining their self-esteem. This quasi-experimental study aims to test the effectiveness of a social networking program to raise self-esteem. The results from split-group analyses demonstrate that those who maintained active participation exhibited higher self-esteem. The results provide significant implications for future practice, especially to the less-educated males.     

A Lesbian Older Adult Managing Identity Disclosure: A Case Study

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of an older lesbian in managing the disclosure of her sexual identity. Specifically, the team wanted to better understand the ways she managed her identity in an assisted living facility. Using a qualitative case study methodology, 2 in-depth interviews were conducted. The following 5 themes were identified in the data: keeping her own counsel, maintaining “family” connection, celebrating second chances, living outside the L box, and staying morally centered. Practice and research implications are offered and the case study is used to expand understanding of disclosure management and resiliency theory.     

The Older Woman:

Interviews were conducted with 302 elderly persons residing in two ethnic urban communities to determine their problems as well as their needs for diverse community services. Sex and living arrangements were found to be critical mediators of the demand for and use of various services. A greater proportion of women than men (particularly women living alone) reported needs for household, self-maintenance, and community services. Older women living alone were also more likely to report that they had experienced neighborhood problems. Implications for designing community-based services to better meet the needs of older persons in diverse living situations are discussed.     

A Model for Community-Based Mental Health Services for Older Adults:

The mental health needs of older adults have historically been underserved by existing mental health service delivery systems. This paper presents a model for the delivery of comprehensive mental health services to older adults in their own homes, based on sound clinical practice, and incorporating a cross-cultural perspective coupled with a strong social and community support base.     

The Heterogeneity of Socially Isolated Older Adults: A Social Isolation Typology

Recent statistics show a growing number of older adults who are living alone and are socially isolated. It is against this background that, in recent years, many interventions have been developed to address social isolation among the elderly. Evaluative studies show that most interventions are hardly effective, though. An important reason for this is the heterogeneity of the socially isolated. This article offers insight into this heterogeneity by presenting a typology with different profiles of socially isolated older adults and the intervention implications of this typology. The typology is derived from an extensive qualitative study on socially isolated elderly individuals in the Netherlands. The typology imposes some degree of order to a diversity of circumstances, ambitions, and possibilities of the socially isolated elderly, thereby deepening the understanding of the heterogeneity of this population. The definition of social isolation used in this study starts from a societal angle of incidence, namely the current policy context of Western European welfare states, in which governments emphasize the importance of independence and self-reliance of their citizens. Developed from that perspective, the typology provides a theoretical basis for applying interventions aimed at increasing self-reliance of social isolated elderly. This perspective on social isolation also has consequences for the way in which the effectiveness of interventions to alleviate social isolation is assessed.     

As Parents Grow Older:

For those older persons with families, the family is the vital, natural support system while also being the link between the older person and formal community supports. No matter how many community services and supports are provided for older persons, these services only supplement the emotional ties and support from the families. Enhancing the family's supportive role is crucial. This paper describes a community based support group model called "As Parents Grow 0lder" as an example of a systematic, effective effort to provide services to this natural system. This model has evolved and been used with 10 different groups totalling l25 participants over the past four years.