Meeting the needs of abused older women? A british columbia and yukon transition house survey

ABSTRACT Older women victims of violence by a partner or family member are more often categorized as victims of elder abuse, not victims of family violence. Their needs are assessed, if at all, by social and health service agencies, often with little knowledge or understanding of domestic violence, while domestic violence policy initiatives, advocacy, and services focus on younger women and children. A survey of domestic violence services in British Columbia and the Yukon found that women over 60 years of age were a very small fraction, generally less than two percent, of women served, and those 50 to 59 years of age were also substantially under-represented. Only four percent of respondents had special services for older women. Comments from respondents confirm that abused older women face enormous difficulties in trying to establish a safe and secure future. It was also evident that better interaction is needed between those providing support and advocacy for abused women, and those who provide health and social services for older persons. A majority of the shelters provided community education to a wide range of agencies. Most have only partial accessibility to women with mobility handicaps.     

Are employers changing their behavior toward older workers? An analysis of employers' surveys 2000-2009

This article addresses possible changes in Dutch employers' behavior regarding the recruitment and retention of older workers during the last decade. The authors analyze surveys administered to Dutch employers in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2009. The results show that efforts to recruit older workers are changing, congruous with the economic climate, while retention behavior shows a clear and rather gradual time effect. The authors conclude that the position of older workers has improved between 2000 and 2008 and has done so in comparison with other underrepresented groups in the labor market. During the recession, recruitment of older workers declined substantially, while efforts to retain older workers are in both absolute and relative terms higher than in 2000. With respect to organizational policies, the authors conclude that throughout the period under observation these policies are dominated by measures that "spare" older workers.     

Commentary: the forgotten older adult with serious mental illness: the final challenge in achieving the promise of Olmstead?

Older adults with serious mental illness disproportionately reside in nursing homes despite the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead decision supporting the rights of persons with disabilities to benefit from integrated services in the community. This commentary addresses the neglected policy debate on implementing Olmstead for this rapidly growing, older population with special needs. First, the author describes research findings on older adults with serious mental illness living in nursing homes who might more appropriately reside and receive services in the community. Second, the author summarizes the evidence base for effective psychosocial rehabilitation interventions and services facilitating independent living in community settings for this subgroup. Finally, he concludes with seven policy recommendations aimed at advancing the promise of the Olmstead decision with respect to older adults with serious mental illness.     

Does your older adult client have a gambling problem?

Pathological gambling is becoming an increasing problem in today's culture, particularly because opportunities and inducements to gamble abound. This article describes symptoms, consequences, and comorbidities experienced by pathological gamblers. Gambling pathology is often invisible because pathological gamblers seldom disclose gambling problems to their primary care provider. Thus, nurses will benefit from knowledge of the physical and emotional signs of the disorder. A two-question assessment tool, the Lie/Bet Questionnaire, is useful in helping nurses identify pathological gamblers. Interventions and treatment options, including group therapy and environmental modification, are also discussed. As always, education concerning problems and consequences of pathological gambling is a first step. Because research has indicated that visits to casinos by older adults have doubled since 1975, the authors use an example of an older adult to clarify the issues. Although the article's content is applicable to clients across the life span, it has particular significance for older adults.     

Are mainstream support services meeting the needs of sexual minority women with breast cancer? An exploration of the perspectives and experiences of users of an online support forum

We conducted an inductive content analysis of messages posted to the lesbian-specific discussion board forum found on breastcancer.org for the purpose of examining sexual minority women's experiences of and perspectives on mainstream cancer support services. Our analysis indicated that currently available support services might not be adequately addressing sexual minority women's unique needs. Individuals posting to the lesbian-specific forum reported the presence of homophobia, heterosexual bias, and feelings of exclusion in mainstream breast cancer support services. In contrast, forum users generally perceived nonspecific cancer support groups to be beneficial, yet the majority preferred lesbian-specific support.     

50 + among the 50+: who works long workweeks among older workers in Canada?

The focus of this short report is on workers who are 50+ years of age and who have a work schedule averaging 50+ hours per week (i.e. a ‘long workweek’), using Statistics Canada's linked Workplace and Employee Survey (WES) 2005 microdata, as well as selected qualitative study findings. The results show that the proportion having a long workweek is actually higher among older workers relative to others. Also, mean job satisfaction among older workers with a long workweek is at least as high as older workers without one, whether or not controlling for other factors. In terms of the characteristics of older workers with a long workweek, this is overwhelmingly a male-dominated group, and the majority are in a managerial/professional occupation. Thus, they do not exhibit the characteristics typically associated with those having poor quality schedules or employment. Since older workers represent a growing proportion of labour markets in industrialised nations, it is important that these workers access sufficiently attractive employment opportunities to keep them in the labour force. However, the findings provide yet another reminder that workers' scheduling realities and preferences are not homogeneous.     

Creating employment or keeping them busy? An evaluation of training programs for older workers in Germany

The authors analyze the effect of participation in short-term training measures on older German recipients of means-tested unemployment benefits. Their analysis uses administrative data of the German Federal Employment Agency, and they estimate the effects of participating in two types of short-term training--classroom and in-firm training--on different outcomes of the participants. Results show that classroom training is not effective in making participants independent of benefit receipt. It has a moderately positive effect on employment outcomes, which are highest for West German men. In contrast, in-firm training significantly raises the participants' likelihood of finding regular jobs and of being independent of unemployment benefit receipt.     

Can social workers mitigate the existential implications of an HIV diagnosis in the era of HAART?

Whilst it is commonly recognised that highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH), it has also presented a number of new challenges that appear to have altered the experience of living with HIV considerably. This paper argues that significant advances and innovations in medical treatments has led to the marginalisation of a number of psychological, social and economic needs that stem from receiving a diagnosis of HIV. Rather than continuing to ignore both these difficulties and the existential implications of a diagnosis – such as restructuring one's sense of self, control and future orientation – a specific and tailored social work response is required to support PLWH in regaining their sense of control and self-determination. The study is based on findings from a focus group of 15 PLWH and a further 5 in-depth interviews; it thereby seeks to give a voice to a group frequently marginalised within social work research, and accurately capture the lived experiences of PLWH in the era of HAART.     

Assessment of older adults’ satisfaction with adult protective services investigation and assistance

This study examined elder self-neglect client satisfaction with services provided by an Adult Protective Services (APS) program. A total of 77 community-dwelling older adults with APS-substantiated self-neglect responded to the standardized and widely used 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Approximately 75% of the participants reported being satisfied with the overall services. They felt that the services provided were responsive to their need(s) and helped them deal with their problem(s). Greater than 80% responded that they would refer a friend, would utilize APS in the future if necessary, and were at least satisfied with the amount of help received. The extent to which their needs were met received the lowest satisfaction scores. Future studies are needed to examine elder self-neglect client satisfaction in relation to specific services.     

Free floating in the cosmopolis? Exploring the identity‐belonging of transnational knowledge workers

In this article I explore what I call the ‘identity‐belonging’ of transnational knowledge workers, a diverse group of serially migrating career professionals who have spent extended periods of time in at least three countries, usually following career opportunities. Unlike most recent writing on transnationalism, which focuses on enduring connections of migrants with their ‘home’ countries/places, here I explore a transnationalism that may transcend the national, and generally the territorial, principle, with repercussions for identity‐belonging. In this context, how transnational knowledge workers position themselves towards belonging to a nation and towards the idea of cosmopolitanism is of particular interest. From data collected through in‐depth interviews in Australia and Indonesia, I conclude that their globally recognized profession forms the central axis of their identity‐belonging, alongside a weak identification with their nation of origin. The feeling of belonging to and identifying with particular locales and local communities was articulated flexibly and instrumentally in association with professional and wider social networks, while no primordial territorial attachments could be identified.     

Outcomes for the sociology of mental health: are we meeting our goals?

In this paper I argue that a fruitful discussion of the choice of outcomes in the sociological study of the social antecedents of mental health problems would benefit from a consideration of the goals that we are trying to achieve. The most clearly articulated goal is that of uncovering those aspects of society that produce harm. I examine the premises of the current conceptual framework--the stress paradigm--in light of its ability to fulfill this goal, and I discuss the implications for the types of outcome measures we use.     

Asset and Liability? The Importance of Context in the Occupational Experiences of Upwardly Mobile White Adults

In-depth interview data reveal that workplace context and the social characteristics of clients and coworkers play an important role in shaping how upwardly mobile individuals experience class at work. While respondents did discuss their working-class backgrounds as a liability, as might be expected, they also described ways in which they experience their backgrounds as an occupational asset. These findings challenge the notion of a linear relationship between class and culture, suggesting instead a complex, fluid relationship between class, culture, and occupation, where the class of a job does not necessarily determine the class culture needed for that job.     

Are clerical workers proletarian? A case study of the Australian Public Service1

This paper explores whether clerical workers have been proletarianized by using the Australian Public Service (APS) as a case study. It shows that before the late 1980s the market, work and status situations of APS clerks were predominantly proletarian since they were typified by limited career prospects, low skill requirements, restricted autonomy; low organizational status and estrangement from senior management. This proletarian class situation was reflected in an order taker's culture of informality, cynicism, hedonism and alienation. Since the late 1980s however technological change and workplace restructuring have markedly reduced the number of unskilled and lower paid jobs in the APS, thereby belying widespread predictions of deskilling. I conclude that proletarianization is more likely to have arisen from a decline in the status of clerical work during the course of the twentieth century rather than from a process of deskilling. Notwithstanding the fact that their class situations were predominantly proletarian, most clerks have identified as middle class. We can attribute this not only to the fact that their class situations differ from those of manual workers, as noted by Lockwood, but also to a widespread tendency to identify as middle class, the tendency of many female clerks to base their class identity on their husband's occupation and the fact that popular stereotypes tend to equate class with occupation. It is difficult to decide if clerks are proletarian since 1. Their class situations display a mixture of proletarian and middle-class characteristics 2. They exhibit diverse class identities, social origins, marriage partners and cultural attributes and 3. They occupy different positions on different aspects of inequality. We are therefore unable to allocate them en bloc to a single uniform class. I conclude that while a minority of clerks are proletarian most are better described as middle class.     

Regulating older drivers: how are the states coping?

The nation's population is growing older and its dependence upon the automobile for mobility has never been higher. Traffic safety data indicate that older operators have more fatal crashes than other age groups. As more people approach their senior years the safety issues surrounding older drivers will become even more important. Findings from a 1995 survey are reported identifying the practices of states and the perceptions of licensing officials concerning the older driver issue. The results indicate a diversity in approaches and a series of institutional and behavioral conflicts in the older driver policy subsystem that contribute to imperfect licensing controls.     

Immigrant Occupational Composition and the Earnings of Immigrants and Natives in Germany: Sorting or Devaluation?

In this article, the influence of immigrant occupational composition on the earnings of immigrants and natives in Germany is examined. Using data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel Study and the German Microcensus, several relevant concepts are tested. The notion of quality sorting states that the differences in wages that are associated with the immigrant share within occupations are due only to differences in qualification requirements. Cultural devaluation assumes a negative influence over and above that of quality sorting. The findings indicate that both processes are at work. Additional analyses reveal that the impact of immigrant occupational composition is largely restricted to white‐collar occupations, which underlines the importance of considering historical differences between occupation types in classic migration destinations such as Germany.