The Role of the Nursing Home Social Worker in Terminal Care

This study examines the role of the nursing home social worker in terminal care. Questionnaires were distributed to 60 social workers in 14 nursing homes in the greater Milwaukee area. The hypothesis was that the presence of policies/procedures governing terminal care would be related to a decreased amount of stress for social workers. This correlation was not supported by the survey results. Although 71% of respondents indicated no policies were available to them, only 32.6% of social workers reported that terminal care was a source of stress. In fact, 59% reported that the social worker's role in terminal care had not been discussed in the social services department of their facility. Comparative lack of stress for social workers may be related to the lack of perception that social workers play a significant role in the terminal care of residents.     

面对衰老文学何为 ——文学老年学与衰老创痛

随着全球化衰老的加剧,文学老年学应时而生,它从人文主义的角度来探讨文学作品中的衰老主题与作家生平,探讨应对衰老、批判文化中的衰老歧视、提升社会养老质量、提升晚年生命意义。文章在综述文学老年学的前期所取得成就的基础上,分析了其文化取向、理论建构、学科体系等方面所存在的不足;结合当代作品中关于老年书写以及死亡、便溺失禁、老年婴儿化、衰老成本等衰老创痛书写模式,指出了衰老书写中以老年人这意义客体为描写对象的缺陷,强调老年人必须走向意义主体的叙述自我救赎,追求低成本、高质量、充满创新意义的老年人生。     

Where Is “Place” in Aging in Place? Transnational Issues for the Danish State and Its Retirement Migrants Abroad

The aim of this article is to contribute a transnational perspective to the field of environmental gerontology and the concept of aging in place. Seniors from the northern hemisphere, among them Danish citizens, are increasingly adapting to transnational lives as they move to warmer climates. This article builds on a qualitative study among Danish retirement migrants regarding their experiences with the need for care or support while living abroad. Denmark is a welfare state with a long history of public nursing homes and in-home care for frail elderly persons. This system of governance is influenced by universalism, aiming at equality in terms of access to health services and care. However, these welfare provisions seem to be deeply embedded in methodological nationalism, since only citizens with residence within the borders of Denmark have the right to live in public nursing homes or receive in-home help. It is argued that we should consider public solutions to the problems faced by frail Danish citizens in transnational settings, enhancing their opportunities to live abroad.     

Housing Dissatisfaction and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Analysis of a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of community-dwelling Americans older than 50 years of age indicated that rating the physical condition of one's dwelling unit as “poor” predicted significantly more rapid cognitive decline in subsequent years. This relationship persisted after controlling for a variety of factors such as wealth, income, education, health, family status, neighborhood safety, depression, and initial cognitive ability. Dissatisfaction with the physical conditions of one's housing may have a direct effect on the rate of cognitive decline in older adults. Addressing housing inadequacy for older adults may thus produce a wider range of societal benefits than previously realized.     

Thinking of age: Personal reflections on critical gerontology

This essay is a reflection on how personal experience has inspired and shaped my ideas about critical gerontology. It is a writing from the inside about the outside world of intellectual discovery, apart from the typical narratives about career and research. I take this opportunity to explore the life of thought through my own life, and conclude that our ideas about aging are bred in those places where humor, tragedy, conflict, passion and sympathy make it imperative that we ask the questions we do as critical thinkers.     

Assessment-Informed Intervention for Aphasia in an Older Adult: Transfer of Stimulus Control Procedure Considerations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the small but growing literature on the rehabilitation of language for older adults, as well as evaluate the clinical utility of a functional approach to language assessment. The study included an assessment-based response profile that informed individualized treatment targets and prompt selection, and a multiple-baseline design across behaviors with an embedded multielement design was used to systematically compare two transfer of stimulus control procedures. Results suggested that the prompt-delay procedure resulted in positive treatment outcomes and provided valuable information on the implications of basing treatment goals on functional assessment.     

Testing the Impact of a Case Management Program on Caregiver Appraisal

This study tested the impact of a case managed, h- home services program on caregivers' percepiions of burden, satisfac- tion, and health. Over their f i t 6 months with the program, caregiv- ers reported spending less lime in patient care activities. Subjective burden and symptoms were reduced initially, but climbed to original levels by the 6-month reassessment Satisfaction scores did not change significantly. Social work's role in the program is discussed.     

Social Work Student Interest in Nursing Home Employment: A North American Study

Nursing homes (NHs) are a primary setting for gerontological social work; yet, little is known about social workers' career interest relative to this setting. This article reports the findings of an online survey of social work students (177 US and 91 Canadian) that sought to identify personal characteristics and beliefs that influence NH employment intentions. Students who were enrolled in bachelors programs, lacked previous practice experience, and had already had a NH field placement or wanted this experience were more likely to express employment intent. The implications of these findings for social work education and research are discussed.     

Social Workers' Experiences of Virtual Psychotherapeutic Caregivers Groups for Alzheimer's,Parkinson's,Stroke, Frontotemporal Dementia,and Traumatic Brain Injury

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the challenges for social workers who transition from facilitating face-to-face psychotherapeutic groups to online web-based video groups with family caregivers of persons with chronic disease. Study data consisted of survey responses of a group of therapists who had facilitated a series of web-based video-conferencing caregiver groups over a period of 4 years. All therapists were trained using an intervention training manual and weekly supervision. They received minimal training with regard to using technology (computers, Internet, web cams, and headsets). Despite reported challenges in how the technology affected the group process, therapists described overall positive experiences transitioning from face-to-face to working online. All therapists reported that group interactions and client outcomes in the Internet environment were overall comparable to those that occur in face-to-face groups.     

Cultivating Interest and Competency in Gerontological Social Work: Opportunities for Undergraduate Education

Undergraduate social work programs are well-positioned to recruit students to gerontology, but little is known about how well curricular activities help foster students' commitment to the field. This study considers whether a small group of undergraduate students' interactions with older adults positively impacts students' plans to work with older adults; perceptions of skills; and feelings of comfort and competency in working with older adults. Experiences from this study suggest that experiential learning can positively impact students' perceptions of work with older adults, but may not be enough to draw students to the field. Implications for undergraduate education are discussed.