Social Work Practice With Older Adults by Jill Chonody and Barbra Teater presents a contemporary framework based on the World Health Organization’s active aging policy that allows forward-thinking students to focus on client strengths and resources when working with the elderly. The Actively Aging framework takes into account health, social, behavioral, economic, and personal factors as they relate to aging, but also explores environmental issues, which aligns with the new educational standards put forth by the Council on Social Work Education. Covering micro, mezzo, and macro practice domains, the text examines all aspects of working with aging populations, from assessment through termination.

This book provides an up-to-date and authoritative overview of the development of social work with older people in the UK. The coherent structure draws together the key themes involved in working with older people, and clearly demonstrates how to translate these into real-life practice. Key features of the book include: - Establishes an understanding of the policy context within which social work takes place, with particular attention to key topics such as inter-professional collaboration and ethics. - Goes beyond other textbooks to challenge the restricted nature of social work practice, and adopts a positive view of its potential to benefit older people. - An engaging and practice-led approach which includes student-friendly features and detailed practice scenarios. - Satisfies the curriculum benchmarks and National Occupational Standards that structure social work training and practice. Written by a leading academic, this is a key text for social work trainees. Its analytical depth will ensure that it will also be valuable for students undertaking post-qualifying courses, and for those in related disciplines such as health and community care, social policy and social gerontology. Its practice-based and inter-professional approach will mean it is also useful for health and social care practitioners seeking to improve the quality of practice with older people. `Drawing on both theory and research as well as the author′s clear knowledge of current practice, this book is able to deal with practice realities in ways which many texts cannot. It offers social workers realistic options for how to approach their work′ - Karen Postle, University of East Anglia

Older people are the biggest service user group for social workers and an increasing proportion of the population. In this refreshingly positive and practical textbook, Rory Lynch draws on years of practice and teaching experience to show how to achieve best social work practice with older adults. He takes a person-centred approach, which fosters respect by valuing the fact that elderly people have more lived experience than others. Exploring the key theoretical approaches and methods of intervention, this book helps social workers to identify, understand and facilitate their service users’ wishes for well-being and a fulfilling older age. Chapters are practice-driven, containing case studies drawn from a range of care settings, reflective questions and exercises. Mapping directly onto the key modules on the social work degree, this is essential reading for all student social workers, especially as they prepare to go on their practice placement. It is also valuable reading for qualified social workers. Rory Lynch is Lecturer in Social Work at Robert Gordon University.

Social Work Practice with Older Adults: An Evidence-Based Approach helps future social workers identify effective evidence-based treatment options for aging populations. It helps readers cultivate the skills needed to successfully engage, assess, intervene, evaluate, and provide advocacy at micro, mezzo, and macro levels to older adults and their families. Emphasizing intersectionality theory, the text encourages readers to consider the context and intersecting diversity factors of the older adult client and involve them in treatment decision plans, empowering older adults to select culturally preferred and highly meaningful care. Students also learn the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and interagency coordination. Each chapter features case studies and a guide for framing community resources and other helping services for clients. Additionally, the book highlights issues and opportunities social workers are likely to encounter, including aging in prison settings, homelessness and sexual health, end-of-life issues, macro practice advocacy skills, and more. Social Work Practice with Older Adults challenges students to synthesize contextual, intersectional, and biopsychosocial/spiritual assessments to create effective treatment plans and apply appropriate interventions to aging populations. It is ideal for students studying social work and related disciplines.

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Key Benefit: Presents a strengths-based approach of social work with older adults - Social Work with Older Adults, 4/eprovides a comprehensive treatment of a strengths-based approach to the major areas of social work with older adults. Key Topics: Discuss how to engage in differential assessment. Understand the design of intervention to treat a wide variety of challenges facing older adults. Market: For those interested in learning more about Social Work with older adults.