About Geriatric Social Work

Social workers are in the business of helping people live their lives more effectively. They offer a wide variety of resources to the communities they serve, including help with relationships, family problems and functioning effectively in social environments. Geriatric social work is specifically geared toward senior citizen (people over the age of 65).

Marshall suggests that the social work role in this sphere lies in:

• communication, including sensitive listening and awareness of non-verbal communication

• taking time to assess needs, starting where the older person is

• supporting people with managing crises that arise through loss and change, e.g. bereavement, changing physical and mental health

• supporting people whose lives are constrained by illness and disability

• practical help

• generating and organising resources

• Working with other professionals

• Helping the helpers, including carers and colleagues

• Combating ageism.

In other words, geriatric social work helps senior citizens live healthier and more productive lives. Geriatric social workers help seniors understand and effectively utilize the various social services and programs that are available to them. The social workers also offer direct assistance, like providing family-support services and facilitating the coordination of medical care. Many geriatric social workers also offer counseling services, which often deal with end-of-life issues and other concerns common to senior citizens. Geriatric social work can help lower many of the risks associated with aging.

A life course approach is significant in social work with the elderly. It emphasizes the importance of seeing older people in the context of their life history. Biographical approaches to work with older people stress the importance of individual life stories and include activities such as reminiscence, storytelling and life review work. This approach also takes account of people's environment and the impact of wider social issues including gender, class and race.

Two studies, neither directly about social work practice, provide evidence of the effectiveness of biographical activities. McKee et al. (2002) looked at the impact of reminiscence activities on the quality of life of 142 older people living in care settings. Residents who participated in activities over a period of a month appeared to have an improved quality of life compared to those who did not take part. Reminiscing seemed to help older people convey their identities and life events to care staff and appeared to enhance inter-generational family relationships. However, care staff expressed concern that social care (talking, listening, sharing) with older people is not recognized as 'real work' within care organizations.

Geriatric social workers work in a wide variety of settings. Some work in nursing homes, retirement communities or hospitals, while others work inside of government agencies or in hospice programs. You may also find geriatric social workers employed by law firms, insurance companies, doctors, banks and even employee-assistance programs. Other geriatric social workers work for senior-citizen centers or adult daycare centers, and for various advocacy groups. Still others--usually those with Master's of Social Work degrees--open private practices and do individual case management.

While there are no official certifications specific to geriatric social workers, specialized training is beneficial and often required by their employers. For example, many choose to specialize in geriatrics while in college or take continuing-education classes to give them an edge in the field. There are nearly 50,000 geriatric social workers in the United States. It's one of the fastest-growing career fields at the moment, probably due to technological and medical advances helping people live longer.

Task 2. Study the following words and word combinations. Try to explain these concepts.

to gear towards – направлять, нацеливать на; to take time – не торопиться, тратить время на; bereavement - тяжелая утрата, потеря (родственника); disability – нетрудоспособность, ограниченные умственные или физические возможности; ageism – дискриминация по возрастному признаку (пожилых), предубеждение против какой-либо возрастной группы; carer - сиделка, осуществляющее уход за больным или инвалидом; setting – окружение, обстановка, условия, учреждение; resident – лицо, постоянно проживающее, пациент; concerns - нужды, заботы; nursing home – дом престарелых или инвалидов с медицинским обслуживанием; retirement community – интернат для престарелых; daycare centre – дневной стационар; advocacy group – организация, выступающая в защиту интересов, группа поддержки - ; continuing education – повышение квалификации, непрерывное образование .

Task 3. Match the English phrases with their Russian equivalents:

1. to generate and organize resources	А. выражать индивидуальность
2. to combat	B. сопровождать, сопутствовать
3. to offer direct assistance	C. выражать озабоченность
4. to facilitate	D. найти и мобилизовать ресурсы
5. to associate with	E. по сравнению с
6. to provide services	F. бороться, противодействовать
7. to express concern	H. учитывать, принимать во внимание
8. to take account of	I. дать конкурентное преимущество
9. compared to	J. предоставлять услуги
10. to convey identity	K.ведение клиентов
11. case management	L. оказывать прямое содействие
12. to give an edge in	M. облегчить

Task 4. Match the words with a similar meaning:

1. to offer resources	A. to take part
2.to assess	B. to restrict
3. to manage	C. to stress
4. to arise through	D. to evaluate
5. to constrain	E. influence
6. to combat	F. to prove
7. to lower	G. to result from
8. to emphasize	H. to provide opportunities
9. to counsel	I. to struggle against
10. reminiscence	J. to improve
11. impact	K. memory
12. to provide evidence	L. to consult
13. to participate	M. to cope with
14. to enhance	N. to decrease

Task 5. Match the opposites:

1. geriatric	A. non-verbal communication
2. senior	B. useless
3. verbal communication	C. stagnation
4. to facilitate	D. pediatric
5. beneficial	E. to enhance
6. employer	F. private
7. advance	G. junior
8. government	H. employee
9. to lower	I. to complicate

Task 6. Pick out the typical noun contexts of the verbs to offer and to provide from the text. Fill in the appropriate noun in the sentences below.

To provide evidence, support, services

To offer assistance