Social Work Practice with the Elderly

This subject is not offered in 2011.

24 contact hours
16 hours of class preparation and reading
24 hours of assessment related tasks
= 64 hours total time commitment
= 8 hours total time per week

None

This subject aims to give students a sound foundation in social work practice with the elderly (gerontological practice). It will explore the impacts of ageing at the individual, family and population level and examine a number of different theoretical frameworks that inform social work practice with the aged. Using a primary (preventative), secondary (therapeutic) and tertiary (rehabilitation) framework, it will then examine a range of key settings in which social workers encounter the aged and the core competencies and intervention skills they will need to develop to effectively work with the aged in these settings. This will include psychosocial assessment in the context of the interdisciplinary team, working in the acute care setting responding to health crises, being engaged in rehabilitation in the post acute care setting, in discharge planning, in case management in the community and in a patient support role in long term care. Specific attention will be also be given to education, consultation and advocacy with the well aged in community from the perspective of local government and two contrasting advocacy organizations. The community development, research and policy planning role of social workers in relation to the aged will also be explored.

At the completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Have a good beginning grounding in some of the key demographic impacts of population ageing at individual and societal level
• Be aware of policy and program responses to an ageing population nationally and internationally
• Be clear on the social work role in intervention with the aged in both primary, secondary and tertiary settings
• Be aware of the research base relating to the efficacy of those interventions
• Have carried out an independent theoretical, research and practice informed analysis of social work intervention in one such setting.

1. A written essay 5,000 words due end of semester and a class presentation

Hooyman, N., & Kiyak, A. (2006). Social gerontology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Minichiello, V., & Coulson, I. (2005). Contemporary issues in gerontology: Promoting positive ageing. Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin.
Lymbery, M. (2005). Social work with older people: Context, policy and practice. London: Sage Publications.
Borowski, A., Encel, S., & Ozanne, E. (2007). Longevity and social change in Australia. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• critically analyse texts and practices;
• understand recent developments in social work contexts of practice;
• link theory to practice;
• competently communicate in ways relevant to both academic and practice contexts;
• undertake independent research.