Films/Audio

§         Life Stories: Aging and the Human Spirit

§         National Public Radio story in which social workers discuss how traumatic memories of the Holocaust affect older adults, particularly those living in institutions such as nursing homes and hospitals.

Readings

§       Burlingame, V.S. (1995). Gerocounseling: Counseling elders and their families. New York, NY: Springer.

§       Cleckley, B. J., & Berhie, G. (2000). The extent of crimes against the elderly & their perception of crimes in WV.  Abstract presented at 128th Annual Meeting of APHA, Boston, MA

§       Dittrich, K. (2002). Social work with elders (pp 17-23). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

§       Kerson, T., and Michelson, R. (1995). Counseling homebound clients and their families. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 24 (3/4), 159-190.

§       Mace, N. L., & Rabins. P.V. (1992). The 36-hour day: A family guide to caring for persons with Alzheimer disease, related dementing illness and memory loss in later life. New York, NY: Warner Books.

§       Pipher, M. 1999. Another country: Navigating the emotional terrain of elders. New York: Riverhead Books.

§       Rothman. Juliet C. (1998).  From the front lines: Student cases in social work ethics.  Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Reading Topic Areas

§         Materials to introduce aspects specific to the aging individual, and his/her relation to the family and community.

Web Sites

§         American Psychological Association, Office on Aging Resource Guides, www.apa.org/pi/aging

Guest Speakers

§         Agency practitioners

§         Senior adult consultant

Methods

Classroom Discussion/Lectures

§         Ageist stereotypes, elder abuse, intergenerational family issues, and successful aging

§         Ethics in geriatric practice

§         Increased geriatric content in class exercises

§         Social Work Practice across the life span.

§         Students with placements at agencies servicing older adults (skilled nursing, hospice) added significant discussion involving work with older adult clients

§         Students’ field experiences working with older adults

Assignments

§         Activity: Diversity Focus on Aging

§         Address effectiveness of agency’s service delivery system emphasizing ongoing agency services vs. changing community needs in the context aging across the life span.

§         Aging-related article reviews presented in seminar

§         Analysis of older adult cases presented in field seminar

§         Assigned article/discussion on chemical dependency risks across lifespan

§         Case presentations included intergenerational connections

§         Cultural Competence and Ageism; Ageism Exercise

§         Field log/journal

§         Four to five case examples of ethical dilemmas as they relate to older adults; students analyze one dilemma (Rothman, 1998)

§         Individualized learning objectives set by student and field supervisor

§         Interaction with one or more older adults during the course of placement

§         Interviews with elders and families, assessing social policy that impacts older adults, facilitating groups of elders, participating in community projects/needs assessments/program planning

§         One of three journal reviews must pertain to aging

§         Practice paper/helping process paper

§         Required reading of research related to the older adults on the internet

§         Social justice/ethnicity/self-awareness paper

§         Students placed in geriatric-related agencies apply diversity material and assignments to this population.

§         Video- or audio-taped session with client or client systems

§         Videos and class discussion, case presentations, process recordings

Projects/Presentations/Special Events

§         Aging Network: student presentations

§         Client Consultation: analysis of developing professional relationship between client and student, including issues of diversity in terms of class, race, gender, age

§         Client Presentation: present a client, or project, for seminar members including analysis of  issues of diversity in terms of class, race, gender, age

§         Field trips to agencies serving older adults

§         Full-day conference (topics: continuum of long-term care services, depression and older adults, elder abuse, and sexuality and older adults)

§         Presentation/discussion from recipient of Social Work with Older Adults Award on research/project

Other

§         Added long-term care component to health & hospice field placement

§         Intergenerational activities/learning outcomes are encouraged when available in agency