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Social Work with Older People

ISBN: 978-0-745-63955-0

March 2010

Polity

248 pages

Description
Social Work with Older People provides an authoritative and practical guide to working with older people in a range of settings. It addresses the complexities of individual work with older people, as well as work with families, groups and the wider community, and is not afraid to tackle the challenges as well as opportunities of practice in this area.

The book begins by explaining the demographic changes that have led to a ‘greying’ of the general population. It goes on to discuss the diversity in experiences of ageing across society, and the range of issues which confront older people and those who wish to work proactively with them. Clear attention is paid to the processes of assessment, care planning and review, with readers encouraged to reflect on developing good practice through case studies and exercises. Although it has a strong practical emphasis, the book also stresses the value of theoretical perspectives, with insights from fields such as sociology and psychology woven throughout the book. Clear links are also made to policy guidelines and organizational standards, without losing sight of the deeper, often more complex, issues that arise when working with older people.

Social Work with Older People will be essential reading for social work students and practitioners, but also for others who are interested in the development of practice with older people as citizens and service users.

About the Author
Ann McDonald is a Senior Lecturer and Head of School of Social Work at the University of East Anglia
Features
  • This is the second book in the Social Work in Theory and Practice series that began with Roger Smith’s ‘Social Work with Young People’ in Sept 08.
  • Stands out from the competition with its focus on the subjective, lived experience of older people and their carers, and how to work with them proactively in the context of human rights and citizenship.
  • Covers work with older people (and their carers) at the individual level, with families and groups, and within the larger community.
  • The author has experience of writing for students and practitioners alike.
  • This fills a distinct gap in the social work student book market: it is aimed at and accessible to students but with a level of sophistication lacking in other very basic books published by Learning Matters.
  • Student-friendly features include: chapter summaries, key lessons, boxed case studies and questions to provoke thought.