Days in the Lives of Gerontological Social Workers: 44 Professionals Tell Stories from "Real-Life" Social Work Practice with Older Adults

This book, like its predecessors Days in the Lives of Social Workers and More Days in the Lives of Social Workers, highlights the experiences of social workers through first-person narratives. This volume focuses on professional social work in direct and indirect practice with and on behalf of older adults. The contributors to this book are social workers at the BSW, MSW, and doctoral levels. Gerontological social work is a growing and exciting practice specialty! The stories told by these gerontological social workers will transform your thinking about what this type of work entails. You will gain a better understanding of the issues facing older adults and their social workers, and you may be inspired to pursue this career path. This engaging collection will make a welcome supplement to the theory found in traditional textbooks. Organizations, Web sites, additional readings, and a glossary of terms are included to assist you in further exploring these areas of social work practice. Photographs by social worker/photographer Marianne Gontarz York are featured to expand your visual images of real people as they grow older.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Blessings of Meals on Wheels
Chapter 2 Adult Protective Services
Chapter 3 Working With Immigrants in a Community Senior Center
Chapter 4 When the White Cane Comes in Handy: Helping Older Adults Navigate the Health Care System
Chapter 5 Geriatric Community Care Management
Chapter 6 Community Senior Services
Chapter 7 Best Practices in a Community Setting
Chapter 8 A Day in the Life of a NORC
Chapter 9 Gas Masks, Self-Affirmation, and War in Israel
Chapter 10 Firsts: Mrs. Blue Visits the ER
Chapter 11 Social Work in Outpatient Rehabilitation
Chapter 12 Hospital Social Work: A Fast-Paced Environment
Chapter 13 Welcome to Geriatrics! Life as a VA Social Worker
Chapter 14 Do Unto Others: Life Lessons Learned as a Medical Social Worker
Chapter 15 A Typical Day: Social Work in Home Health
Chapter 16 A Day in the Life of a Hospice Social Worker
Chapter 17 The Need for Hospice Social Workers in Skilled Nursing Facilities
Chapter 18 Social Work in a Nursing Home
Chapter 19 The Mount
Chapter 20 Life as a Nursing Home Administrator
Chapter 21 Investigative Social Work: The Nursing Home Surveyor
Chapter 22 A Day in the Life of an Ombudsman
Chapter 23 Long Term Care Ombudsman: Another Perspective
Chapter 24 Working With Geriatric Inpatients in Acute Mental Health
Chapter 25 Stella s Orchestra: Social Work in Rural Geriatric Mental Health
Chapter 26 Social Work at the Alzheimer s Association
Chapter 27 Parkinson s Disease and Social Work Practice
Chapter 28 A Social Work Perspective on Geriatric Addictions
Chapter 29 Working With Homeless Older Adults
Chapter 30 Tapping Into the Creative Parts: Art Therapy With Older Adults
Chapter 31 Integrative Touch and the 15-Minute StressOut
Chapter 32 A Win-Win Partnership: Intergenerational Social Work
Chapter 33 Social Work in a Law Firm
Chapter 34 Geriatric Care Management in Private Practice
Chapter 35 Caregiver Psychoeducational Support Groups: Gerontological Social Work in Business and Industry
Chapter 36 Community Organizing in State Government
Chapter 37 Gray and Gay: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging
Chapter 38 Field Placement in Geriatric Case Management
Chapter 39 A Graduate Student s Experience in the Hartford Practicum Partnership Program
Chapter 40 Learning the Ropes as a BSW Intern
Chapter 41 Teaching Aging by Concept and Example
Chapter 42 One Day in the Life of a Qualitative Researcher
Chapter 43 Racism Oral History
Chapter 44 Centenarians in India: Secrets to Long Life