Journal of Gerontological Social Work最新文献

This umbrella review and research update explores experiences of loneliness and social isolation in older immigrants to understand their support needs and the effectiveness of current interventions. Nine quantitative and qualitative studies discussing loneliness and/or social isolation in older immigrants were identified. Six key themes emerged: language and cultural barriers, life-course intersections, family relationships and obligations, meaningful opportunities as a counter-strategy, regaining self-esteem, and effectiveness of peer/community support. Assessment of needs was a central topic in the literature. Peer and community support is an effective intervention targeting loneliness and social isolation in older immigrants as it connects participants and creates meaningful relationships.

Unrepresented patients who lack decision-making capacity can remain in hospitals for weeks awaiting guardianship and subsequent discharge, resulting in medically unnecessary and costly extended stays. The guardianship process is complicated and requires collaboration between the medical and legal systems. The Rocky Mountain Regional Veteran Affairs Medical Center created a guardianship social worker position to improve the guardianship process by developing subject matter expertise, infrastructure, and standardized procedures. In this brief report, we provide preliminary data on the impact of a guardianship social worker. Time to guardianship completion, mean lengths of stay (LOS), counts of completed guardianships, and cost estimates were compared before and after the guardianship social worker position was created. The mean time to complete guardianships decreased from 121.9 to 69.8 days (p = .13), the mean LOS for patients awaiting guardianship decreased from 129.8 to 117.2 days (p = .39), and the yearly counts of completed guardianships increased from 2 to 9 (p = .002). Estimated inpatient cost savings per patient was $56,244. While promising, these preliminary data are limited by small case numbers and the unknown impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term placement. Creating guardianship-focused social work positions has the potential to create efficiencies in the guardianship process.

We examined the relationship between substance use, marital status, and perceived overall health using national data from a sample of 1,506 retired active-duty veterans. We found that binge drinking and heavy alcohol use among widowed veterans have a negative effect on overall health compared to married veterans who did not use alcohol in the past month. We found that non-binge and binge drinking have a positive effect on perceptions of overall health among divorced or separated veterans compared to those who are married and did not use alcohol in the past month. We discuss these findings and address clinical implications.

This study investigated the roles of loneliness and prospective intolerance of uncertainty (IU-P) on mental health, and identified the sources of stress and joy during the COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Two thousand two hundred and fifty-eight older adults completed the survey. Older adults who had higher levels of loneliness and IU-P were more likely to have poor mental health. IU-P was found to partially and positively mediate the relationship between loneliness and mental health. Top stressors were contracting the virus, uncertainty about the future, and loneliness; while family/friends, peace of mind, and hobbies were identified as protective factors.

Dementia caregiving involves a challenging and complex process, especially for immigrant families. Using a qualitative method, this study provides an in-depth exploration of caregiving experiences among Korean American caregivers of people living with dementia. Based on various sampling strategies, 16 Korean American caregivers of family members/relatives with dementia were recruited in the greater Los Angeles area. Guided by the stress process model and the constant comparative method, themes and subthemes were derived and categorized into four domains: (1) background/context; (2) perception/appraisal; (3) resources/coping, and (4) caregiver burden/reward. Findings suggest that intervention efforts should focus on educating and training dementia caregivers.

An online qualitative survey explored perceived training, readiness, and needs of recent SW graduates serving older adults. Over half (N = 14) held a master's in social work, with 70% having taken an introductory aging course. Nearly halfcompleted other aging-specific coursework, and 80% did fieldwork with older adults. Participants indicated moderate proficiency in assessing issues like lossestransitions (46.7%), and physical health (53.3%), and advanced expertise in cognitive assessments (60.0%) and caregiver stress management (53.3%). Training deficiencies were noted in disaster readiness, telehealth, and resource coordination. Findings underscore the need for educationfor early-career social workers, ensuring their effective support to older adults.

The present survey research investigated older people's volunteering competency relating to social inequality by exploring the latent ability profile and demographic correlates of 1,000 older volunteers in 73 community care centersin southern Taiwan. Older volunteers were classified into advanced (n = 509), basic (n = 214), and novice (n = 277) groups. Demographics examined included: individualistic characteristics (religious beliefs), resources (education; number of chronic diseases), andsocial factors (serving area and spoken language, volunteering duration, marital status, and gender). Apparent inequality issues were revealed. The advanced group was better educated, Mandarin-speaking, and in urban areas. while the novice group featured the opposite (lower education Taiwanese-speaking suburban areas).

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) was found to significantly improve cognitive function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with mild-to-moderate dementia in the UK. However, indigenous research on older adults with dementia in Taiwan is scarce. Therefore, this study developed and investigated the effects of a Taiwan version of group CST (CST-T) through a quasi-experimental trial. Excluding the dropouts, there were 13 experimental participants (M = 78.9 ± 9.0) and 13 control participants (77.9 ± 5.6). The results indicated significant improvements in cognitive function, QOL, and daily life functioning in the experimental group compared with the control group, and these effects remained evident at a 3-month follow-up.

In this "Decade of Healthy Ageing," the integration of resilience into the healthy aging discourse becomes paramount, particularly in the context of indigenous communities grappling with the enduring effects of historical oppression, persistent poverty, and health disparities in their aging journey. Employing a phenomenological lens, this study seeks to derive the resilient characteristics exhibited by the Attappadi indigenous older adults of Kerala, aiming to explore the role of resilience in their pursuit of healthy aging. In-depth phenomenological interviews (n = 34), observation, and document analysis have revealed four key themes: A life course marked by adversities, Embracing the unyielding strength within, Personal resilience catalysts, and Extrinsic resilience catalysts. The participants exhibited a reasonably well-functioning collective, given their persistent adversities in their life course. Narratives illuminated a notable connection between the presence of resilience characteristics and the overall functioning of older adults. From a social work standpoint on resilience, this article underscores the vital interplay between individual agency and environmental factors in addressing adversity. The article advocates culturally sensitive, asset-based strategies to strengthen indigenous older adults' intrinsic and extrinsic resilience to ensure that they are not left behind in the global pursuit of healthy aging.

Family caregivers experience health, financial, and social burdens related to caregiving responsibilities. North Carolina has an estimated 1.3 million caregivers, equating to a value of $13.1 billion per year. Caregiving demands warrant additional understanding of the caregiver lived experiences. Our objective was to document these North Carolina caregiver experiences during the era of COVID-19 through focus groups. Participants were recruited through diverse community organizations. All 44 caregivers who completed interest solicitation surveys were invited to participate; 29 caregivers participated across 11 groups. Thematic analysis was used to code and synthesize transcripts from each participant using Dedoose software and guided by the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Themes included: caregiver routines (caregiving as an all-encompassing role; dimensions of support); most challenging parts (exhaustion and defeat; lacking support; evolving relationships); most rewarding parts (care recipient resilience; quality time; sense of purpose); social service and healthcare system interactions (positive interactions; negative interactions; inaccessible services); COVID-19 impacts on caregiving (opportunities; challenges); and caregiver suggestions for system improvements (increasing financial support; improved coordination; ideological shifts). Caregivers shared unmet needs, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Examining these needs and experience-informed recommendations can help advance additional caregiving research, policy-making, and program development.