Journal of Gerontological Social Work最新文献

Objective: This study aimed to examine mutual relationships and to compare satisfaction among care receivers, family carers, and migrant care workers in Taiwanese households.

Research design and methods: Data were gathered in two stages (2019-2020) from 855 households and 638 households resectively, using face-to-face and telephone interviews. Analysis included descriptive, linear, and logistic regression.

Results: Family carers' satisfaction was influenced by health burden, cultural support toward migrants, and caregiver experience. Migrant workers' satisfaction correlated with private quarters, ample rest, positive caregiving experiences, and employer support.

Discussion: Fostering respectful relationships and providing welfare, cultural support, and support are crucial for improving home care quality and working conditions. Governments must support caregivers' physical and mental health and provide services.

This study examined the concurrent effects of social isolation and elder mistreatment on mental distress in older Korean Americans (n= 2,122, Mean age = 73.4). Approximately 44% experienced mistreatment, with 32% exposed to a single type and 12% to multiple types (polyvictimization). Social isolation and mental distress rates were about 24% and 30%, respectively. Both factors independently affected mental distress, with a significant interaction observed. The odds of experiencing mental distress were substantially greater when polyvictimization occurred in social isolation. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to support for those who are mistreated and lack social protection.

This article is an interview with Professor Deborah O'Connor, a Canadian and internationally well-known scholar in gerontological social work, by her doctoral student Karen Wong before Professor O'Connor's retirement. The interview aims to honor Professor O'Connor's scholarship and contribution to research, practice, policy, and education and to inspire junior researchers and trainees, educators and students, and practitioners in gerontological social work. Professor O'Connor's ground-breaking scholarship is marked by understanding aging and dementia from critical perspectives. She adopted critical theoretical lenses and critical qualitative research approaches to raise questions about assumptions on aging and dementia and challenge the embedded ageism and other oppressions in society. Her scholarship profoundly impacts real-life practices and policies, such as the development of incapability assessment and the Adult Guardianship Act in British Columbia and Canada. Her doctoral student Karen Wong, who hopes to follow Professor O'Connor's path in gerontological social work, asked questions from the perspective of a trainee, inviting Professor O'Connor to share her journey of interests in gerontological social work, explain her scholarship, and advise early-career research scholars and trainees how they can incorporate critical approaches in gerontological social work and bring influences to practices and policies.

This study explored nursing home social services directors' interest in receiving training related to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Nationally representative data from the National Nursing Home Social Services Directors Survey of 2019 were used. Two-thirds of respondents reported moderate or strong interest in discrimination training. The subgroup most interested in this training topic were nonwhite, social work-educated men, not residing in the Midwest. While most (65%) respondents expressed moderate or strong interest in training, 35% of respondents reported little to no interest in training. Recommendations to serve LGBTQ+ nursing home residents are discussed, and resources are provided.

To examine the relation between the implicit theory of ability, age stereotypes, and WM performance, the present study recruited a sample of 202 Chinese older adults (M_age = 71.17, SD = 7.27) who completed questionnaires and tasks. Mediation analyses revealed that the incremental theory of ability, both in memory and general ability, predicted WM performance indirectly through the mediation by self-stereotypes of aging. What is more, this effect was mediated by group stereotypes of aging and self-stereotypes of aging, demonstrating a serial mediation effect. These findings highlighted the significance of positive mind-sets in enhancing WM among older adults.

With global aging and rising widowhood among middle-aged and older adults, promoting their health is an urgent public health concern. Using CHARLS data (2011-2018), this study applies OLS and mediation models to examine how social participation affects daily functioning and mental health among widowed individuals. Findings show that social participation reduces daily living difficulties and depressive symptoms. Mechanism analysis reveals these effects operate through healthier lifestyles and improved cognitive function. The impact is stronger for older and urban residents. Promoting social engagement may be an effective strategy to support the health and functioning of widowed older adults in China.

This commentary explores the career trajectory of eminent feminist gerontologist, Dr. Nancy Hooyman, leading to her conceptualization of a care justice framework. Dr. Hooyman's scholarship focuses on older women, family caregiving, community-based services, multigenerational policy and practice, and feminist gerontology. She entered gerontological social work viewing caregiving as a personal trouble addressed through individual solutions. Her awareness of structural inequities facing family caregivers grew as her scholarship shifted to conceptualize long-term care as a feminist gerontological issue. Her work advocates for fundamental, structural, and transformative changes to policies that affect home and community-based services (HCBS). She challenges pervasive Western values of familism, privatization, deregulation, and individualized risk built into long-term care to ask the question, how do we create a society characterized by care justice? Throughout her career, the interconnections between those who perform the critical work of long-term care - underpaid direct care workers and unpaid families - has become increasingly clear. This has culminated in the conceptualization of care justice, which values care work as skilled, important, and an essential public good and reimagines our care infrastructure. Pushing the bounds of gerontology, Dr. Hooyman's work continues to inspire scholars who seek to transform community-based care for older adults.

This study explored resilience in 16 grandparent caregivers (aged 52-75; 62.5% white, 31.3% Hispanic/Latino) previously categorized as resilient, competent, non-resilient, and vulnerable. Interviews covered social support, services, needs, relationships, and coping. Thematic analysis revealed four distinguishing themes: lack of informal support, presence of formal support, forced unemployment, and resourcefulness. Findings highlight challenges and resilience in grandparents caregiving, offering insights for intervention programs. Social work implications of this study and future research directions are discussed.

Interdisciplinary teams, which include social workers, improve care and outcomes for older persons; however, trends show some geriatric programs are replacing social workers with nurse case managers or community health workers to cut costs. This study aimed to identify the unique, discipline-specific contributions of social workers in comprehensive geriatric assessments. Semi-structured interviews and inductive qualitative analysis were conducted to examine the role social workers within an interdisciplinary team at one US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Nine individuals involved in geriatric care were interviewed, including social workers, advanced practice nurses, geriatrician, and pharmacist. The study identified three essential contributions of social workers: (1) diligence in identifying and addressing psychosocial issues that impact medical assessments and care plans, (2) problem-solving through indirect approaches, and (3) in-depth knowledge of community and VA resources. These findings highlight the valuable role of social workers in improving care and outcomes for community-dwelling older persons.