Gerontological Social Work In India

Papers presented at a National Seminar on "Globalisation and Ageing: Implications for Gerontological Social Work", organised by Tata Institute of Social Sciences on Dec. 22-24, 1997.

This book discusses gerontological issues and challenges impacting the quality of life of older people in India. The chapters provide different disciplinary insights ranging from sociology, anthropology, psychology, health sciences, social work, demography, gender, and legal perspectives. The chapters are written by experts and practitioners in the field bringing focus to new gerontological insights from an academic and an empirical perspective. It engages the reader with the growth of different branches of gerontology along with concerns faced by older people. It brings attention to concerns related to ageing of the population in different parts of the country, such as among the tribes, the LGBT community, and conflict zones. It highlights gender aspects related to health care and discusses policy responses, strategies to empower older persons, the role of voluntary organizations, issues related to caregiving and family bonding, and aspects of social protection for the older people. It offers a valuable resource for researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers in the areas of gerontology, demography, and sociology, as well as all those interested in the study of ageing populations.

In this fascinating book, leading international experts in gerontology and social work examine the conditions of older people in their respective native lands--Australia, Canada, West Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden. In response to the need for world-wide sharing of information and research on one of the most dramatic developments of the twentieth century in the United States and throughout the western world--the aging of the populations--these professionals offer an international dimension and cross-cultural knowledge to social gerontology and gerontological social work. Emphasis is placed on the social service delivery system in each country together with an analysis of social work roles and activities. The informative articles include demographic notes, the socioeconomic characteristics of older people in each country, and the author’s forecast of trends, issues, and future directions. These timely reviews of what has worked elsewhere may spark greater creativity among educators and practitioners in social work and gerontology in finding alternative solutions to the many problems professionals face as advocates and service providers for older adults. Social work practitioners and educators examine social services for seniors in eight different industrialized countries. Each chapter--focusing on a different country--features: a review of the social service delivery system, providing information about its historical evolution and current organization a look at home care programs, as well as community based and institutionally based services a review of service availability and accesibility with consideration of how social services are coordinated with health care and other human services special attention is given to social work roles within the social service system, including an examination of direct service and planning/management roles a consideration of the importance and usefulness of social work in service provision for each country a brief analysis of current trends and furture directions for gerontological social work and social services for the elderly. The cross-national perspectives will highlight global trends in the industrial world and illuminate distinctions among countries, based upon a particular historical, political, and cultural context. Gerontological Social Work provides a wider base for understanding and evaluating policies and programs in one’s own country. Each analysis suggests new and different ways of solving problems and providing services. Social work professionals worldwide will learn successful methods of enabling the elderly to maintain maximum self-sufficiency and participate actively in society, thus insuring improved quality of life.

This book addresses a range of key issues concerning social work education, research and practice in India and Australia from a cross-cultural perspective. The respective chapters focus on specific areas of social work regarding e.g. the status and recognition of the profession, regulatory mechanisms, roles and functions of social workers in different settings, and issues and challenges faced by the social work community. The book shares valuable perspectives to help understand the culturally sensitive practice of social work in various socio-cultural, economic and political contexts in both countries. Given the scope of its coverage, the book is of interest to scholars, students and professionals working in the areas of social work, social development and social policy practice.

The novel coronavirus and the resultant COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected older adults in terms of the number of lives lost, concerns about safety of institutional and home and community-based care, the impact of isolation and seclusion, and the ability to participate and engage in meaningful and contributory activities. The pandemic has uncovered layers of ageism that are embedded in societies globally and challenges us all to address the pervasive individual, institutional, and structural biases that permit age-based discrimination. Within the interdisciplinary field of gerontology, social workers lead organizations, provide direct services and supports, facilitate community engagement and participation, and deliver therapeutic interventions among other roles and activities that facilitate positive outcomes for older adults and their families. In Gerontological Social Work and COVID-19: Calls for Change in Education, Practice, and Policy from International Voices, scholars, practice professionals, and other stakeholders reflect on the initial months of the pandemic. They articulate immediate needs the pandemic has created and uncovered, and further identify directions the field must go in to meet the moment and prepare for the future ahead. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Explore Indian policy and practice on aging from a variety of perspectives! This pathbreaking collection provides something that has been missing in the literature on aging in India, especially for non-Indian audiences: studies of various aspects of aging in India combined with analyses of current policies, policy trends and recommendations. You'll examine aging issues from a variety of perspectives—demographic foundations, social and family relations, economics, health and disability, current interventions, and advocacy and policy. An Aging India also provides you with up-to-date references, explanations of differences and similarities within India's diverse population, examples of programs in various settings including a geriatric hospital, a major NGO, and old-age homes, and an overview of the development of India's national policy on aging. Where appropriate, comparisons with U.S. policy approaches are noted. An Aging India: Perspectives, Prospects, and Policies examines: the demography of aging in India the current state of research on aging, and the pitfalls associated with that research income, poverty, and the problems created by the lack of any widespread retirement income system in India the health status of Indian elders and what their healthcare prospects are the situation for the disabled elderly in India elder abuse in the Indian context social networks and grassroots organizations for seniors in India the role of Indian geriatric hospitals and old-age homes The insights of the top researchers and practitioners who contributed to An Aging India: Perspectives, Prospects, and Policies will strike home with their counterparts around the world. Make this book a part of your professional/teaching collection today!

"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. Here are some of the social work practice settings, roles, and topics you will read about: working in communities; hospitals, hospice, and home health; nursing home social work, administration, inspection, and advocacy; addictions, mental illness, and homelessness in older adults; Alzheimer s and Parkinson s diseases; international settings;gerontological research; policy and macro practice; social work student experiences in gerontology; centenarians and their secrets to long life. 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."--pub. desc.

This volume highlights a range of issues underpinning elder care in India, with particular focus on the challenges that India faces in caring for the elderly. In addition to the very limited state support and near total dependence on the family for long-term social care and economic support, the changing dynamics between generations in the family structure and privatization of health care in general create new challenges that need to be addressed. Although care plays a significant role in the well-being of the elderly, there is not much research available from India. This volume draws on field-based evidence and the legal framework in India to understand the ways in which care is organized for the elderly and to locate the main sources of care provision. The book addresses key themes such as shrinking of traditional support base of the elderly, trajectory of old age homes in India and care arrangements for the elderly within the community. Written by academics and practitioners in the field of gerontology, this book is an informative resource for demographers, gerontologists, social scientists studying aging, and human rights and legal experts working with the aged.