Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-first Century: A Social Work Perspective (End-of-Life Care: A Series)

Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-first Century meets the need for state-of-the-art information on practice approaches with older patients that are age-specific and empirically based, blend "micro" and "macro" views, and reflect current themes in the aging and social work fields. The book is designed as a text for students and as a professional resource for practitioners. Clearly written, the book offers an expert and comprehensive review of the current literature and focuses on issues relating to the most vulnerable older people. Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-first Century also features case illustrations throughout and brief end-of-chapter questions for review. The book has four parts. Part 1 reviews current and classic theories of aging and proposes an original framework for an integrative approach to practice with older people that incorporates both individual and policy-level interventions. The approach is based on current themes such as a life course perspective, heterogeneity, diversity, and inequality. Part 2 covers such common and important psychological problems among older individuals, as anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse, and dementia, and describes appropriate, evidence-based interventions. Part 3 considers the social psychological picture by discussing working with older families, end-of-life care, bereavement, and work and retirement. Part 4 focuses on core sociopolitical issues in the lives of older people: economic policy, poverty, health policy, quality-of-life concerns, and social services. Current, authoritative, and original, this single-volume gerontology resource will be of valuable use to graduate students and practitioners. Columbia University Press

Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-first Century provides state-of-the-art information on practice approaches with older patients that are age-specific and empirically based. Part 1 reviews current and classic theories of aging and proposes an original framework to practice that incorporates both individual and policy-level interventions. Part 2 covers such psychological problems as anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse, and dementia, and describes appropriate, evidence-based interventions. Part 3 discusses working with older families, end-of-life care, bereavement, and work and retirement, and part 4 focuses on core sociopolitical issues in the lives of older people, such as economic policy, poverty, health policy, quality-of-life concerns, and social services. Designed as a text for students and as a professional resource for practitioners, this book is a comprehensive review of the current literature and contains authoritative information on issues relating to a vulnerable population in need of sophisticated care.

"Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-first Century meets the need for state-of-the-art information on practice approaches with older patients that are age-specific and empirically based, blend micro and macro views, and reflect current themes in the aging and social work fields. The authors provide an expert and comprehensive review of the current literature and focus on issues relating to the most vulnerable older people. Gerontological Practice for the Twenty first Century also features case illustrations throughout and brief end-of-chapter questions for review."--Jacket Virginia Richardson and Amanda Barusch develop an integrated approach that takes into account the biological, psychological and socioeconomic influences that interact in later life, offering a guide to clinical practice, social policy and future direction in gerontological care