Social work in the UK and US had similar origins with a historical focus on both community based work, similar to Jane Addams' settlement house, and individual case-work/care management aligned with Mary Richmond's approach to care... more
Social work in the UK and US had similar origins with a historical focus on both community based work, similar to Jane Addams' settlement house, and individual case-work/care management aligned with Mary Richmond's approach to care (Gollins et al., 2016). The visit by Jane Addams in the 1880s to Toynbee Hall, a settlement house founded in London in 1884 to assist the poor through providing opportunities that would lead to social reform, is often cited as a key inspiration for the inception of social work in the US (Addams, 1910). In Addam's description, there was an early recognition of a need to balance focus on youth and older people and to create intergenerational capacity in strengths. That interest remains present today and, with burgeoning numbers of people growing older globally (WHO, 2018), countries have responded in varying ways to this challenge to prepare for the future. Often this is driven by a need to reconcile competing agendas. The move to personalisa-tion and personal budgets under recent UK Governments was an attempt to shift control of care to individual choices, a strengths view, but at the same time, those budgets were being reduced in line with Government austerity measures. This policy and practice environment has shaped the conceptualisation of and approaches to strength-based practice for older people in the UK in ways that are different from the US. This chapter will provide background on the UK policy and practice context for strengths-based approaches and on the work of G-8-a group of gerontological social work academics who advocate for strengthening practice, education and
Research Interests:
The transition into a care home Family, friends and carers’ experiences Assessment and support planning Closure Culture Summary References Introduction It is well known that older disabled people generally express a strong preference to... more
The transition into a care home Family, friends and carers’ experiences Assessment and support planning Closure Culture Summary References Introduction It is well known that older disabled people generally express a strong preference to remain at home, and manage their changing health and support needs with help from family, friends and wider
Research Interests: Medicine and Older people
Background: Family and friends are key providers of care for people living with a long-term neurological condition. Neurological conditions are a significant global contributor to disability and premature death. However, previous research... more
Background: Family and friends are key providers of care for people living with a long-term neurological condition. Neurological conditions are a significant global contributor to disability and premature death. However, previous research suggests carers often struggle to access appropriate support at end of life. Aims: This review sought to synthesise qualitative studies discussing end-of-life and palliative issues for informal carers supporting people living with neurological conditions. Design: This was a meta-ethnographic synthesis of 38 qualitative studies discussing end-of-life and palliative issues for informal carers supporting people living with long-term neurological conditions. Data Sources: Qualitative articles published after January 2010 in English, addressing carers of people with long-term neurological conditions with regard to palliative care, end of life and/or bereavement. Papers were excluded if it was not possible to separately assess the views of carers. Qualit...
Research Interests:
The number of older self-funders in England is growing in the context of tight eligibility criteria and fixed financial thresholds to access statutory adult social care. Older people who self-fund their social care fall largely under the... more
The number of older self-funders in England is growing in the context of tight eligibility criteria and fixed financial thresholds to access statutory adult social care. Older people who self-fund their social care fall largely under the radar of statutory services and of research. Our study aimed to listen closely to the stories that older people tell about finding, managing and paying for their care. We interviewed 65 older people living in the community who were funding all or some of their social care. This paper focuses on narrative analysis of selected transcripts from these interviews. It sheds light on how older people represent their experiences of self-funding and what underpins these constructions. A key finding is that the disjunctions within older people's accounts between the care they want and the care they receive reflect wider political and structural tensions in the funding and delivery of care. Older self-funders temper their expectations in light of their exp...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The ‘problem’ of old age dominated post-war old age policy and practice, and for years after its abolition in 1948, the Poor Law continued to exert a considerable influence on progress in policy and practice. Expectations about the care... more
The ‘problem’ of old age dominated post-war old age policy and practice, and for years after its abolition in 1948, the Poor Law continued to exert a considerable influence on progress in policy and practice. Expectations about the care of older people were low, fuelled by assumptions of inevitable decline, and institutional care continued to be the assumed means by which formal care was provided. Mental health services continued to be dogged by low expectations and the marginalisation both of older people with mental health problems and gerontological mental health services. Since the 1980’s there has been a significant growth in the development of policy which has in turn led to improvement in services. This chapter reviews key mental health and ageing policy and argues that while there is evidence of positive change and improvement, significant areas of development remain.
Research Interests:
We have attempted to highlight, in this book, the significant improvement in the provision of mental health services for older people which has been achieved through changes in legislation, policy and practice. Despite many drivers for... more
We have attempted to highlight, in this book, the significant improvement in the provision of mental health services for older people which has been achieved through changes in legislation, policy and practice. Despite many drivers for change, there is still evidence that older people feel that mental health problems are stigmatising and they experience discrimination when attempting to access care. We discuss the recent policy directives which highlight these inequalities and make suggestions for improving care, including offering more acceptable interventions to older people with mental health problems, and working more closely with the third sector to provide such services. We mention the specific needs of older people in care homes. We highlight the need to promote good mental health across the life course and emphasise the importance of mental health promotion.
Research Interests:
Social workers in the UK are now expected to use strengths-based approaches to ensure older people’s complex and changing needs are met through person-centred assessment leading to care planning, and support for carers, which harnesses... more
Social workers in the UK are now expected to use strengths-based approaches to ensure older people’s complex and changing needs are met through person-centred assessment leading to care planning, and support for carers, which harnesses wider personal networks and community resources. These, together with an efficacious use of formal services, are provided in a climate which promotes early detection, prevention and education interventions. The G8, a special interest group of social work academics formed in 2010, engages in a range of activities to develop professional practice in work with older people. This chapter explores promising advances in the conceptualisation of and approaches to strengths-based practice in social work with older people alongside relevant policy directives and research. An anti-oppressive analysis of the UK health and social care landscape draws attention to systemic inequalities that also require consideration to uphold human rights and to work flexibly wit...
Research Interests:
The Healthy Ageing Research Group (HARG) from the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Lincoln were commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council to undertake an independent health needs assessment for people living with... more
The Healthy Ageing Research Group (HARG) from the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Lincoln were commissioned by Lincolnshire County Council to undertake an independent health needs assessment for people living with neurological conditions in the county in September 2017. The purpose of this work is to establish the distribution of neurological conditions within the county; the level of service activity; gaps and limitations in service provision as well as examples of effective provision and good practice. The review focuses on adults over the age of 18, and young adults transitioning into adult services, with a range of neurological conditions, including stroke. The report does not include data on people with dementia.
Research Interests:
Social work in the UK and US had similar origins with a historical focus on both community-based work, similar to Jane Addams’ settlement house, and individual casework/care management aligned with Mary Richmond’s approach to care... more
Social work in the UK and US had similar origins with a historical focus on both community-based work, similar to Jane Addams’ settlement house, and individual casework/care management aligned with Mary Richmond’s approach to care (Gollins et al., 2016). The visit by Jane Addams in the 1880s to Toynbee Hall, a settlement house founded in London in 1884 to assist the poor through providing opportunities that would lead to social reform, is often cited as a key inspiration for the inception of social work in the US (Addams, 1910). In Addam’s description, there was an early recognition of a need to balance focus on youth and older people and to create intergenerational capacity in strengths. That interest remains present today and, with burgeoning numbers of people growing older globally (WHO, 2018), countries have responded in varying ways to this challenge to prepare for the future. Often this is driven by a need to reconcile competing agendas. The move to personalisation and persona...
Research Interests: Sociology, Social Work, Aging, Older Adults, Older people, and 3 moreAusterity, Strengths, and Ageing
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
BackgroundAnxiety and depression often coexist in older people. These disorders are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, and are associated with increased use of health and social care services, and raised mortality. Barriers to... more
BackgroundAnxiety and depression often coexist in older people. These disorders are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, and are associated with increased use of health and social care services, and raised mortality. Barriers to diagnosis include the reluctance of older people to present to their general practitioner (GP) with mood symptoms because of the stigma they perceive about mental health problems, and because the treatments offered are not acceptable to them.ObjectivesTo refine a community-based psychosocial intervention for older people with anxiety and/or depression so that it can be delivered by non-traditional providers such, as support workers (SWs), in the third sector. To determine whether or not SWs can be trained to deliver this intervention to older people with anxiety and/or depression. To test procedures and determine if it is feasible to recruit and randomise patients, and to conduct a process evaluation to provide essential information to inform a randomised ...
Research Interests:
Almost one-fifth of the population in England lives in rural areas. Compared to urban populations, the rural population is older and faces greater difficulties in accessing medical services. At the same time, healthcare teams in rural... more
Almost one-fifth of the population in England lives in rural areas. Compared to urban populations, the rural population is older and faces greater difficulties in accessing medical services. At the same time, healthcare teams in rural areas face particular challenges in recruiting and retaining staff, travelling between patients and keeping specialised knowledge up-to-date. Drawing upon a recent health needs assessment for people living with long-term neurological conditions in a rural English county, as well as a broader review of the literature, this paper considers the challenges of rurality and discusses potential solutions. Technological and community-based responses have often been suggested as responses to challenges of rurality. However, there is likely to be a need for up-front investment of resources and careful consideration of individual and community needs before these solutions can be applied to rural neurological care.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Anxiety and depression are common among older people, with up to 20% reporting such symptoms, and the prevalence increases with co-morbid chronic physical health problems. Access to treatment for anxiety and depression in this population... more
Anxiety and depression are common among older people, with up to 20% reporting such symptoms, and the prevalence increases with co-morbid chronic physical health problems. Access to treatment for anxiety and depression in this population is poor due to a combination of factors at the level of patient, practitioner and healthcare system. There is evidence to suggest that older people with anxiety and/or depression may benefit both from one-to-one interventions and group social or educational activities, which reduce loneliness, are participatory and offer some activity. Non-traditional providers (support workers) working within third-sector (voluntary) organisations are a valuable source of expertise within the community but are under-utilised by primary care practitioners. Such a resource could increase access to care, and be less stigmatising and more acceptable for older people. The study is in three phases and this paper describes the protocol for phase III, which will evaluate t...
Research Interests:
One-in-five people in the UK experience anxiety and/or depression in later life. However, anxiety and depression remain poorly detected in older people, particularly in those with chronic physical ill health. In the UK, a stepped care... more
One-in-five people in the UK experience anxiety and/or depression in later life. However, anxiety and depression remain poorly detected in older people, particularly in those with chronic physical ill health. In the UK, a stepped care approach, to manage common mental health problems, is advocated which includes service provision from non-statutory organisations (including third/voluntary sector). However, evidence to support such provision, including the most effective interventions, is limited. The qualitative study reported here constitutes the first phase of a feasibility study which aims to assess whether third sector workers can deliver a psychosocial intervention to older people with anxiety and/or depression. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the views of older people and third sector workers about anxiety and depression among older people in order to refine an intervention to be delivered by third sector workers. Semi-structured interviews with participants re...
Research Interests: Mental Health, Community-Based Mental Health Services, Depression, Qualitative Research, Medicine, and 11 moreAnxiety, United Kingdom, Humans, Female, Male, Psychological Intervention, Psychosocial, Aged, Public health systems and services research, ANXIETY, and Community Based Mental Health Services
Ageing, meaning and social structure is a unique book advancing critical discourse in gerontology and makes a major contribution to understanding key social and ethical dilemmas facing ageing societies. It confronts and integrates... more
Ageing, meaning and social structure is a unique book advancing critical discourse in gerontology and makes a major contribution to understanding key social and ethical dilemmas facing ageing societies. It confronts and integrates approaches that have been relatively isolated from each other, and interrelates two major streams of thought within critical gerontology: analyses of structural issues in the context of political economy and humanistic perspectives on issues of existential meaning. The chapters, from a wide range of contributors, focus on major issues in ageing such as autonomy, agency, frailty, lifestyle, social isolation, dementia and professional challenges in social work and participatory research. This volume should be valuable reading for scholars and graduate students in gerontology and humanistic studies, as well as for policy-makers and practitioners working in the field of ageing.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT The idea of active ageing retains a broad appeal and has a global reach, particularly through the influence of the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, in practice it has been the subject of criticism. In this article, it is... more
ABSTRACT The idea of active ageing retains a broad appeal and has a global reach, particularly through the influence of the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, in practice it has been the subject of criticism. In this article, it is argued that the incorporation of active ageing into the policy agendas of the welfare systems for older people should be understood by reference to the perceived effects of demographic trends on demand for services. In the context of the British welfare system, the active ageing agenda has become inextricably linked with the broader policy agenda to reduce older people's call on public resources in order to manage the increasing proportions of older people in the British population. The implications of these developments for social work are significant.
Research Interests:
Adult social care policy in England is premised on the concept of personalisation that purports to place individuals in control of the services they receive through market-based mechanisms of support, such as direct payments and personal... more
Adult social care policy in England is premised on the concept of personalisation that purports to place individuals in control of the services they receive through market-based mechanisms of support, such as direct payments and personal budgets. However, the demographic context of an ageing population and the economic and political context of austerity have endorsed further rationing of resources. Increasing numbers of people now pay for their own social care because either they do not meet tight eligibility criteria for access to services and/or their financial means place them above the threshold for local authority-funded care. The majority of self-funders are older people. Older people with complex and changing needs are particularly likely to experience difficulties in fulfilling the role of informed, proactive and skilled navigators of the care market. Based on individual interviews with older people funding their own care, this article uses a relational-political interpretat...
Research Interests:
The current policy emphasis in adult social care in England is on promoting independence, preventing or delaying the need for more intensive support and the provision of personalised services. However, there is little evidence available... more
The current policy emphasis in adult social care in England is on promoting independence, preventing or delaying the need for more intensive support and the provision of personalised services. However, there is little evidence available on how social workers (SWs) identify and meet the complex needs of older service users in practice. In this article, we present findings from a study of innovative social work practice with older adults in England (2018–2019). We present five case studies of social care and integrated services in which SWs are integral team members. Twenty-one individuals participated in interviews; this included service managers and practitioners with social work backgrounds, and other professionals, including nurses and occupational therapists. Specific practices contributing to innovative service delivery included: the strong demonstration of social work values influencing the practice of multidisciplinary teams; positive risk management; importance of timing and ...