Photo: John and Suzanne’s Mom. Do we know what’s in our drinking water? University of British Columbia researchers are working on an experimental material to remove toxic “forever chemicals” from water. As soon as we learn about a new hazard to humans, it seems, science labs pop up to address it. Lately, we’ve been hearing […]
“I feel like I’m falling through the cracks so if I’m not able to access health care am I then able to access death care?”
Another disabled woman applied because she simply “couldn’t afford to keep on living.” The disabled in care homes suffering neglect, applied rather than continue, “lying in their own filth.”
“The pressures of ageing, ageism and the economic context threaten older people’s agency, but the social worker, persistently and thoughtfully, acts as a counter to this.”
Throughout our project we have highlighted the importance of making social work with older people visible.
The Social Work with Older People research project (SWOP) shines a light on social work’s impact on older people’s wellbeing in England. Our researchers have been shadowing social workers to see how they work in real time in two contrasting local areas. Researchers talked to older people, carers, the social workers and other professionals to capture their experience. This gives a multi-layered perspective on three key questions: what expertise are social workers using; what impact do they have on older people’s lives; and how are they constrained or supported by the context around them?
We are now finishing up the fieldwork and starting the analysis. We have stories of around 20 situations where older people, their carers, families and friends are experiencing social work input. Social workers are working with them in their homes…
In this post I argue that socially embedded ageism directly and indirectly affects all of our lives at every age and stage, which is why initiatives that appear focused only on older people and their rights may be a mistake. A few years ago I was involved in some work for the Centre for Ageing […]
“The language we use to describe older people with care and support needs can be very powerful and inscribe labels on people that impact on how they are viewed and treated by others, including social care professionals.”
Language matters. The words we use when we talk about older people and social workers reflect and shape our values, attitudes and behaviours and those of others. The language we use to describe older people with care and support needs can be very powerful and inscribe labels on people that impact on how they are viewed and treated by others, including social care professionals.
One of the (many) valuable contributions of the project’s Expert Advisory Group is holding us to account for the words we choose to use. This is explained well in an earlier blog by June Sadd, one of the Expert Advisory Group members, when she talks about the need for us to avoid language that depersonalises older people who need support from social care services. We are continuing to challenge each other around the use of dehumanising words, the worst offender being the word ‘cases’; this…
..by Terrance Hunsley This article has been excerpted from a paper prepared in my PhD studies at the U.ST Paul/U. of Ottawa School of Social Innovation. (At the age of 75, I decided I was mature enough to settle down and complete my studies.) Holding a key to a vital public need, restrained by political […]
A Smaller Home Could Be Your Best Option Many people are reaching the point in their lives when they need to decide where they want to live when they retire. If you’re a homeowner approaching this stage, you have several options to explore. Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National […]
“Nature has the power to heal itself and to heal us, if we let it. That’s what rewilding is all about; restoring ecosystems to the point where nature can take care of itself, and restoring our relationship with the natural world. Reconnecting with what matters.” Rewilding Britain [1] “Relationships need to be tended and nurtured […]
How those who care about the future of social care can help to win the change we all want to see by learning to reframe our messaging. 5 things you can start to do now