Aging Practice Tools

Though case management has been integral to social work since the founding of the social work profession, the practice of case management has changed greatly over the past century. NASW’s revised standards for social work case management reflect this evolving context and reinforce the social work profession’s leadership role in case management.

In early 2011 NASW sponsored two professional research trips to Cuba to learn about social services in health care, child welfare, and aging. This report describes the activities of both social work delegations and information learned from the experience.

Art making is a form of human development, at any age, and it works its agency through the shifting of what an individual perceives as possible. As long as there is possibility, there is hope; in its absence, there is only despair. The sense of the possibility, complexity, and essential mystery of the world is what keeps the soul engaged with reality.

Family caregivers constitute a critical, yet often invisible, support network for older adults and other vulnerable populations. The NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults (2010) strive to enhance social workers’ awareness of the knowledge and skills needed for effective practice with family caregivers of older adults. The standards complement existing national initiatives focusing on family caregivers of older adults and may be useful in informing social work practice with other family caregivers.

As of October 1, 2010, nursing facilities, skilled nursing facilities, swing bed providers, and Veterans Health Administration nursing homes began using a new assessment instrument, the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0. This Practice Update describes social work–related changes in the resident assessment process and presents both opportunities and challenges for social workers, not only in nursing homes but also in community-based settings.

The aging of the population presents social, economic, and political implications for families, the social work profession, and the global community. Families often struggle to provide physical, emotional, financial, and practical support to their aging members. NASW Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults are designed to enhance social work practice with family caregivers of older adults and to help the public understand the role of professional social work in supporting family caregivers.