Aging NASW Publications

Caregiving and care sharing take place across the life course and involve various configurations. Although there are similarities, families have different needs and experiences of care depending on the caregiving situation, life course issues, and unique personal history. In Caregiving and Care Sharing: A Life Course Perspective, the authors highlight the experience of providing care in several different family situations.

Social workers are frequently the first responders in situations that require assessment of an older person’s capacity for independent decision making and self-care, yet there is limited professional literature to inform and guide social work practice in the area of assessing capacity and working with vulnerable and at-risk older adults. This publication teaches the generalist social worker how to work with vulnerable older adults and presents a useful model to guide social workers in assessing capacity and making intervention decisions.

This important book provides guidance for investigating how the social constructions of race, class, gender, age and social orientation intersect with one another, contributing to the oppression of marginalized groups in modern society. Economic and social inequities are mediated by the social locations and lived experiences of people. The intersectionality perspective is often neglected, yet it is vital for understanding social injustice and intervening on behalf of oppressed groups.

The aging of societies is a global phenomenon. In the United States alone, the life expectancy for both men and women will continue to increase over the next few decades and with that a population explosion of older adults. The dramatic increase in the number and diversity of older adults elevates the visibility of gerontological matters. As a result, social work practice is becoming more multigenerational, thereby demanding social workers, regardless of their professional endeavors, to be equipped with the most innovative theories and practices to serve older adults and their families.