Social Work in Canada An Introduction Third Edition

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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA

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An Introduction
Third Edition
Chapter 13: Social Work with the Elderly
Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with the Elderly Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Social Work with the Elderly
 A Portrait of Canada’s Seniors

 Canada’s Pension System
 Theories of Aging
 How Healthy are Seniors?
 Issues of Increasing Concern
 Abuse and Neglect of Seniors
 Social Work in Long-Term Care Settings
 Social Work and Home Care

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A Portrait of Canada’s Seniors
The aging of the Canadian population can be

attributed to three main factors:
 The baby boom generation
 Increase in couples postponing having families
 Increase in life expectancy

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A Portrait of Canada’s Seniors
A Diverse Group:
 One in ten seniors is now 85 or over
 Most live in a household
 Many live in their own household
 90% of senior homeowners have paid off their
mortgages
 57% live with a spouse

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Canada’s Pension System
The pension system has three tiers:

 Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income
Supplement
 Canada Pension Plan (Quebec Pension Plan in
Quebec)
 Private pension plans

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Canada’s Pension System
 Current challenges to pension system:

 2008 financial crisis led to drop in value of RRSP
investments
 Many business pension funds now underfunded; may be
unable to pay out to retirees
 Concern that Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income
Supplement are no longer adequate

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Theories of Aging
There are five theories of aging:

 Activity Theory
 Disengagement Theory
 Continuity Theory
 Role Theory
 Life Course Theory

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Theories of Aging
Activity theory
As people age they have a decrease in life
satisfaction that can be relieved by engaging in
various activities.
Disengagement theory
Individual adjustment to aging is accomplished by a
natural and inevitable withdrawal from social life.

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Theories of Aging
Continuity theory
To age successfully, one must continue roles
and activities of middle years.
Role theory
Seeks to understand the adjustment of aging
people to the new roles entailed in getting older.

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Theories of Aging
The Life Course Theory has four main principles:

 The life course of a person is shaped by his or her
historical and geographic placement
 The impact of a transition or event depends on
when it occurs in a person’s life
 Lives are lived interdependently
 Individuals construct their own life course through
choices and action

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Theories of Aging
Ageism
Any attitude, action, or institutional structure that
subordinates or oppresses a person or group on the
basis of age.

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How Healthy Are Seniors?
 Life expectancy has doubled over the past 100

years
 Majority of seniors do not engage in behaviours
harmful to their health
 There is a health gap between seniors with low
incomes and those with higher incomes

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How Healthy Are Seniors?
Acute and Chronic Pain

 Acute Pain
Temporary pain that is often severe and can last a few
seconds to several days or weeks
 Chronic Pain
Ongoing, lingering pain that can last few months to
many years and can be mild or severe, episodic or
continuous, inconvenient or incapacitating

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Issues of Increasing Concern
Seniors face a number of common issues:

 Inactivity
 Accidents
 Victims of fraud
 Mandatory retirement

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Abuse and Neglect of Seniors
Elder Abuse
The mistreatment of older people by those in a
position of trust, power, or responsibility for their
care. Neglect is frequently associated with abuse.
Abuse may take place in the home or institutional

setting.

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Abuse and Neglect of Seniors
Institutional Abuse
Any act or omission directed at a resident that causes
the person harm, or that wrongfully deprives that person
of his or her independence.

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Social Work in Long-Term Care Settings
 Long-term care commonly means nursing home

or rehabilitation centre care, primarily for the
elderly.
 Care involves specialty programs for persons with
developmental, physical, mental, or emotional
impairments.

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Phases of Long-Term Care:

 Pre-admission phase
 Admission phase
 Residency phase
 Discharge, transfer, or death phase

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Hospice Palliative Care:

Special kind of health care for individuals and
families who are living with a life-threatening
illness, usually at an advanced stage.
The goal is to provide the best quality of life for the

critically or terminally ill by ensuring their comfort
and dignity.

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Social Work and Home Care
Home care services include:

 Assessment of client needs
 Development of an in-home care plan
 Provision of nursing, therapy, and home support services
 Coordination of medical supplies
 Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the client
 Respite care to assist informal caregivers
 Discharge planning and coordination of placement

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Websites
 Seniors Canada Online

www.seniors.gc.ca
 Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG)

www.cagacg.ca
 CARP: Canada’s Association for the Fifty-Plus

www.carp.ca

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Questions for Discussion
If you had an Aboriginal elder as a client, how

would you incorporate his or her lifeview into
your social work approach?

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Societal changes during the last century have

reshaped family structures. Have changing
family structures shaped the roles that seniors
play in your family? If yes, in what ways?

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What are some of the challenges that immigrant

seniors face? How might length of time in
Canada shape their experience of aging?

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Do you think public perspectives on aging will

change as increasing numbers of baby
boomers retire? Explain your position.

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What are three ways you could combat

ageism?


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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA

Chapter 13: Social Work with the Elderly

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

 A Portrait of Canada’s Seniors

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

The aging of the Canadian population can be

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

The pension system has three tiers:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

 Current challenges to pension system:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

There are five theories of aging:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

The Life Course Theory has four main principles:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

 Life expectancy has doubled over the past 100

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Acute and Chronic Pain

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Seniors face a number of common issues:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Abuse may take place in the home or institutional

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

 Long-term care commonly means nursing home

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Phases of Long-Term Care:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Hospice Palliative Care:

The goal is to provide the best quality of life for the

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Home care services include:

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

 Seniors Canada Online

 Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG)

 CARP: Canada’s Association for the Fifty-Plus

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

If you had an Aboriginal elder as a client, how

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Societal changes during the last century have

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

What are some of the challenges that immigrant

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

Do you think public perspectives on aging will

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

What are three ways you could combat

Chapter 13: Social Work In Canada

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