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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 with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Social Work with the Elderly
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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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Theories of Aging
There are five theories of aging:
 Activity Theory
 Disengagement Theory
 Continuity Theory
 Role Theory
 Life Course Theory
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Theories of Aging
Ageism
Any attitude, action, or institutional structure that
subordinates or oppresses a person or group on the
basis of age.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Issues of Increasing Concern
Seniors face a number of common issues:
 Inactivity
 Accidents
 Victims of fraud
 Mandatory retirement
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Social Work in Long-Term Care Settings
Phases of Long-Term Care:
 Pre-admission phase
 Admission phase
 Residency phase
 Discharge, transfer, or death phase
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Social Work in Long-Term Care Settings
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.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Social Work and Home Care
Home care services include:
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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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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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
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
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?
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion
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?
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Questions for Discussion
What are some of the challenges that immigrant
seniors face? How might length of time in
Canada shape their experience of aging?
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Questions for Discussion
Do you think public perspectives on aging will
change as increasing numbers of baby
boomers retire? Explain your position.
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------
Questions for Discussion
What are three ways you could combat
ageism?
Chapter 13:
Social Work with the Elderly
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.