Essential Concepts for Senior Care Professionals
- Activities of Daily Living
- Life Care Management
- Patient Advocacy
- Assisted Living
- Geriatric Assessment
The field of geriatric social work and senior care is incredibly broad, but there are a few key terms that every new practitioner should know. As a patient-oriented occupation, elder care typically revolves around the needs and ability of the care recipient. This means care providers fill many different roles depending on the individual case, so they have to consistently adapt their knowledge and experience to fit new challenges. Despite the significant variation between patients, all geriatric care providers should be familiar with the core concepts of their field.
Activities of Daily Living
Activities of daily living (ADLs) is a common term used by geriatric social workers, as well as many occupational therapists and behavior analysts. It describes critical functions that are considered necessary for a person to successfully live on their own. Typically, ADLs include preparing and consuming meals, bathing and using the bathroom. The term describes only fundamental domestic skills and does not usually include activities like shopping, driving or working.
Life Care Management
A significant aging population in the United States has fueled the growth of an entire industry based around elder care. Life care management is a relatively generic term that can be used to describe licensed professionals, but doesn’t necessarily indicate qualifications. In fact, individuals and companies who describe themselves as aging life care managers are not bound by established ethical standards or a licensing process, according to Forbes.
Patient Advocacy
Some geriatric social workers specialize in patient advocacy, which they can practice on a individual or institutional scale. Personal patient advocates usually represent the needs and rights of an individual who is physically or mentally incapable of doing so on their own. Advocates may have to coordinate with various medical professionals, deal with health insurance claims and take measures to ensure their client receives proper care. Patient advocates can also work on a larger scale by building awareness or securing funding for research of specific health issues, like Alzheimer’s disease or diabetes.
Assisted Living
Assisted living is an extremely common term in the field of geriatric social work. It describes a wide range of living arrangements that provide the patient with support or assistance to perform ADLs and other essential tasks. Seniors may be assisted at home by a visiting social worker, nurse or therapist, usually alongside convenience and safety modifications to the interior of the home. Older people who struggle to live independently may move to an assisted living facility, which provides an accessible health support and social network.
Geriatric Assessment
A geriatric assessment is a comprehensive investigation and evaluation of a senior’s ability to function independently. It’s a cross-disciplinary analysis that gauges physical and cognitive ability as well as psychological health and emotional stability. The assessment also examines the individual’s social environment, including the home and local community, to identify sources of potential issues. Social workers usually conduct this type of in-depth analysis when beginning a case so they can create an informed, goal-oriented plan.
Related Resource: Top 10 Affordable Master of Social Work Online (MSW) Degrees
As the United States faces an increasing senior demographic, there will likely be demand for qualified social workers and care providers for decades to come. Even though skills and experience ranges between particular positions, all current and prospective geriatric social workers should recognize the fundamental terms and concepts of their field.