Social Work Commons^™

Shifting Identity: Process And Change In Identity Of Aging Mexican-American Males, Gary L. Villereal, Alonzo Cavazos

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article addresses the shift in machismo identity that occurs in Mexican-American male identity and the developmental process and the change in one's role as an elderly Mexican-American man.

Socialization of male-ism in Mexican-American boys begins with the cultural expectation that a young boy is and will be a man. There are also explicit expectations that girls should be respected but that, in contrast to boys, girls should be submissive and obedient. This is the beginning of machismo and the separation of being a "man" versus being a "woman."

Aging results in a loss of machismo and this is evident …

The Peculiarities Of Men Aging: A Collection Of Anecdotes, Robert Blundo, Tamara Estes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Men are reticent to share with others the slow realization that with age they begin to confront a world that they had not expected. They had not expected to grow old. Now that this is happening, men have few relationships that permit them to share their thoughts and moments of recognition. The anecdotes that men share are revealing in that they demonstrate basic human uncertainties about the later part of life's cycle.

Viagra: Medical Technology Constructing Aging Masculinity, Gregory Gross, Robert Blundo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Medicalization and commodification of the body through technology in the form of Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs is reinforcing the cultural expectations that ageing men are required to age well to maintain youthful masculinity. Ageing well is explored as it relates the construction of masculinity, sexuality and ageing men's bodies.

Silverwire, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

The Silverwire Newsletter is a publication that highlights the work of the UMaine Center on Aging. The topics covered in this edition of the Silverwire Newsletter include new projects on elder transportation and relatives parenting children exposed to HIV, prescription drug return, the MePEP Elder Abuse Lunch and Learn series, the Aging Policy Conference, religious attendance and subjective well-being, and RSVP volunteers for homeland security.

Supportive Communities, An Optimum Arrangement For The Older Population?, Miriam Billig

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The preference of older people to stay in their own natural environment requires a reassessment of the approach in dealing with this population group. This exploratory study examines a program conducted in Israel called the "Supportive Community", that provides an emergency call service and other essential services at the homes of older people. A case study was performed in two such supportive communities. Interviews conducted with those who operate the programs and with its members seem to indicate that supportive communities provide a satisfactory solution to the needs of older people who continue to live in their natural environment. Many …

Caregiving Resources: Family Fact Sheet #7, Eastern Agency On Aging, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Aroostook Area Agency On Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, Indian Township Tribal Health Center, Bucksport Regional Health Center

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

There are many resources available to assist informal caregivers, and not all are based on income requirements. Local resources that exist are your Local Area Agency on Aging, the Maine Alzheimer’s Association Helpline, and the Bureau of Elder and Adult Services. Federal resources include Elder Care Locator and AARP. Before calling a resource specialist, make sure to have basic information about your loved one, as they may ask about their demographic, health, legal, and financial information. Call ahead to familiarize yourself with options in order to be prepared before a crisis occurs.

Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Exploitation: Family Fact Sheet #5, Eastern Agency On Aging, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Aroostook Area Agency On Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, Indian Township Tribal Health Center, Bucksport Regional Health Center

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

Elder abuse is often perpetrated by a family member. As a family caregiver, it is important to recognize if you are experiencing low self-esteem, feeling burnt out, isolated or hopeless, or if you have a history of domestic violence. Stress is a normal part of caregiving, and it is important to find efficient ways to cope with it, such as taking care of yourself. Identifying and preventing possible abusive behavior is important, and you can receive assistance through family members, friends, and respite services.

Silverwire, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

The Silverwire Newsletter is a publication that highlights the work of the UMaine Center on Aging. The topics covered in this edition of the Silverwire Newsletter include a new federal grant, RSVP homeland security and performance indicators projects that are underway, the formation of a Maine Caregiving Alliance and an Alzheimer’s support group, senior college, osteoporosis awareness and action campaign, and the RAPP Public Forum.

The Healthcare Team Includes The Caregiver: Family Fact Sheet #3, Eastern Agency On Aging, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Aroostook Area Agency On Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, Indian Township Tribal Health Center, Bucksport Regional Health Center

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

As an informal caregiver to an older relative, it is important to properly communicate information in order to ensure the best possible care of this individual. Open discussion between the physician and the informal caregiver will allow for the best possible options to be chosen in regard to treatment and cost.

Silverwire, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

The Silverwire Newsletter is a publication that highlights the work of the UMaine Center on Aging. The topics covered in this edition of the Silverwire Newsletter include international perspectives on health policy, MPPC, continuing education, new organizational leadership, stories from master athletes, a Bucksport older adult housing assessment, osteoporosis awareness, mental health and substance abuse, and an Alzheimer’s support group.

Depression: Family Fact Sheet #2, Eastern Agency On Aging, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Aroostook Area Agency On Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, Indian Township Tribal Health Center, Bucksport Regional Health Center

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

Caregiving does not cause depression, but some may experience it, as many sacrifice their own physical and emotional needs in order to provide care to others. Symptoms of depression may include a change in eating habits, sleep patterns, feelings of constant exhaustion, loss of interest in things that once brought you pleasure, thoughts of suicide, among others. If any of these symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it is important to recognize and get help with these issues. Depression is a highly curable illness with appropriate medical care.

Family Caregiving: Family Fact Sheet #1, Eastern Agency On Aging, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Aroostook Area Agency On Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, Indian Township Tribal Health Center, Bucksport Regional Health Center

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

Family caregivers are a diverse group of individuals. Forty-eight percent of them care for spouses or life partners, 24 percent care for a parent, and 19 percent care for a child or grandchild. Approximately two out of every three caregivers are also working individuals. Almost half of family caregivers spend 40 hours per week on caregiving tasks. It is important for families to remember that there are resources available for them to utilize for support. The Eastern Agency on Aging, the University of Maine Center on Aging, Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, …

A Handbook For People Who Care: Caring For Parents And Other Older Adults, Eastern Agency On Aging, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Aroostook Area Agency On Aging, Senior Spectrum, Rosscare, Norumbega Medical, Horizons Health Services, Indian Township Tribal Health Center, Bucksport Regional Health Center

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

Family caregivers are a diverse group of individuals. Forty-eight percent care for spouses or life partners, 24 percent care for a parent, and 19 percent care for a child or grandchild. Nearly two out of every three family caregivers are working individual, and almost half spend 40 hours a week on caregiving tasks. Seventy-five percent of spousal caregivers receive little to no outside resources. Resources available include Meals for Me, Personal Care Services, Respite, and Senior Companion. There are options for community services, homemaker services, and home-based care. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to discover resources available to …

Strategies To Increase Student Interest In Aging, Nancy P. Kropf

SW Publications

Due to changing demographics, all social workers will have experience working with older clients and their families within professional roles. Unfortunately, social work education continues to lag in preparing students to be effective in practice with aging clients. Several strategies are presented with the goal of increasing student interest in the field of aging. At the program level, initiatives include using experiential learning, infusing aging content into required courses, and enhancing faculty capacity in aging. In addition, social work programs can build collaborations within the university setting and practice community. Overall, the goal is to present aging as an exciting …

Factors Influencing Social Workers Commitment To The Field Of Gerontology, Susan Savella Cole, Teresa Marie Alarcon

Theses Digitization Project

Due to the impending "elder boom" the need for gerontological social workers is increasing. This study examined what attracted workers to enter this field and what motivates them to stay. The research also focused on the relationship between the social worker's commitment and their perceived need for training and education in the field of gerontology.

Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Aging Among Non-Elders: Gender And Race Differences, Nancy P. Kropf, Sherry M. Cummings, Kevin L. Deweaver

SW Publications

Although the aging process begins at birth, fears about late adulthood can foster anxiety in younger cohorts about this time of life. This study examines the relationship between non-elderly subjects' (n = 884, 18-55 years) knowledge of and anxieties regarding personal aging and their gender and race. We hypothesized that nonelderly women and persons of color, those who will experience multiple jeopardy in their own late life, would report greater anxiety about their own aging process than did men and majority group members. Women did report lower income and education levels, less knowledge of aging, greater anxiety related to their …

Aging And The Milieu Of Social Policy, Roger A. Lohmann, Nancy Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

One facet of the new conservatism, which is drawing so much interest but not much information currently is the proposal for converting a large number of social service programs (including the Administration on Aging) into a single community block grant program. Even without the Reagan Administration and its new conservatism, however, the case for substantial--if less dramatic--changes in the network of services and programs which benefit the aged has been growing for some time. In this chapter, wel review some of the broader implications of current social policies for the aged, and some of the criticisms raised among gerontologists, concentrating …

Urban-Designed Programs For The Rural Aged: Are They Exportable?, Roger A. Lohmann, Nancy Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

There are a variety of problems that affect older people in rural areas. In the first part of this paper, we examine four problems affecting the rural aged in particular: health, income, housing and social integration into rural communities. In the second part of the paper, we examine the question of whether programs to deal with these problems that have developed in various cities in the United States can readily be translated into rural communities. The paper concludes with a warning that the urban crisis, largely discovered by human services and other urbanists in the 1960s, is increasingly being expropriated …

Aging Of The Population And Its Socioeconomic Implications In Utah, 1900-2000, Vitis Smutrakalin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the age structure of Utah's population has changed since the turn of the century and how it is likely to change during the next quarter of a century. It is also to study selected demographic characteristics and special distribution of the aged population of Utah which are fundamental prerequisites to understanding the problems confronting Utah's aged. This study also analyzes some socioeconomic characteristics of the aged population. Some significant findings are inadequate income, inadequate housing, living arrangement, unemployability, etc.

Future growth of the aged population was derived from the projection of …

A Matrix Model Of The Public Social Welfare System For The Aged In The U.S.: A Research Proposal, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The creation or adaptation of planning tools will in all probability be an integral feature of the future development of social planning practice. One tool that offers a great deal of potential utility if it can be adapted to the constraints of the social planning milieu is matrix analysis utilizing input-output matrices. The specific focus of the proposed study is on the public welfare system of theaged in the United States. The fundamental hypothesis of the proposed matrix model proposed here is that the general overall characteristic most representative of the system of public social welfare for the aged is …

Medicare, Medicaid And The Geriatric Residential Environment, Nancy Lohmann, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This article reports on a study of interstate differences in the availability of nursing home beds, personal care home slots and public housing, and attempts to assess the impact of the adoption of Medicare and Medicaid six years before on the availability of these components of what was termed the "geriatric residential environments continuum" or GRE. The underlying idea is that components of long-term health care, personal care and housing/shelter are three common elements of a wide variety of public policy for the aged.