Nonmedical needs are intricately linked to health. Unaddressed nonmedical needs often result in poorer health and increased healthcare costs. Although social workers are well positioned to address nonmedical needs, their role in healthcare environments to address nonmedical needs is limited. The limited role relates to a lack of reimbursement streams, which stems from poor articulation about their unique contributions. An analysis of a case study in which a social worker using AIMS, a protocolized care coordination model, was undertaken to highlight specific activities performed by social workers. Implications for patient health outcomes and healthcare costs are discussed.

This study introduces a conceptually based, systematic evaluation process employing multivariate techniques to evaluate a multidisciplinary social work-lawyer intervention model (JASA-LEAP). Logistic regression analyses were used with a random sample of case records (n = 250) from three intervention sites. Client retention, program fidelity, and exposure to multidisciplinary services were significantly related to reduction in mistreatment risk at case closure. Female gender, married status, and living with perpetrator significantly predicted unfavorable outcomes. This study extends the elder mistreatment program evaluation literature beyond descriptive/bivariate evaluation strategies. Findings suggest that a multidisciplinary social work-lawyer elder mistreatment intervention model is a successful approach.

An exploratory, retrospective evaluation of Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social (AIMS), a care coordination model designed to integrate medical and non-medical needs of patients and delivered exclusively by social workers was conducted to examine mean utilization of costly health care services for older adult patients. Results reveal mean utilization of 30-day hospital readmissions, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospital admissions are significantly lower for the study sample compared to the larger patient population. Comparisons with national population statistics reveal significantly lower mean utilization of 30-day admissions and ED visits for the study sample. The findings offer preliminary support regarding the value of AIMS.

Elder abuse (EA) case resolution is contingent upon victims accepting and pursuing protective service interventions. Refusal/underutilization of services is a major problem. This study explored factors associated with extent of EA victim service utilization (SU). Data were collected from a random sample of EA cases (n = 250) at a protective service program in New York City. In cases involving financial abuse, higher SU was associated with females, poor health, perceived danger, previous help-seeking, and self or family referral. In physical abuse cases, higher SU was associated with family referral and previous help-seeking; lower SU was related to Hispanic race/ethnicity, being married, and child/grandchild perpetrator. In emotional abuse cases, higher SU was associated with self or family referral, victim-perpetrator gender differential, perceived danger, and previous help-seeking; lower SU was related to child/grandchild perpetrator. Findings carry implications for best practices to retain and promote service use among elder victims of abuse.

Reports in the end-of-life literature reveal that patients and health care professionals, including social workers, nurses, and physicians, avoid discussions about preparation for such care. End-of-life care discussion barriers include, but are not limited to, professionals feeling unprepared to have the discussions and patients' lack of readiness to discuss planning for this care. Another barrier is the lack of a structured framework to initiate these discussions, especially with clients with advanced illnesses who may not acknowledge that they are at high risk for needing end-of-life care in the future. In a controlled trial of an Advanced Illness Coordinated Care Program, social workers initiated end-of-life planning discussions using the Stages of Change model (SOC). This article describes how the social workers introduced end-of-life planning discussions using the SOC conceptual structure to illustrate the application of a conceptual framework for professionals working with advanced illness populations.