Factors Affecting Willingness of Social Work Students to Accept Jobs in Aging

Curl, Angela L.; Simons, Kelsey; Larkin, Heather

doi:10.5175/jswe.2005.200303100

Cited by 36 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…That social work in aging is not seen as prestigious or particularly thrilling (Cummings, et al, 2005) likely serves to exacerbate students' lack of interest. Research indicates that direct experience with elders can have a positive effect on college students' negative attitudes toward older adults (Curl et al 2005;Dorfman, Murty, Ingram, & Evans, 2002;Murphy-Russell, Die, & Walker, 1986). Direct interaction between students and older adults has also been found to decrease ageist beliefs (Diachun, Dumbrell, Bryne, & Esbaugh, 2006), increase interest in working with aging populations (Anderson & Wiscott, 2003;Curl et al, 2005), and this appears to be consistent across diverse student populations (Kolb, 2008).…”

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confidence: 80%

“…Ageism as a form of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression in US society has been widely identified as one of the major impediments, possibly the major impediment, to engaging older adults in health and social services (Cummings, Adler, & DeCoster, 2005;Curl, et al, 2005). This is further reinforced by a youth-oriented culture that devalues older adults (Bergel, 2006;Curl, et al, 2005). The consequences of ageism and glorification of youth is an inability to recruit enough social workers to meet the needs of the growing older adult population.…”

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confidence: 95%

“…Butler (1969) formally defined ageism as "systematic stereotyping of and discrimination against people because they are old" (p. 243). Ageism as a form of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression in US society has been widely identified as one of the major impediments, possibly the major impediment, to engaging older adults in health and social services (Cummings, Adler, & DeCoster, 2005;Curl, et al, 2005). This is further reinforced by a youth-oriented culture that devalues older adults (Bergel, 2006;Curl, et al, 2005).…”

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confidence: 95%

“…In an effort to begin addressing this impending need for practitioners skilled in working with older adults, our baccalaureate social work program participated in the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) GeroEd Center's Bachelor of Social Work Experiential Learning (BEL) Program to infuse gerontological content into our generalist curriculum. We specifically implemented an experiential learning project to target myths and negative attitudes held by our students that are (a) linked to factors that may impede effective practice with older adults (Curl, Larkin, & Simons, 2005), and (b) consistent with related CSWE competencies for gerontological social work education (CSWE, n.d.). The following section details extant research regarding challenges in recruiting social work students to practice with older adults and aging, and promising strategies to bolster recruitment efforts.…”

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confidence: 99%

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“I Learned That the Aging Population Isn't That Much Different From Me”: The Final Outcomes of a Gero-Ed BEL Project

Masciadrelli¹

2013

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

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This article describes a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Gero-Ed Center BEL Project's activities and reports its final outcomes. An oral history interview in paired human behavior and practice skills courses addressed gerontological social work competencies focused on assessing and addressing values and biases regarding aging, and the ability to relate concepts and theories of aging to practice. Significant increases in perceived proficiency in these competencies occurred, as did significant decreases in negative attitudes toward older people and working with older adults. Qualitative data supported these results. Findings suggest social work educators utilize a combination of classroom-based and experiential learning to maximize student development.

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confidence: 80%

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confidence: 95%

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confidence: 95%

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confidence: 99%

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“I Learned That the Aging Population Isn't That Much Different From Me”: The Final Outcomes of a Gero-Ed BEL Project

Masciadrelli¹

2013

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

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“…For successful recruitment, it is critical to develop and increase interest in working with older adults among prospective students. Many studies equivocally reported that both personal and professional experience with older adults in early life is one of the most significant factors influencing student's interest in aging-related work and actual career choice in the field of aging (Cummings, Adler, & DeCoster, 2005;Cummings & Galambos, 2002;Cummings, Galambos, & DeCoster, 2003;Curl, Larkin, & Simons, 2005;Kane, 2004;Robert & Mosher-Ashley, 1999). The fact that approximately three-quarters of the HPPAE students had had previous volunteer and/or employment experience with older adults could reflect this well-established relationship between prior exposure to older adults and interest and career choice in aging field.…”

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confidence: 95%

Geriatric Social Work Career Tracking: Graduates of the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE)

Lee

Damron‐Rodriguez

Lawrance

et al. 2009

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

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Despite a growing need for geriatric social workers, there is a question as to whether MSW graduates who are gerontologically prepared actually enter the workforce to serve older adults. By tracking MSW graduates who had special training in aging, this study aims to explore their job search and career experience. Findings show that most graduates located aging-related jobs 4 months postgraduation and remained committed to the field 1 to 2 years later. The majority were working in direct service provision in clinical settings. Their salaries compare favorably with those of generic social workers. Implications for geriatric social work education are discussed.

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2024 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures

2024

Alzheimer's & Dementia

174

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This article describes the public health impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD), including prevalence and incidence, mortality and morbidity, use and costs of care and the ramifications of AD for family caregivers, the dementia workforce and society. The Special Report discusses the larger health care system for older adults with cognitive issues, focusing on the role of caregivers and non‐physician health care professionals. An estimated 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's dementia today. This number could grow to 13.8 million by 2060, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure AD. Official AD death certificates recorded 119,399 deaths from AD in 2021. In 2020 and 2021, when COVID‐19 entered the ranks of the top ten causes of death, Alzheimer's was the seventh‐leading cause of death in the United States. Official counts for more recent years are still being compiled. Alzheimer's remains the fifth‐leading cause of death among Americans age 65 and older. Between 2000 and 2021, deaths from stroke, heart disease and HIV decreased, whereas reported deaths from AD increased more than 140%. More than 11 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 18.4 billion hours of care to people with Alzheimer's or other dementias in 2023. These figures reflect a decline in the number of caregivers compared with a decade earlier, as well as an increase in the amount of care provided by each remaining caregiver. Unpaid dementia caregiving was valued at $346.6 billion in 2023. Its costs, however, extend to unpaid caregivers’ increased risk for emotional distress and negative mental and physical health outcomes. Members of the paid health care and broader community‐based workforce are involved in diagnosing, treating and caring for people with dementia. However, the United States faces growing shortages across different segments of the dementia care workforce due to a combination of factors, including the absolute increase in the number of people living with dementia. Therefore, targeted programs and care delivery models will be needed to attract, better train and effectively deploy health care and community‐based workers to provide dementia care. Average per‐person Medicare payments for services to beneficiaries age 65 and older with AD or other dementias are almost three times as great as payments for beneficiaries without these conditions, and Medicaid payments are more than 22 times as great. Total payments in 2024 for health care, long‐term care and hospice services for people age 65 and older with dementia are estimated to be $360 billion. The Special Report investigates how caregivers of older adults with cognitive issues interact with the health care system and examines the role non‐physician health care professionals play in facilitating clinical care and access to community‐based services and supports. It includes surveys of caregivers and health care workers, focusing on their experiences, challenges, awareness and perceptions of dementia care navigation.

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Factors Affecting Willingness of Social Work Students to Accept Jobs in Aging

Cited by 36 publications

References 29 publications

“I Learned That the Aging Population Isn't That Much Different From Me”: The Final Outcomes of a Gero-Ed BEL Project

“I Learned That the Aging Population Isn't That Much Different From Me”: The Final Outcomes of a Gero-Ed BEL Project

Geriatric Social Work Career Tracking: Graduates of the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE)

2024 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures

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