Factors Influencing Students’ Choice of Social Work to Provide Services to the Elderly

Abstract

The article considers the main factors of influence of future specialists in social work, the master's year of study on the choice of the direction of professional work on the provision of social services to the elderly in Ukraine. The article is devoted to the attitude to the elderly as a target group of social services: they independently decide on the choice of elective discipline in the field of gerontology and palliative care, which is especially important when choosing a future direction in social work. Attention is drawn to the fact that it is important to motivate students to engage in social work with the elderly, by encouraging practical and volunteer activities in public and private institutions that specialize in providing social services to the elderly. It was found that students are influenced by gender aspects when choosing a target group, but the age category of this group does not significantly affect the choice of future social workers. It is concluded that it is the practical disciplines and involvement of students in volunteer projects that influences their choice and motivates social work with the elderly. A parallel is drawn between the choice of elective discipline and the chosen direction of master's students. It is determined that the understanding of the practice of social work with elderly people by students is reduced to day care and communication with them, which contradicts the provision on the provision of social day care services for the elderly in Ukraine. The study clearly showed the need to involve students at all stages of learning, but with varying degrees of independence and complexity, in identifying and addressing the social problems of older people. The need to introduce courses in gerontology and palliative care as basic, not just elective subjects, was emphasized.