2013

January| February |March | April |May | June
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Click here to see the 2012 Archive

May

April

Heroes of Geriatric Care: The John A. Hartford Foundation Story Contest
Enter the John A. Hartford Foundation Heroes of Geriatric Care Story Contest by April 15th and win $3,000 and other cash prizes!  Help the world understand the need for better geriatric care by submitting your story about how geriatric expertise (in any profession or discipline) saved the day.  Stories (in written, audio or video files) can be submitted by providers, patients, or almost anyone to stories@jhartfound.org, where you can also submit questions.  See Guidelines and Official Rules here.

New Gerontology Education Consultants Service
The Gero-Ed Center has a new, free consultation service designed to help faculty prepare students to work with older adults and their families. Visit the Gero-Ed Consultants Web page for more information and to download a consultant roster.

Network Resource Available for Gerontology and Social Work Professionals
Are you looking for ways to network with individuals in your area who share your interest in aging? Many cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC have seen the development of networking groups for emerging professionals. Click here to check out a listing of state and local networking organizations that specifically target individuals in the field of aging.

Picture Yourself in a Career in Aging & Social Work
With the older adult population exponentially increasing, skilled professionals within the fields of aging and social work are in demand now more than ever.  In celebration of Careers in Aging Week, April 7th – 13th, the Geriatric Social Work Initiative is pleased to focus on the potential careers in aging and/or social work have in the current job market. Explore the links below and be sure to keep an eye out for this month’s edition of Ripples, our monthly e-newsletter, which will feature more information. Not subscribed? Email gswi@geron.org to be added to the listserv! 

Careers in Aging Week
Experience: Exciting Careers in Social Work and Aging
UNC Institute on Aging: Guide to Learning about Careers in Aging

March

GSA Receives New Grant to Expand Upon Efforts of HGSWI
The John A. Hartford Foundation has awarded The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) $1.35 million dollars in order to continue its support of older adults through geriatric social work. This three-year grant will build upon the successes of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative (HGSWI), which has been coordinated by GSA since 1999 and has supported over 200 doctoral fellows and faculty scholars who are helping to build a workforce of social workers trained and educated in geriatrics. Through the establishment of The Hartford/GSA National Center on Gerontological Social Work Excellence, GSA will focus on three major objectives: a collaboration with the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) to develop social work research leaders to help advance evidence-based knowledge related to VA practice in aging; the mobilization of the current HGSWI Alumni Network using their expertise to impact practice and policy; and the creation of five Hartford Academic Centers of Excellence in Geriatric Social Work at institutions of higher education. To learn more about the new grant and the Center of Excellence, click here.

GSWI Welcomes New Gero-Ed Center Co-Director, Heather Marshall
We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to Heather Marshall, Gero-Ed Center Co-Director at the Council on Social Work Education. Heather has an MSW from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and as previously the Project Manager for The Green House Project. Welcome Heather!

Why Geriatric Social Work Matters
Social Work is the profession of hope, fueled by resilience and advocacy.  Social Workers matter because they help millions of struggling people dream differently.  Geriatric Social Workers in particular play an important role in providing support to vulnerable older adults and helping solve the various problems older adults face. March is National Social Work month lead by the National Association of Social Workers, and it is a time to celebrate and recognize how essential social workers are in the lives they touch. For more information check out the links below:

National Social Work Month 2013 Toolkit
What does a Geriatric Social Worker Do?
CSWE: Social Work Programs Offering Gerontology

February

The Fastest Growing Demographic: Aging Minorities
Minority persons constitute the fastest growing segment of the older adult population. The number of older adults in minority groups is expected to increase more than 500% by the middle of the next century, from 4.3 million persons in 1990 to 22.5 million by the year 2050. Whereas minority elders currently represent only 10% of all older adults, they will account for more than 15% of older persons by 2020 and more than 21% of older persons by 2050. This growing demographic is critical to social work because the various customs, traditions, and perspectives held by minorities groups will require serious changes in service provision and a more conscious effort to understand the various groups who exist under the umbrella term “minority group”. For more information check out these resources:

AoA’s Minority Aging Statistics
The Gerontological Society of America’s Minority Aging Page
NIH’s  Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research

January

Promoting Positive Views of Aging in 2013
With over 40 million Americans over the age of 65, and the fastest growing segment of the population being over 80 years old it is important to combat the stereotype that aging is solely a process of progressive decline. Successful Aging is a concept that revolves around maintaining mental and physical health, as well as social interaction, to help older adults age well. Studies from across the country point to the fact that optimism and resiliency are two qualities that can help older adults remain happy and healthy as they age. For more information about successful aging, and the factors that contribute to it, check out the links below:  

APA’s Successful Aging: The Second Fifty Years
California State University, Fullerton’s Center for Successful Aging
USC’s Promoting Successful Aging Resource