Ripples
The e-Newsletter of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI)

Volume 1, Issue 5
August 12, 2003

Welcome to Ripples, an e-newsletter designed to keep interested deans and directors, faculty members, students, practitioners and others informed about the work of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI). We welcome your feedback and encourage you to contribute any story ideas, stories, resources, news and other content to subsequent issues of the newsletter.

Research Digest: Reducing the Impact of Late-Life Vision and Hearing Impairments on Mental Health
As part of GSWI.org's continuing commitment to translating the latest research for use by educators, policymakers and practitioners, we are pleased to note our latest "Research Digest" focusing on Dr. Amy Horowitz's, excellent article on vision and hearing impairments and mental health published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Society of Aging. As noted in the Digest...

"The onset of sensory impairments in late life can cause serious emotional distress for older persons. Elderly with vision impairments are two to five times as likely as non-impaired elderly to suffer from depression, and those with hearing impairments may be at a somewhat increased risk as well. The risk of depression does not seem to be related to the severity of the sensory loss. Instead, depression seems most likely to occur shortly after the initial onset of the impairment." Learn more.

Teaching CD-ROMS Now Available

A new series of educational CD-ROMs, developed through a partnership of the HGSWI Practicum Partnership Program and the Columbia University School of Social Work, are now available. These materials are designed to augment the skills of social work students and practitioners, as well as practitioners in related disciplines, to work with diverse populations of older adults and their families. Enhancing traditional methods of case-based learning, each of the four, Windows-based CD-ROMS includes social work interviews with one or more clients, key concepts, a discussion guide, transcription of the interview, and references to supplementary education and resource materials. Learn more.

Geriatric Enrichment Program Updates Its Web Site

The GSWI's Geriatric Enrichment Program recently restructured its Web site, www.gerorich.org, to provide more and more accessible information for its nationwide audience of social work educators. The site has incorporated a story-telling format to highlight the latest innovations and lessons learned gleaned from the program's 67 funded projects. Now, faculty and staff can more efficiently find, learn about and adapt new ideas for their home institutions. A great resource just got better! Take a look.

Profiles in Social Work

HGSWI Doctoral Fellow Tracy Schroepfer, MA, MSW, PhD, at the University of Michigan is teaching social work students about aging and conducting research on hastened death in terminally ill patients. Learn more.

SAGE Crossroads: At the Intersection of the Science of Aging and the Public Interest

Where public policy and the science of aging meet, that's where you'll find SAGE Crossroads. Check out this new online opportunity to learn about the frontiers of 21st Century politics, where new scientific possibilities collide with traditional views on aging, health and the human condition. With new debates on critical issues every month, the site offers opportunities to interact with policy makers, scientists, and the public in addressing the complex concerns surrounding aging. For more information, go to www.sagecrossroads.net and register today.

Computer-Based Technology and Caregiving for Older Adults National Conference

This conference-sponsored by the SPRY Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Gerontological Society of America, the US Administration on Aging, and the US Department of Veteran Affairs-will be held October 2-3, 2003, at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, MD. Speakers and participants from around the country will share the latest technological innovations, exchange ideas about future applications, and hear from leaders about policy implications. For more information, please visit www.spry.org.

Stay Up to Date on the Medicare and Prescription Drug Coverage Debate

As politicians and lobbyists wrangle in Washington, you can stay current on the shifting currents of the Medicare and Prescription Drug debates at the Medicare Rights Center's Web site at www.medicarerights.org. This is an excellent Medicare resource for older adults, as well.

What's the Research Saying About Older Adults and Sleep?

Older adults need just as much sleep as younger ones, usually about eight hours a night. They just have more obstacles to getting the sleep they need. Learn more about what the latest research says about how older adults can "sleep well for life" in an article presented by Infoaging.org, the Web site of the American Federation for Aging Research.

English Ad Campaign Promotes the Power of Social Work

Great Britain recently launched an ad campaign designed to raise the profile of social work and social workers in the UK. The tag line reads: "Social work is work with people. It's that simple and that complicated." The ads are powerful and worth a close look as communicate a variety of complex messages about social work in provocative ways. Click here to learn more.

Speak Up: AARP Seeks Input for its 2004 Policy Priorities

The AARP's Board of Directors and the National Legislative Council (NLC) are inviting people in the field to send their suggestions regarding AARP's public policy priorities for the coming year. The AARP Board of Directors will establish next year's policies in February 2004, and the policy development process begins in earnest this fall. The NLC will develop recommendations based on a review of existing policies and consideration of all input. These recommendations and a report of key issues will be presented to the Board for its deliberation and decision-making. Once approved by the Board, the policies will be incorporated into The Policy Book: AARP Public Policies 2004, which is the in-depth compilation of all AARP public policies on a wide range of issues. The Policy Book is available on the AARP Webplace, as well as in hardcopy and on CD-ROM.

Please send your thoughts for any policy recommendations by August 27 to NLC@aarp.org or AARP Office of Legislative Counsel, 601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049.

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