It is interesting that even people who cannot see or hear one another will develop these same patterns (Finn, 1999; Gross, 2002). The social worker needs to understand all of these different dynamics and have the training to work with the individuals who make up whatever type of group they are facilitating (Parker-Oliver & Demiris, 2006)
A therapy group can be a family affair, it can be a support group, or it can be one of many other types which, in some way, assist the person with a difficult transition (Bianchi & Shelly, 2007). Family group therapy can occur with two or more members of a family who have the need of a facilitator to enhance communication (Petrie, Lindauer, Gooden & Bennett, 2001)
One of the possible outcomes of group interaction is that individuals will learn how to treat people who are different from themselves (Ritner, Nakanishi, Nakennud & Hammons, 1999). This applies not only to cultural diversity, but demographic diversity (Thomas & Ely, 2001)
The misdiagnosis can lead MSWs to believe that a client is suffering from depression, mania, anxiety disorders, antisocial personality, and psychosis -- when in fact the client has an alcohol abuse problem (120). What are possible implications for social work practice? A peer-reviewed article in the American Journal of Alcohol Abuse reports that social workers have tended to "stereotype" alcoholics, and have "avoided working with them" due to a lack of training in this field (Amodeo, et al
In conclusion, the future social worker needs to be trained in matters of alcohol and substance abuse, because he or she most certainly will come into contact with clients who do abuse alcohol. Moreover, social workers do come into contact with relationship issues, and according to the literature, a relationship in which the man is "hyper-masculine" and the woman is "hyper-feminine," and the man is consuming quantities of alcohol, can lead to psychological damage to the relationship (Ray, 1996)
¶ … social workers being trained with sufficient coursework and field-level research assignments as regards the alcohol-related issues some of their future clients will be challenged with? Are college and university faculty -- those instructors that train and prepare social workers -- including pertinent coursework in the curricula that adequately prepares social workers vis-a-vis the alcohol-related problems they will invariably encounter in the future? Is there a gap between what social workers are learning in masters-level classes (MSW) and what they will actually need to know in terms of their ability to achieve success with problem drinkers? The answer to the first two questions -- based on the literature -- is a solid "no"; and the answer to the third question in this introduction is "yes" (Richardson, 2008)
Literature Review Social Workers and Gerontological Patients Where there is scarcity of suitable talent in various other disciplines, the field of social work is no different. Researches have shown that the current population of social workers is showing less interest in dealing with older adults (Acker, 2011)
Dealing with the patients of dementia is exceptionally challenging because the quality of life of the patient is highly affected due to various side effects of this illness (Enck, 2010). The most evident outcomes are excessive weight loss, difficulty in communication due to fewer verbalizations, difficulty in intake of proper diet, requiring assistance with almost all the major activities of life, difficulty in mobilization, or even sit without assistance, various other infections such as urinary infections (Corr, Corr, & Ramsey, 2004)
Inability to communicate and enjoy the quality of life along with effectively dealing with other people which includes the caregivers, also present as a major difficulty caused by dementia. Dealing with the patients of dementia is exceptionally challenging because the quality of life of the patient is highly affected due to various side effects of this illness (Enck, 2010)
Self-awareness and education are keys to strengthening practice with and understanding of end-stage dementia clients. The expected outcome for this question is an increased knowledge of various educational tools such as online training, academic courses, workshops, conferences, and discussion boards that will increase social worker's knowledge and improve their practice in regards to assessing and treating the psychosocial needs of end-stage dementia clients and their significant others (Getz, 2010)
Research Questions Research Question No.1 What is the behavioral pattern of social workers dealing with end-stage dementia and how is it different with the one exhibited while treating patients with other forms of dementia? The number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or an associated diagnosis of dementia is estimated to reach as high as 16 million within the next 40 years (Martin & Sabbagh, 2011)
Since they are no substantial and clear answers available; many of these social workers find it difficult to continue their practice in this field. Due to the rising number of patients suffering from cognitive impairment is rising; there is a need for substantial number of social workers who are trained in treating patients with end-stage dementia (Pearce, 2007)
Hence, there is a need for suitable research which would identify the reasons of reluctance in social workers to treat end-stage dementia patients and the suitable means to motivate these social workers. Therapeutic Nihilism Therapeutic nihilism is a belief that no remedial measures will have a tendency of improve the health conditions of the patients with cognitive impairment (Sanders & Swails, 2011)
Hence, there is a need for suitable research which would identify the reasons of reluctance in social workers to treat end-stage dementia patients and the suitable means to motivate these social workers. Therapeutic Nihilism Therapeutic nihilism is a belief that no remedial measures will have a tendency of improve the health conditions of the patients with cognitive impairment (Sanders & Swails, 2011)
Furthermore, the nature of medical decisions that may be required in the process of treatment and also about the dying process, is the information that a social worker is expected to share with the family of the patient. (Shanley et al
Role of Hospice Social Workers As shown by the statistics presented by NHPCO, 2005, although more than 81% of end-stage dementia patients are adults over 65 years, only 8% are found to be treated in hospice settings. Since dementia lists under the top five illnesses causing death in elderly patients above 65 years, this equates to only a fraction of the thousands of patients who die annually of dementia receiving specialized end of life care provided by hospice programs (Simons et al
One article on the need for more indigenous social workers that I read reflected a "common thread" which was "the urgent need for professionally educated social work practitioners from Native communities working in Native communities. Underscored was the need to have Native approaches to learning and Native instructors" (Ives et al
For example, Straussner reports that social workers have become increasingly involved in the fight against AIDS, the management of methadone treatment programs and mental health disorders that are often a result of, or a catalyst for, addiction. These "MICA programs" operate on the premise that "continuity of care across systems, including trained professionals from a variety of disciplines, is attainable and results in improved, less costly services for the dually diagnosed" (Sciacca, 1996, p
" But the social worker will not break privacy obligations to do so. Perceived coercion is associated with a poor outcome in eating-disordered patients, and while in some instances it may be essential to breach the patient's confidentiality to preserve her life, this should not be done lightly, and only as a last resort (Guarda 2006)
Yet we need to understand that the primary reason why this type of business emerged is because the idea of United States being a welfare state no longer looks valid. But still there are some people who want to find ways to sustain communities with collaborative action which doesn't necessarily require governmental intervention (Reis, 1999)