Social Work Practice: "Social Work Practice for the Elderly" (1)

In October 1992, the 47th United Nations General Assembly adopted the "World Declaration on Aging" and designated 1999 as the "International Year of Older Persons." This shows that the aging of the population age structure has attracted widespread attention from the world. According to predictions, the proportion of the world's elderly population over 60 years old will reach its peak in 2050, reaching 20.7%, June 2, 2001, "Main Data Bulletin of the Fifth National Census" (State Council of the People's Republic of China). Statistics Bureau) shows that China has entered the ranks of countries with an elderly population. In 2025, the proportion of China's elderly population will be 3.9 percentage points higher than the world average; it will reach a peak of 4.5 percentage points higher than the world average. As China ages. As the situation intensifies, China's elderly care problems, especially the care of the elderly, will face extremely severe challenges

The history and development of social work practice for the elderly

The emergence of social work for the elderly is endless. There are two basic conditions. First, the elderly or aging problems are emerging one after another, and they urgently need to be solved by the government and forces outside the government; second, the national economy has developed to a point where it is more or less capable of providing some benefits to the elderly. Sexual services. Social work for the elderly in China was basically born under this situation. However, before professional social work for the elderly was born, social work for the elderly in China experienced a relatively long period of embryonic stage.

(1) Historical origins of geriatric social work practice

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1. Definition of geriatric social work and its practice concepts

From a professional perspective The so-called social work for the elderly is a professional service activity that arises in response to the problems of the elderly. It refers to the full use of social work theories and methods by professionally trained social workers under the guidance of professional values. The elderly who have suffered various difficulties in life and have temporarily lost their social functions solve problems, get rid of their difficulties, and at the same time promote more elderly people...

2. The embryonic stage of social work for the elderly

China Social work for the elderly has gradually developed in the process of care and services for the elderly. Before 1979, the objects adopted by various domestic elderly care institutions were basically those who were helpless, had no source of livelihood, and had no ability to produce work. The cost of orphaned elderly people and disabled people (hereinafter referred to as the "Three Nos") is borne by the government. Taking Shanghai as an example, in 1963, the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau formulated the "Regulations on the Scope and Approval Methods of Accommodating the Disabled Elderly", which stipulates the requirements for accommodation. The scope is: those who are permanent residents in urban areas who are helpless, have lost the ability to work, cannot take care of themselves or are basically unable to take care of themselves; retired old, weak and disabled employees who are permanent residents in this city, are helpless, cannot take care of themselves, and whose original employer has been cancelled. Those who cannot be resettled; the disabled elderly people who are helpless and wandering and begging among the urban residents of this city; those who are helpless and have lost the ability to work, cannot take care of themselves and have no conditions for relocation among the migrant population; the subjects of reeducation through labor disabled elderly people and homeless unemployed people. The approval process is: registration and review by the district civil affairs department, reporting to the civil affairs bureau for approval, and the nursing home for the disabled is responsible for the accommodation.

In 1979, the self-funded adoption business was launched on a trial basis. Since then, the number of self-funded adoptions has increased year by year. In 1992, a total of 2,138 people were adopted in municipal and district social welfare homes, of which 1,000 were "three noes", accounting for 47.1%; 1,138 were self-funded, accounting for 52.9%. Since the 1990s, the number of "three noes" adopted in the city has been declining year by year. At the end of 1995, there were 854 "three noes" adopted in the city, accounting for 32.1%. There are 231 people, accounting for 17.41%.

In 1980, Kaifeng Street in Zhabei District pioneered the first orphan care group in Shanghai. The members of the care group are basically composed of neighbors of the lonely elderly. They organize themselves voluntarily and serve the lonely elderly voluntarily.

The service contents range from the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the orphans, to sewing and washing, disease care, and funeral arrangements. Through their services, the daily lives of the orphans are taken care of, reflecting the concern of the party and the government. The Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau promptly promoted the practice in Kaifeng streets, and the care group for the elderly was quickly spread throughout the city. By the end of 1982, more than 3,000 orphan care groups had been established in the city. Basically, the orphans scattered in society were cared for and taken care of.

Family care rooms are another form of community care for the socially isolated elderly. It uses the houses of socially isolated elderly people to renovate and decorate them at the expense of the community neighborhood committee, gathers the nearby socially isolated elderly people together, and assigns dedicated personnel to take care of the elderly people's lives. This family-style way of placing and caring for the elderly conforms to the psychological characteristics of the elderly's nostalgia and love for home, and is very popular among the elderly. In 1997, 2,061 family care rooms for the elderly were established in the city. In addition, 32 elderly care centers have been established and 271 elderly people are being cared for.

However, the above-mentioned elderly care and elderly services basically stay at the stage of ensuring that the elderly have enough food, clothing and clothing and no accidents. How to make the elderly live a higher quality, more confident and broader life? Social support networks and more growth-oriented, professional concepts and professional service intervention have not yet emerged and entered people's field of vision.

3. The emergence and initial development of social work for the elderly

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In 1987, Beijing opened the country's first "hospice hospital" - Songtang Care Hospital, which is characterized by treatment Combining doctors and clinical counseling, through a treatment plan that is coordinated by treating doctors and psychological counseling, while adhering to the benevolence and kindness of patients, Songtang provides medical, nursing and psychological care to elderly patients in a safe and rapid manner. , effectively relieve the patient's psychological pressure and pain, make the patient relaxed and comfortable, thereby freeing them from pain and abnormal physiological state, and freed from anxiety and fear. Another feature of Songtang Hospital is that it has established alliances with social resources to allow more caring people in society to pay attention to the elderly. One of the hospital's practices is to have many colleges and universities set up "love cabins" in the hospital. These students often come to our hospital in their free time to sing, perform for the elderly, chat with the elderly, and give Old people celebrate their birthdays. At the same time, the hospital has also established long-term relationships with Buddhist and Christian associations to meet the elderly's religious needs such as assisting them in dying.

In 1995, Tianjin Hetong Elderly Welfare Association was established. It is a private charity welfare service organization that opened nursing homes in Tianjin and Beijing. In 1998, "Hetong" began to expand to younger and healthy elderly people. To serve, the "Hetong" (Yinguang) choir and the "Hetong" (Haihe) morning training team were established one after another. The professional management of "Hetong" is based on "continuously improving the self-care ability of the elderly" as its starting point. Its service is "let the lying elderly sit up, let the sitting elderly stand up, and let the standing elderly walk" The concept has benefited many elderly people. At that time, "Hetong" registered nearly a thousand volunteers for social services all year round. Among these volunteers were students majoring in social work internships. They brought social work methods to the elderly services in nursing homes.

In April 1998, the Shanghai YMCA, with the assistance of the Pudong New Area Government and Jinyang Xincun Street, established Luoshan Nursing Home to fully launch community elderly care services. Nursing homes focus on the personality development of the elderly and improve the quality of life of the elderly through various activities, so that the elderly care service not only aims at caring for the elderly's food, clothing and clothing, but also can further help them re-understand themselves, develop their own strengths, and exercise self-care skills. Ability to enrich life in old age. At the same time, community leisure centers for the elderly have been opened to provide reading, tea, listening, conversation, tutoring and other services to the elderly, and to improve the spiritual and cultural life of the elderly through various forms of entertainment activities.

(2) Professional development of geriatric social work practice

1. The development of social work practice for the elderly

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It is particularly worth mentioning that with the promotion and support of Shenzhen and the municipal government, the development of social work and its practice in Shenzhen There is a trend of catching up from behind. In July 2007, the Shenzhen Social Welfare Center purchased 7 social workers from Shenzhen Pengxing Social Work Service Co., Ltd. through government purchase of services. They were placed in a children's welfare home (4 people) and a nursing home. (2 people) Rehabilitation Hospital (1 person), providing professional social work services to the elderly, children and rehabilitation patients in the welfare center; in March 2008, Shenzhen East-West Social Work Service Co., Ltd. purchased services from the Civil Affairs Bureau to the Shenzhen Nursing Home Several social workers with a professional background in social work have been stationed to try to provide more professional services to the elderly.

In the process of institutions providing social work services to the elderly, social work at the community level is also being carried out and explored. In January 2004, Shanghai's Luwan District conducted a pilot socialization operation in Huaihai Street. The elderly activity room in this street was hosted by the Huaai Community Service Management Center affiliated to the Shanghai YMCA. The government purchased elderly education, team activities, etc., and provided elderly activities The company has gradually entered a path of healthy development. On July 20, 2005, Henan Province's first "social workers into the community" pilot project was officially launched in Fengle Community, Nanyang Xincun, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City. Greentown Social Work Service Station (formerly Fengle Community Social Work Service Station) was established, and Elderly Services ( Community care for the elderly and residential care for the elderly) is one of the main service projects of the station; on July 5, 2007, more than 20 social workers and volunteers from the above-mentioned Greentown Social Work Service Station came to the Nanyang Xincun area to visit orphans, widows, and left-behind elderly people; in 2007 On July 20, the above-mentioned Greentown Social Work Elderly Residential Care Project Team went to Yihe Senior Apartment to carry out elderly residential care activities.

In August 2006, the New Area Social Workers Association was entrusted by the New Area Government to establish the "Leqi Project Team" and carry out elderly social work services in some elderly care institutions and communities in Pudong New Area, providing institutional care, home care and community care for the elderly. Provide professional services to elderly care clients. Since the establishment of the "Leqi" project team, there have been 20 staff members, including 1 person in charge, 1 supervisor, and 18 social workers, respectively serving 13 elderly care institutions, 1 community elderly care service station, and 1 social worker in the new district. Home Street Elderly Association and Elderly Assistance Service Co., Ltd. In the past year or so, social workers have used their own efforts and established files to master the case information of the elderly; carried out daily interviews to help the elderly adapt to institutional life; carried out case services to pay attention to individual needs; designed various group activities, Enrich the elderly’s life in their later years; rely on various community activities to gather the strength of the institution; social workers also assist in various administrative tasks to help the elderly care institution improve its overall image; introduce novel institutional management concepts, strengthen capacity building, and improve professional standards; and Focus on communication and liaison work, keep information channels open, and allow services to be combined with needs to make operations more directional.

2. Relevant laws and policies promote the practical development of social work for the elderly

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Throughout the past two decades, social work for the elderly in China has grown from scratch, from budding to thriving. During this period, China’s social work for the elderly has also developed and formed its own characteristics, and has its own practical experience worth summarizing and discussing.