A woman reluctantly takes on the responsibility of putting her eccentric rebellious mother into a retirement home, and managing her care. She has her own daughter to raise and nurture, a marriage and a business to hold together, and her own psychological troubles due in good part to how she was mothered.

My Mother, My Madness is Colleen Higgs’s diary of her mother’s last ten years. It is at once funny, harrowing, mundane, chaotic, and full of insight. It is a rich and moving story which unfolds through its characters like a novel.

Colleen Higgs is the author of two collections of poetry (Halfborn Woman, 2004, and Lava Lamp Poems, 2011) and a short story collection (Looking for Trouble – Yeoville Stories, 2012). She founded Modjaji Books in 2007 and, after publishing more than 150 books, is still Modjaji’s manager and publisher.

The QCS Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument is widely used as the framework for providing activity-based care for people with cognitive impairments, including dementia. The Instrument was recommended for daily living skills training and activity planning in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence Clinical Guidelines for Dementia (NICE 2006). It is an essential resource for any practitioner or carer wanting to provide fulfilling occupation for clients with cognitive impairments. This fifth edition of The QCS Pool Activity Level (PAL) Instrument for Occupational Profiling retains the checklists and plans helpful in matching user's abilities with personal care and leisure activities and includes a new chapter co-written by Professor Lesley Collier on the revised 'PAL Engagement Measure' describing its use and validity. Including access to a digital version of the PAL instrument, it is an essential resource for any practitioner or carer wanting to provide fulfilling and meaningful occupation for clients with cognitive impairments.

"Aging Public Policy: Bonding the Generations" is presented in three parts. Part One describes the policy process as a response to human needs through the laws of our country. Part Two explores the national policy development on behalf of older persons. Part Three describes the major public policies on behalf of the elderly that include Social Security, Medicare, The Older Americans Act, institutional care, employment and retirement policies. The final chapter discusses the advocacy process in the field of aging.

'This timely report by HelpAge International sets out to establish some of the key social and political issues affecting older people's lives. It marks the first documentation of this information and I feel sure that it will be an important contribution to the growing debate' From the Foreword by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General, World Health Organization The world's population is ageing. The majority of older people live in the developing world, where unprecedented growth in the number of older people has major implications for economies, health systems, housing, working patterns and family relationships. The Ageing and Development Report is the first extensive survey of the issues. Drawing on HelpAge International's long experience in over 60 countries, with contributions from world experts in the field, key themes such as community involvement, family life, health and well-being, poverty and exclusion, gender, migration and economic security are addressed. Case studies and statistics provide a comprehensive review of the condition of older people in the world's poorest countries. The Report argues for a fundamental shift in policy and opinion on ageing to reflect the real economic and social contributions of older people and enable them to retain their independence. It will be essential reading for development policy makers and practitioners in governmental and non-governmental agencies, demographers and gerontologists.

Television in the Nursing Home: A Case Study of the Media Consumption Routines and Strategies of Nursing Home Residents is a three-stage ethnographic study of media use by the elderly in long-term care facilities. This research concludes that watching television is the most prevalent and pervasive activity for patients. Activity directors can now learn how television and media can offer diversion, enhancement of personality, awareness, and sociability to their patients and offers suggestions on roommate coordination, selection of appropriate media, and communication resources. Containing the latest knowledge involving communication and gerontology, Television in the Nursing Home will help you offer programs that will meet the demands of an expanding elderly population.Developed as a perspective for examining patterns of social interaction, Television in the Nursing Home gives suggestions on how you can use the media to create new activities for patients, maximizing the television as a resource for the elderly. You will gain valuable insight on: proof to dispel the myth that television in long-term patient care causes withdrawal and depression a breakthrough in the treatment of media and aging, enhancing media-based activities and the use and purchase of electronic equipment for care facilities studies on how and why television is the most accessible medium of communication information for the development of new media designed specifically for use by the elderly creation of media-centered activities that recognize the potential for therapeutic use of communication technologies in the nursing homeThe research presented in Television in the Nursing Home establishes the fact that television consumption, once thought to be problematic, should be seen as desirable and necessary. This important book also proves how television is a resource that provides comfort, self-expression, and sociality. This first-ever study will convince you that television and media use in long-term care is beneficial and essential to the wellness of your patients.

Health care providers and social workers at nursing homes may feel they have little time to design programs for the family members of their residents, yet you will learn in How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home that the benefits of such programs are immense and the time investment will pay off. You learn of four family programs that can be put into use immediately or can be changed or expanded to fit the needs of an individual setting. In addition, you will witness how educational workshops, support groups, family councils, and holiday socials increase family involvement in the nursing home, which in turn improves the quality of care and life that long-term residents experience.In the daily bustle of trying to meet the needs of all residents, staff members do not generally have time to devote to family members who often feel awkward during their visits and do not realize their help would be welcomed. Nursing home coordinators and social workers can use the model support groups and workshops this book provides to open the lines of communication between staff and families and enable them to work together to assess and meet residents' needs. Implementation of these programs encourages families to take an active role in the operation of the nursing home and to participate in the decisions and events that affect the residents' lives. How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home provides easy, step-by-step procedures for the installation of family programs without overtaxing social workers and directors already under pressure.In addition to the four model programs developed and presented by author Tammy LaBrake, a Public Health Social Work Consultant, this book examines research findings on the lack of family participation in nursing homes despite the offering of family programs. You learn how to overcome barriers to communication and collaboration between staff members and family members and capitalize on the amount of participation that does exist within a nursing home. You also learn how to convey to families that they are equally responsible for the well-being of their resident and that their input and assistance are necessary to correct problems that cannot be remedied by staff members alone. Finally, How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home demonstrates that workshops, social gatherings, and councils do contribute to the formation of a community where family members and staffers find the mutual support necessary to provide excellent health care and soften the institutional atmosphere.

This fourth edition of the text has been fully updated and includes a number of new features and topics and covers the changes to the structure of the NHS. The book brings together research, policy and practice relating to older people in today's society. It incorporates literature from other relevant sources including the social sciences and medicine. Anthea Tinker examines the impact of legislation introduced since 1992, notably within the NHS as well as implementation of the Community Care Act. The text also seeks to highlight issues of current concern, such as abuse of the elderly.

Health care providers and social workers at nursing homes may feel they have little time to design programs for the family members of their residents, yet you will learn in How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home that the benefits of such programs are immense and the time investment will pay off. You learn of four family programs that can be put into use immediately or can be changed or expanded to fit the needs of an individual setting. In addition, you will witness how educational workshops, support groups, family councils, and holiday socials increase family involvement in the nursing home, which in turn improves the quality of care and life that long-term residents experience.In the daily bustle of trying to meet the needs of all residents, staff members do not generally have time to devote to family members who often feel awkward during their visits and do not realize their help would be welcomed. Nursing home coordinators and social workers can use the model support groups and workshops this book provides to open the lines of communication between staff and families and enable them to work together to assess and meet residents' needs. Implementation of these programs encourages families to take an active role in the operation of the nursing home and to participate in the decisions and events that affect the residents' lives. How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home provides easy, step-by-step procedures for the installation of family programs without overtaxing social workers and directors already under pressure.In addition to the four model programs developed and presented by author Tammy LaBrake, a Public Health Social Work Consultant, this book examines research findings on the lack of family participation in nursing homes despite the offering of family programs. You learn how to overcome barriers to communication and collaboration between staff members and family members and capitalize on the amount of participation that does exist within a nursing home. You also learn how to convey to families that they are equally responsible for the well-being of their resident and that their input and assistance are necessary to correct problems that cannot be remedied by staff members alone. Finally, How to Get Families More Involved in the Nursing Home demonstrates that workshops, social gatherings, and councils do contribute to the formation of a community where family members and staffers find the mutual support necessary to provide excellent health care and soften the institutional atmosphere.

Changing Seasons: A Language Arts Curriculum for Healthy Aging is a language-based, interdisciplinary program that increases interaction and communication skills among older adults. Featuring simple step-by-step lesson plans and interactive activities, Changing Seasons is a practical guide for caregivers and health care professionals to ensure individuals sustain their quality of life as they age. Each activity reveals new, creative, and fun ways to encourage individuals to speak, think, and write, sparking imagination and engagement with others. This new revised edition recognizes the growing importance of technology in communication, and incorporates many lessons learned during pandemic isolation, as communication was often limited to screens. Included is a new chapter that incorporates eight lessons on utilizing videoconferencing platforms. Though technology may evolve, communication will remain key to a sense of community and companionship-whether in person or online. Changing Seasons provides a roadmap to promoting meaningful interactions.

This unique book clearly depicts a need for supervision in gerontological social work settings and provides a framework for approaching supervision. Grounded in two distinct bodies of literature, social work supervision and gerontological social work, this important book thoroughly examines present gerontological practice and principles and focuses on the stages and styles of helping, and teaching case workers to improve agency efficiency.Gerontological Social Work Supervision assumes some gerontological knowledge and experience with aging on the part of the supervisor, yet provides an abundance of informative and practical methods to aid agency success rates with their clients. The authors discuss the supervisory position as a positive asset in all aspects of case work and management. Throughout the chapters, the value of a supervisor is compounded, whether the supervisor is helping a worker in seeing a broader scope of the field of social work with the elderly, providing guidance through gray areas of ethics, or teaching practice skills for work with individuals, groups, or families, the need for an involved and prepared case worker supervisor becomes increasingly clear through the theories and scenarios presented. Extensive examples and helpful considerations make this an invaluable book for agency supervisors and workers. An entire chapter is devoted to providing supervision in the educational arena, promoting a greater awareness of gerontological social work in students preparing for the field. The appendices are packed with lists of additional works on supervision in social work, bibliographies of selected readings in case management, entitlement, long term care, and familycaregiving.

This is a guide which offers advice to individuals, organizations and agencies on how to develop day care programmes for patients with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. At the same time, the book offers guidance to those who intend to adapt an established day care programme for the needs of Alzheimer sufferers. A range of programme aspects are covered from administration, financing, fund raising, public relations, client issues, program activities, problems facing participants' families, programme evaluation and supplementary resources.

Demographic and epidemiological changes mean that frail older people have come to be seen as an expensive problem for health care systems. The challenge for professionals and policy-makers is to find ways to respond to the coming crisis by delivering high-quality care in the home. This collection offers a critical analysis of home care policy and practice. It focuses on how high-quality care is provided and the practices and policies that support this. It offers case studies (both policy- and practice-oriented empirical studies) from countries that share a basic orientation to social welfare: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The nine chapters set out a critical agenda for the development of "good" practices in challenging times. This book is essential reading for students, practitioners and researchers who wish to understand diverse problems in care provision for frail older persons and the complexities of policy responses in different health and social care contexts.

A practical guide to providing home-based mental health services, Providing Home Care for Older Adults teaches readers how to handle the unique aspects of home-based care and apply and adapt evidence-based assessment and treatment within the home-based setting. Featuring contributions from experienced, board-certified home care psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists, the book explains the multifaceted role of a home-based provider, offers concrete and practical considerations for working within the home, and highlights adaptations to specific evidence-based methods used in treating homebound older adults. Also covered are special topics related to hoarding, safety, capacity evaluations, caregivers, case management, and use of technology. Each chapter includes engaging case examples with practical tips that illustrate what it is like to work in this new and exciting frontier. Psychologists, counselors, and other mental health practitioners in home settings will be able to use this guide to provide effective home-based care to older adults.

This second edition looks in detail at the role of the social worker who engages with older people. It enables the reader to develop the key skills required to understand the mental and physical needs of older people in society while encouraging plenty of discussion and critical, independent thought. Furthermore, this book is a source of contemporary research and offers the reader insights into government legislation and policy. It is an essential read for any student who wants to develop a distinctive focus on social work with older people.

Deficiencies in old age care are some of the most pressing human rights concerns in mature welfare states. This book radically challenges the ethics of viewing care as a tradeable commodity and introduces a novel framework for understanding and analysing social care through the concept of ailment. Providing examples from the British and Finnish welfare states, it demonstrates how ailment shapes societies from the micro to the macro level. Addressing the marketisation and financialisation of care, the authors bring to light increasing inequalities in care. This book argues that ailment is part of human life and society, and therefore the politics of care should begin with a politics of ailment.

Despite being integral parts of all our identities, sexuality, sex and intimacy are what many would call the Last Taboo in dementia care, usually seen as 'problem behaviours' to be stopped and dealt with. Informed by a combination of accessible neuroscience and person-centred compassion, Danuta Lipinska's new book shows that the human need for intimacy, attachment and sexual expression is as important for supporting the wellbeing and personhood of people with dementia as communication and care. Considering the brain as the body's biggest sex organ, it examines the cognitive changes that occur in dementia and what these changes mean in the context of sexual behaviour and consent. Taking Carl Rogers' Core Conditions and Tom Kitwood's psychological needs of persons living with dementia as a starting point, Lipinska offers a unique model for person-centred conversations about sex and sexuality that we have not seen before.

Nursing homes are where some of the most vulnerable live and work. In too many homes, the conditions of work make it difficult to make care as good as it can be. For the last eight years an international team from Germany, Sweden, Norway, the UK, the US and Canada have been searching for promising practices that treat residents, families and staff with dignity and respect in ways that can also bring joy. While we did find ideas worth sharing, we also saw a disturbing trend toward privatization. Privatization is the process of moving away not only from public delivery and public payment for health services but also from a commitment to shared responsibility, democratic decision-making, and the idea that the public sector operates according to a logic of service to all. This book documents moves toward privatization in the six countries and their consequences for families, staff, residents, and, eventually, us all. None of the countries has escaped pressure from powerful forces in and outside government pushing for privatization in all its forms. However, the wide variations in the extent and nature of privatization indicate privatization is not inevitable and our research shows there are alternatives.

Neoliberal political discourses have normalised the belief in northern European countries that individuals are responsible for their health and wellbeing, regardless of social class, gender or ethnic background. Drawing on examples from Germany, Sweden and the UK, Simmonds critically examines how the neoliberalisation and marketisation of health and social care have created an adverse environment for older people, who lack social and cultural capital to access the care they need. This crucial analysis scrutinises provision for ageing populations on an individual, national and global level. Challenging current political and social policy approaches, this rigorous text discusses innovative solutions to contemporary challenges in a complex care system.

As the field of aging and gerontology grows worldwide, this exciting guide introduces students to key issues and concepts. It covers topics related to the phenomena of advancing aging, including how older age has been defined historically, cultural myths related to advanced age, health and function in later life, how older age is financed throughout the world, and other key questions. Taking a multiple-perspective approach (including humanities, social and behavioral sciences and policy studies), the book's features include further reading for each chapter, a glossary of key terms, and tables that provide easy reference points.

India's ageing population is growing rapidly; over 60s constitute 7 per cent of the total population and this is projected to triple in the next four decades. Drawing on a wide range of studies, this book examines living arrangements across India and their impact on the care and wellbeing of older people. Addressing access to welfare initiatives and changing cultural norms including co-residence, family care and migration, it reveals the diversity of living arrangements, cultural customs and the welfare issues facing older adults in India. This book offers a crucial examination for practitioners, researchers and policymakers seeking to understand and develop the infrastructure required to meet the needs of older people in India.

As the aging population of the United States continues to increase, age-related policies have come under intense scrutiny and have sparked heated debates. This revised and updated edition of "The New Politics of Old Age Policy" explains the politics behind the country's age-based programs, describes how those programs work, and assesses how well--or poorly--they meet the growing and changing needs of older Americans.

The chapters address theoretical approaches to age-based policy; population dynamics and the impact of growing diversity within the older population; and national, state, and local political issues associated with major age-based programs. The contributors are leading experts whose essays range across disciplines, including political science, sociology, law, social work, social welfare, and gerontology.

More than any other source, this book presents the most current information on growing older in the United States, including detailed analyses of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing initiatives, the Older Americans Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and tax policy.

Contributors: Christina M. Andrews, M.S.W., University of Chicago; Jeffrey A. Burr, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Boston; Andrea Louise Campbell, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Caroline Cicero, M.P.L., University of Southern California; Kerstin Gerst, Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch; Judith G. Gonyea, Ph.D., Boston University School of Social Work; Colleen M. Grogan, Ph.D., University of Chicago; Madonna Harrington Meyer, Ph.D., Syracuse University; Christopher Howard, Ph.D., The College of William and Mary; Ryan King, S.B., Renewable Energy Systems Americas, Denver, Colorado; Sandra R. Levitsky, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Frederick R. Lynch, Ph.D., Claremont McKenna College; Laurie A. McCann, J.D., AARP Foundation Litigation, Washington, D.C.; Kimberly J. Morgan, Ph.D., The George Washington University; Jan E. Mutchler, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Boston; John Myles, Ph.D., University of Toronto; Christy M. Nishita, Ph.D., University of Hawaii; Jon Pynoos, Ph.D., University of Southern California; Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Ph.D., Oregon State University; Molly E. Trauten, M.G.S., Oregon State University; Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, J.D., Attorney, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Janet M. Wilmoth, Ph.D., Syracuse University

Discover the yoga and movement therapies at the heart of health in later life through this accessible guide for teachers and therapists. Beth Spindler has devised innovative movement practices based around acknowledging the trauma and vulnerability that come with a lifetime of memories. Trauma can exacerbate the effects of illnesses and conditions common in older adults, including depression, dementia, Parkinson's and arthritis. The movement and yoga therapeutics in this volume take a holistic approach to healing trauma alongside gentle practices to aide in managing symptoms in later life. Each chapter takes on a different condition or situation, explores how they can relate to trauma, and provides both the physical movement and the breathing exercises to address the issue. Complete with illustrations and adaptations for any setting or ability, the practices in this guide are suitable for many practitioners working with either individuals or groups.

Your needs as a caregiver are just as important as those your family member with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia. This book will provide just the insight and guidance you need. Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or dementia is hard. It's hard whether you're caring for your spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, other family member, or friend. Even if you had an extra ten hours each day to do it, it's hard to manage all the problems that come with dementia. And caring for a loved one with dementia can sometimes feel like a long, lonely journey. Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia can help, addressing concerns such as: * Is the problem Alzheimer's, dementia, or something else? * How do you approach problems in dementia? * How do you manage problems with memory, language, and vision? * How do you cope with emotional and behavioral problems? * What are the best ways to manage troubles with sleep and incontinence? * Which medications can help? * Which medications can actually make things worse? * How do you build your care team? * Why is it important to care for yourself? * How do you sustain your relationship with your loved one? * How do you plan for the progression of dementia? * How do you plan for the end and beyond? Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia is comprehensive yet written in an easy-to-read style, featuring clinical vignettes and character-based stories that provide real-life examples of how to successfully manage Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

State and Local Retirement Plans in the United States explains how economic and political events have shaped the development of pension plans in the last century, and it argues that changes in the structure and generosity of these plans will continue to shape policy and funding in the future. It also brings to bear a new rationale to the policies behind public sector pension plans. The authors use the history of how early public pension plans were established, how they matured and how they have grown in generosity to analyse what changes may be expected in years to come. Unique in its scope, this comprehensive history of the development of public sector pension plans in the United States during the twentieth century expands upon current ideas relating to the changing economic environment, the passage and evolution of social security and the expansion of the public sector. With the exception of military pension plans, which date from the eighteenth century, the first public sector plans, dating from the late nineteenth century, were established to cover teachers, police officers and firefighters in large cities. Over time, these retirement plans were extended to other public sector workers and the local plans were often merged with plans for state workers; all of these date from the twentieth century. Here, the authors show just how pension coverage for public sector workers expanded steadily, through the first half of the twentieth century, so that by the 1960s the vast majority of public sector workers were covered by a plan. This analysis demonstrates how economic events and shifts in public policy at the federal, state and local levels helped to shape public sector retirement plans. The authors also compare public plans with private sector plans, and the final chapter focuses on recent changes in public pensions in response to the `Great Recession', concurrent sharp declines in equity markets and the aging of the public workforce. Scholars and students of economics, history and public policy, public administrators, policymakers and all those with an interest in policy development will find the analyses discussed and conclusions drawn here of significance.