Writing Life Histories is a practical handbook which gives clear guidance on how to put together life histories in supportive or residential settings. It provides: step-by-step guidance ideas for different types of life histories activities, strategies and material for prompting memories helpful tools and writing tips suggestions for support and forming partnerships with other local services ideas for involving the person's family and friends discussion on ethical issues to be considered. The benefits of engaging a group or an individual in life history activities include: an aid to memory creative stimulation a personalised identity when in a residential home promotion of interaction and co-operation with others continuity with previous life experience thus combating loss of identity as well as an excellent opportunity to pass on knowledge and experience to others. For staff knowing about past experiences will promote an understanding of behaviour, needs and outlook on life resulting in more personalised care. Staff have references for conversation with cognitive impaired individuals and knowledge about life accomplishments which promotes respect for individuals. This is an indispensible resource for anyone interested in compiling life histories including nurses, residential home staff, carers, tutors and occupational therapists, group facilitators in day centres, clubs for the elderly or learning disabilities.

A rapidly ageing population is the most significant demographic issue confronting Singapore in our lifetime. This has created new and increasing demands on Singapore's healthcare system and on the families of the older adults. The challenge is in providing a system of care that is humane, effective and sustainable financially. This requires coordination between state funded providers, the family and the community.

This book offers a multi-disciplinary perspective by researchers from various disciplines such as medicine, sociology, anthropology and law on managing healthcare and end-of-life decisions in Singapore. Providing information and suggestions for better policy formulation towards the aged, this book is an invaluable resource for policy makers, serivce practitioners and scholars working on Asian gerontology.

What 'kind' of community is demanded by a problem like dementia? As aspects of care continue to transition from institutional to community and home settings, this book considers the implications for people living with dementia and their carers. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and case studies from Canada, this book analyses the intersections of formal dementia strategies and the experiences of families and others on the frontlines of care. Considering the strains placed on care systems by the COVID-19 pandemic, this book looks afresh at what makes home-based care possible or impossible and how these considerations can help establish a deeper understanding necessary for good policy and practice.

The workings of multi-level governance -- institutional choices concerning centralisation, decentralisation and subsidiarity -- are widely debated within European public policy, but few systematic studies assessing the effects of changing divisions of power for policy-making have been carried out. This volume offers an assessment of the workings of multi-level governance in terms of social welfare policy across different clusters of European states -- Nordic, Southern European, Central and East European. This book reports on a major comparative study at the European Centre for Social Welfare policy and Research, which included partners from univerisities in Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Spain and Switzerland. It reports on three particular policy areas: social assistance and local policies against poverty; activation and labour market policies; and care for the elderly. The authors describe different starting points, strategies and solutions in European countries which are facing similar challenges and could thus learn from each other. They explore the differences between European welfare regimes in terms of territorial responsibilities, the changes that have taken place over the past few years and their effects. The book is distinctive in highlighting comparative transversal and transnational issues of multi-level governance in social welfare policies, rather than presenting country reports.

Even among the four Asian tigers, with their economic miracles during the past several decades that allowed them to join the ranks of the developed nations, South Korea is extraordinary. As significant as its economic progress, from a dirt poor and devastated nation in the 1960s, is South Korea's emerging welfare state. Although established in a short time, and still immature in some aspects, its unique East-Asian model now faces a population that is aging at an unprecedented rate.

This book introduces readers to the impact of demographic changes in Korea, particularly the impact of these on work, retirement and pensions; and as importantly, provides an explanation for the reforms of public policy in these domains. The chapters provide an up-to-date assessment of aging, retirement, and pension policies in South Korea and give valuable insights into the diverse aspects of the unprecedented rapid aging. The theme of this volume, which brings together the foremost Korean scholars and experts, is how rapid demographic change in Korea has been a central factor in income security policy for the elderly, as well as workplace policies.

With a foreword by Judy Woodruff, The Unexpected Journey of Caring is a practical guide to finding personal meaning in the 21st century care experience. Personal transformation is usually an experience we actively seek out-not one that hunts us down. Becoming a caregiver is one transformation that comes at us, requiring us to rethink everything we once knew. Everything changes-responsibilities, beliefs, hopes, expectations, and relationships. Caregiving is not just a role reserved for "saints"-eventually, everyone is drafted into the caregiver role. It's not a role people medically train for; it's a new type of relationship initiated by a loved one's need for care. And it's a role that cannot be quarantined to home because it infuses all aspects of our lives. Caregivers today find themselves in need of a crash course in new and unfamiliar skills. They must not only care for a loved one, but also access hidden community resources, collaborate with medical professionals, craft new narratives consistent with the changing nature of their care role, coordinate care with family, seek information and peer support using a variety of digital platforms, and negotiate social support-all while attempting to manage conflicts between work, life, and relationship roles. The moments that mark us in the transition from loved one to caregiver matter because if we don't make sense of how we are being transformed, we risk undervaluing our care experiences, denying our evolving beliefs, becoming trapped by other's misunderstandings, and feeling underappreciated, burned out, and overwhelmed. Informed by original caregiver research and proven advocacy strategies, this book speaks to caregiving as it unfolds, in all of its confusion, chaos, and messiness. Readers won't find well-intentioned cliches or care stereotypes in this book. There are no promises to help caregivers return to a life they knew before caregiving. No, this book greets caregivers where they are in their journey-new or chronic-not where others expect (or want) them to be.

Establishing a critical and interdisciplinary dialogue, this text engages with the typically disparate fields of social gerontology and disability studies. It investigates the subjective experiences of two groups rarely considered together in research - people ageing with long-standing disability and people first experiencing disability with ageing. This book challenges assumptions about impairment in later life and the residual nature of the 'fourth age'. It proposes that the experience of 'disability' in older age reaches beyond the bodily context and can involve not only a challenge to a sense of value and meaning in life, but also ongoing efforts in response.

Well-Being of Older People in Ageing Societies poses answers to the question of how we can measure and conceptualize the well-being of older people. It focuses on the future research agenda and policy reforms that will be necessary to maintain a decent well-being for older people, given the context of our ageing populations. This book draws on longitudinal datasets and empirical research on the multidimensional measures of older people's welfare, providing a comparative analysis of social assistance and pensions for older people in the UK and The Netherlands. This title will be essential reading to anyone with an interest in gerontology and the effect society, public policy and governance can have on the welfare of older people.

This book is about the ways digital technology can contribute to the welfare of older people. The Internet, mobile phones and other technologies have changed how we live and work. Such technologies also shape how services for older people are organised in ways that potentially place carers and older people at the centre of service provision. Telecare can make homes smart so that they are more comfortable and less risky for people who can take advantage of devices that help make them independent members of their community.

Digital Welfare is part of the broader project in Britain and elsewhere to adopt new information and communications technologies (ICTs) to organise and deliver health and social welfare services. This includes mundane technologies like an alarm to call for help to complex telecare smart homes and electronic patient records. The intended and unintended consequences of such new technologies must be explored if we are to benefit from these innovations. Based on recent research this book seeks to highlight and examine the new opportunities and dilemmas that confront older people and all those concerned with their welfare in the network society.

This edited collection provides original contributions from leading academics and researchers in the field to access the evidence for improved professional integration and user-centred health and social care services for older people arising from health informatics. Digital Welfare for the Third Age will be of interest to all those working with older people.

This book studies communication in institutional eldercare. It is based on audio-recorded interactions between residents and staff in a Japanese care facility. The focus is on the morning care routines, which include getting the residents out of bed and ready for the day. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the analysis explores the characteristics of care communication as they become manifest in the interactional small print. Topics include the use of terms of address and formal speech, the basic organisation of openings and closings, the difficulties of talking while working-and, at times, working while talking-and tempo differences between residents and staff as they move along between bed and breakfast. The research findings are contextualised with results from previous studies, tracing significant features and explanation for deviant cases. The author is a trained linguist and certified nursing assistant with first-hand working experience in institutional eldercare.

"Lifestyle Matters" is a practical resource that contains a wealth of ideas and activities for occupational therapists, support workers, students and other professionals working with older people in the community. Taking a holistic approach, the Lifestyle Matters programme challenges participants to examine their lifestyle and to make positive changes which promote good physical and emotional health. Themes include: "'The relationship between activity and health " Maintaining mental well-being'; 'Maintaining physical well-being'; Safety in the home and community'; and, Personal circumstances. Each theme is divided into a number of sessions with ideas for introductory activities, group discussion topics and group activity ideas. There are also 64 photocopiable handouts in the book and on the downloadable resources that can be used within the group sessions. The book is divided into four parts: 'The Lifestyle Matters programme and the principles behind it'; 'How to implement the programme - including who can benefit from it, how long it should last and the resources required'; 'Delivering the programme - looking at session structure, selecting a session and keeping a record of group and individual sessions'; and, 'The Lifestyle Matters manual - each section containing a combination of group sessions, individual sessions and visits or outings'. Inspired by research by Florence Clark and her colleagues at the University of Southern California, this Lifestyle Matters programme has been developed through consultation with older people at every stage, making it a welcome and invaluable resource. As one member of a group exclaimed, 'You didn't give me a new lease of life, you gave me back my life!'. "Lifestyle Matters" is now referred to in the NICE guidelines (2009) where it is identified as the intervention of choice for therapists and professionals responding to the guidance by this professional body.

Learn how public policies can help families provide the care their elderly relatives need Family and Aging Policy examines how public initiatives to assist the elderly in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, and Sweden can impact families who provide them with long-term care. For the majority of older people, the aging experience involves their families directly and indirectly, affecting income security, housing, and health care. This unique book addresses the aging issues that matter most to families struggling to deal with the demands of care giving and provides answers on how the public sector can help. As the traditional nuclear family becomes a memory and the notion of extended family disappears, the need for public interventions to help the elderly increases. A significant number of people grow old without families they can depend on. Others have families who want to help, but lack the financial means or the housing needed to provide care. Family and Aging Policy offers options on how families and formal services can share responsibilities, including how families can juggle jobs and care giving, the effects of the Family and Medical Leave Act, consumer-directed service options, community-based care programs, accessory dwelling units and zoning ordinances, and provisions for caregiver support in each of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Family and Aging Policy examines: extensive welfare programs in Sweden publicly funded home care programs in Denmark family-oriented social policies in Singapore shared responsibilities of families and formal services in Canada the Administration on Aging's National Family Caregiver Support program in the United States California Caregiver Resource Centers and much more! Family and Aging Policy is an invaluable tool for researchers and policy analysts working in family policy issues and as an essential supplemental text for course work in gerontology, sociology, family relations, and social work.

The aim of this volume is to revitalise the debate about the concepts of time implicit in the study of aging. The many problems related to aging and the aged put an enormous pressure on the gerontological community to come up with practical applications and solutions. In considering research findings, we must keep in mind the basic assumptions that shape and influence even the most obvious statements about aging. In this multidisciplinary volume, the contributors take on the important task of exploring real issues concerning temporal concepts and approaches to aging; and the concepts of time that are used in thinking about aging determine to a large extent the way aging is approached. Most studies of aging still use a chronological approach to define populations for research purposes (that is, to determine which "aged" should be studied) and to establish how people's characteristics (social, economic, health and so forth) change as a function of age. This approach may lead to an accumulation of data, but does not in itself lead to explanatory knowledge. The step from chronological time to chronological age should be taken cautiously if we want to consider aging processes seriously, especially because chronological age is widely used in contemporary societies as a basis for regulating all kinds of processes, with many consequences for individuals. The arguments presented here do not deny the finitude of human life, nor do they deny that "aging" can be observed in any individual if we compare the characteristics of that person over a relatively long period. The question is how to approach these themes to get a better understanding. To achieve this, we need to understand the specific significance and relativity of chronological time and uncover unfounded deductions about time in relation to aging. This book will be of interested to students and professors of the social sciences, humanities and aging, including the methodology of aging studies; professionals working in the field of aging, including sociologists, psychologists and biologists.

A selection of proceedings from the 2004 Association for Gerontology in Higher Education annual conference Aging Education in a Global Context is a carefully considered set of papers based on selected proceedings from the 2004 Association for Gerontology in Higher Education annual conference. Each forward-thinking presentation provides unique perspectives on teaching resources and education, presenting a wellspring of creative ideas for new and experienced teachers in gerontology and aging education. Respected educators present cutting-edge concepts and effective strategies in gerontology curriculum development and cross-cultural perspectives for advancing gerontology as a field of study. Over the next twenty years, the world's aging population will increase dramatically, requiring increased attention to global aging issues. To prepare gerontologists around the world for future challenges, Aging Education in a Global Context provides educators with fresh viewpoints and practical information on which to base the latest teaching strategies. Each presentation provides a multitude of valuable ideas perfect for incorporating into aging education curriculums, such as how to use films and literature for teaching about aging, how to enfold global perspectives into aging courses, and how to avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings when teaching gerontology in a host country. This invaluable resource is extensively referenced. Aging Education in a Global Context examines aging education, issues, and ageism topics such as: the consequences of globalization for older people a course design incorporating cross-cultural, anthropological approaches to understanding aging an approach to teach about death and dying through the cross-cultural viewpoint of various religious faiths a study of fourteen international films that provides gerontologists with models of successful aging to pass on in coursework teaching cross-cultural aging using Chilean literary portrayals of elders the evolution and present state of gerontology education in Japan gerontology research and cooperative education in Kenya educating about community-based long-term care in China Aging Education in a Global Context presents a wealth of new ideas for all gerontology educators and educators addressing cross-cultural aging issues within discipline-based courses in sociology, social work, anthropology, public policy, and psychology.

Building upon the strengths of the popular reference, Cancer in the Elderly, this guide outlines novel approaches in the identification and management of cancer in geriatric populations by world-renowned experts on the topic. Presenting new trends and strategies in surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, this source presents a multidisciplinary and best-practices approach to the optimization of cancer care for the elderly and collects the most recent findings gleaned from prevention, adjuvant, neo-adjuvant, and treatment research.

This unique book represents the first multi-disciplinary examination of ageing, covering everything from basic cell biology, to social participation in later life, to the representations of old age in the arts and literature. A comprehensive introductory text about the latest scientific evidence on ageing, the book draws on the pioneering New Dynamics of Ageing Programme, the UK's largest research programme in ageing. This programme brought together leading academics from across the arts and humanities, social and biological sciences and fields of engineering and medical research, to study how ageing is changing and the ways in which this process can be made more beneficial to both individuals and society. Comprising individual, local, national and global perspectives, this book will appeal to everyone with an interest in one of the greatest challenges facing the world - our own ageing.

Get a wealth of information about the theory and practice of social work with older adults, their families, and their caregivers! Although there is a considerable amount of writing on both group work and social work with the elderly, there is surprisingly little about applying this practice method to this specific age group. Group Work and Aging: Issues in Practice, Research, and Education fills this gap by presenting penetrating articles about a mutual aid approach to working with diverse groups of older adults with varied needs. Respected experts and gifted researchers provide case studies, practice examples, and explanation of theory to illustrate this practice method with aging adults, their families, and their caregivers. Group Work and Aging: Issues in Practice, Research, and Education discusses in-depth information on group work with gay and lesbian elders, caregivers, elders with Alzheimer's disease, service providers, special populations such as Vietnamese and Latino/a elders, and provides information on the use of expressive therapies like art, drama, and dance. Each well-referenced chapter presents high quality, up-to-date social group work practice strategies to prepare practitioners for the needs of the growing population of elderly in the near future. Group Work and Aging: Issues in Practice, Research, and Education discusses: the adaptation of group work practice approaches when working with older group members the use of a Record of Service as an analytical tool in group work with aging lesbians a chronicle of a student's field placement at a drop-in center for homeless senior citizens the sociocultural reality of the Asian immigrant elderly residential substance abuse treatment for older adults mutual aid groups for older persons with mental illness the relationship between caregiver support groups and the marker framework of family caregiving telephone caregiver support groups group work interventions with elderly parents of adults with severe mental illness a program for the development and implementation of an intergenerational singing group support groups as an effective therapy at end-of-life the use of a mutual aid group with home attendants and much more! Group Work and Aging: Issues in Practice, Research, and Education reveals the latest examples of good group work practice with aging adults and their support systems, perfect for practitioners, educators, and anyone interested in and/or work with older adults.

Get up-to-date information and research on elder abusefrom international authorities! Elder Abuse: Selected Papers from the Prague World Congress on Family Violence is an invaluable collection of the most important presentation papers from the Prague World Congress on Family Violence. This comprehensive book presents the latest research and detailed information on the difficult issues surrounding elder abuse around the world. International experts use a multidisciplinary approach to provide ideas and insights to help provide researchers, educators, and practitioners with practical strategies for dealing with the numerous facets of this disturbing issue. Different types of abuse are explored in detail, including physical, financial, and emotional. This comprehensive source is richly referenced, with helpful tables to clearly explain data valuable to all law and health professionals involved in the issues of elder abuse. Elder Abuse: Selected Papers from the Prague World Congress on Family Violence discusses: grandparents raising grandchildren the elder abuse of custodial grandparents combating financial abuse of elders by others a study of elder abuse within diverse cultures forensic medical examination form for improved documentation and prosecution of elder abuse elder abuse in faith communities older women, domestic violence, and elder abuse elder abuse risk indicators elder abuse multidisciplinary teams Elder Abuse: Selected Papers from the Prague World Congress on Family Violence is essential reading for researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers in the fields of aging, health, mental health, social services, adult protective services, domestic violence, law, and criminal justice.

Gain an understanding of the increased role religious congregations now play in providing social support to the elderly Religious congregations and faith-based organizations (FBO) from the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions have worked on behalf of older adults for centuries. But the initiation of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives has raised many questions from both the traditional secular and sectarian services as well as many nontraditional services found in each community. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services addresses the issues of the separation of church and state, the concerns involved in developing social services in religious congregations, and the larger public policy implications of this office. This unique book offers perspectives from traditional and nontraditional faith-based groups, as well as experts in volunteerism. The enactment by Congress of the Charitable Choice section of the federal welfare reform law combined with the creation of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the United States Department of Health and Human Services to signal a high-level of interest in supporting faith-based organizations. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services focuses on the specific applications of services provided by religious congregations. Editors F. Ellen Netting and James W. Ellor conducted an in-depth interview with Elizabeth Seal-Scott, then Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (an edited transcript of the interview is included in the book) to help promote understanding of the development and implementation of faith-based, grass roots programs. Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services examines: the separation of church and state Baptist perspectives on faith-based initiatives and religious liberty managing older volunteers faith organizations and ethnically diverse elders the heritage of religion and spirituality in the field of gerontology faith-related agencies and their implications for aging services the role of religious congregations in the social service system Faith-Based Initiatives and Aging Services is an essential resource for anyone interested in developing programs for older adults in religious congregations, for human services staffs seeking to work with faith-based initiatives, and for government workers in need of a better understanding of faith-based services in their community.

Packaging supportive services with housinga pressing issue for older adults The population of older adults is expected to explode in the coming years. Linking Housing and Services for Older Adults: Obstacles, Options, and Opportunities examines a crucial, complex, and often overlooked issue for policymakers and the public at large: older adults' increasing needs for housing and supportive long-term care services. As baby boomers strive to help their parents make difficult decisions about their options, pressure mounts for policymakers to develop appropriate housing and services. This book brings together respected experts to discuss the answers to difficult questions about meeting the housing and support service needs of aging adults. Linking Housing and Services for Older Adults: Obstacles, Options, and Opportunities explores in-depth the tough issues pertaining to which populations are presently being served, what their needs are, and who is being left out. You'll learn exactly what types of services are available, who is providing them, and how are they packaged. From residential care to assisted living to institutional care, this book addresses all facets of the complicated problems of providing availability to fulfill need. This important source presents insightful analysis of the total range of issues and the challenges to progress as well as offering specific recommendations to effectively offer housing and vital long-term care supportive services to older adults. Linking Housing and Services for Older Adults: Obstacles, Options, and Opportunities discusses in detail: the argument for increased development of supportive housing for older adultsand the barriers preventing it the issues related to providing a variety of housing and service options to the Medicaid population two case studies that illustrate how policies aimed at linking housing and services play out at the state and local leveland the need for strong leadership and the ability to develop key partnerships as vital aspects for success the interrelationship of factors regarding nursing home admission, the availability of subsidized housing, and Medicaid eligibility the need for care management to be holisticincluding environmental care assessment, repair, and renovation management in addition to current long-term care settings creating affordable assisted living facilities for older persons receiving Medicaid services the successful components of the national Coming Home Program four case studies emphasizing different finance and regulatory approachesproviding lessons learned for developers, state agencies, and advocates of affordable assisted living This vital educational resource is also an essential reference for local, state, and national policymakers, housing officials, and long-term care providers.

Today, nearly one of every eight Americans is 65 or older, and by 2030, over 20% of the population will be in this age group. Are you prepared to work with this vastly diverse and rapidly growing population This single source is designed to help social service professionals provide effective services to America's vastly diverse and rapidly growing elderly population. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment explores the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and geographic location on elders' strengths, challenges, needs, and resources to provide you with a more complete understanding of the issues elders face. In order to be more responsive to older adults, social workers and other human service professionals need to enhance their knowledge of the aging population and the factors that impact the way seniors interact with society, organizations, community resources, neighborhoods, support networks, kinship groups, family, and friends.Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment examines differences in race, ethnicity, geographical location, sexual orientation, religion, and health status to help current and future human service professionals provide culturally competent services to the diverse range of elderly people they serve. In addition, it addresses the wide disparity that exists for older Americans in terms of income and assets, number of chronic conditions, functional and cognitive impairment, housing arrangements, and access to health care. This book provides a context for the examination of diversity issues among older adults by describing and discussing several theoretical perspectives on aging that highlight important aspects of diversity.Next, you'll find thoughtful examinations of: issues and challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders and the strengths they bring into later life the impact of gender, race, and sexual orientation on prevalence rates, risk factors, methods of disease contraction, and mortality rates among older adults with HIV/AIDS along with a discussion of the psychosocial issues they face diverse characteristics of custodial grandparents and the influence of the caregivers' gender, race, age, and geographic location on methods of care and available caregiver support differences in caregiver characteristics, service utilization, caregiver strain, and coping mechanisms among several racial/ethnic groups of adults who care for elderly, disabled, and ill persons cultural/religious factors that influence interactions between health care personnel and Japanese-American elders the relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American couples life challenges facing Jewish and African-American elders with a look at each group's coping mechanisms differences in religious/spiritual coping skills among Native American, African-American, and white elders psychological well-being and religiosity among a diverse group of rural elders

Learn the skills you need to work with geriatric populations in rural areas! Gerontological Social Work in Rural Towns and Communities provides a range of intervention and community skills aimed precisely at the needs of rural elders. This book fills a gap in the literature by focusing on the specific practice concerns for social workers assisting older adults in rural areas, including the aging experience, social worker skills, professional functions, working with special populations, and health and long-term care concerns. This valuable resource will benefit social workers, gerontologists, allied health professionals in rural areas, health and human services administrators and managers. Gerontological Social Work in Rural Towns and Communities explores the challenges social workers need to overcome when working with the elder community in rural areas. This book's significance to social workers will only increase as more adults choose to live and grow old away from the cities. Experts in the field suggest strategies to overcome barriers in planning and providing services such as: a longer distance for the elderly to travel to use social service centers a narrower range of available services in the local area increased poverty levels for the elderly a stronger dependency by elderly on family rather than public assistance This book is divided into five sections: Rurality and Agingintroduces the concept of rurality and examines the demographics of aging from a rural perspective Practice Dimensions of Social Work with Rural Eldersincludes clinical practice models, intervention and advocacy techniques, program planning, and marketing approaches Special Populationsgives attention to four special population groups: indigenous elders, African-American older adults, elderly Latinos, and disabled elders Special Issues Pertaining to Rural Elderscovers five essential issues for rural gerontological social workers: health promotion, older workers and retirement preparation, aging in place, specialized housing, and ethical practice Training and Policy Recommendationsfuture training and education recommendations for social workers are explored, as well as service capacity building, the aging network, and the future of long-term care While a variety of theoretical perspectives are explored in Gerontological Social Work in Rural Towns and Communities, the book's empowerment orientation and strengths-based approach will enhance your abilities to improve quality of life for elderly individuals in rural communities. Each chapter contains a comprehensive review of the literature on the subject it addresses, and several chapters include tables and graphs to further establish their revealing empirical findings. An appendix provides additional sources to turn to for more information.

Discussing key contemporary issues in residential and foster care for children, this theoretically and empirically rich volume draws on new research from across Europe and Canada. Contributions stem from a broad spectrum of researchers and practitioners in the field, engaging in comparative international perspectives of problems of enduring relevance. This book particularly focuses on anti-oppressive practice, foster care, mainstreaming in education, ethnic origin, competency level and research as a tool in residential care. The book will make a significant impact to the literature on social work and child and family welfare.

It is clear that there are two conflicting trends in Europe. Firstly, a demographic shift towards population ageing and secondly, a massive decrease in the labour force participation of older workers (aged 50 years and over). Both trends have re-enforced two socio-economic concerns of most European welfare states. These are the increasing costs for welfare states to finance pathways from employment to official retirement, and the threat of labour market shortages in the near future as a result of both the ageing process and the early exit of older workers. European countries. After years of excluding older workers from the labour market, we can now observe a trend in many countries to re-integrate them again. The combination of two trends, an ageing society and the massive early exit from the labour market of past decades, have also resulted in re-definitions of the social meaning of ageing, older workers, the transition from work to retirement and - on a more general level - the meaning of social citizenship. ways the end of the working life is organized under different welfare state arrangements in ten EU countries plus Hungary, Slovakia and Norway. The authors consider: how changes in work and the life-course affect the relationship between ageing and work; which pathways out of the working life are available and what programmes or initiatives have been developed to change early exit into late exit or to re-integrate older workers in the labour market; and what the individual perspective on the relation between ageing and work is and how different institutions design the life course.

Responding to the growing population of older persons and the subsequent interest in providing progressive living environments, Succcessful Administration of Senior Housing is a comprehensive resource offering an increased awareness of management strategies and tools to better respond to frailty among elderly tenants. This insightful volume outlines ways of better serving elderly tenants and highlights the importance of collaboration among housing managers, social service providers, and health care professionals to more effectively and humanely serve the needs of elderly renters. To date, housing professionals have received little concrete help or assistance from experts, public policymakers or gerontologists; Successful Administration of Senior Housing is a welcome addition that will help fill this void by outlining ways to better manage the complex problems and issues that emerge as elderly tenants experience increased needs for supportive services. This helpful volume was written for housing professionals, social service providers and health care professionals who work with older persons living in age-segregated housing. It will also be useful in the academic setting for continuing education programs for housing managers and social service providers. "Sheehan addresses the issue of managing housing for the elderly from a 'care management' perspective. She provides a creditable orientation to the unique housing needs of the elderly and effectively incorporates relevant research in each of the book's chapters. . . . Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty; professional." --Choice