DEMENTIA NEW SKILLS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONE IN 20 PEOPLE AGED 65 OR OVER SUFFER FROM DEMENTIA, AND IN THE OVER-85 POPULATION, ONE-FIFTH ARE AFFECTED. IT IS LIKELY THAT A FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE SUFFER LESS SEVERE SYMPTOMS WHICH STILL SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, IT IS AN AREA IN WHICH THERE ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES. MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORK IS NEEDED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT IT CHALLENGES ALL THE RECENT LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE ON COMMUNITY CARE; NEW MODELS OF SERVICES ARE BEING TRIED ALL THE TIME. AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS SO FREE FROM PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE THAT IMAGINATIVE PRACTICE IS STILL VERY POSSIBLE. THIS BOOK, BY LEADING PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELD, USES IN-DEPTH CASE STUDIES TO EXAMINE AND DEVELOP THE ESSENTIAL SOCIAL WORK SKILLS IN THIS AREA, INCLUDING COUNSELLING, GROUPWORK, FAMILY THERAPY, THE USE OF THE PAST AND NETWORK ANALYSIS.