Aging in Place: The Role of Geriatric Social Work
In: Families in society: the journal of contemporary human services, Volume 76, Issue 2, p. 76-85
ISSN: 1945-1350
Aging in place refers to the phenomenon of elderly persons remaining in their communities despite increasing frailty. Although housing specialists initially resisted this development, many housing environments are currently being adapted to meet the needs of the aged. Social work has a two-fold role in creating supportive housing environments for the elderly as they age in place. First, they can encourage aged residents to accept and receive services that will enable them to live independently despite diminishing capacities. Second, they can collaborate with housing managers to create responsive housing environments for their elderly tenants.