As our mortality rates decline and our medical treatment improves, life expectancy has risen significantly over the last two decades. Across the globe the aging population has increased and thus the need for services to meet this group’s needs has expanded. Holosko, Skinner, Patterson, and Brisebois (2013) provide a list of knowledge areas you should become familiar with if working with the elderly, including the biopsychosocial holistic approach, formal and informal support systems, and grief and loss, to name just a few. In this week’s content we will focus on the use of spirituality and life reviews as interventions to address some of these issues.
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Use this link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.
The assessment and incorporation of a client’s spirituality has become increasingly common in the field of social work. While historically social workers were trained to avoid discussions centered on religion, we now know that spirituality encompasses many ways of believing. “The Society for Spirituality and Social Work is a network of social workers and other helping professionals dedicated to spiritually sensitive practice and education” (Society for Spirituality and Social Work, n.d.). Addressing a client’s spirituality allows for a biopsychosocial holistic approach that can aid in the process of understanding illness, disability, and end-of-life issues.
For this Discussion, review the required resources and locate one scholarly article addressing spirituality with the elderly.
Post your explanation of the significance of addressing spirituality with the elderly. Identify a spiritually based intervention for this population. Describe the effectiveness of the use of spirituality with the elderly as found in the literature. Then, describe your own thoughts on the use of spirituality in an intervention.
Support your posts with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Respond to at least two colleagues who chose a different intervention and provide insight and/or feedback.
Responses
Michael Smith RE: Discussion – Week 11COLLAPSE
According to Sharma, (2015), “Development means “a progressive series of changes that occur in an orderly predictable pattern as a result of maturation and experience(pg1). Old Age is Erickson’s 8th stage of development and at this stage in life, individuals tend to reflect on life with the intent on finding meaning. In looking back if they cannot find satisfaction the idea of death can bring on despair (Sharma, 2015). During this time, it’s important to address spirituality with the elderly because not only does it help them to find peace but helps to provides hope. According to Kapri & Kathpalia,(2019), “Spirituality plays an important role in the lives of all people. It is one of the most important sources of strength and direction in people’s lives. Well-being is a positive outcome that is meaningful for people’s lives. It is a human phenomenon, which exists in almost all persons (pg.129). Mindfulness-Based Interventions which stems from Buddhist philosophy is one form of the spiritual-based invention used when working with elders. Mindfulness-Based Intervention focuses on being aware and living in the moment in which at least two studies reported the intervention improving spiritual growth in breast cancer survivors (Hulett & Armer, 2016). According to (Kapri & Kathpalia, 2019), “Wang et al. (2002) found that there was no robust impact of coping strategies in relation to various categories of stress. There was evidence that the use of prayer a seek 30 religious help and talk to others about situations as coping strategies by women moderated the risk of depression in the presence of financial stress and relationship stress (pg.131). Working as a Substance Abuse Counselor I would work with clients as they worked their 12 Steps. A major part of the program’s focus was centered around accepting help from a higher power to conquer addictive behaviors. Having personally incorporated spirituality in treatment I feel that can be used as an effective intervention if you are working with someone with religious beliefs.
References:
Hulett, J. M., & Armer, J. M. (2016, December 15). A Systematic Review of Spiritually Based Interventions and Psychoneuroimmunological Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivorship. Retrieved February 5, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5125023/
Kapri, A., & Kathpalia, J. (2019). Impact of spirituality on well-being of old aged people. Ndian Journal of Health and Well-Being, 10(4), 129–131. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&[email protected]&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ==#AN=138308612&db=a9h
Sharma, A. (2015, April 30). Stages of Development of Psychology. Retrieved February 3, 2020, from http://www.psychologydiscussion.net/psychology/stages-of-development-of-psychology-of-people-at-different-ages-from-infancy-to-old-age/732
Response 2
Britney Fallen RE: Discussion – Week 11COLLAPSE
Throughout the aging process comes many changes for the elderly population. As the older adult population ages this comes with loss and acute feelings. This can lead to the loss of self-determination at times. According to the Clinical Social Work Journal, the United States is seen as having focus on the younger generation (2016). This leaves a major gap in with our elderly population. Furthermore, within the reading by Sokolec, it mentions a strengths-based ecological model to instill peace and change to be at the level the elderly individual wants to be (2016). To me, spirituality means peace and homeostasis. This spiritual approach outlined in the Clinical Social Work Journals looking at resources, seeing these resources as means to promote well-being and health, and viewing these resources in the face of change ( ). Spirituality as a use of an intervention promotes the well-being of the client and re-establishment of self-determination which directly correlates with the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics (2008).
References:
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of social workers. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/about/ethics/code-of-ethics/code-of-ethics-english
Sokolec, J. (2016). The Meaning of “Place” to Older Adults. Clinical Social Work Journal, 44(2), 160–169. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s10615-015-0545-2
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