SW 6751 - Aging Practice II: Chronic Illness in Older Adults

Nearly half of all older adults live with a chronic condition (e.g., diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease) and a third live with 3 or more. Many have co-occurring mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use disorders) that are under-assessed and under-treated. This specialized practice course examines factors that impact these conditions in older adults and highlights relevant emerging and evidence-informed person-and family-centered care models. The student who successfully completes this course will be able to: Identify leading chronic health conditions that impact older adults in society. Demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts of geriatric mental health and mental illness. Relate social work perspectives and relevant theories to evidence-informed geriatric mental health practice. Characterize social work roles and contributions in settings serving older adults with chronic health and mental health conditions. Respect diversity and engage in ethical decision-making with older adults who have chronic health and mental health conditions and their families. Conduct comprehensive geriatric psychosocial/mental health assessments and plan and implement appropriate interventions. Describe unique challenges and evaluate clinical strategies for working with these older adults and their caregivers. Explain the impact of culture and socio-economic factors in older adults and their constituencies in relation to chronic conditions and disability.