Searching for the doable in nursing home social work practice

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Work Practice
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Social workers are crucial in nursing homes for addressing resident and family psychosocial needs.
• Understanding the practical constraints and functional differences in social work practice is essential for improving care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the practice circumstances of nursing home social workers.
• To assess the perceived importance of resident and family psychosocial needs.
• To identify the functions social workers perform to meet these needs and compare consultant vs. staff roles.

Main Methods:

• Survey of nursing home social workers regarding practice conditions.
• Assessment of perceived importance of psychosocial needs.
• Evaluation of frequency of social work functions performed or overseen.

Main Results:

• Both consultant and full-time staff social workers operate under severe time limitations.
• Practitioners generally agree on the importance of psychosocial needs.
• Staff and consultant social workers utilize different functions to address these needs.

Conclusions:

• Nursing home social work practice is characterized by significant time constraints.
• Despite similar views on needs, functional approaches differ between staff and consultants.
• Defining realistic service expectations can enhance social worker accountability and improve elder care.