Assessing Older Community Members Using a Social Work Tool: Developing an Organizational Response

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Community Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Social workers provide psychosocial assessments and support to enhance client wellbeing.
• Existing literature reviews revealed a lack of evidence-based assessment tools for this population.
• Identified gaps and the need for guidance for less experienced practitioners were noted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an evidence-based assessment tool for social workers.
• To address the specific needs of older adults and individuals with compromised health in community care settings.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review of gray and peer-reviewed sources was conducted.
• Co-design principles were employed with five experienced social workers.
• The tool was developed incorporating 11 key domains identified from literature and practice.

Main Results:

• An 11-domain evidence-based assessment tool was successfully developed.
• The tool integrates findings from literature and practical social work experience.
• The tool is designed for assessing community-dwelling older adults and those with compromised health.

Conclusions:

• The newly developed assessment tool has the potential to enhance psychosocial support.
• Further piloting is necessary to validate the tool's effectiveness in practice.
• The tool aims to optimize the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of vulnerable community members.