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Article
Promoting Actively Aging: Advancing a Framework for Social Work Practice with Older Adults
Families in Society (2017)
  • Barbra Teater, College of Staten Island, CUNY
  • Jill Chonody, Indiana University Northwest
Abstract
The United States is experiencing a growing aging population, and the profession will need to increase the number of gerontological social workers. However, the social work profession has been relatively quiet in the debate on theories of aging as well as the development of approaches to social work practice with older adults. This article aims to further advance social work practice by critiquing existing aging theories or frameworks against social work values and ethical principles and by presenting the development of actively aging as a framework to guide practice with older adults. Actively aging considers the interplay between individuals' experiences; their meanings of aging; and their social, environmental, political, and cultural structures. The five principles of actively aging are presented, as well as considerations for future research and theory development on aging.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2017
DOI
10.1606/1044-3894.2017.98.19
Citation Information
Barbra Teater and Jill Chonody. "Promoting Actively Aging: Advancing a Framework for Social Work Practice with Older Adults" Families in Society Vol. 98 Iss. 2 (2017) p. 137 - 145
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jill-chonody/4/