Abstract

There have been significant changes in the demographics of ageing.  People are living longer because of advances in public health, health care technology and improved treatment and service delivery.  The statistics that highlight the increasing proportion of the population older than 65 years and the increasing diversity of this population are becoming familiar to us all.  Within the first four decades of the 21st century, the global population across all age groups is predicted to increase by 33 percent, while people age 65 and older will increase by 160 percent, and those age 80 and above will increase by 233 percent.  This translates to an expectation that the number of older adults globally will rise from nearly 200 million people today to 678 million by 2030.  Those people 80 years and older are the fastest growing segment of older adults world wide.

The growing number of elderly people with chronic disabling illnesses, and the increasing need for rehabilitative services to support independent functioning, means that patients and families require more psychological and social assistance in order to address their problems effectively.  Social workers and other health professionals trained with knowledge in aging are essential to address the complex physiological, social, functional, psychological, and environmental service needs of older people and their families.  Thus, elderly people with chronic disease and activity limitations will continue to represent an increasing percentage of all persons helped by social workers.

Research has shown that social work practice with older adults and their families – once virtually the exclusive concern of social workers in geriatric sites – is increasingly becoming a major focus of care in a range of health and community-based services.  We know that in hospitals at least 40 percent of patients served by social workers are older adults and their caregivers.  There are some major interrelated demographic, economic, and social trends significantly impacting access to and use of health and mental health services.  This paper presents an overview of a few of these emerging trends and interrelated social work practice issues.