Aim: Violence does not stop with age. There are many studies on the topic of domestic violence but few focus on the elderly and the role of the social worker in dealing with this issue.  The purpose of this study is to analyse and describe how social workers in the field of gerontological social work are actively identifying cases of domestic abuse involving the elderly.    Method: This study has a qualitative approach and the data has been gathered through ten semi structured interviews with social workers. The gathered material has been analysed through content analysis.    Results: The result of the study highlights various means of identifying abuse such as asking direct questions about violence, asking for assistance by managers and other professionals, adapting the conversation with the client to the given situation, being watchful of physical or abstract signs of violence. In spite of these strategies, the analysis shows that organisational deficiencies puts a large responsibility burden on the individual social worker. Lack of adequate training and standardised questions leads to the social worker having to gather information themselves in order to perform their duties.       Keywords: Social worker, elderlies, domestic violence, need assessment

HIV is a very small germ or organism, called a virus, which people become infected with. It cannot be seen with the naked eye, but only under a microscope. The body’s natural ability to fight illness is called the immune system. It is the body’s defence against infection. The virus attacks the immune system and reduces the body’s resistance to all kinds of illnesses. That is why HIV is called the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The word syndrome means that several symptoms occur at the same time. It is used to emphasize that people with AIDS have many signs and symptoms, because they suffer from several illnesses at once. Education is a process of learning, acquiring information or gaining knowledge through training, workshops or seminars. HIV/AIDS education refers to a way of disseminating information about HIV/AIDS pandemic in order to reduce ignorance and fear, thus preventing the spread of the virus infection. Education on the pandemic seems to be the only solution through which HIV/AIDS can be controlled. At present there is no medicine that can prevent people from being infected, and there is no cure for HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is a fatal disease. Some drugs seem to enable the body to defend itself against the opportunistic diseases like cancers, TB, pneunemia, flu or diarrhea, but these are expensive. The drugs are not yet available to many people in our country. This means that the death rate from HIV/AIDS pandemic is still climbing rapidly among men and women of all ages and race especially among sexual-active people. The only way to combat the pandemic is through massive programme of public education which will include the following: the basic information on the pandemic, modes of transmission, stages on HIV infection to AIDS, diagnosis of HIV infection, counseling, treatment and prevention of HIV infection. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that there are programmes to educate the workers at all levels, on HIV/AIDS pandemic. The aim of the study is to explore the need for an HIV/AIDS education programme at Mokopane Police Station through literature review and administration of a questionnaire to participants. The research approach used was quantitative. This approach helped the researcher to clearly understand and investigate aspects of social reality. The type of research was applied research. Applied research focuses on problem solving in practice. In this study applied research was used as the findings of exploratory study to recommend to SAPS Management for a possible programme on HIV/AIDS education at Mokopane Police Station. Exploratory design was used to explore the need for HIV/AIDS education programme. The method for data collection was by means of self-constructed questionnaires. The population for the study was 126 police officers. Random systematic sampling method was used to select the sample of 42 respondents. The questionnaires were pilot tested on five (5) respondents who did not form part of the research study. Data was analysed and interpreted using tables, bar graphs and piecharts. / Dissertation (MSD (EAP))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Employee Assistance Programme is a work-site based programme design to assist in the identification and resolution of productivity problems associated with employees impaired by personal, legal, emotional, stress, or other personal concerns, which may adversely affect employee job performance (Terblanche, 1999:4). The researcher was motivated to conduct this study by her observation of social problems at the hospital as well as and the hospital’s CEO’s interest in the EAP. The literature review had little on the concept of EAP in hospitals. The majority of information used in this study is on the rationale, goal and the functions of EAP. Secondly, the researcher consulted the experts and pilot tested the questionnaire. This study was aimed at exploring a need for the employee Assistance Programme at Johannesburg Hospital. The sample comprised of 74 staff members chosen from different disciplines in the hospital. The approach of this study is a quantitative approach, the type of research is applied research and the research design is exploratory research. Research procedures and strategy used is a hand delivered questionnaire. The information gathered was presented through tables and figures. The researcher found that there is a need for an Employee Assistance Programme for the employees of the Johannesburg Hospital. The form and type of service required were that of internal or indigenous EAP, with offices in the social work department and should be run by the social work department. Based on the researcher’s opinion, a combination of the internal and external EAP is more beneficial in that the two have the scope of practice that is advantageous when blended together. For instance internal EAP will provide resources such as counselling while external EAP will provide rehabilitation resources. / Dissertation (MA (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

Background: Loss experiences such as the loss of a spouse, a close relative or significant others become more likely in old age and may be strongly related to specific unmet health care needs. These unmet needs may often remain undetected and undertreated followed by a negative impact on well-being and social role functioning. The present study aims at exploring the relationship between loss experiences and specific unmet care needs in old age. Methods: As part of the study „Need assessment in the oldest old: application, psychometric examination and establishment of the German version of the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE)”, the adapted German version of the CANE was used in a population-representative telephone survey in a sample of 988 individuals aged 75+ years. Loss experiences within the last 12 months were assessed within the structured telephone survey. Descriptive and interferential statistical analyses were run in order to examine the association between loss experiences and occurring unmet care needs. Results: Overall, 29.7% of the oldest old reported at least one social loss with other relatives losses being the most frequent (12.5%), followed by non-family losses (10.7%). A significant relationship between loss experiences and a higher number of unmet care needs was observed, especially for close family losses. Other risk factors for unmet care needs were age, marital status, depression, social support and morbidity. Conclusions: This study provides, for the first time in Germany, data on the association between loss experiences and unmet needs. These findings may substantially contribute to the development of loss-specific interventions, effective treatment and health care planning for the bereaved elderly.

No description available.

Aim: To explore how older people (>65 years), who have been granted home care services for the first time, experienced their contact with the municipal need assessor and the process of the need assessment. Method/data: Semi-structured interviews (n=7) have been conducted with first-time users of social care for older people (>65 years) living in one district in the City of Stockholm. The interviews were thematically analysed based on the theoretical approach by Braun & Clarke (2006).Findings: Applying for home care services affects several dimensions of thoughts and emotions related to the process of ageing. Compromised ability/health/independence and the accessibility of informal care influenced the respondent’s tendency to apply. Thoughts and emotions related to identity, autonomy and managing tasks on their own was significant. Both positive and negative emotions related to the contact with the municipal need assessor was found.Conclusions: Municipal home care services include several aspects beyond the practical matters. The contact with the municipal need assessor was not the main topic discussed, instead focus was put on the thought process/introspective process leading up to an application. In addition, applying for home care services is sometimes experienced as “the last resort” when other possibilities are exhausted.

The purpose of this research project was to determine an appropriate intervention to assist in bringing transformation to the poverty-stricken community of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. Intense poverty is a fact of life for almost 3 billion people in the world, a figure which includes approximately 50 per cent of the South African population. The Bible gives clear instruction mandating care for ‘the poor’. Therefore, those claiming to follow the teaching of Scripture must make poverty alleviation a priority. Phambili ngeThemba began as an intervention in the Langa Township community to discover ways to engage with issues around poverty. Research facilitated by Learn to Earn, a non-profit organization offering skills training and job creation, was done to understand if individual and community development was necessary and, if so, how it could be structured as a method to alleviate poverty in the Langa Community. Both quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken. Through random proportionate sampling in a thorough needs analysis of the businesses in and around Langa, the ideal character qualities desired by local business for the workforce were elicited. These were traits that could be developed in unemployed people. Use of basic questionnaires and oral feedback by three selected focus groups comprised of Langa residents enabled evaluation of local human service resources and identification of the felt needs in the community. The Priority Index (P-Index) research technique distinguished between the actual needs of the community and their perceived needs or wants. The results became the training foundation for the Zanokhanyo Training and Resource Centre, providing holistic development for the unemployed to equip them for placement in the workforce. Copyright / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka om biståndshandläggare inom äldreomsorg upplever att kommunens egna riktlinjer försvårar deras möjligheter att följa aktuell lagstiftning och nationella regelverk, samt i vilken mån detta kan skapa hinder för uppfyllandet av en skälig levnadsnivå. I studien har fyra biståndshandläggare blivit intervjuade från två olika kommuner. Uppsatsens insamlade empiri är det som ligger till grund för uppsatsens resultat, analys och slutdiskussion. I resultatet av studien framkom det att ibland kan kommunens riktlinjer uppstå som ett hinder, om kommunen inte erbjuder en insats. Resultatet visar också att biståndshandläggarna i båda kommunerna var överens om att begreppet skälig levnadsnivå är ett luddigt begrepp och att det saknas en tydlig definition av begreppet. Det framkom också delade meningar gällande om kommunens ekonomiska situation påverkade biståndshandläggarnas beviljandegrad.   Vi vill genom vår c-uppsats belysa att det som framkommer som resultatet i vår studie, kommer vi inte att kunna dra några generella slutsatser. Vi kommer däremot att på en mikronivå belysa likheter och skillnader mellan en kommun i norr och en kommun i syd.