2 The lifecourse and old age
-
Alisoun Milne
Abstract
The lifecourse perspective is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the mental and physical health of individuals. For older people, it is a particularly helpful lens, as it takes account of what has happened across that person’s life and considers how what has happened has affected their health and well-being (Milne, 2020). Old age is, in turn, a social category that may be damaging to a social worker’s understanding of age as a lived experience or of differences between a 65- and a 95-year-old. As a ‘catch-all’ label, this category may also contribute to ageism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, care home residents were effectively ignored until quite late on and many died. The fact that they were marginal to national public health considerations played a key role in their treatment; some commentators would even argue that their human rights were violated – an issue that should be of concern to social workers (Amnesty International, 2020; Anand et al, 2021).
Abstract
The lifecourse perspective is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the mental and physical health of individuals. For older people, it is a particularly helpful lens, as it takes account of what has happened across that person’s life and considers how what has happened has affected their health and well-being (Milne, 2020). Old age is, in turn, a social category that may be damaging to a social worker’s understanding of age as a lived experience or of differences between a 65- and a 95-year-old. As a ‘catch-all’ label, this category may also contribute to ageism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, care home residents were effectively ignored until quite late on and many died. The fact that they were marginal to national public health considerations played a key role in their treatment; some commentators would even argue that their human rights were violated – an issue that should be of concern to social workers (Amnesty International, 2020; Anand et al, 2021).
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables viii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Preface xv
- Social work and critical gerontology: why the former needs the latter 1
-
Critical gerontology as guiding principles for social work with older people
- The lifecourse and old age 19
- Human rights and older people 35
- Agency and autonomy 51
- Poverty and late-life homelessness 66
- Sexuality and rights in later life 81
- Ethnicity, race and migrancy 97
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Applying the critical gerontological lens to social work research, policy and practice
- Assessment, care planning and decision making 115
- Elder abuse 130
- Dementia: a disability and a human rights concern 146
- User involvement 161
- Opportunities and future prospects for gerontological social work with a critical lens 177
- Index 192
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables viii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Preface xv
- Social work and critical gerontology: why the former needs the latter 1
-
Critical gerontology as guiding principles for social work with older people
- The lifecourse and old age 19
- Human rights and older people 35
- Agency and autonomy 51
- Poverty and late-life homelessness 66
- Sexuality and rights in later life 81
- Ethnicity, race and migrancy 97
-
Applying the critical gerontological lens to social work research, policy and practice
- Assessment, care planning and decision making 115
- Elder abuse 130
- Dementia: a disability and a human rights concern 146
- User involvement 161
- Opportunities and future prospects for gerontological social work with a critical lens 177
- Index 192
