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Knowledge for clinical social work practice is ever evolving and consists of underlying explanatory concepts, practice models, and intervention skills. Conceptualization and identification of competencies for practice provides a bridge from knowledge and understanding to actual skills needed in clinical sessions. Articulating competencies also guides education of students and provides grounded skills and behaviors needed for clinical research. Analysis of simulation-based practice provides a useful methodology to identify generic practice competencies as well as competencies in specialized fields of practice. This paper presents a simulation education model and illustrates how the use of simulation enabled clinical scholars to articulate core competencies in specialized areas of social work practice. Case examples and related competencies for practice with adolescents, victims of elder abuse, and in mental health practice will demonstrate this process. Examples are drawn from reflections on practice wisdom, analysis of experienced social work practitioners, and relevant literature. Resulting competencies contribute to scholarship for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: A major barrier for society in overcoming elder mistreatment is an inability to accurately identify victims. There are several barriers to self‐reporting elder mistreatment, including fear of nursing home placement or losing autonomy or a caregiver. Existing strategies to identify elder mistreatment neglect to empower those who experience it with tools for self‐reporting. In this project, we developed and evaluated the usability of VOICES, a self‐administrated digital health tool that screens, educates, and motivates older adults to self‐report elder mistreatment. Design: Cross‐sectional study with User‐Centered Design (UCD) approach. Setting: Yale School of Medicine and the Agency on Aging of South‐Central Connecticut. Participants: Thirty eight community‐dwelling and cognitively intact older adults aged 60 years and older, caregivers, clinicians, and social workers. Intervention: A tablet‐based self‐administrated digital health tool that screens, educates, and motivates older adults to self‐report elder mistreatment. Measurements: Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from: (1) focus groups participants including: feedback from open‐ended discussion, demographics, and a post‐session survey; (2) usability evaluation including: demographics, usability measures, comfortability with technology, emotional state, and open‐ended feedback. Results: Focus group participants (n = 24) generally favored using a tablet‐based tool to screen for elder mistreatment and expressed comfort answering questions on elder mistreatment using tablets. Usability evaluation participants (n = 14) overall scored VOICES a mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 86.6 (median = 88.8), higher than the benchmark SUS score of 68, indicating excellent ease of use. In addition, 93% stated that they would recommend the VOICES tool to others and 100% indicated understanding of VOICES' information and content. Conclusion: Our findings show that older adults are capable, willing, and comfortable with using the innovative and self‐administrated digital tool for elder mistreatment screening. Our future plan is to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the use of VOICES in identifying suspicion of mistreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article explores the impact of housing reform on eldercare patterns through examining the social causes for the increasing phenomenon of elder mistreatment in urban China. Based on my ethnographic fieldwork in Shanghai, this article suggests a new eldercare pattern, including prioritized conjugal care, 'heritage-based' adult-child care, as well as housing-for-pension care. This pattern has been constructed in the post-reform era in Chinese urban areas, which lays a foundation for a culture-related elder mistreatment. Three cultural categories of elder mistreatment have been identified: neglect and/or intergenerational conflicts, family care and ties contingent upon inheritance of the seniors' houses, and 'structural mistreatment.' Further examination suggests three major factors contributing to the emerging phenomenon of elder mistreatment: (1) privatization of housing ownership resulting in social-spatial differentiation of living affecting care patterns and potential for mistreatment of the elderly; (2) sociocultural limitations and structural restrictions on approaching social eldercare resulting from an economically-focused social environment; and (3) transformed social values, such as materialism and individualism, which have led to reinterpretation of intergenerational exchange. By contextualizing elder mistreatment within housing reform, this study offers a new perspective for studies of the family in post-reform China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study focused on the life experiences of abused elderly in geriatric care in a Iasi hospital, in Romania. A total of 13 (9 women and 4 men) patients were involved in a complimentary, multidisciplinary psycho-social service after been screened for abuse using EASI © (Yaffe et al., 2008). Through thematic network analysis, the texts from the interviews revealed three global themes: 1) the abuse undermines the dignity, 2) the need to find meaning to the lived experience and, 3) the strategies of maintaining dignity. This is the first qualitative study of hospitalized elderly having an experience of abuse in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses definitions, risk factors, clinical manifestations and recommendations for screening for elder abuse. It notes an approach that can be utilized by physicians when assessing older adults at risk for abuse. It cites several risk factors of elder abuse, which include cognitive impairment, poor physical health or frailty and behavioural problems. The clinical manifestations of elder abuse are also mentioned.

Objectives Implemented in 2007, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 codified decision-making for adults unable to make decisions for themselves in England and Wales. Among other changes, two new offences of wilful neglect and ill-treatment were created under Section 44. Our study explored how the MCA was being implemented in community-based dementia care, focusing on frontline practice. Method Using qualitative longitudinal methodology, we interviewed 279 practitioners, in the London and South-East area of England, two or three times over 3 years. We applied framework analysis to identify and delineate recurrent themes. Results Views of the new offences were positive overall, but understanding ranged from partial to non-existent among some participants. Conclusions Clinicians may be increasingly called upon to provide advice on whether an alleged victim or perpetrator lacks decision-making capacity in cases of suspected elder abuse. They need to be aware of the new criminal offences to ensure that people with dementia, among others, are not abused and that abusers are brought to account. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abuse of older people is a serious issue and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, and professionals will encounter elderly victims of abuse in all areas of the health care system. An important health determinant is behavioral factors, including coping style, which will impact on how older people manage stress and maintain control in their lives, and thereby protect themselves from abuse. The aim of this study was to explore the coping strategies elderly people abused by their offspring used to manage everyday life. Methods: A qualitative approach was used and 14 elderly victims of abuse were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: Five main coping strategies were identified. The main strategy was linked to the role of parent. Another prominent strategy was attitude towards being victimized. Further strategies were associated with hope for a better relationship with offspring in the future, while others felt that they had done the best they could, or that their offspring were no longer their responsibility. The results are discussed in light of theoretical perspectives related to coping and resilience. Conclusion: Abuse of older people by their offspring imposes severe stress on victims and challenges the values and beliefs about the caring nature of families. The findings of this study indicate that victims of abuse use a wide range of coping techniques to manage everyday life, and that some strategies help them to maintain their self-respect in their role as parents and find some sort of resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]