Nursing Home Social Services Reference/Frontspiece/Foreword

Foreword Social Services work is challenging and engaging. To do the job well, diverse skills and a deep, comprehensive knowledge of some areas is required. For example, areas requiring at least a familiarity are medicine and psychopharmacology. A level of understanding of medicine would include major issues of aging and diseases that impact older adults and other nursing home residents. These include, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington's Chorea, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, vascular and Alzheimer's dementia as well as bed sores, osteoarthritis, and joint replacement. Some understanding of the challenges of these conditions on everyday life is required. Some understanding of the nursing practices for these situations including general notions of oxygen supplementation, wound care, and medication schedules. Psychopharmacology concepts that might be needed include drug names and doses for various mood and thought disorders. This book is intended to give Social Services workers knowledge, wisdom, hints and tips that will allow the worker to serve residents well with good results. As a Social Services Director directly out of grad school, it was clear that employee training for Social Services staff was not complete, if it was even provided. The Masters in Social Work curriculum offered some general knowledge, but there was no particular wisdom offered for institutional service in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Facilities. It is hoped that this book can offer some wisdom and training that will fill this gap.