Gerontological Social Work Research Agenda
Early on in the initiation of the Hartford Geriatric Scholars
Program, the profession was challenged to identify a gerontological
social work research agenda. Denise Burnette ( Columbia University
) and Nancy Morrow-Howell ( Washington University ) launched
a Web-based Delphi method input process to get input from practitioners
and researchers in the setting of such an agenda. The report
of the priorities identified by the researchers is reviewed
in a recent article:
(Burnette, D., Morrow-Howell, N., & Chen, L. (2003). Setting
priorities for gerontological social work research. The
Gerontologist 43(6) , 828-838).
The agenda setting process identified priorities in regard
to intervention research (developing and testing psychosocial
interventions across populations and conditions was the highest
priority item); housing and living arrangements; service delivery;
detection and assessment; family caregiving; health-mental
health; and workforce (p. 836). The social work research priorities
fit well with key issues highlighted in the NIA Strategic Plan
( http://www.nia.nih.gov/strat-plan/2001-2005/ ),
especially around the following priorities: Improve health
and quality of life of older people; reduce health disparities
among older persons and population; and enhance resources
to support high quality research.
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