Aging Related Resources

As a member of the advisory board for the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), NASW encourages members to use NCEA resources. The mission of NCEA is to provide the latest information regarding research, training, best practices, news, and resources on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation to professionals and the public. NCEA is a national resource center funded under Title II of the Older Americans Act and housed at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC). Related USC resources include the USC Center on Elder Mistreatment and the Training Resources on Elder Abuse site.

NASW celebrates Older Americans Month (OAM) every May. Visit the Administration for Community Living's OAM Month website to find resources to promote and celebrate this year's theme, Engage at Every Age. Learn how NASW advocates to enhance the well-being of older adults, such as through its letter of support for the Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act (H.R. 3713). The bill establishes formal funding for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), the only federally funded program to enhance workforce capacity in aging.

As a member of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), NASW played a central role in developing EWA’s recently released issue brief, End-of-Life Care: Preparing the Eldercare Workforce, published in March. Increasing the number of health care professionals specializing in geriatrics, gerontology, and palliative care will improve health care delivery as we age and at the end of life. Ensuring that the entire health care workforce understands the basic principles of these specialties will also improve care. Download the issue brief to learn about the role of the health care workforce serving older adults at the end of life.

In October 2017 NASW participated in the National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers, held at the National Institutes of Health. The goal of the research summit was to identify what is known and needed to accelerate the development, evaluation, translation, implementation, and scaling up of comprehensive care, services, and supports for persons with dementia, families, and other caregivers. The summit focused on research that is needed to improve quality of care and outcomes across care settings, including quality of life and the lived experience of persons with dementia and their caregivers. Presenters included NASW members María Aranda, Elizabeth Gould, Darby Morhardt, and Sheryl Zimmerman.

The Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA’s) July 2017 publication Interprofessional Solutions for Improving Oral Health in Older Adults: Addressing Access Barriers, Creating Oral Health Champions provides a valuable tool to promote older adult oral health. The publication is based on a March 2017 forum in which NASW participated. Visit GSA’s oral health website to download the paper and to obtain other resources on older adult oral health. For information on finding, starting, or enhancing an oral health program for older adults in your community, visit the Administration for Community Living’s oral health website.

In June 2017 NASW endorsed and attended the bipartisan Congressional Briefing on the Value of Rehabilitation and Habilitation Services and Devices in America’s Healthcare System, organized by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (of which NASW is a member) and two other coalitions. Read the one-page issue statement prepared for the briefing, download the event press release, and watch the video.