Today is the International Day of Older Persons; a day to celebrate the amazing shift in our human family as more people live longer.
The theme for this year is Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide. It is a timely theme given that by 2030, older people are projected to outnumber youth globally. This requires us to aspire, plan and work to ensure that the care and support we may all someday need is in place.
Social workers are a vital part of the picture. I was lucky to be part of the Social Work with Older People research project that clearly showed the positive impact social workers have for older people, carers and families. Older people valued the way social workers built relationships, provided reassurance and advice, upheld rights to social support, and found practical solutions to the struggles they faced.
‘She appeared to be like talking to a friend you’ve known for some time… And I wasn’t afraid of any of the questions she asked or any of the ideas she put forward. I could see the sense of her questioning and the sense of her proposals. She treated us both fairly, I think.’ (Older carer talking about the social worker)
Social workers took a human rights approach, showing respect and compassion in how they applied their expertise. One social worker summed this up beautifully:
‘This is somebody with dignity and pride who has run their life, who is now saying, “I need a bit of support.”’
Social workers described their contribution as a privilege, which was based on a commitment to fighting ageism and a deep interest in the people they worked with:
‘That’s… the essence of the value-base of social work. Actually really liking people, really respecting people, really wanting to understand what makes them tick, what they want to do with their life…’ (Social worker)
I love that our profession can contribute so significantly to wellbeing in later life.
Today is an opportunity to celebrate social work with older people, and how we come alongside people and play our part in creating a world where everyone can age with dignity.
‘We don’t discriminate. We uphold people’s rights. We’re creative. We consult. We collaborate over solutions. I’m the person who has to be the voice of the voiceless. I have to advocate for people. I have to fight for people. I have to push for the right outcomes… and see it in some sort of, like, I don’t know, mission.’ (Social worker)
Image from Age Without Limits’ Age-positive image library