Posted May 5, 2017
NASW invites social workers to join and promote the celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). Established in 1963 and coordinated by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), OAM celebrates the contributions older adults make to society.
The theme for OAM 2017 is Age Out Loud. This theme emphasizes the ways in which older adults live with boldness and passion, inviting people of all ages to learn about how older adults are redefining aging. ACL offers OAM 2017 materials, activity ideas, resources, and stories to enhance your OAA celebration.
During OAM 2017, NASW will continue its advocacy to eliminate barriers that limit older adults’ participation in society. For example, the association is submitting two sets of comments to ACL this month. One letter will advocate for retention of data collection regarding sexual orientation and gender identity within the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants. The other letter will express support for, and recommendations to enhance, ACL’s draft Principles for a Person-Centered Approach to Serious or Advanced Illness. NASW will post these comments to its advocacy microsite in late May.
NASW is also celebrating OAM 2017 by planning its first fully virtual conference, Aging Through the Social Work Lens. The conference, which will take place on June 14 and 15, features plenaries highlighting the Aging Network, trauma-informed practice with older adults, health care social work with older adults, and reframing aging and elder abuse. Breakouts will address the following topics as they relate to aging: assessment, HIV/AIDS, interdisciplinary collaboration, the LGBTQ landscape, palliative care, self-neglect, technology, and mental and behavioral health.
NASW welcomes feedback about how you are observing OAM 2017 in your own community.
#OAM17 #AgeOutLoud
NASW Resources Related to OAM
Aging practice tools, resources, and announcements
Standards for Social Work Practice with Family Caregivers of Older Adults
Standards for Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings
Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice
Continuing education (CE): 2017 NASW Virtual Conference, Aging Through the Social Work Lens; other national CE programs; chapter-level CE programs
Aging Specialty Practice Section: benefits include May 24 Webinar on ethical considerations in working with older adults, access to archived Webinars on aging, and newsletters
Advanced practice specialty credentials in gerontological social work
Hartford–NASW Supervisory Leaders in Aging initiative
Consumer-friendly information about aging on Help Starts Here™
Find a Social Worker: online databases
Flyer of NASW resources related to aging
Related Initiatives in Which NASW Participates
CARF International Advisory Council
Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care Review Committee
Center for Excellence in Assisted Living Advisory Council
Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery
Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation
Friends of the National Institute on Aging
The Joint Commission Professional and Technical Advisory Committees for Behavioral Health, Home Care, and Nursing Care Center accreditation programs
Leadership Council of Aging Organizations
Malnutrition Quality Collaborative
National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging
Reframing Elder Abuse Stakeholder Advisory Committee (National Center on Elder Abuse and the FrameWorks Institute)
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Third Global Summit
Other Resources Related to OAM & Aging
NIH Health and Aging; National Institute on Aging information on health and aging
U.S. Census Bureau statistics for OAM 2017; other federal data and statistics regarding aging
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work
Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Center
Nursing Home Social Work Network
Chris Herman, MSW, LICSW
NASW Senior Practice Associate
