course »Aging Long Term Care, Part II

Date: 2/7/2017, 9:30 am—4:00 pm
County: Alameda County
CEUs: 3.67
Location: Oakland
Sponsor: Fred Finch Youth & Family Services
Phone: 510-482-2244
NOTE: 2-Day Training, February 6-7, 2017

As longevity and quality of life continue to improve, the population of elders in the United States will continue to grow, increasing the number of elders involved in the child welfare system. To bring about opportunities for success for those living in the child welfare system, young people, adults and elders need to work together as partners. Both youth and elders have much to offer in this partnership. However, we often overlook the emotional and social challenges that elders face, which can compound the negative outcomes of their physical health. Depression, isolation, and grief, for example, are common among the elderly and can interfere with their ability to thrive with long-term illness.

This course will discuss how social welfare staff can cope with the emotional and transitional issues associated with long-term care to support the wellbeing of youth in care. We will also consider how to overcome youth/adult and elder/adult ageism that can negatively impact our interactions with one another and the families we support. Participants will explore the impacts of institutional, individual, and societal ageism as it relates to the overall wellbeing and success of youth in care. We will outline best practices to support long-term success for elders and aging adults who support youth in care, and consider practices for positive community transformation through individual, cultural, and institutional means. Through experiential exercises, large and small group dialogue, lecture, and personal reflection, attendees will work to unearth unconscious attitudes and behaviors, and challenge how these ideas influence our connections with the young people we support.