California has actively engaged in the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative. Subsequently, the California Social Work Education Center Aging Initiative conducted a university survey of gerontology education in California graduate social work schools ("N"?=?17). In 2005, students taking aging courses were 12% in comparison to a…

Informal caregivers--primarily family members--are the foundation of rehabilitation, chronic care, and long-term support for older persons. The growing population of older persons and the changing health care delivery system (for example, shortened hospital stays) demand more of family caregivers and increase the toll on their health. To help them…

The Geriatric Social Work Practicum Partnership Program was funded to attract graduate students to the field of aging and to strengthen field education in geriatric social work. Rotation was selected to achieve the program's goals to provide students with exposure to the spectrum of care in geriatric social work services. This paper describes the…

Identifies challenges to the social work profession in an aging society including the shortage of gerontological social workers, lack of gerontological expertise and competence, negative attitudes towards older adults, inadequate social work curricula in aging, and cutbacks in federal resources. Offers strategies for enhancing gerontological…