Felicity Chapman's Blog - Posts Tagged "geriatric-care"
Review: "A book that is one of a kind."
Counselling and Psychotherapy with Older People in Care: A Support Guide is a book that is one of a kind. Felicity has written important information for those meeting and working with older people in care facilities in a relevant and accessible way. Many older people in care are lost and have no hope.
Counsellors or workers who aim to engage meaningfully with such people must have guidelines or frameworks from which to work from. This book allows such workers to develop a scope of practice; to know how to make conversations that “…have been meaningful for that person – offered healing no matter how small” (p. 8).
Older people’s stories often get missed or overlooked but they are very important. Felicity emphasises the importance of helping older people understand themselves and by doing that to allow their stories to influence us. Each chapter ends with personal questions of reflection which I, as a social worker in an aged care facility, found very helpful.
The book reads really well. It begins with the wider context of older people in care, including discussions about types of distress that people may feel and how to engage with this population. It then goes on to share insights about assessments and interventions to use to assist older people open up and get deeper into their issues.
Felicity recognises that the type of work involved in caring for older people can be a struggle, and also shares about helpful ways to care for yourself - the practitioner - when working with older people. The book discusses various types of ageist beliefs and how practitioners can challenge them. There are also many relevant therapist/ client scenarios to help practitioners put knowledge into practice.
If you work or volunteer with older people, or want to, I highly recommend this book. It will empower you to get to the heart of the issue – the resident’s story.
Chrystal Trewren, aged care facility social worker - Australia
Counsellors or workers who aim to engage meaningfully with such people must have guidelines or frameworks from which to work from. This book allows such workers to develop a scope of practice; to know how to make conversations that “…have been meaningful for that person – offered healing no matter how small” (p. 8).
Older people’s stories often get missed or overlooked but they are very important. Felicity emphasises the importance of helping older people understand themselves and by doing that to allow their stories to influence us. Each chapter ends with personal questions of reflection which I, as a social worker in an aged care facility, found very helpful.
The book reads really well. It begins with the wider context of older people in care, including discussions about types of distress that people may feel and how to engage with this population. It then goes on to share insights about assessments and interventions to use to assist older people open up and get deeper into their issues.
Felicity recognises that the type of work involved in caring for older people can be a struggle, and also shares about helpful ways to care for yourself - the practitioner - when working with older people. The book discusses various types of ageist beliefs and how practitioners can challenge them. There are also many relevant therapist/ client scenarios to help practitioners put knowledge into practice.
If you work or volunteer with older people, or want to, I highly recommend this book. It will empower you to get to the heart of the issue – the resident’s story.
Chrystal Trewren, aged care facility social worker - Australia
