- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- Addressing issues of competency in older adults when...
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
Addressing issues of competency in older adults when discharge planning : a social work perspective Torontali, Sarah Ann
Abstract
An aging Canadian population suggests that social workers in hospital settings will increasingly encounter older adults whose capacity to make decisions regarding place of residence may be impaired. There is a lack of discussion in the social work literature around the issue of competency to make this decision, specifically, how competency is determined, and how the assessment process unfolds. Qualitative research was conducted in order to explore the process of discharge planning with elderly, hospitalized patients, when there are concerns about their competency to make decisions regarding place of residence. The results of this research highlight the key role social workers play in both informal and formal assessments of competency in elderly patients. The findings suggest that competency to decide place of residence was based on the patient's mental capacity, as well as his/her ability to function in the chosen environment. As a result, an assessment of risk was integral to the assessment of competency and discharge planning. The assessment of risk, and thus the assessment of competency, are highly subjective processes, influenced by the values of the assessor, the organizational context, and the societal and legislative context. The research also emphasized that formal competency assessments were used as a last resort, due in part to the gaps in the current legislative context. This research provides an emerging social work perspective which was previously untold, and establishes a basis from which to further develop knowledge in this intriguing and important area for social work practice.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Addressing issues of competency in older adults when discharge planning : a social work perspective
|
| Creator | |
| Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
| Date Issued |
2001
|
| Description |
An aging Canadian population suggests that social workers in hospital settings will
increasingly encounter older adults whose capacity to make decisions regarding place of
residence may be impaired. There is a lack of discussion in the social work literature around the
issue of competency to make this decision, specifically, how competency is determined, and how
the assessment process unfolds. Qualitative research was conducted in order to explore the
process of discharge planning with elderly, hospitalized patients, when there are concerns about
their competency to make decisions regarding place of residence. The results of this research
highlight the key role social workers play in both informal and formal assessments of
competency in elderly patients. The findings suggest that competency to decide place of
residence was based on the patient's mental capacity, as well as his/her ability to function in the
chosen environment. As a result, an assessment of risk was integral to the assessment of
competency and discharge planning. The assessment of risk, and thus the assessment of
competency, are highly subjective processes, influenced by the values of the assessor, the
organizational context, and the societal and legislative context. The research also emphasized
that formal competency assessments were used as a last resort, due in part to the gaps in the
current legislative context. This research provides an emerging social work perspective which
was previously untold, and establishes a basis from which to further develop knowledge in this
intriguing and important area for social work practice.
|
| Extent |
6307708 bytes
|
| Genre | |
| Type | |
| File Format |
application/pdf
|
| Language |
eng
|
| Date Available |
2009-08-06
|
| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
| Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
| DOI |
10.14288/1.0090251
|
| URI | |
| Degree | |
| Program | |
| Affiliation | |
| Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
| Graduation Date |
2001-11
|
| Campus | |
| Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.