IS IT NECESSARY TO SPECIALIZE? THE SCOPE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL WORK, THE FRAMEWORK OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF BASIC COMPETENCIES AND LIMITATIONS

Öz

The senescence period is the last developmental period of the human, which has its own characteristic problems and needs. Developing treatment opportunities and increasing welfare cause the world population to age rapidly. The fact that the elderly population is increasing both numerically and proportionally makes the old age period the focus of many disciplines and professions, including social work. Although social workers receive generalist training for different client groups and client levels in undergraduate programs, they cannot specialize in a particular field. As a matter of fact, the situation is similar for the elderly, one of the groups that social workers work with. Although the old age has its own biopsychosocial and economic problems and needs, social workers intervene with a generalist approach. The characteristic structure of the senescence period necessitates graduate education integrated with academic knowledge and practices in the social work profession. This shows that there is a need for new postgraduate education programs in the field of gerontology to train social workers who have acquired professional role and practice competencies. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal the importance of professional specialization in the light of current information, in the focus of the necessity, scope and limitations of postgraduate gerontological social work education.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Aging, Old Age, Social Work, Gerontological Social Work, Medical Social Work.

UZMANLAŞMAK GEREKLİ Mİ? GERONTOLOJİK SOSYAL HİZMET ALANINDA LİSANSÜSTÜ EĞİTİMİN KAPSAMI, TEMEL YETERLİLİKLERİ VE SINIRLILIKLARI BAĞLAMINDA MESLEKİ UYGULAMA ÇERÇEVESİ

Öz

Yaşlılık dönemi kendisine özgü sorun ve ihtiyaçları barındıran insanın son gelişim dönemidir. Gelişen tedavi imkânları ve artan refah dünya nüfusunun hızlı bir şekilde yaşlanmasına neden olmaktadır. Yaşlı nüfusun hem sayısal hem de oransal bir biçimde artıyor oluşu yaşlılık dönemini sosyal hizmetin de içinde bulunduğu birçok disiplin ve mesleğin odağı haline getirmektedir. Sosyal hizmet uzmanları lisans programlarında farklı müracaatçı grupları ve müracaatçı düzeylerine yönelik genelci eğitim almalarına karşılık özel alarak bir alanda uzmanlaşamamaktadırlar. Nitekim sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının çalışma yaptığı gruplardan biri olan yaşlılar için de durum benzer niteliktedir. Yaşlılık döneminin kendine has biopsikososyal ve ekonomik sorun ve ihtiyaçlarına bulunmasına karşın sosyal hizmet uzmanları tarafından genelci yaklaşım ile müdahalede bulunulmaktadır. Yaşlılık döneminin kendine özgü yapısı sosyal hizmet mesleğinde akademik bilgi ve uygulamalarla bütünleştirilmiş lisansüstü eğitimi gerekli hale getirmektedir. Bu durum gerontoloji alanında, mesleki rol ve uygulama yeterlilikleri edinmiş sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının yetiştirilmesi için yeni lisansüstü eğitim programlarına ihtiyaç duyulduğunu göstermektedir. Bu kapsamda çalışmanın amacı, güncel bilgiler ışığında lisansüstü gerontolojik sosyal hizmet eğitiminin gerekliliği, eğitimin kapsamı ve sınırlılıklarının ile mesleki uzmanlaşmanın gerekliliğinin belirlenmesidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yaşlanma
• Yaşlılık
• Sosyal hizmet
• Gerontolojik Sosyal Hizmet
• Tıbbi Sosyal Hizmet.

Kaynakça

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