Thank you for sharing your ideas on assessment tools used in geriatric social work practice. I also work with older adults and understand that adequate assessment is vital for effective treatment and positive outcomes. The choice of appropriate screening tools depends on a client’s presenting problem and treatment goals. Gehlert and Browne (2019) suggest that individuals aged 65 and over, especially those who suffer from a physical illness, experience pain, or lack social support, have the highest risk of committing suicide. Thus, the Geriatric Depression Scale can be employed as a basic screening tool used during initial sessions to measure depressive symptoms, which are often underdiagnosed in elderly clients (Congress, 2013). The assessment of functional status can also be helpful in social work practice because it determines the client’s self-management ability and identifies the areas requiring the caregiver’s involvement.
References
Gehlert, S., & Browne, T. (2019). Handbook of health social work (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Congress, E. (2013). Assessment of adults. In M. Holosko, C, Dulmus, & K. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 125–145). Wiley.