Jennifer Hewson

Field education in crisis: experiences of field education coordinators in Canada

Abstract Significant multi-layered challenges with delivering quality practicum experiences to social work students have led field education coordinators to release a joint statement that social work field education in Canada is in a state of crisis. This article presents the results of a two-year mixed methods study that sought to investigate and describe the challenges in order to enhance understanding of the crisis from the perspective of Canadian social work field education coordinators. The results indicate that social work education programs in Canada face four key challenges in regard to field education that can be further divided into two sections: (a) the social work practice field and (b) social work field education administration. The two key challenges associated with the social work practice field are: (a) social work practice contexts and realities and (b) practicum shortages and saturation. The two key challenges associated with social work field education administration are: (a) practicum procurement and field instructor recruitment and retention; and (b) expectations and workloads of field education coordinators. To address these challenges, collaborative development of a multi-level strategy aimed at moving beyond the current state of crisis toward a sustainable model of social work field education in Canada is recommended.

Characterizing Readiness for Advance Care Planning From the Perspective of Residents, Families, and Clinicians: An Interpretive Descriptive Study in Supportive Living

Background and Objectives Advance care planning (ACP) involves reflection on health care preferences and communication of the persons wishes in case of future incapacity. ACP is particularly pertinent in supportive living (SL) as residents are at high risk of cognitive decline and changes in health status, but the readiness of residents, families, and health care practitioners to engage in ACP discussions is not known. The purpose of this study was to explore the readiness among these stakeholders and the factors that influence the degree of readiness. Research Design and Methods Twenty-seven participants (10 residents, 8 family members, 9 health care practitioners) affiliated with 4 SL facilities in Calgary, AB, Canada took part in semistructured, one-on-one interviews. An interpretive descriptive approach was utilized to generate clinically relevant findings. Results Variability in the conceptualization of ACP, including confusion regarding terminology, emerged as a major theme. Themes that influenced readiness for engagement in ACP discussions included the influence of prior experience for residents and family members, perception of treatment goals, and understanding of roles in the process between the groups. Discussion and Implications Recommendations for clinicians include clarifying ACP concepts for themselves and residents, shifting focus toward an elucidation of values and preferences rather than on documentation, greater clarity about the roles of the various stakeholders, and recognizing the importance of prior experience for residents and family members. These findings can be used to contribute to the understanding of ACP engagement in SL and inform an approach to engaging in meaningful discussions about ACP.

Falling Through the Cracks

Low-income preseniors represent a vulnerable, often overlooked population facing multiple challenges related to finding and sustaining employment, limited financial resources, mental and physical health challenges, mobility issues, and ineligibility for pensions and benefits for seniors. These issues make finding suitable, affordable housing particularly challenging when compounded with limited affordable housing stock, thus increasing this population’s risk for housing insecurity/homelessness. This qualitative, exploratory study examined subsidized housing issues for low-income preseniors from the perspective of subsidized housing providers (n = 16). Barriers for this population occurred within individual (limited financial resources; complex health, mental health, and disability issues; current unsafe/inadequate housing; and new immigrant status) and structural (strict age cutoffs, inadequate safe/affordable housing supply, lack of information about the housing and service needs of the population, and ineffective collaboration within the sector) domains. Policy changes at the provincial and federal levels related to income support, availability of affordable housing supports, and immigration are recommended.

Developing Age-Friendly Social Participation Strategies: Service Providers’ Perspectives about Organizational and Sector Readiness for Aging Baby Boomers

ABSTRACT This paper examines service providers’ readiness to address the social participation expectations of aging baby boomers in the context of an Age-Friendly Cities framework in a mid-sized Canadian city. A convergent mixed-methods research approach was used for this study. Data were collected using a combination of online surveys (n = 32) and face-to-face interviews (n = 20) with key informants. Closed-ended survey questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while open-ended survey questions and interview transcripts were analyzed for thematic content following a constant comparison method. Overall, the findings indicate that while service providers identified social participation as an important focus area, there are a number of considerations that need to be addressed in order to enhance readiness to meet the emerging social participation needs of aging baby boomers. While this study was conducted in one city in Canada, the results may help professionals elsewhere to critically reflect on the development, implementation, and assessment of their own age-friendly social participation practices, programs, and policies.