ABSTRACT
The domain of inquiry in this chapter, models of social work practice for the rural elderly, contains complex phenomena in varying stages of change. Categories used in the past may no longer capture the nuances and multiple realities for thinking about the population of the rural aging. At the same time, the models of practice are broader than a particular set of persons or problems. Current seismic shifts in the nature and delivery of social work services including privatization and the blurring of professional boundaries only add to the importance of recognizing the many layers of diversity we confront as social workers practicing with the elderly who reside in rural areas.
