ABSTRACT
Social workers work with older people, their partners, friends and families on a daily basis in a wide range of settings. These include what might be seen as typical aged care settings, such as hospitals, community health centres, and home and community care agencies. Older people may be the focus of intervention as individuals or as members of a relationship, family unit, support network, group or community. Social workers need to question the limited and negative lens that has dominated the way older people and their needs are viewed, whereby they are primarily seen as a group of frail, dependent, noncontributing individuals. While acknowledging the health issues that may arise as a person ages, it is important to recognise that this is just one aspect of a person's life, and should not detract from seeing the person in all their diversity, their strengths, and the ways in which they contribute to their partners, families, networks and communities.
