Keywords: elderly, dignity, worth, value Dignity and Worth of The Elderly The sources NASW Code of Ethics, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Critical Thinking Perspectives, and the online article, Ageing with Dignity: Old-Age Pension Schemes from the Perspective of the Right to Social Security under ICESCR, will provide the information needed to discuss how one value of the NASW Code of Ethics applies to the elderly.
1. What does working with the elderly consist of?
2. How does dignity and worth of the person influence the elderly?
Knowing the way to treat the elderly and keeping them from working in their old age will all the elderly to feel more dignified and valued.
What Does Working with The Elderly Consist Of? Working with the elderly should be thought of as a genuine relationship and not just a job. There should be empathy between the client and worker so that there is a relationship being built. …show more content…
The NASW Code of Ethics states that it is to “treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients' socially responsible self-determination”. Naturally, when people receive dignity and value from others they feel good about themselves. As stated by Shahid, a “dignified status can be effectively exercised by the individuals only if they possess the wherewithal and social recognition” (Shahid, p. 457). To obtain a “dignified status” social recognition by other people will help to accomplish this and once the “dignified status” is achieved the elderly will be less likely to think of themselves as burdens to society and will feel more valued and dignified as a result (Shahid, p. 457). Therefore, it is important for the elderly to be “treated as individuals” because it “is crucial for maintaining the dignity of the elderly and they will feel a sense of belonging (Shahid, p. 458). Without this dignity, the elderly would feel like they do not belong to our society and would cause them to be emotionally upset. Dignifying the elderly is not exclusive in the way they are treated on a personal level. Sometimes the elderly are not dignified in a financial way. There are elderly people who do not have a “regular source of income” or any “personal savings” (Shahid, p. 456). This means that the elderly