Bullying -

It’s Not Just Kids Stuff Anymore

A Conference for Professionals in Elder Care

 MAY 21, 2014 8:00 am to 12:30pm

Anna Maria College

50 Sunset Ln,

Paxton, MA

 Featured Speakers:

Marsha Frankel, LICSW,  is the Clinical Director of Senior Services and the Director of Mental Health at Jewish Family and Children's Services of Boston.

Workshop:  Is it Social Bullying?  Strategies for Assessing and Intervening with Older Adults. This workshop will discuss what constitutes social bullying among older adults versus unacceptable social behavior due to other causes like dementia or mental illness.  A description of common characteristics of older bullies and how victims are selected will be offered with examples from different setting that will demonstrate the negative impact of the behavior.  The major focus of the workshop will be in describing a four-part targeted intervention approach addressing the organization, the bullies, the victims and the bystanders.

Joan Webster is the Volunteer Coordinator  and Volunteer Mediator on the roster of the Community Mediation Services at the Center for Nonviolent Solutions in Worcester. 

Workshop:  Mediation Strategies for the Elder-Serving Professional. This workshop will begin with a discussion of tools and strategies that can be used to combat bullying on site.  A brief discussion of formal mediation will follow.  There will also be role-playing exercises demonstrating how mediation works and a question and answer period.

Presented By: 

The Worcester County Elder Abuse Prevention Roundtable

The Worcester County Elder Abuse Prevention Roundtable is an association of dedicated elder-serving professionals that work to provide training, education and outreach to prevent and reduce elder abuse in Worcester County.

 Sponsoring Agencies:

Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging

Molly Bish Center /Anna Maria College

Elder Services of Worcester

Office of District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.

National Assoc. of Social Workers-MA

Participating Agencies:

Community Legal Aid

Centro Las Americas

City of Worcester Elder Affairs

Montachusett Opportunity Council

Pathways for Change

Tri-Valley, Inc.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Department

                                                                                                                                            

Registration Form

Mail Registration Form and Payment to:

Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging

360 West Boylston St, Suite 216

West Boylston MA 01583

Name:                                                                                                  

Title:                                                                                                    

Organization:                                                                                      

Address:                                                                                              

                                                                                                             

Telephone:                                                                                         

Email:                                                                                                 

Registration Cost: $20.00

 includes 3 Social Work CEU’s and Continental Breakfast

Please make checks payable to Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging

Mail Registration Form and Payment to:

Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging

360 West Boylston St, Suite 216

West Boylston MA 01583

 Questions?

Contact Nicole Kanis at nkanis@seniorconnection.org or 508-852-5539

Limited space is available for resource tables. If you are interested in providing informational materials please contact Nicole Kanis.

Why should you work in the aging field?

In the 21st Century Americans are not only living longer, but also represent great diversity in needs and interests. Unprecedented growth is projected in all service-providing industries, and almost limitless opportunity exists for the development and delivery of new products and services.

More than a single profession, Gerontology provides a specialist overlay to any profession serving our aging population. Many states are expected to experience dramatic workforce shortages, in existing as well as emerging professions. In addition to Health Care, demand will be high for qualified applicants to work in Financial and Legal services, Leisure, Travel, Hospitality, Fitness and Wellness pursuits, among others.

According to current data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, the population 65 years and over will increase to 55 million in 2020 (a 36% increase for this decade). By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older persons in the U.S., almost twice their number in 2007 and roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population.

The demand for healthcare workers will remain particularly strong due to the mounting healthcare needs of the burgeoning elderly population. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “the health care industry added 428,000 jobs throughout the 18-month recession from December 2007 until June 2009 and has continued to grow at a steady rate since the end of the recession.” Moreover, “the health care and social assistance industry is expected to be the most rapidly growing sector in terms of employment” through 2020. The BLS projects that employment will increase by 34.5 percent in healthcare support occupations and 25.9 percent in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations through 2020. There is a growing demand for workers in long-term care in particular as more of the elderly require nursing home care, residential care, adult day care, and home care.

While job growth will continue in the health care sector, new opportunities are emerging daily in the development and delivery of aging products and services. Individuals who understand older adults’ needs, strengths, and limitations, as well as their cognitive, physical, and social functioning, will be well-positioned for today’s competitive marketplace.

To help address the need for educational programs in the field of Gerontology Assumption College is now offering a Certificate in Aging Services. This certificate will allow individuals to gain a better understanding of the field of aging.

To find out more about this exciting new certificate program go to http://cce.assumption.edu/certificates/certificate-aging-services

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau