Older Persons Social Workers and Adult Care social workers are responsible for assessment and  management of Adults, and  arranging services to  enable them to live saefly and independently as possible. 

When providing social work support for the elderly it is important to realise that they do not require support purely because they are old but as a social group, they re more susceptible to illness or frailty, which means that an older person social worker must have a flexibility to provide the correct level of support to the person(s) they are assisting.

There is a strong need to provide mental support and assistance to the elderly as much as a physical presence as this area can lead to many other troubles for the elderly. Afflictions such as dementia are well documented and this is an obvious area where an older person social worker would need to give assistance but being able to provide support to old people who are experiencing the loss of friends or family members and the difficulties that can arise from being unable to perform tasks as easily as they used to be can put a great strain on an elderly person and older person social worker needs to be aware of these issues.

A major part of the tasks of any older person social worker is to provide support and become a regular visitor to the elderly to prevent the onset of loneliness, particularly if the elderly person is living on their own or is without a family nearby. The psychological benefits that an older person social worker can provide are of equal importance and an early provision of an older person social worker can be as beneficial in prevention of the onset of difficulties of old age as much as anything.

Needless to say, there will be a requirement for any older person social worker to be able to assist with physical matters, be it lifting and supporting the elderly person around the house, providing assistance with their daily chores and routines or enabling them to clean, cook and purchase their groceries with the minimum of fuss and discomfort.

The many roles and duties of an older person social worker are complex and varied but although the work is challenging, it can be highly rewarding with the opportunity to make a positive difference to an elderly persons life.