Dementia Care with Black and Latino Families: A Social Work Problem Solving Approach

As America's population ages and becomes more ethnically diverse, there is growing need for social workers to treat not only individuals afflicted with dementia and their families, but to also understand this illness through the eyes of different ethnic groups. This comprehensive volume provides practical guidance for social work professionals working with Black and Latino families living with the daily challenges of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. It is grounded in the interpretation and meaning of dementia in Black and Latino cultural heritages, and based on both a solid theoretical framework and the substantial research and clinical expertise of the authors. Chapters include an overview of the epidemiology and clinical course of dementia with a focus on those forms of the disease most common to Blacks and Latinos; an exploration of underlying family care and role responsibilities in ethnic families, self-efficacy and cognitive behavioral problem solving theories as modalities of choice, useful assessment and organizational tools for work with ethnic family caregivers, and how to best implement four specific types of interventions. Key features: Provides concrete, targeted interventions for assisting ethnic family care givers in confronting day-to-day issues Explains how and why self-efficacy and cognitive behavioral problem solving theories are particularly useful for social work with ethnic family care givers Offers detailed, step-by-step guide to assessment and intervention Includes problem solving forms, documents and additional dementia care resources Contains supporting case studies in each chapter