1991 Needs Assessment of the Arab and Chaldean 60 and Over Population in the State of Michigan

This study is the result of a recognition of the sizeable representation of persons from Arabic-speaking nations who reside in the State of Michigan, most of them in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The study replicates the Needs Assessment Survey of the Over 60 population which was conducted in 1985, and represents the third in a series of studies, each designed to focus on a specific ethnic subgroup of the Michigan population. Hispanic elders were studied in 1987, followed by Native American elders in 1989, and the present study of Arab and Chaldean elders in 1991

Elder Abuse Identification and Intervention: Final Report to Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation

In 2006 through 2008, Dr. Mary Cay Sengstock held a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation to study the effectiveness of the current system for identifying and assisting abused elders in the State of Michigan. This document presents the Final Report of the project. It can serve as a model, not only for the State of Michigan, but for other states regarding the mechanisms which are effective in identifying and assisting abused elders, as well as the problems and dilemmas which may arise

Researching an Iraqi Community in the Midst of the U. S.-Iraq War: The Researcher as Clinician

Nationality groups are always placed in a sensitive position when strained relations develop between their country of adoption and their homeland, as occurred in Iraqi and other Arab-American communities during the Gulf War. The author was directing a research project on aged members of these communities when hostilities broke out. The war had profound effects, both on the conduct of the research project and on the community itself, causing the research to be restructured and project staff to assume clinical as well as research roles. Staff members assisted community members in dealing with their concerns relative to the war and their future in the U.S. While the project focused primarily on the needs of elderly Arabs, a secondary topic became the possible long range effects of the war on the communities

Book Review: As the Workforce Ages: Costs, Benefits and Policy Challenges

As the Workforce Ages: Costs, Benefits and Policy Challenges (Olivia S. Mitchell) (Reviewed by Mary C. Sengstock, Wayne State University

Sociological Strategies for Developing Community Resources: Services for Abused Wives as an Example

There has been increased concern for the problem of family violence in recent years, and an accompanying interest in providing services to meet the needs of victims. This has led to research efforts, as well as to the development of new community services. Clinical sociologists can do much to assure that the development of community resources and empirical research in this area precede hand in hand. This article reports on the work of a committee, chaired by the author, which used social research and knowledge of sociological principles in the development of services for battered wives in a major metropolitan area. Three major intervention strategies were employed in the committee setting: provision of information about social structure and its consequences to enable members to develop more effective plans; use of sociological principles and data to make people aware of aspects of the situation of which they had not been aware; and involvement of group members and other individuals in the planning process to maximize the likelihood of an investment in the outcome. Committee activities are discussed as a means of indicating both successes and difficulties with these strategies

Techniques for Imparting Clinical Knowledge in Nonclinical Courses

One of the major difficulties in teaching sociology in applied areas is the imparting of clinical information in courses which are not designed for clinical training. In courses focusing on topics such as gerontology, family violence, or other marital problems, sociologists may often want to impart information which is derived from clinical cases. Indeed, it may be impossible to cover these topics adequately without providing information which is obtained largely in clinical settings. Frequently, however, the courses in which these topics are covered do not include a clinical component. Consequently, there is no opportunity for the instructor to suggest a series of clinical characteristics for students to observe. Lacking access to such experiences, what techniques can sociologists employ to enliven the understanding of factors which play important roles in clinically observed problems? This paper suggests techniques for bringing clinical experience into the typical classroom by means of detailed classroom examples and the students\u27 own personal experience, in lieu of a clinical component to the course

Comprehensive Index of Elder Abuse, 2nd Edition

In conjunction with the EAST , Drs. Hwalek and Sengstock developed a more extensive instrument for documenting the presence of actual symptoms of elder abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. This more extensive measure was designed to be used with elderly persons who were actually suspected of being abuse victims, and to provide documentation for use in treatment of these cases, as well as for use in possible legal cases

Developing New Models of Service Delivery to Aged Abuse Victims: Does It Matter?

The political pressures imposed on social agencies often require the introduction of alternative models of service delivery. There is some question, however, as to the effectiveness of such theoretical models. Do they play an important role in determining the types of services provided, their effectiveness, or the manner in which the agencies provide the services? Or do agencies provide relatively similar services, regardless of the model? This paper provides an analysis of the services provided to elderly victims of abuse under two different theoretical models: a legal model (with two variations), and a model of intensive service delivery. The programs also varied by region, with two in rural and two in suburban areas. The study was supported by the Illinois Department on Aging, with data collected on 204 elder abuse cases seen during calendar year 1986. Abuse types included Physical Abuse, Confinement, Sexual Abuse, Deprivation, Neglect, Self Neglect, and Financial Exploitation. Results revealed no differences between the models in the services provided or the outcome of cases. Suggestions are made as to the reasons for this finding and the other factors that may have played greater roles