Research On The Role Dilemma Of Front-line Social Workers In Private Elderly Care Institutions

With the increasing number of elderly people in China,the decline of the birth population,the reduction of the labor force,and the intensification of the aging trend,the problem of old-age care has become an important problem that the whole society needs to solve urgently.Nowadays,there is a certain gap between the number of public pension institutions and the needs of the elderly,which can no longer fully meet the needs of the elderly,and the traditional home-based elderly care method is accompanied by the increasing miniaturization of the family structure,and there is great pressure in taking care of the elderly at home.At this time,private elderly care institutions introduce social work talents,improve service quality and market competitiveness with professional strength,and provide better choices for the public while breaking homogeneous services.The addition of social workers has injected fresh blood into China’s elderly care cause,but in the process of actually intervening in elderly care institutions,social workers also face practical difficulties.Some social workers who play roles in nursing care institutions will face difficulties such as unclear roles,role gaps,and role conflicts,resulting in poor work development.Based on the theory of social roles,this paper adopts semi-structured interview method and participatory observation method to explore the role dilemma encountered by social workers in private elderly care institutions.First of all,social workers face the problem of unclear role definition and difficulty in determining their own scope of responsibility.Secondly,social workers are often disturbed by various factors such as institutional culture and policy constraints in the process of practice,and it is difficult to give full play to their professional skills.In addition,when social workers interact with the elderly,they often encounter the inherent concepts and resistance of the elderly,and it is difficult to establish effective communication and trust relationships with the elderly.Finally,social workers still face the problem of lack of support and recognition in practice,and it is difficult to obtain the understanding and support of institutions and society.To address these issues,this article makes the following recommendations.First of all,the government should clarify the role and scope of responsibilities of social workers to avoid confusion and uncertainty in social workers’ practice.Second,elderly care institutions should provide necessary support and resources,such as training,resource sharing,etc.,to improve the professional level and ability of social workers.In addition,institutions should respect the professional judgment and decision-making of social workers,and give them sufficient autonomy and freedom.Finally,social workers should pay attention to communication and interaction with the elderly to establish a harmonious relationship,so as to enhance the trust and recognition of the elderly in social workers.