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Systematic Narrative
Review
The contribution of life story in social work
practice with older people
Abstract
Context:
The aim of the literature review was to explore the contribution of life story work
in social work practice with older people, in particular those living in the
community. Much has been researched and discussed regarding the
contribution of life story with people with dementia living in nursing homes.
However, there has been relatively little research conducted with people who
do not have dementia and who live in the community.
Methods employed in the review:
Three databases were chosen and a systematic search was conducted using
the concepts of life story work, older people and social work practice, with
derivatives of each key concept applied during the search.
• PsycInfo,
• Social Care Online and
• Social Services Abstracts yielded more results than any other database.
The databases returned a total of eight relevant articles - each of which linked
life story work with another theme such as resilience, depression, addictions
and learning disability. One further study was obtained by citation searching.
Findings:
The main findings suggest life story work produces some rich information
regarding the older person's ability to face the challenges of ageing. The
studies highlight social engagement, resilience, self- identity and education/