Gerontological social work's pivotal role in the COVID-19 pandemic: A response from AGESW leadership

ABSTRACT

This reprinted chapter originally appeared in Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2020, 63[6-7], 553-558. (The following of the original article appeared in record 2021-00510-003.) In these unprecedented times, Association of Gerontological Education in Social Work (AGESW) members have been responsive to the population we serve. AGESW provides leadership in the areas of gerontological social work education, research, and policy, while fostering cooperation, collegiality, and an exchange of ideas among social work educators, researchers, and students committed to or interested in gerontology. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AGESW as an organization has established programming to meet the needs of its members, such as virtual town halls and webinars on nursing home social work and COVID-19 and addressing loneliness and social isolation among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. AGESW is also providing virtual mentoring space for doctoral students with a focus on gerontology to support their academic work during these challenging times, including a recent webinar on how to publish within the Journal of Gerontological Social Work, available on AGESW's website. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)