Book Review: Photography in social work and social change: Theory and applications for practice and research by Matthias J Naleppa, Kristina M Hash and Anissa T Rogers

Abstract

emphasizes the importance of social work knowledge, skills, and values for people with dementia and paints, for the reader, a clear picture of the circumstances, and challenges, social workers routinely face. He foregrounds the role of effective communication and relationship building, assessment and risk management, and working with carers and families. This is an especially helpful emphasis in a local authority context that prioritizes process-related activities such as “arranging admission to a care home” or “organizing a day service.” Given the increase in the number of people living with dementia and the fact that more people will need the services of a social worker, there is an urgent need to invest in effective social work in this field. The author makes a strong case for this identifying the pivotal role that skilled, thoughtful, engaged social work can make to improving the care, quality of life, and well-being of people with dementia and their carers. That social work with adults, particularly older people, has been under threat since the 1990s (care management plus austerity) amplifies the importance of taking full account of Scourfield’s excellent book. If we do not maintain, nurture, and develop the social work skills and knowledge that he articulates, we are knowingly undermining the quality of dementia care. As with all books, there are one or two issues that would have been useful to include. That the population who rely on publicly funded social care and see a social worker—as opposed to paying for their own care—have particular features, is one such issue. This group tends to be poorer, have fewer resources, and have more serious health conditions, in this case advanced dementia. I also wondered if there was room to have two chapters on social work with people with dementia and their carers, including more discussion on evidence about the value of social work.