The world’s population is ageing and in all countries people are living longer. An important challenge for social work is to support individuals, families and communities to ensure that older people maximise their potential for health, well-being and social participation.

Submissions are invited for a special issue of International Social Work due for publication early in 2011. The purpose of this issue is to explore both direct and indirect social work practice with older people to further our understanding of this rapidly growing specialty area. We are inviting the submission of papers that present policy analysis, research or case studies, work in progress and project evaluations. Literature reviews summarising the state of evidence on particular topics and suggesting themes for further investigation are also welcome.

Topics of particular interest include :

• Global perspectives on long term care policies
• Social environments, health and ageing
• Ageing and informal care in unconventional families
• Physical and mental health in the very old
• Cross cultural approaches to end of life care
• Abuse and neglect of older people
• Innovative evidence-based social work interventions

Papers with a cross-national dimension are welcome while those that are country specific must demonstrate their relevance to the wider international audience.

The guest editors would be pleased to receive expressions of interest or enquiries as soon as possible.The last date by which initial submissions (of up to 5000 words including references) can be considered is 15 March 2010. If interested please contact:

Dr. Mary Pat Sullivan
Director
Gerontological Social Work Research Programme
Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies
Brunel University
Uxbridge, Middlesex
UB8 3PH
United Kingdom
mary.sullivan@brunel.ac.uk

Dr. Ben Chi-pun Liu
Lecturer
Division of Social Work
School of Health Sciences Social Care
Brunel University
Uxbridge, Middlesex
UB8 3PH
United Kingdom
ben.liu@brunel.ac.uk