title: The meaning of elder self-neglect: social workers' perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the unique aspects of the elder self-neglect phenomenon and to achieve phenomenological understanding of self-neglect through the eyes of professional social workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study based on a sample of 14 certified social workers. Data collection was performed through in-depth semi-structured interviews, followed by content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three major themes emerged from the participants: (1) "How can you live like that?" self-neglect as an unsolved riddle; (2) "It's very difficult for me, I go outside and immediately start thinking about myself": the personal burden; and (3) "I keep trying": seeking intervention strategies following the refusal to accept assistance. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS: Social workers' direct involvement with the self-neglecting elders poses a very significant ethical, personal, and professional challenge. In this context, there is a need to impart tools for "solving the riddle" to social workers through self-reflection, improvement of knowledge, theory, and empirical findings regarding the conceptualization and understanding of the self-neglect phenomenon. Moreover, it may be that adopting a clearer ethical "ideology," which is rooted in a discourse of human rights, could assist social workers to reconcile their tensions and difficulties in providing assistance to older, self-neglected persons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel. idoron@unic.haifa.ac.il
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Doron
authors.forename: Tova
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Band-Winterstein
authors.forename: Sigal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naim
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D057189:Checklist; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007557:Israel; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012918:Social Alienation / Q000523:psychology*; D012945:Social Values; D012947:Social Work; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology