Compassion fatigue: Considerations for working with the elderly

    Authors

    A. M. Leon; J. A. S. Altholz;S. F. Dziegielewski

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Gerontol. Soc. Work

    Keywords

    burnout; social work burnout; elderly and burnout; compassion fatigue; secondary traumatic stress disorder; JOB-SATISFACTION; SOCIAL-WORKERS; BURNOUT; PSYCHIATRY; SERVICES; STRESS; Geriatrics & Gerontology; Social Work

    Abstract

    Compassion fatigue is characterized by physical and psychological exhaustion resulting from excessive professional demands that drain available personal resources. While all helping professionals are vulnerable to compassion fatigue, the authors believe that social workers working with the elderly have unique stresses that make them a high-risk group for compassion fatigue. Increased frustration over limited financial, social and medical services for the elderly, exposure to the developmental challenges inherent during the older years and the worker's countertransferential issues are discussed as contributors to compassion fatigue. Other factors that reinforce this type of burnout for professionals working with this population and recommendations for avoiding or decreasing compassion fatigue are presented.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Gerontological Social Work

    Volume

    32

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-1999

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    43

    Last Page

    62

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000083253800004

    ISSN

    0163-4372

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