The novel coronavirus and the resultant COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected older adults in terms of the number of lives lost, concerns about safety of institutional and home and community-based care, the impact of isolation and seclusion, and the ability to participate and engage in meaningful and contributory activities. The pandemic has uncovered layers of ageism that are embedded in societies globally and challenges us all to address the pervasive individual, institutional, and structural biases that permit age-based discrimination. Within the interdisciplinary field of gerontology, social workers lead organizations, provide direct services and supports, facilitate community engagement and participation, and deliver therapeutic interventions among other roles and activities that facilitate positive outcomes for older adults and their families. In Gerontological Social Work and COVID-19: Calls for Change in Education, Practice, and Policy from International Voices, scholars, practice professionals, and other stakeholders reflect on the initial months of the pandemic. They articulate immediate needs the pandemic has created and uncovered, and further identify directions the field must go in to meet the moment and prepare for the future ahead. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Michelle Putnam and Huei-Wern Shen Commentaries on Gerontological Social Work’s Response to COVID-19 1. The Consequences of Ageist Language are upon us Clara Berridge and Nancy Hooyman 2. Applying Gerontological Social Work Perspectives to the Coronavirus Pandemic Emma Swinford, Natalie Galucia, and Nancy Morrow-Howell 3. COVID-19 Pandemic: Workforce Implications for Gerontological Social Work Marla Berg-Weger and Tracy Schroepfer 4. Older Workers in the Time of COVID-19: The Senior Community Service Employment Program and Implications for Social Work Cal J. Halvorsen and Olga Yulikova 5. Caregiving in Times of Uncertainty: Helping Adult Children of Aging Parents Find Support during the COVID-19 Outbreak Elizabeth Lightfoot and Rajean P. Moone Gerontological Social Work Role in Addressing COVID-19 6. Gerontological Social Work’s Pivotal Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Response from AGESW Leadership Tam E. Perry, Nancy Kusmaul, and Cal J. Halvorsen 7. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Vulnerable Older Adults in the United States Yeonjung Jane Lee 8. Social Work Values in Action during COVID-19 Vivian J. Miller and HeeSoon Lee 9. COVID-19 and Older Adults: The Time for Gerontology-Curriculum across Social Work Programs is Now! Susanny J. Beltran and Vivian J. Miller 10. They are Essential Workers Now, and Should Continue to Be: Social Workers and Home Health Care Workers during COVID-19 and Beyond Lourdes R. Guerrero, Ariel C. Avgar, Erica Phillips, and Madeline R. Sterling 11. A Reflection of and Charge to Gerontological Social Work: Past Pandemics and the Current COVID-19 Crisis Tyrone C. Hamler, Sara J. English, Susanny J. Beltran, and Vivian J. Miller COVID-19 and Social Work with Diverse Groups 12. The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Minority Groups: A Social Justice Concern HeeSoon Lee and Vivian J. Miller 13. Social Workers Must Address Intersecting Vulnerabilities among Noninstitutionalized, Black, Latinx, and Older Adults of Color during the COVID-19 Pandemic Megan T. Ebor, Tamra B. Loeb, and Laura Trejo 14. Expanding Bilingual Social Workers for the East Asian Older Adults beyond the "COVID-19 Racism" Sangeun Lee 15. Older Latinx Immigrants and Covid-19: A Call to Action Rocío Calvo 16. Social Work Response Needed to the Challenge of COVID-19 for Aging People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilties Philip McCallion 17. Unraveling the Invisible but Harmful Impact of COVID-19 on Deaf Older Adults and Older Adults with Hearing Loss Junghyun Park 18. The Impact of COVID-19 on Older Adults Living with HIV: HIV Care and Psychosocial Effects Monique J. Brown and Sharon B. Weissman 19. Serving LGBTQ+/SGL Elders during the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Striving for Justice, Recognizing Resilience Sarah Jen, Dan Stewart, and Imani Woody 20. Older Adults and Covid 19: Social Justice, Disparities, and Social Work Practice Carole Cox COVID-19 and Health and Social Care 21. Self-Direction of Home and Community-Based Services in the Time of COVID-19 Kevin J. Mahoney 22. COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunity to Advanced Home Care for Older Adults Vahidreza Borhaninejad and Vahid Rashedi 23. The Need for Community Practice to Support Aging in Place during COVID-19 Althea Pestine-Stevens and Emily A. Greenfield 24. Covid-19 and Community Care in South Korea Soyoon Weon 25. Social Work with Older Persons Living with Dementia in Nigeria: COVID-19 Oluwagbemiga Oyinlola and Oluromade Olusa 26. Thoughts on Living in a Nursing Facility during the Pandemic Penny Shaw 27. The Care Home Pandemic – What Lessons Can We Learn for the Future? Ameer A. Khan, Vineshwar P. Singh, and Darab Khan 28. Nursing Home in the COVID-19 Outbreak: Challenge, and Resiliency Huanhuan Huang, Yan Xie, Zhiyu Chen, Mingzhao Xiao, Songmei Cao, Jie Mi, Xiuli Yu, and Qinghua Zhao 29. Nursing Home Social Work During COVID-19 Nancy Kusmaul, Mercedes Bern-Klug, Jennifer Heston-Mullins, Amy R. Roberts, and Colleen Galambos 30. Working with Older Caregivers of Persons with Mental Illness during COVID-19: Decreasing Burden, Creating Plans for Future Care, and Utilizing Strengths Travis Labrum, Christina Newhill, and Tyler Smathers 31. Service Needs of Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness Nathaniel A. Dell, Natsuki Sasaki, Madeline Stewart, Allison M. Murphy, and Marina Klier 32. The Implications of COVID-19 for the Mental Health Care of Older Adults: Insights from Emergency Department Social Workers Xiaoling Xiang, Yawen Ning, and Jay Kayser 33. Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on Older Adults: A Cultural Geriatric Mental Health- Care Perspectived Sonia Mukhtar Social Isolation and the Digital Experience in COVID-19 34. Practical Implications of Physical Distancing, Social Isolation, and Reduced Physicality for Older Adults in Response to COVID-19 Anthony D. Campbell 35. COVID-19 and the Digital Divide: Will Social Workers Help Bridge the Gap? Allison Gibson, Shoshana H. Bardach, and Natalie D. Pope 36. The Digital Exclusion of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic Alexander Seifert 37. Choosing Physical Distancing over Social Distancing in the Era of Technology: Minimizing Risk for Older People Saptarshi Chatterjee 38. Virtual Social Work Care with Older Black Adults: A Culturally Relevant Technology-Based Intervention to Reduce Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Time of Pandemic Sulaimon Giwa, Delores V. Mullings, and Karun K. Karki 39. Social Responses for Older People in COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from Vietnam Le Thanh Tung 40. Fighting COVID-19: Fear and Internal Conflict among Older Adults in Ghana Razak M Gyasi 41. Re-integrating Older Adults Who Have Recovered from the Novel Coronavirus into Society in the Context of Stigmatization: Lessons for Health and Social Actors in Ghana Williams Agyemang-Duah, Anthony Kwame Morgan, Joseph Oduro Appiah, Prince Peprah, and Audrey Amponsah Fordjour Interventions to Support Older Adults during COVID-19 42. Staying Isolated in Order to Stay Safe: Exploring Experiences of the MIT AgeLab 85+ Lifestyle Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic Julie B. Miller, Taylor R. Patskanick, Lisa A. D’Ambrosio, and Joseph F. Coughlin 43. Adapting ‘Sunshine,’ A Socially Assistive Chat Robot for Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study Othelia EunKyoung Lee and Boyd Davis 44. Reaching older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic through social networks and Social Security Schemes in Ghana: Lessons for considerations Francis Arthur-Holmes and Williams Agyemang-Duah 45. Animal (Non-human) Companionship for Adults Aging in Place during COVID-19: A Critical Support, a Source of Concern and Potential for Social Work Responses Mary E. Rauktis and Janet Hoy-Gerlach 46. Detroit’s Efforts to Meet the Needs of Seniors: Macro Responses to a Crisis Dennis Archambault, Claudia Sanford, and Tam Perry 47. Foregrounding Context in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Learning from Older Adults in Puerto Rico Denise Burnette, Tommy D. Buckley, Humberto E. Fabelo, and Mauricio P. Yabar 48. An Innovative Telephone Outreach Program to Seniors in Detroit, a City Facing Dire Consequences of COVID-19 Vanessa Rorai and Tam E. Perry 49. Healthcare Concerns of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Low- and Middle- Income Countries: Lessons for Health Policy and Social Work Francis Arthur-Holmes, Michael Kwesi Asare Akaadom, Williams Agyemang-Duah, Kwaku Abrefa Busia, and Prince Peprah 50. Geriatric Health in Bangladesh during COVID-19: Challenges and Recommendations Md Mahbub Hossain, Hoimonty Mazumder, Samia Tasnim, Tasmiah Nuzhath, and Abida Sultana 51. Lessons for Averting the Delayed and Reduced Patronage of non-COVID-19 Medical Services by Older People in Ghana Anthony Kwame Morgan and Beatrice Aberinpoka Awafo