A Person-Centred Approach for Working with Aging Survivors of Genocidal Trauma: The Case of Aging Holocaust Survivors in Canada. Symposium, Diverse Stories of Marginalization and Resilience: Perspectives from Social Work. Canadian Association on Gerontology, Montreal. This symposium brought together the work of several senior and emerging scholars and practitioners in the field of gerontological social work at the McGill School of Social Work in order to address the complex processes of marginalization and resilience among diversely-situated older adults in North America.

Myra’s presentation focused on Holocaust survivors, a diverse group within the Jewish community who require special attention. In the post-war years, the majority of survivors rebuilt their lives and became productive members of the communities in which they settled. As they age they become increasingly more marginalized due to the demise of social support networks and structural barriers such as language difficulties, lack of culturally appropriate services, and fear and mistrust of government bureaucracy that impede access to social services. In addition, life event stressors such as retirement, death of a spouse, family members, and friends, loss of autonomy, illness, relocation to a new residence, and a lack of financial security may activate feelings of loss, dependency, and vulnerability related to their traumatic wartime experiences. Many suffer from post-traumatic symptoms such as anxiety, depression, recurring traumatic memories, and a variety of medical conditions. This paper discusses a strengths-based approach in working with survivors that can minimize the psychological effects of trauma and facilitate their innate recuperative abilities.