Describes a course that empowers older persons to become active researchers by teaching them to conduct social gerontological research. Discusses an Israeli innovation, research studies, and the graying of social gerontology. Argues that there is a need for developing educational training programs for seniors as gerontological researchers. (RJM)

Presents examples of the life experiences of older women from 75 literary works. Provides a thematic content analysis and suggestions for curriculum development. Appendices list the 75 citations, 8 anthologies on aging and literature, and 26 bibliographers. (Contains 36 references.) (SK)

Purpose: Healthful eating is important for optimal diabetes self-care. However, the level of food sufficiency may influence the degree of adherence to dietary self-care behaviors through the affordability of nutritionally appropriate food. This study examines whether homebound older adults with diabetes were at greater risk for heightened food…

The diversity of the older adult population is increasing, and health professionals need to learn new knowledge and skills to improve the adherence of older ethnic clients to their health recommendations. Much of the existing research literature on diversity in gerontology concludes that ethnic older adults are at a health disadvantage. Few if any…

This description of the volunteer program at the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, suggests that older adults can improve the quality of life for themselves and others by building bridges of understanding between: generations within an organization, paid and unpaid workers, parts of an organization,…

A description is given of the "Take Care of Yourself" program which is an interdiscplinary program designed to provide health education and dance/exercise for older adults as well as gerontology field experience for medical and dance/exercise science students. The program offers older adults an opportunity to maintain and regain an active, more…

The proceedings of the Congressional hearing on alcohol and the elderly are presented. Following introductory statements by the committee chairman, Senator Claude Pepper, and Representatives Mario Biaggi and Geraldine Ferraro, the briefing paper, "Crisis in Health Care Part 2: Alcoholism," prepared by the subcommittee staff is presented.…

This document contains the prepared statements and panel testimony from the Congressional hearing on over-the-counter (OTC) drug use by the elderly. Opening statements are given by Representatives Claude Pepper (chairman), Ralph Regula, Mary Rose Oakar, Michael Bilirakis, Tom Lantos, and Hal Daub. Topics which are covered include the incidence and…

Projections, based on current rates, are that 40% of recent marriages will end in divorce. To investigate the factors associated with long term marriage stability and satisfaction among elderly persons, 60 California older adults (30 married, 30 divorced) were interviewed about their perceptions of the role of companionship, alternatives to…

A problem with gerontology theory is that it focuses on a social view of the aged, ignoring individual and cultural variables. A person is judged to have aged successfully if he has adjusted to society's definition of an "elderly person." Similarly, most studies of programs and options for the aged reflect the view of the service…

For more than a quarter of a century, both human service agencies and religious organizations have provided for the needs of the elderly. In order to study the relationship between these groups, clergy from mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish churches and synagogues (N=34) and social service agency administrators in a midwestern suburb were…

Recent publications of longitudinal and sequential analyses of psychometric data have been cited as evidence for "the myth of intellectual decline" with age. This term "myth" has been interpreted by many gerontologists to mean that intellectual functioning does not decline even late in life (except shortly before death). Furthermore, this…

Although there are several reasons to anticipate that older people would be less likely than younger ones to support feminist issues, data from this research do not support this contention. From data gathered in a random sample of 210 residents of a mid-size city in Alabama, it was found that older persons are generally as likely or more likely…

The report is a general multidisciplinary survey of current areas of interest in the field of gerontology, especially those having to do with retirement and the provision of social security. Chapter 1 discusses social security as an issue in gerontology and the concern of social security with retirement and aging. Chapter 2 discusses the…