The international community is facing the pressure of aging societies. In the United States of America, we will shortly be facing the aging of baby boomers, a dramatically large population expected to peak as senior citizens in 2030 at 70 million. Global societies are facing a crisis: lack of adequately trained and emotionally oriented personnel…

In North America, 40-50 per cent of older adults are actively involved as formal volunteers in providing diverse health and human services. We review empirical studies concerning older adults' motivations for volunteering, as well as the health and morale benefits they derive from this expression of altruism. Knowledge of the exact nature and…

Surveyed 1,498 residents and waiting list members of two Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). Found that reasons for joining CCRCs included access to services and protection for spouse. Recent joiners expressed more concerns about lifestyle and locational issues related to moving to a CCRC. (Author/NB)

This guide was written to help persons find help when they are faced with an urgent situation regarding an elderly family member, friend, or neighbor. It provides guidance as to where to find help in the community where the older person lives. The first section of the guide contains the most frequently asked questions in significant areas of life,…

A guide to encourage all concerned personnel to develop and improve resources and skills that will improve their service to the elderly who receive public assistance is presented. The guide contains seven teaching units, each containing an outline of content to be taught. These basic elements are emphasized: training process, training media,…

A United States Senator advocates a national long-term home care program for the elderly and describes the proposed "Senior Citizens Independent Community Care Act." The Act would expand Medicare benefits to include individual assessment and treatment plans, homemaker/home health aid, adult day care services, interim care, and other…

This document contains 22 information briefs from the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. Four of the briefs provide data on health, available services, income, and employment from a report comparing the well-being of older people in three rural and urban locations. National estimates are provided about the need for meals for older people, and…

This study examined the underlying influence of the social context, as measured by selected structural characteristics, on the resources available to the elderly in 99 counties across Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arkansas. These four states were chosen because each reflected national patterns for age concentrations and for the historical…

Characteristics of the expected 55 million elderly Americans in the year 2050 can be predicted with some accuracy. The proportion of elderly blacks will increase, while the ratio of women to men will remain at three to one, with a higher ratio at the higher age levels. Educational levels will also rise significantly. Current information indicates…

Demographic changes, changes in women's work roles, and changes in the nature of the family have increased the importance of identifying the effects of government policy on family cohesion and living arrangement decisions. The effect of public policy on the nation's largest source of caregivers, the family support system, is a key issue. While…

The 1981 White House Conference on Aging, particularly the 50 State Conferences on Aging, generated over 1,500 pages of data on aging, addressing over 3,000 issues. To summarize the information from the 16 Technical Committee reports, a conceptual framework was used which focused on the well being of older people in three dimensions - health,…

Of grave concern to all who are involved in the delivery of health and mental health services are two recently-observed trends in the drug and alcohol abusing population: the emergence of formerly hidden individuals in need of treatment (among them women, children and the elderly), and the increasing incidence and severity of emotional problems…

This document presents testimony and prepared statements from the Congressional hearings on the partnership between government and the private sector for the provision of long term care to the nation's elderly. An opening statement is presented from Senator Daniel Evans. Twelve additional statements are presented, including testimony from a…

Past attention has focused on the role of the elderly as recipients rather than receivers of help. To examine the proportion and characteristics of older community residents involved in care-giving, data used were from the 1979 "Statewide Survey of Older Virginians," aged 60 and older (N=2,146). Of the 10 types of helping activities studied, 5…

The elderly rely heavily on health and welfare resources. Human services delivery system, programs either provide income and surrogate things (such as food, shelter, transportation, education, health care) or develop social roles (personal identity, employment, interpersonal relationships, independence). Generalizations and findings from research…