Reviews programs and services available to the elderly, including descriptions of their organizational and agency sponsorship and arguments used to justify or refute their usefulness. Suggests that the discipline of social gerontology can play an important applied role in assessing the needs of and suggesting appropriate services for the elderly.…

Conceptual approaches employed in service utilization and multidimensional assessment research which have been used for planning and evaluating services to the aged are reviewed. Also examined are the conceptual properties of three widely used assessment instruments in order to assess their utility in providing a database for planning and…

The provision of high quality orientation and mobility (O&M) services to older persons with visual impairments requires consideration of problems in attitudes, client characteristics, financial resources, inservice training, and the availability of age-appropriate assessment instruments. This paper discusses research on O&M interventions and…

This fact sheet uses a question-and-answer format to provide an overview of what physical fitness is and how it relates to people with mental retardation. Questions address the following topics: the fitness movement; a definition of physical fitness; the different components of physical fitness (muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, body…

Focusing on the role of information in the planning and managing of intergenerational programs, this paper argues that two types of information--formal/objective and personal/subjective--must be addressed in relation to the problems of aging members of our society. These two types of information are characterized via illustrative stories: the…

Identified factors that would positively influence the decisions of individuals over sixty years of age to participate in cost-free continuing education programs. Females subjects (N=65) completed questionnaires, and indicated a high level of interest in taking geology, political science, world and art history, music and literature. (BH)

Focuses on problems associated with program development for older adults. Dangers are exemplified by the inability of program designers to share expertise. Territoriality becomes central in determining who should develop and implement programs for and about older people. Collaborative efforts between gerontologists and educators are suggested to…

Employs an "implementation estimate" technique to identify potential fiscal, administrative and political consequences of implementing the 100,000 minimum population provision for designating planning and service areas (PSAs) under the 1978 amendments to the Older Americans Act. Findings suggest implementation estimating is useful for…

The elderly are faced with attempts to defraud, mislead, and confuse them about health consumerism. The development of consumer education classes directed toward the needs and interests of the aging population will combat the problem. The development, implementation, and evaluation of such programs are described. (Author)

High-quality leisure education programs for the elderly are few in number considering the size of the older population. Most existing programs are probably inappropriate for the elderly age group. Better perspectives and understanding on the part of leisure educators is needed. Leisure education programs for the elderly may become more plentiful…

Physical changes in and conditions of the eye associated with the normal aging process are discussed with reference to their impact on performance in physical and recreational activities. Descriptions are given of characteristic changes in visual acuity in the areas of: (1) presbyopia (inability to clearly focus near images); (2) sensitivity to…

This review and synthesis of research on vocational education for older adults focuses on members of society in the sixty-five-and-older age group who have retired from the labor force but not from the productive population. The author addresses ways in which vocational educators can facilitate utilization of the resources represented by those in…

Reviews theories providing the rationale for intergenerational programs and upon which intergenerational research concepts are based. The importance of applying these theories to the establishment of a program research framework is discussed. Recent studies are reviewed, and implications for future research and practice in intergenerational…

A senior citizen agency in New York State explored the program development needs of the growing number of older women. Data were collected through telephone surveys of approximately 100 older women randomly selected from lists of present members, former members, and older women who had never been associated with the agency. Respondents were asked…

The rural elderly have been socialized to different values from their urban counterparts. A better understanding of the rural aging is needed by gerontological educators, researchers, and practitioners. Urban methods may not work. Rural programs must build on existing values and social structure. (Author/JAC)