Serving elders in greatest social and economic need: the challenge to the Elderly Nutrition Program

The federally funded Elderly Nutrition Program is mandated to serve elders in greatest social and economic need. Yet researchers have concluded that the program underserves certain groups of elders, including those who are socially impaired and homeless and members of ethnic and other minority groups. This paper reviews the issues involved in serving elders in greatest social and economic need and suggests that reaching all of these elders with program services is not only a laudable goal but also, based on innovative models briefly described, is clearly achievable.     

Housing Preferences of Vulnerable Elders in Suburbia

This article explores whether well and vulnerable elders residing in the suburbs differ in terms of: their level of satisfaction with their current living arrangement; their perception that they face a move within the next two years; and their level of interest in a series of different housing options. Our data support theoretical models that pose that diminished economic, physical, and social resources "push" vulnerable elders towards relocation. The data revealed that while the majority of well and vulnerable elders expressed high levels of satisfaction with their current homes, the vulnerable elders were significantly more likely to feel they faced an upcoming move. Housing options of interest to these vulnerable elders and implications for community planners are also addressed.     

Financial Exploitation of Elders: Analysis of Risk Factors Based on County Adult Protective Services Data

ABSTRACT

While all types of elder abuse and neglect are serious problems affecting thousands of vulnerable elders, financial exploitation has especially serious implications for the victims’ economic well-being and quality of life, because it may deprive the victims of their life savings and assets and thus their economic foundation for independence. In this study, data from the case files of a county adult protective services program were analyzed to identify risk factors associated with financial exploitation of and mismanagement by elders. The elders who were financially exploited were, on average, in their late seventies and tended to be cognitively impaired. We also found that owner-occupant elders were especially vulnerable to exploitation and that financial mismanagement and exploitation often occurred together. Approximately 60% of the perpetrators were relatives of the elderly victims, mostly their adult children, and the rest of the perpetrators were not related to the victims. Implications for interventions include case management for frail, cognitively impaired elders; preventive educational programs; and ongoing collaboration among adult protective services, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies.     

Social Capital, Savings, and Educational Performance of Orphaned Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa

We examine the impact of social capital on savings and educational performance of orphaned adolescents participating in a family-level economic strengthening program in Uganda. Findings indicate that if given the opportunity, poor families in Uganda will use financial institutions to save for the education of their adolescent youth. Moreover, although the results are mixed, overall, adolescents with higher levels of social capital and social support, including participation in youth groups, are likely to report better saving performance compared to their counterparts with lower levels of social capital and social support. The results point to: (1) the role for family-economic strengthening programs specifically focused on improving the educational outcomes of orphaned adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, and (2) the need for adolescents to be encouraged to participate in youth groups since these groups seem to offer the much needed supportive informal institutional structure for positive adolescent outcomes.     

The silent impact of ageist communication in long term care facilities: Elders' perspectives on quality of life and coping strategies

Communication is an essential component of any caregiving relationship. This is especially the case for institutionalized elders who need to maintain strong and empowering social bonds with caregivers. Previous studies have shown that communication can be a powerful transmitter of age-based stereotypes and as such, can lead to psychological disengagement and lowered self-esteem. In light of these results supporting the postulates of Communication Accommodation Theory, the main goal of the current study is to gain a better understanding of the role and impact of communication in the context of a caregiving relationship. Precisely, this study explored the extent to which institutionalized elders perceive daily communication with caregivers as being ageist, as well as the impact of such perceptions on quality of life in the facility and coping strategies used by elders. To do so, a total of 33 in depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with elders living in long-term care facilities in the province of Quebec. Results of qualitative and quantitative data analyses suggest that communication with caregivers is indeed perceived as ageist by the majority of elders and that such perceptions diminish the perceived quality of life in the facility; furthermore, most elders seem to cope with ageism by accommodating caregivers, a strategy that may ironically reinforce patterns of ageist communication.     

Vulnerability in old age: The issue of dependency in American society

The American focus on the importance of self-sufficiency and independence stands in contrast to the economic trends of recent decades that have led to an increased number of adults standing outside the productive core of economic activity. This “burden of dependency” has been manufactured by public policies designed to reconstitute the labor force and redistribute the burden of unemployment largely through the growth in retirement. Recently the success of income maintenance programs developed to improve the financial accessibility of retirement for older workers has begun to undercut the legitimacy of their status as dependents. This article examines that role of dependency, and argues that the social processes that produce dependency among our elders are not substantively different from the processes that affect younger age groups. Consequently the questions of distributive justice that are involved in the dependency of the elderly are questions that relate to members of all age groups who occupy positions of disadvantage in the economic structure.     

Lesbian,Gay Male,Bisexual and Transgendered Elders: Elder Abuse and Neglect Issues

ABSTRACT

Unfortunately, due In large measure to our society's still-pervasive social prejudice against and ignorance about sexual orientation and gender minorities, there have been few studies of this population of elders, and virtually no one has examined how this population's culture affects its experience with elder abuse. Based on the author's knowledge of this community and discussions with social workers and domestic violence specialists who serve it, these clients are likely to be more resistant than other clients to accepting services. Greater awareness of the existence and circumstances of lesbian, gay male, and transgendered elders should help protective services staff in building rapport with these clients and in getting them the services and assistance that they need.     

Net Worth and the Economic Diversity of the Elderly

Using data from the 1984 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), this article examines characteristics of the older population disaggregated by net-worth quantities. The authors argue that income is not a sufficient measure of economic status for current policy discussions on issues such as changing Medicare co-payments, increasing the taxation of social security benefits, or means-testing under Medicaid. Net worth is a better measure of economic status, particularly for the elderly, because it represents the net value of assets accumulated over the life course. Their results indicate that there is considerable diversity in the economic status of the older population, which is masked by aggregate statistics (such as means and medians) typically used to summarize the economic status of population groups. Stereotypical views of the elderly based on such aggregates result in misdirected policy formulation. In the future, policymakers will need to formulate policies and program using information on the distributions of income and assets among the older populations rather than relying on statistical aggregates.     

Demographic Profiles of Asian Immigrant Elderly Residing in Metropolitan Ethnic Enclave Communities

Abstract

This study reports the demographic characteristics of six groups of Asian American elders (Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Japanese) in a regional probability sample (n = 407). The findings confirm the heterogeneity of the Asian American elderly population, who differ in terms of demographics, immigration and acculturation experiences, language proficiency, educational attainment, and financial status. Findings point to the importance of taking careful consideration of the specific needs of different population groups of Asian American elders when planning social and support services. Additionally, cultural competence training for health and social service professionals is needed in order to address the special needs, variability, and differences among these Asian ethnic populations.     

The role of social isolation of elders in recidivism of self-neglect cases at San Francisco Adult Protective Services

This study examined the relationship between social isolation of elders and recidivism of self-neglect cases at San Francisco Adult Protective Services. Of secondary interest was an examination of other risk factors: mental health concerns, cognitive deficits, and substance/alcohol abuse. A secondary chart review was conducted on 704 elder clients with confirmed cases of self-neglect in 2004. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed a positive relationship between substance/ alcohol abuse and recidivism, and a negative relationship between cognitive decline and recidivism. No significant relationships were found for social isolation or mental health concerns and recidivism. This study supports previous research suggesting significant relationships between substance abuse and self-neglect, further demonstrating a need for more substance/alcohol abuse programs for elders.     

Beachboys as culture brokers in Bakau Town, The Gambia

This article places the development of tourism in Bakau, TheGambia, within the general context of social and economic changesin the town. It focuses on the activities of beachboys in Bakauwho assume the role of culture brokers, acting as mediatorsand innovators in the community. It then studies the ambivalentreaction of Bakau elders to the beachboys' activities.     

Economy,Society and Welfare: A Study in Social Economics. Joseph S. Berliner. New York,Praeger Publishers, 1972. 216 Pages, $13.50. Hardbound

This paper calls on schools of social work to provide more workers for practice in rural settings. It reviews the basic character of rural areas and the need for systematic intervention and program development to alter the disproportionate amount of social and economic problems existing there. The use of rural settings for student practice is reviewed, including concepts such as the community of communities, models for designing practice experiences, the role of the educator, and positive features and barriers found in providing social services.     

Getting Serious About Inequality

Sociologists have spent a great deal of energy studying social inequality, but in this presentation I suggest that we need to refocus our efforts a bit. I examine four popular myths among the general public, and among some in sociology, regarding the drivers of extreme inequality: (1) that most inequality is generated by race and gender, (2) that most inequality is driven by educational inequality, (3) that most inequality is driven by differences in family structure, and (4) that most inequality results from face‐to‐face interactions. I provide preliminary evidence that our explanations need some work. That work involves recognizing that most inequality is generated within demographic groups and that this inequality is growing rapidly. It also involves recognizing that there are few ways to incorporate underrepresented groups into the mainstream of a social and economic system where extreme inequality is getting worse and substantial percentages of the population face economic stagnation and downward mobility. The conclusion represents a call to focus on the most important group gap—the widening gap between the wealthy and the poor—and the mechanisms through which most people gain access to economic goods, services, and social respect—jobs and money.     

Caregiving and long-term health care in the People's Republic of China

The growing proportion of frail elderly in the People's Republic of China has necessitated policy of the state toward their long-term care. In this decade, there has been an increase in the amount of data available on the care and needs of Chinese frail elders. This article synthesizes these data and traces the patterns of care of frail elders. It distinguishes between urban and rural patterns, and identifies the increasing role of the family and community in the caregiving of elders. State policy, evident from the data, suggests that the state's role in direct care of elders is minor but that it continues to influence and support eldercare as part of its policy of promoting the one-child per couple policy. This process can be seen in support programs for the childless elder, who symbolizes the expected condition of a large number of future elders under the one-child policy. The article identifies four factors that are influencing the changing patterns of long-term care of elders in China: (1) economic reform programs; (2) the political agenda of the Chinese Communist Party; (3) differences in urban and rural economic conditions; and (4) policy directed at long-term investment in health care technology.     

Farm Friends

Abstract

Intergenerational programs have proliferated in community and educational settings, yet research on their effects and impacts lags (Kaplan, 2002; Kuehne, 1998/99), and the benefits and learning that occur for participants are under-theorized (Abrams and Giles, 1999; Smith and Yeager, 1999). Similarly, insufficient research has been reported on the learning that takes place in environmental education programs. In this paper we focus on the relationship that developed between community elders and elementary school-aged children during the first year of an intergenerational environmental education project. Our goal is to better understand these experiences so we can sustain participation and develop programs rich in rewards for elders and children. We are particularly interested in the nature of intergenerational learning that occurs when children are brought together with community elders for environmental education that is integrated into a school program. Granville and Ellis (1999) propose that for a program to be defined as intergenerational, it must show a benefit and value for both generations and “demonstrate an improvement in the quality of life for both, and from that, an improvement in the quality of life for all” (p. 236). We concur with these criteria and designed a program linking community elders with farming backgrounds with one class of 18 grade-seven girls for the purpose of fostering environmental consciousness. In this paper we focus our attention on the learnings of participants in order to understand the mutuallearning that occurs in an intergenerational environmental program.     

Social Workers’ and Students’ Attitudes toward Electronic Tracking of People with Alzheimer's Disease

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have recently been employed to help monitor persons with dementia. While the advantages of such technologies are clear, making use of them raises a number of ethical dilemmas. Considering the fact that social workers may be called upon to assist families in making decisions regarding the use of GPS, their attitudes on this issue are important. Fifty-five social workers and 61 social work students completed a questionnaire including: attitudes toward tracking, knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) symptoms, familiarity with persons who have AD, and ratings of who should be involved in the decision-making process regarding GPS use. Findings showed that the highest-scored attitude factor was respecting elders’ autonomy, while the lowest-scored factor opposed GPS use. The elderly and their spouses were rated as important decision-makers regarding the use of GPS. Knowledge of AD and respecting autonomy were negatively correlated. Students gave a higher rating to respecting elders’ autonomy than the social workers. Social workers gave a higher rating to the importance of a multidisciplinary team. Implications for social work education are discussed including recommendations for person-centered AD care on the one hand, and the need to balance the interests of the individual and the family on the other.     

The Needs of Older Persons at Risk of Housing Loss

This chapter explores the implications of some of the earlier findings about elders at risk, especially the significance of social support, mental competence, and income. There is need for research exploring consumer perspectives and preferences, as well as agency constraints and flexibility. Services needed include health and mental health outreach, home maintenance and creative matching of natural helpers and formal care. Fundamentally, a national commitment is needed to "housing for all."     

Self-Employment as a Social and Economic Development Intervention for Recipients of AFDC

Summary

This paper reports findings from program evaluations of two demonstrations designed to (1) test self-employment as a social and economic development strategy for recipients of AFDC, and (2) identify policy barriers to improving the economic well-being of this population. The authors collected data through interviews with program participants and program operators and used secondary data contained in operators' management information systems and state Department of Human Services electronic files. Program results showed that self-employment is a viable social and economic development strategy for self-selected welfare recipients who receive business training and assistance in locating operating capital. The paper discusses implications for social work practice, education, and research.