The Elder Program: A strategy for prevention

Abstract

The older population has grown and will continue to increase at a rapid rate. With this growth, the need for services has expanded, and a tremendous multiplication of the formal services for older persons has emerged. However, because of the current grim economic picture, with funds redistributed away from social and human services, many programs which were valuable resources to older persons are no longer available.Throughout history, informal support systems--kin, friends, and neighb o r s -h a v e provided the bulk of social and health related services for older persons. By furnishing social support, assistance with daily living tasks, and help during times of illness and crises (Gurian & Cantor, 1978), these "informal supporters" fill needs for both service provision and prevention outside the confines of formal services (Collins & Pancoast, 1976). The value and impact of informal support systems is more readily apparent as formal human services are curtailed.The Elder Program described in this article seeks to strengthen the potential of the informal support system through an educational approach to initiating or enhancing viable neighborhood support groups for community-based older persons. It is predicated on the following assumptions which suggest that support-enhancement activities among the elderly are highly appropriate: (1) the daily problems or crises in the lives of older persons are not seen as resulting from failures of the individuals themselves, but are a part of the normal life experience and a concomitant need for support; (2) in considering the needs of older persons and the development of responsive formal and informal support systems, a holistic approach is taken which requires thinking about individuals as unique and whole beings functioning within a total environmental system; (3) there are older people living in neighborhood situations who do not have a responsive informal support system, and are, therefore, at risk;The Elder P r o g r a m is a Model D e m o n s t r a t i o n Project f u n d e d by t h e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n on Aging, G r a n t #04-AM-000005. 0278-095X(82)1600~0133502.75133