The author explores service awareness, service use, and reasons for nonuse of six community-based social services among a sample of older black persons living in Florida. Results indicated that service awareness and use were extremely low. Reasons for nonuse of services included a lack of need, dissatisfaction with services, uncertainty about eligibility requirements, and health problems. The author concludes that more effective means of disseminating information on services and consideration of appropriateness of services are needed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BecketJ., & ColeyS. (1987). Ecological intervention with the elderly: A care example. Gerontological Social Work, 11, 137–157.
2.
BellB. D. (1975). Mobile care to the elderly: An evaluation. Gerontologist, 15, 100–103.
3.
CarpF. (1970). Communicating with elderly Mexican-Americans, Gerontologist, 10, 126–134.
4.
DancyJ. (1980). The black elderly: A guide for practitioners.Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan/Wayne State University.
5.
DowningR. A., & CopelandE. J. (1980). Services for the black elderly: National or local problems'Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2, 289–303.
6.
EveS., & FriedsamH. (1979). Ethnic differences in the use of health care services among older Texans. Journal of Minority Aging, 4, 62–75.
7.
FellinP., & PowellT. (1988). Mental health services and older adult minorities: An assessment. Gerontologist, 28, 442–447.
8.
GordonJ. (1979). Use of aging services by elderly blacks in Douglas County. Journal of Minority Aging, 4, 88–92.
9.
HolmesD.HolmesM.SteinbachL.HausnerT., & RocheleauB. (1979). The use of community-based services in long-term care by older persons. Gerontologist, 19, 389–397.
10.
JacksonJ. (1972). Comparative life styles and family and friend relationships among older black women. Family Coordinator, 21, 477–484.
11.
KroutJ. (1983). Knowledge and use of services by the elderly: A critical review of the literature. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 17, 153–167.
12.
LopataH. Z. (1975). Support systems of elderly urbanites: Chicago of the 70s. Gerontologist, 15, 35–41.
13.
MaldonadoD. (1982). Prevention among the minority elderly. In MillerS. O.NealG., & ScottC. (Eds.). Primary prevention approaches to the development of mental health services for ethnic minorities: A challenge to social work education and practice.New York: Council on Social Work Education.
14.
MindelC.WrightR., & StarrettR. (1986). Informal and formal health and social support systems of black and white elderly: A comparative cost approach. Gerontologist, 26, 279–287.
15.
PattersonR. (1976). Community mental health centers: A survey of services for the elderly. In Issues in mental health and aging: Proceedings of the Conference on Service Issues in Mental Health and Aging.Washington, DC: National Institute of Public Health.
16.
PetchersM., & MilliganS. (1988). Access to health care in a black urban elderly population. Gerontologist, 28, 213–217.
17.
SearsD., & McConalayJ. (1973). The politics of violence.Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
18.
SolomonB. (1970). Ethnicity, mental health and the older black aged. Proceedings of the workshop on ethnicity, mental health and aging.Los Angeles: Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California.