Social Services

Funded through an array of federal, state, and local sources, social services are designed to enhance the independence and quality of life for elderly people in America. The use of public funds to support services exclusively for the elderly has become controversial as the nation’s elderly have become more financially secure, and public resources have become more scarce.

Following a brief review of early approaches to serving the nation’s elderly, this entry considers the use of social services to prevent nursing home placement and describes the range of social services available. A brief discussion of strategies for accessing public social services is followed by a review of the relationship between family care and social services. The entry closes with brief consideration of the challenges of providing services for emerging cohorts of older Americans.