This article presents comparative information, gained from mailed questionnaires, on the attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of clients' needs held by 62 administrators and 57 direct-service personnel working with the aged. Administrators and direct-service workers were remarkably similar on each of these dimensions. Both groups demonstrated positive attitudes toward the aged and a deficit of certain types of factual knowledge about aging. Education was positively related to factual knowledge and favorable attitudes toward the elderly.
References
1.
AvantW. R.DresselP. L.Perceiving needs by staff and elderly clients: the impact of training and client contact. Gerontologist, 1980, 20, 71–77.
2.
BrubakerT. H.BarresiC. M.Social workers' level of knowledge about old age and perceptions of service delivery to the elderly. Research on Aging, 1979, 1, 213–232.
3.
CarlinJ. E.Lawyers' ethics. New York: Russell Sage, 1966.
4.
CoeR. M.Professional perspective on the aged. Gerontologist, 1967, 7, 114–119.
5.
GeigerD. L.How future professionals view the elderly: a comparative analysis of social work, law, and medical students' perceptions. Gerontologist, 1978, 18, 591–594.
6.
GoldeP.KoganN.A sentence completion procedure for assessing attitudes toward old people. Journal of Gerontology, 1959, 14, 355–363.
7.
HoltzmanJ. M.BeckJ. D.HodgettsP. G.CogganP. G.RyanN.Geriatrics program for medical srudents and family practice residents: I. Establishing attitudes toward the aged. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1977, 25, 521–524.
8.
KahanaE.CoeR. M.Self and staff conceptions of institutionalized aged. Gerontologist, 1969, 9, 264–267.
KeithP. M.An exploratory study of sources of stereotypes of old age among administrators. Journal of Gerontology, 1977, 32, 463–469.
11.
KoganN.Attitudes toward old people: the development of a scale and an examination of correlates. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1961, 62, 44–54.
12.
KosbergJ. I.The nursing home: a social work paradox. Social Work, 1973, 18, 104–110.
13.
KosbergJ. I.CohenS. Z.MendLovitzA.Comparison of supervisors' attitudes in a home for the aged. Gerontologist, 1972, 12, 241–245.
14.
KosbergJ. I.GormanJ. F.Perceptions toward the rehabilitation potential of institutionalized aged. Gerontologist, 1975, 15, 398–403.
15.
KosbergJ. I.HarrisA. P.Attitudes toward elderly clients. Health and Social Work, 1978, 3, 67–90.
16.
MutschlerP.Factors affecting choice of and perseveration in social work with the aged. Gerontologist, 1971, 11, 231–241.
17.
PalmoreE.Facts on aging: a short quiz. Gerontologist, 1977, 17, 315–320.
18.
SkoglundJ.A comparative factor analysis of attitudes toward societal relations of the elderly. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 1978, 8, 277–291.
19.
TuckmanJ.LorgeI.Attitudes toward old people. Journal of Social Psychology, 1953, 37, 249–260.
20.
WalshJ. L.EllingR. H.Professionalism and the poor: structural effects and professional behavior. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1969, 9, 16–28.
21.
WillieC. V.The social class of patients that public health nurses prefer to serve. American Journal of Public Health, 1960, 50, 1124–1136.