A preliminary study of Missouri's domiciliary homes and boarding homes for the elderly : four case studies

Abstract

We call them the "golden years", ages 65 and over. Yet for many of the 20 million elder Americans these later years of life are not exactly "golden." Not all of our nation's 20 million elderly are enjoying their retirement years in sunny Florida, or California; quite the contrary, a vast number do not have pensions or investments that would enable them to relocate and live a pleasant life of leisure. Many have few or no living relatives to turn to as they grow older and have an increasing need for financial or emotional support. Unfortunately for the less well-off their waning years may be years of hardship and despair because they have no one to look to for assistance and often have severely limited financial means. But what could be seen as most distressing in this matter is the fact that our aged population grows daily, showing every sign of further enlargement in the future. Since the turn of the century advancements in science and technology have given us more and better food, improved sanitation, substantial housing, and improvements for some in working conditions; but advancements in the fields of medicine have provided us with even more. Drastic cuts in infant mortality and the near elimination of contagious diseases in childhood and early adulthood have contributed to people surviving so as to be counted among the fast growing population of elderly citizens.