Active Living in Older Adulthood: Principles and Practices of Activity Programs

Since 1996, both the older adult population and the field of gerontology have changed considerably. The population has grown in size and diversity, as it will continue to do throughout the first half of the 21st century. With the aging of the 76 million Baby Boomers, activity specialists should be ready for significant changes in the needs, interests, and preferences of the older adults to whom they provide services. Health, longevity, educational achievement, and other cohort attributes will challenge the activity specialist to be more nimble in their expectations of what their clientele will want and what might be unpalatable to them. Other forces such as medical advances, technological change, and an unsteady political climate and economy will undoubtedly challenge the ways that activity services are available, sought, and delivered

Activity professionals from a wide array of disciplines should find this book to be useful in providing basic information about older adults as well as practical details in the design and delivery of activity programs and services for older adults. Also, course instructors will find the book applicable for general courses for certified nurse assistants and day activity providers.