This book provides a unique analysis of provider-, environment-, client-, and societal-based obstacles to the empowerment of frail elderly persons in a philosophical framework of social values, as well as an applied framework wherein a variety of international case studies by a distinguished board of contributors provide concrete examples of the feasibility of achieving real empowerment. Empowerment means different things to different people in the context of housing, health, and social service delivery. This book analyzes the various definitions of the concept and practice of the...

Heumann and Boldy define and analyze emerging programs to help the frail and low-income elderly stay out of institutions and age in place in their communities with proper support systems. The case studies presented describe the latest thinking and innovative public program solutions to aging in place in highly developed industrialized countries, including Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Sweden, and the United States. Heumann and Boldy link these studies and describe the conditions and constraints under which existing programs function.

Chapter 1 examines the benefits...