In the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare___ 125 133 133 134 134 135 137 138 138 138 139 In the Department of Labor In the National Science Foundation... In the Railroad Retirement Board.. In the Veterans' Administration. III. Employment. In the Department of Agriculture- In the Department of Commerce_ In the Civil Service Commission_. In the Federal Civil Defense Administration_ In the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare__ Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance_ In the Department of the Interior In the Department of Labor - - - . The Bureau of Employment Security ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Division. In the Office of Defense Mobilization_. 139 139 139 140 140 140 140 In the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation_ The Social Security Administration__. ! ! ! ! ! ! The Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance.. ! ! ! ! ! ! In the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare__ 153 153 The Public Health Service_ Howard University.. 154 154 In the Department of Commerce_ American Printing House for the Blind_ The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation_ The Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance. In the Department of the Interior__ In the Veterans' Administration.. VI. Family, life, living arrangements, and housing In the Department of Agriculture__ In the American National Red Cross__ In the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare__ The Social Security Administration__ In the Housing and Home Finance Agency. In the Department of the Interior__ In the Department of Labor__ In the Veterans' Administration_ VII. Other services___ In the Department of Agriculture... In the American National Red Cross... In the Civil Service Commission- In the Federal Civil Defense Administration__. In the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare--- The Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance_ The Public Health Service.. The Committee on Aging.. In the Department of the Interior_. In the Office of Defense Mobilization.. VIII. General information services__ The Department of Agriculture_.. The American National Red Cross.. The Civil Service Commission. The Department of Commerce_ The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare__ Office of the Commissioner__ The Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance_. Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.... The Public Health Service.. The Committee on Aging- Department of the Interior. The Office of Defense Mobilization_ The Railroad Retirement Board_-- The Veterans' Administration__ 154 154 154 155 155 155 155 -- 155 156 156 156 157 158 158 158 158 159 159 160 160 161 161 161 161 161 162 Page 149 149 149 152 152 153 153 153 154 154 155 PROGRAMS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR A Descriptive Inventory of Activities in Departments 156 31 12 THE CHALLENGE I. Tremendous population changes, stemming from our rapid advances in health and medical sciences and industrial productivity, have created difficult problems of social and economic adjustment in modern society. These changes in population have been due to long-term trends of decreasing mortality rates from actute infectious diseases and an accompanying increase in life expectancy, as well as to a rising birthrate in recent periods. Therefore, changes have not only included great increases in total population but also disproportionate increases in the youngest and oldest age groups in our population. The number of children is now increasing at twice the rate of the total population. The number of people 65 and over quadrupled in the period 1900. The total population doubled. These trends are continuing. The problems created by the increasing size of our population and its changing age composition have, however, been further intensified by other social and economic changes accompanying our technological advancement which have changed our ways of living and working. While problems of adjustment to these changes have affected all groups in society, they have borne more heavily on older adults because of special factors in their situation, namely, the factors of aging itself and social attitudes toward it. For not only have grave problems of care of a growing number of sick and infirm older people confronted society, but other problems have been created for the "abled" aged. Incomplete adjustments to changes brought about by our rapid industrial advancements have resulted in the displacement of older adults in our social and economic life, and development of new patterns of social and economic organization which will give older adults significant roles in society has been slow. The nature and extent of these mounting difficulties for a growing segment of our population have commanded increasing attention. Concern has given rise to discussion, study, and action in the local communities and by the State and Federal Governments of our country and, in fact, throughout the Western World. In all, the search has been for ways and means of meeting the challenge of age-the challenge of providing opportunity for enjoyable, productive life in health in the added years of life. EARLY AWARENESS The beginnings of this country's intensified interest in problems of aging were in the twenties and thirties. Problems of care of sick, infirm, and dependent aged people in the urban family setting began to multiply. Labor surpluses in our industrial system were forcing older workers out of employment in increasing numbers. Depression accelerated the problem. As their character became more widely and better understood, our people began to take steps to meet them. Two of the most important and fundamental studies during thir early period were made by the national health survey of 1935-36 and the President's Research Committee on Economic Trends-the forerunner of the United States Committee on Economic Security. This research was followed and supported by numerous studies and programs of action by many groups including industrial management, labor, private agencies and foundations, and the Government. The national health survey and other health studies following it helped to stimulate immediate development of increased research and improved facilities and methods for prevention, control, and treatment of chronic disease, which was shown by the national health study and other related research to be a major factor in the problems of our older population. In the Federal Government, Congress established the National Cancer Institute in the Public Health Service in 1937. In the following decade, six additional institutes were created to establish the National Institutes of Health. A GROWING CONCERN During the 1940's interest in the normal processes of aging and chronic disease continued to increase. In this decade, for example, the Public Health Service Gerontology Research Unit and the Gerontological Society were born out of the Macy Foundation's Research Club on Aging, and the American Geriatrics Society was founded. The findings of the President's Research Committee on Economic Trends and other economic and social studies made during the early thirties climaxed in the enactment of the Social Security Act in 1935, chief features of which were provisions for old-age assistance and old-age insurance. With this development, other agencies of Government initiated and expanded their activities, and numerous private agencies and foundations also developed extensive programs of action and research in this field. DIMENSIONS OF A NATIONAL PROBLEM By 1940 the problems of our older population were clearly outlined and wider understanding of their extent and nature was developing. As these problems continued to mount, recognition of a need for action to deal with fundamental problems of the status of older people in our society began to take form. The recognition of this need was reflected in increasing research on various aspects of the general subject of "Social Adjustment in Old Age," the title of a report made on extensive study of these problems by the Social Science Research Council in the midforties. During this period the American Psychological Association, the Adult Education Association, and the General Federation of Women's |