ABSTRACT
This chapter stresses that an opportunity is to work ethically with the older person and with those involved and concerned about their well-being, holding that "well begun, half done" is a useful principle. It offers a repertoire of practices to begin work with older people and their significant systems. It is found that spending more time on beginnings greatly enhances both clients and practitioners, saving more time in the long run. The decision about whether or not the older person is involved depends upon the request fits with their professional duties and responsibilities as well as the task and referral criteria of the agency or service. Mapping the older person's system, including "who is concerned" and "who can offer resources to the situation" helps to join with a resource-full community towards dis-solving the identified problems. The constraints of time and limited resources challenge the abilities to engage with all these practices.
