ABSTRACT
By the year 2030, an unprecedentedly large percentage of the American population will be older than 65. One in five Americans will be entering a life stage characterized by increasing health and social pressures to withdraw from the workforce. Reliance by Americans in this age group on public programs is significant, and provision of services to the slightly more than 1 in 10 (12%) Americans now in that age group already strains public resources. Changes in public policies and programs that are fundamental to the quality of life of current and future older Americans and their families (e.g., Social Security and Medicare) are at the top of the U.S. policy agenda. Public and nonprofit agencies struggle every day to find ways to provide increased services with diminishing resources. This entry provides a general orientation to current programs and services for older Americans. It outlines the vast, multidisciplinary structure for current services that is the foundation for future change.
