ABSTRACT
Social expectations demand that the older person relinquish the assertive style of earlier years the older worker is expected to "step aside" to make room for younger workers. Reduced mobility eliminates many opportunities for social interaction. The theoretical background for the present program is a social-skill learning model consisting of a set of principles and procedures derived from social learning theory. The skill training programs described here are designed to develop the complex social behaviors that determine an individual's competence in social situations. The rationale behind the step was that there exists within a social environment, consensual validation as to what constitutes an effective response to a social situation. Oakwood Village is a voluntary nursing home under the auspices of Lutheran Social Service and is located in Madison. Oakwood Village is part of a complex of several buildings which vary in level of care from skilled nursing to semi-independent living within an "apartment-complex" setting.
