Service coordinators in senior housing. An exploration of an emerging role in long-term care.
The evolving role of service coordinators in federally subsidized senior housing offers a new opportunity to enhance service delivery to older adults who are aging in place. Senior housing occupies an unrecognized but important niche in the long-term care continuum. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has acknowledged the need for housing-based social services by developing and funding service coordinator positions. Efforts by visionary agencies have demonstrated that an on-site social service professional improves access to needed supportive services and assists housing staff to understand age-related issues. Although the need and efficacy of housing-based services have been substantiated, the day-to-day practice has not been widely examined. This article offers a description of the unique dynamics of providing social services in a housing setting, based on the experiences of service coordinators in the San Francisco Bay area.
Holland
J M
JM
Ganz
L J
LJ
Higgins
P T
PT
Antonelli
K I
KI
D000368:Aged; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008134:Long-Term Care; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration*