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How Many Old People Use Community Services? A Review of Survey Findings
Author(s) -
Howe Anna L,
Sharwood Penny
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1989.tb00861.x
Subject(s) - project commissioning , interpretation (philosophy) , publishing , community service , service (business) , sociology , public relations , psychology , political science , computer science , marketing , business , law , programming language
Several surveys of the aged have been conducted in Australia in recent years. They give rise to questions about the usefulness of their findings, particularly in determining the extent to which the aged use community services and in planning future services. This paper reviews the methods and findings of five of these surveys carried out between 1981 and 1986. It looks at the way questions were constructed, the time reference used, the populations and samples, problems of non‐response and of definition. Explanations for the variability in reported service use are addressed. Finally, issues relating to the interpretation and application of survey findings are raised and discussed.