Perceiving Needs by Staff and Elderly Clients: The Impact of Training and Client Contact

Abstract

This project examines survey data from a metropolitan community to investigate comparative rankings of needs of older persons by service providers (N = 42) and their elderly target population (N = 359). Training in gerontology, serving elderly clients exclusively, and having direct contact with elderly clients as line staff were not predictors of knowledge of elderly needs by service providers. These findings suggest that misperceptions between providers and consumers can be alleviated through consumer participation in the agency planning process.