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12 <br /> B. The Diversity of the Older Population and Needed Services. <br /> We need to recognize that older adults are a diverse population with varying <br /> degrees of functional abilities. Three functional subgroups of older adults <br /> have been identifed: the "Fit-Well", the "Frail- Disabled" and the "Fragile- <br /> Institutionalized". These might be viewed as the three "stages of aging" <br /> over time and are more specifically described below. (Appendix H) <br /> 1. Fit/Well Seniors. Most (almost 80%) of the people over age 60 in this <br /> country fall into this category. Though many of these "Well-Active" <br /> persons have a chronic health problem, these problems do not constitute <br /> a major impairment or prevent them from living their usual way of life. <br /> Senior Center planning for this group is usually for group activities and <br /> services for productive living and the maintenance of good health. <br /> 2. Frail/Disabled Seniors. Just over 15% of older adults (60+) have <br /> health problems serious enough to make them "frail". Typically, they <br /> experience difficulty with one or more of the common activities of daily <br /> living (ADL) such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting and moving <br /> around. Disabled Seniors may also have difficulty with specific <br /> "instrumental" life tasks (IADL) such as preparing meals, doing <br /> necesssary shopping and light housekeeping or using a telephone. <br /> Thus, center planning focuses on this smaller group of older adults with <br /> rehabilitative services to support and provide the help needed in their <br /> homes to continue to live independently. These are known as <br /> community-based long term care services. <br /> 3. Fragile/Institutionalized Seniors. Finally, there is the 5% of older adults <br /> (60+) who are sufficiently ill and impaired as to be genuinely "fragile", <br /> and who need to have almost constant care or supervision either in their <br /> home or in a residential setting. Center planning focuses on being the <br /> point of contact for the provision of 24 hour protective care or assistance <br /> to care givers (such as day health care or support groups in a center) in <br /> order to do all that can be done for Seniors to remain as active and <br /> socially involved as is possible. <br /> C. Types of Senior Centers Based on Programming. Again, three types of <br /> centers emerge based on the center programming emphasis and <br /> available space. <br /> 1. Multi-activity type. This type of center focuses its resources on social <br /> and recreational activities that emphasize meeting interactional needs <br /> Page 9 of 16 <br />