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Purpose: Recent data (2002) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that almost 11% of all cases of AIDS were diagnosed in people 50 and older. Despite the steady rise and future projections of increase, there is still a paucity of education and prevention programs targeting this population. This article reports on the development and piloting of an HIV/AIDS education prevention program. It describes an educational curriculum that provides older adults with accurate information about the relevance of HIV/AIDS to their lives. Design and Methods: A purposive sample (n = 249) of ethnically and economically diverse adults 50 years and older was selected from 14 organizations in rural and urban settings in California. They were surveyed to determine their interest in participating in HIV/AIDS education prevention programs. Results: A majority of participants reported interest in an HIV/AIDS prevention program for older people, with female respondents more likely to attend than male respondents. Participants who were moderately or very religious were also more likely to attend. Participants expressed preference for prevention education through presentations at centers serving older adults, and from physicians and other health care providers. On the basis of these findings, a specialized curriculum targeting older adults was developed, presented, and disseminated. Implications: People 50 years and older are sexually active, lack accurate information about HIV/AIDS, and are in need of HIV/AIDS education.

This article explores the meaning and experiences of paid work for older women. Taped, in-person interviews were conducted with 53 ethnically and economically diverse women, 55 to 84 years old. The interview guide contained open-ended questions regarding the meaning of work, reasons for working, and the centrality of work to personal identity. Participants discussed the following topics: independence from men; lost dreams and regrets related to paid work and educational opportunities; being responded to as mother by co-workers and supervisors; and working above and beyond the call of duty.

Research on body image and older women has grown in the past decade. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding body image, older women, and countertransference. This article provides 7 case examples of racially and ethnically diverse women over 60, drawn from MSW student and agency staff supervision, and participant feedback from a national conference on aging workshop. Themes related to loss and grief, adult daughter and aging mother issues, incest, anger, disability, personality disorders, phobic reactions, and shame are discussed. Recommendations and implications for social work practice, education and research are provided. KEYWORDS Body image, older women, countertransference DOI: 10.1080/01634370903507589

This article explores the meaning and experiences of paid work for older women. Taped, in-person interviews were conducted with 53 ethnically and economically diverse women, 55 to 84 years old. The interview guide contained open-ended questions regarding the meaning of work, reasons for working, and the centrality of work to personal identity. Participants discussed the following topics: independence from men; lost dreams and regrets related to paid work and educational opportunities; being responded to as mother by co-workers and supervisors; and working above and beyond the call of duty.

Purpose: Recent data (2002) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that almost 11% of all cases of AIDS were diagnosed in people 50 and older. Despite the steady rise and future projections of increase, there is still a paucity of education and prevention programs targeting this population. This article reports on the development and piloting of an HIV/AIDS education prevention program. It describes an educational curriculum that provides older adults with accurate information about the relevance of HIV/AIDS to their lives. Design and Methods: A purposive sample (n = 249) of ethnically and economically diverse adults 50 years and older was selected from 14 organizations in rural and urban settings in California. They were surveyed to determine their interest in participating in HIV/AIDS education prevention programs. Results: A majority of participants reported interest in an HIV/AIDS prevention program for older people, with female respondents more likely to attend than male respondents. Participants who were moderately or very religious were also more likely to attend. Participants expressed preference for prevention education through presentations at centers serving older adults, and from physicians and other health care providers. On the basis of these findings, a specialized curriculum targeting older adults was developed, presented, and disseminated. Implications: People 50 years and older are sexually active, lack accurate information about HIV/AIDS, and are in need of HIV/AIDS education. Key Words: Older adults, HIV/AIDS education, HIV/AIDS prevention

This study explores the meaning and conditions of housework and other unpaid responsibilities for older women. Taped, in-person interviews were conducted with 53 ethnically and economically diverse women, 55-84 years old. The interview guide contained open-ended questions regarding the process of taking on housework and other unpaid responsibilities and the centrality to personal identity. Participants reported shifts in perceptions of housework as work, decreased importance of housework with age, the attitude of care recipients affecting the experience and meaning of unpaid responsibilities, and the impact of historical racist events on viewing unpaid responsibilities as opportunity. KEYWORDS. Housework, unpaid responsibilities, older women

This article will describe a method that has been effective in helping supervisors identify countertransference reactions in themselves. It offers clinical supervisors a way to identify their own countertransference when supervising students, interns and professional staff who are working with older adults. This technique can be utilized in a variety of work settings such as hospitals, long-term care settings, mental health clinics, multi-purpose centers for older adults and private practice. KEYWORDS. Countertransference, instructional method, clinical supervision, training

This article will describe a method that has been effective in helping students, paraprofessional counselors as well as mental health professionals identify countertransference reactions in themselves. It offers instructors and clinical supervisors a way to teach about countertransference toward elderly clients. This technique can be utilized in a variety of work settings such as classrooms, mental health clinics, multi-purpose centers for older adults and private practice. Keywords: Countertransference, instructional method, clinical supervision, training

This article reports on older women’s experiences and advice on condom use, male-female relationships, HIV risk, and prevention education. It reports on findings from five written, open-ended questions with 110 ethnically and economically diverse women, 40–80 years old. Analysis revealed four themes: (a) Gap between condom use advice and condom use behavior; (b) invisibility with age; (c) negative expectations of men; and (d) desire for education that breaks the silence on sex. The article discusses the meaning of the findings as they relate to current knowledge about HIV prevention education and midlife and older women and offers recommendations for research and education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article explores the meaning and conditions of caring activities for older women. Taped, in-person interviews were conducted with 53 ethnically and economically diverse women, 55-84 years old. The interview guide contained open-ended questions regarding the process of taking on caring activities and the centrality of care to personal identity. Past activities were automatically assumed, in contrast to the present experience of choice. Caring activities provided meaning and continuity throughout the life course. Participants reported becoming more self-protective over the life course and offered seven explanations for their increased ability to be self-protective. KEYWORDS. Older women, caring activities, self-protective limits