SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS IN OLD AGE DEPENDENCY.

This article presents the author's views on the issue of sociological factors in old age dependency in the U.S. The problem of the care and support of the more than 3,000,000 aged persons in the United States and the sociological factors underlying old age dependency is increasing concern to both public and private social agencies. In New York State alone there are approximately 396,000 men and women 70 years of age, or over, many of whom have been deprived of the means of making a living because of the prolonged economic depression. Moreover, this proportion of aged persons has been mounting steadily due to such factors as decreasing birth and death rates, restrictions of immigration and the general increase in population. Their plight has been still further intensified because of modern industry's preference for youth and a tendency to eliminate the older age groups from hazardous occupations for the purpose of minimizing the cost of compensation. Such a critical situation confronting these unfortunate individuals points to the need of a continued study of the extent of the problem and the various factors involved in old age dependency for the purpose of determining the methods of care that will effect the best possible adjustments.