Capacity Building for Gerontological Services: An Evaluation of Adult Day Services in a Rural State

摘要

As the number of elders in our nation increases, it becomes critical to develop programs and services designed to meet their biopsychosocial and physical needs. This article reports on one component of a mixed methods evaluation study of adult day service programs in Iowa, a critical home and community-based service for elders. After providing a description of their individual services, adult day services (ADS) administrators identified barriers to the growth of this program in the state. It was found that there were three main types of barriers that prevented the growth of ADS in Iowa: (a) systemic, (b) community-based, and (c) funding. It was found that there was a need for capacity building of adult day services in Iowa. A model for addressing these barriers through capacity building at the state and local levels is discussed.