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~b.eAllnnla Journal 2-A Thursday, July 10, 1969

FHONT I Atlanta's Aid to the Elderly Draws Praise of U.SGOfficial By CHRISTENA BLEDSOE The new U.S. comimissiOTier on aging, John B. Martin, Thursday stressed that all Model Cities programs should include plans for the elderly, and said he would use Atlanta efforts as an example to sell this idea to other cities. I WHILE the ranks of the elderly are mushrooming because of medical advances prolonging life, their special problems haven't yet really been Jll'apI pied with, Martin said. I The elderly teml to be quiet about their problems, so some, one needs to "push" for them, Martin said. His Atla nta visit attempts to come up with " innovative ideas" to help make these people feel a useful part ! of society, he said. Atlanta and Seattle a<re among , the few cities in the nation now ' paying attention to their needs Through an " understanding" under Model Cities programs, with the Housing and Urban De- Martim said. His Atlanta visit velopment Department, Martin Thursday was the commissionsaid he expects federal officials er's firs_t to any of the regional . who r eview pla ns for some · 150 offices. Thursday Martin visited a fosModel Cities programs across the country to " look with special ter grandparent project at Grafavor" on those with plans to dy Memor ial Hospital, 1.nder some 41 pe rsons r anging tend to the needs of the eiderly . which from 60 to 85 years wor k part- In Atlanta for a regional meeting with personnel in the aging field from five states, Martin t°?k a whirlwi~d tou:r of_ ~tlanta s efforts to aid semor c1t1zens, and liked what he saw. Martin, who also has been appointed as President Nixon's special assistant for the aging, said the Nixon a<lministration plans to put special emphasis on the problems of the elderly. , UNDER HIS dual title he will be able to coordinat.e plans for the elderly with othe r federal agencies, Martin said. Since t he Model Cities pro- . grams are reviewed annually, Martin said this could serve as a built-in check to assure a ttention for the elderly. Some 10 per cent of the popula tion is 65 years and older, and nearly 40 per cent of this group lives in poverty or near-poverty, he said. Equally bad, Martin said, is the fact that the elde<rly feel lost and out of the mainstream of our youth-oriented society . I ing a baby, grinned and. said of her charge, " She's spoiled. " Mrs. George Miller, a _nurse with the project, told Ma rtin the program could use 50 more_fos1 ter grandparents at the reg1onaJ mental hospitia~ alone a_nd 25

more !or the new G~org,_a Rej tard:at10n Center opening 111 Oc- ,

tober. ·

"I hope I'm talking to the 1 right person," she said with a smile. I time, at Grady and a t the r egional mental hos pital five days a week car ing for childn!n. They ar e paid $1.60 an hour . EACH WOMAN is assigned to the care of one child a nd often attends him a month or longer at Grady. The program is set up to mutually benefit the children and fill a need of senior citizens . Mrs. Sar ah Hinton, 85, told him she loved her work so much that if she were fired , "I'd just come back on m v own. " The gray-haired woman said she had Z!> grandchildren, 21 great-grandc;hildren a n d one great-great-grandchild of ·her own. Another woman, who rocked in a rocking chair, bottle-feed- I MARTIN responded, " We want to know about it (the project)-not only where you are but what your dreams are." He said he is now trying to wrangle out of Congress $9.2 million for foster grandparent programs across the na tion. I In the Model Cities area , Martin took a quick neighbor hood tour and saw work at the Child Development Center whe r e older persons are being trained as classroom aides, the McDa niel Street Housing project for the aged, and learned of a project that will get volunteer s to take the elderly to the doctor, give home care if needed and even deliver m eals. A woman working at the Child Developm ent Center told Martin she was lost before she 1started working " but I haven 't missed a day since . : . . It's done a lot for my health," she I said with a smile. Martin commended the metro'polita n area Senior Citizens Ser vices Staff, headed by Al Ho rvabh, for p'lugging for the older people to assure they were included in Model Cities planning in health, education, transpor ta tion and hous ing components. �