active role. The stereotype older person rocking away the last years, or dozing off in the park, or lying incoherent in a nursing home, would be replaced by a truer picture of a senior citizen-a person who can think, talk, walk, dream, learn, teach, love, hate. A person rather than an old thing.

And that is not all that Title IX could do. It could provide your communities with an experienced and talented resource. This resource would help your communities to extend and to better the services they provide to shut-ins, to children in day care centers, to the infirm in nursing homes and hospitals, to the clients at health clinics, legal aid offices, housing projects, nutrition sites, community centers, employment offices, tax offices, the local "Y" or the Red Cross.

Title IX could help an unemployed older person come back to the mainstream of our society. It could help that person regain a sense of usefulness, it could help him keep his health and his mental alertness, it could reverse the downhill slide from being a drain on society to returning to helping us build a better place for us to work and play.

We had visions of how Title IX could really play a huge role in helping America relearn the value of the individual before the number, the statistics, the polls took all of us and put us in neat columns. I am not saying we want to return to the good ol' days, but just possibly if we could work out a way to recognize people's needs and desires, individually as well as collectively, we might end up with a nation of people more dedicated to building a country than to taking advantage of it.

Unfortunately, almost 2 years after Title IX was signed into law only $10 million has been allocated to operate this good program. That amount of funding limits the program to only providing approximately 3,300 older unemployed people 55 years and over, with the opportunity to work part-time for one short year. That number combined with the Operation Mainstream older workers program only gives older workers a total of 12,674 part-time job opportunities for the whole nation including Puerto Rico and the trust territories. As of June 30, there may be no job opportunities left for older workers as the U.S. Department of Labor is terminating Operation Mainstream and the Title IX appropriation of $12,000,000 is on the Administration's recision list. These two moves will leave over 12,000 older poor people without a job and, in reality, without any hope of ever earning a living for themselves, again. During good times the regular labor market didn't want them and now with so many unemployed people, they will never stand a chance.

It is disturbing that 2 years after the fact, Title IX is not securely funded at a level that would enable it to pick up the Operation Mainstream enrollees who will be terminated in 5 short months. The delaying tactics used by the Department of Labor to stop the commencement of Title IX and their continued fight to kill this good program is a discredit to our country.

The National Council was ready to begin putting Title IX in operation in 1973 and once the Department of Labor decided to administer part of the Title IX program it took us only a few weeks to have all the local projects operating and hiring older people who would begin to proudly call themselves Senior Aides. However, during the year that elapsed between passage of the Act and finally putting the program in operation, the Department of Labor tried many techniques to stop this program from ever seeing the light of day.

First, of course, the Administration never requested any funds for the program. Congress did appropriate $10,000,000 for Fiscal Year 1974 in December, 1973. In February, 1974, the Administration, in a Fiscal Year 1974 Supplemental Request for the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, tried to weave Title IX into CETA and Assistant Secretary Kolberg testified during the next month that the $10 million already appropriated was a one time, one shot appropriation and that the money would be given to the State CETA Prime Sponsors even though the Senate Report to the appropriations bill said national contractors of older worker programs were to be primarily used to administer the new Title IX program. In the second supplemental, the House Report of April, 1974, contained the same direction for the Department of Labor to use national contractors. Then in late April, 1974. the Department of Labor finally released draft regulations for Title IX and they gave the states first priority for the funds. In May, the Senate report to the second supplemental appropriations came out with language directing the Secretary to primarily use national contractors as their tried and proven approach of administering these programs was superior. The Department of Labor still didn't amend its regulations. The Conference Report to the second supplemental directed the Department of Labor to use national contractors for the Title IX program. Finally, the Department of Labor understood Congressional intent and the $10,000,000 was released to national contractors on June 28,

1974, but the New Federal regulations said the use of national contractors was only for Fiscal Year 1974 funds and in future years, the regulations state, priority is to be given to organizations such as State and local agencies responsible for administering grants and programs under CETA.

A full circle-a complete run around.

Not to be daunted, Congressional advocates for older workers picked up the ball and again appropriated $12,000,000 for Title IX for Fiscal Year 1975 with language in the Appropriation Reports again directing the Department of Labor to primarily use national contractors. Once more the Department of Labor came around and stated that the national contractors would be used to operate the Title IX program for Fiscal Year 1975. However, the Department of Labor wants to impound the $12,000,000 appropriated for Fiscal Year 1975 and it has yet to change the Title IX regulations to reflect Congressional intent for administration of the program.

Considering the nation's high unemployment rate and the fact that older workers have a very tough time finding jobs during good times, it is extremely hard to understand why the Department of Labor and this Administration is completely bent on reducing the budget by taking dollars and opportunities away from older poor people. These tactics rather remind me of the dumb bully in the block who picked on kids smaller than he, presumably to show his strength. We all laughed at him because we could see he was greatly afraid of the big kids and we knew he would not pick a fight with the kids equal to his strength. The little kid he knocked down though, didn't laugh.

Most of you sitting on this distinguished panel understand the reasons why Congress has supported national contractors as the administrators of older worker program. Please allow me though to briefly outline why the National Council and other national organizations have been able to administer older worker programs effectively, and why the manpower revenue sharing system should not be used as the primary administrative method for operating older worker programs.

At the very top of all considerations to be weighed, is what types of skills and knowledge are needed so that the older worker receives the very best assistance possible. Most unemployed older people that are able to work part or full-time are unable to obtain jobs in the regular labor market only because of age. Most of the older people that come to us have many skills, though possibly a little rusty, a life-time of experience and good work habits. It is very easy to utilize these people in community service work.

However, since many of the people served by our Operation Mainstream and Title IX programs have been out of work for a considerable length of time, have been subjected to many employers turning them down for jobs and have been living in poverty, the first problem we must solve is to bring despairing older workers out of their depression and show them how extremely useful their skills are in providing other disadvantaged people with social services. Along with this psychological boost of usefulness, an enrollee may need some help in getting some new eyeglasses, dentures and new shoes or clothes since they have been unable to purchase anything for a considerable length of time and everything they have has mostly been worn out.

Then as the person probably has lost all self-confidence along the way, an initial job must be devised that will make the older worker feel that he can produce. This first job is very important, and the director must be able to delicately maneuver the older person into describing the type of work he or she has done during their lives, whether for pay or not, what kind of habits or other interests they have and what kind of jobs they think they would like. The answer to this, at best, is usually-"I'll do anything for a job"-and then they back off because they are also afraid at this point that they can't do anything. After a nice long chat, our older persons are assigned to a mutually agreeable job with a specific social service or other agency, that can utilize skills and talents, will provide sensitive supervision and supportive services and is relatively accessible. This first job is gradually upgraded as the older worker regains his self-confidence and his talents and skills begin to come back. Shortly, an outstanding worker is again producing, and the community now is able to utilize an older person's resources, which vary considerably from good homemaking and mothering to bookkeeping, counseling or carpentry. One resource that we have found to be most common among older people is good judgment, especially as applied to working with and helping other people and their problems. Some professional teachers, social workers, physical and mental therapists have remarked about the older worker's ability to almost sense the needs of their respective clients and hence are able to provide valuable services.

For example one Senior Aide assigned to work with problem children at a day care center was able to get a 3-year-old child to say her first words. Neither the doctor, the therapist or the parents were able to do this. The Senior Aide, mother of 5, grandmother of many more than that, said she could tell when to work with the child on her problem and when to just give her some loving and attention. Another Senior Aide says his decisions are simple to make. This Aide is sent out to do incidental home repairs for people who are supposedly unable to pay for them. It is easy, he says, to tell whether the clients need his free services or if they really don't need them-"If they're living like I am, they need free service."

Another remarkable ability that older people bring to the program is their responsiveness to the "other" needs that their clients may have. Homemakerhome-health Aides, acting as the eyes, ears, or feet of shut-ins trying desperately to stay out of the costly nursing home also arrange for "Security" telephone calls to checkup on their patients during their absence and set up other visitors for their "patients daily phone calls."

Day care center Aides helping to teach the children colors or a new game, also take the time to be the grandma or grandpa that listens to their stories and act as escort for downtown window shopping on Saturdays. Outreach Aides that seek out the isolated elderly and put them in touch with the right resources before it is too late for rehabilitation, follow-up on their clients and act as their advocates if the system starts kicking them out. The health clinic Aides do more than take temperatures and pulse or make appointments, they calm the nerves of the patient waiting to see the doctor, they make arrangements for transportation back home, they call them later and see if they understand the doctors orders, if they bought the prescription, or if they are waiting till they have some money saved for it. If money is the problem, the Aides work hard to find a source of funds for the needy patient's medicine. Repairman Aides, mending the broken stoop or replacing a broken glass pane for the elderly widow, also will ask about any other worries she may have and make sure the people that can help learn about her need for transportation to the doctor's office or the grocery store once a week, or her fear of not being able to pay the heat bill next month.

The diversity of jobs that Senior Aides competently perform each day really runs the gamut from employment counselors to physical therapy Aides, from interpreters to nutrition site managers, from friendly visitors to housing locators, from mental health Aides to legal paraprofessionals, from bookkeepers to medicare claim specialists. The lists of jobs Senior Aides perform is practically endless. Let me, though try to relate to you through one incident how well the Senior Aides are able to alleviate the hardships of other disadvantaged people. A local Senior Aides program was contacted recently by a small non-profit agency asking if an Aide could serve an elderly lady a meal each day as she was released from the hospital after suffering a broken hip and was unable to do for herself. A neighbor of the elderly lady had called this agency as she felt something had to be done, and she, being a working woman, was unable to provide for this incapacitated lady.

The neighbor also related that the city had been contacted about three weeks prior to this, but so far nothing had been accomplished through them besides an initial visit by a social worker. A Senior Aide was assigned to help the client. When the Senior Aide arrived at the client's apartment he recognized that there was an emergency situation to be handled-a situation that the social service department had three weeks to either avert or take care of-neither of which they had done. The toilet was stopped up, the sink was stopped up, the client was limited in mobility as she coold not walk a step without using a walker and therefore was unable to shop for groceries or do laundry, unable to take a bath or clean the apartment-in other words the client had hardly been able to keep herself alive. Within three days after the Senior Aide saw the situation, this client was packed up, bodily moved, and placed in a decent home with personal care being provided by a registered nurse who has volunteered her home to the Senior Aides' clients. The client now is served three meals a day, is helped with personal hygiene by a Senior Aide Health Aide, is receiving medical attention for her broken hip obtained through a Senior Aide Advocate Information and Referral Aide, and is being provided with badly needed clothing through another Senior Aide in charge of a senior center thrift shop.

Once the older worker has his self-confidence restored, usually his need for supportive services greatly diminishes. But the directors of the program con

stantly visit with the supervisors and the Aides to make sure the situation stays good.

To further ensure that the older person will continue to live a better life and to help other people live better, each month the Senior Aides have a staff meeting where local resource people are asked to share their knowledge. In a year's time an Aide will get tips on Social Security, SSI, food stamps, crime prevention, good consumer techniques, good nutrition, health and many other helpful ideas for living better longer. The Aides also share the individual knowledge they have learned in their jobs and some Aides receive training in their various fields of work.

The National Council knows that each community has unique needs and that each older person they enroll in the program has unique skills, experience and desires. What we try to do is instill in the local sponsors a real sense of dedication to meet the general goals of our program, and within the broad guidelines that we have established, to develop their own special program.

We, of course, know the methods of operating programs that work really well and we know of some that don't work at all. We pass on this information and we make decisions daily based on our past. However, our normal role is usually one of careful guidance. One of knowing the pros and cons and steering the local projects toward the better way of administering their program without jeopardizing their creativity or their uniqueness.

This way of operating a program takes long hours and hard work, but we believe it is the best way to serve each older person and the best way to constantly improve an already effective program.

As you can see from the above sketch, the personnel involved with these programs must be truly dedicated to working for and with the older person and must be skilled in both aging and manpower techniques. Since the National Council of Senior Citizens efforts are centered around working for a better quality of life for the older person in our society, and since we have been administering the Senior AIDES program for over six years at an increasingly successful level, we believe that we have effectively combined aging and manpower concepts and are able to impart this ability and dedication to our current programs and to new programs for the poverty stricken unemployed older worker.

One outside factor that tends to assist the National Council in administering an "outstanding" program (U.S. Department of Labor) is our neutral position in state and local politics. We pick our sponsors based on their past record of working for and with the elderly, and the relationships they have established with other community based social service agencies.

Within every community where there is a Senior AIDES program it enjoys a reputation of providing good workers and good support to those workers. Hence, the waiting list of agencies that wish to utilize these workers and the waiting list of people who wish to join the program, is long. The National Council has had to step in many times to get our sponsors out of hot water because the sponsor is being pressured to assign Aides to agencies for reasons other than those that would tend to help the older worker and expand services to the community's citizens. It is very hard for a local agency to tell the mayor's office, or the county judge's office or some other agencies that have power within a community that they can't have Aides to do their personal cleaning, or be their personal chauffers, or that they can't demand certain colors or creeds of people. when that agency could make life rough for our sponsoring agency. But the National Council can and does make sure that the goals of this program are upheld: 1) that the most economically disadvantaged older person that has been on the waiting list the longest gets hired onto the program first and 2) given that person's skills and desires, that the agency in town that can best utilize this person in its services to other disadvantaged people as well as provide the person with sensitive supervision and a good working atmosphere is assigned the Senior Aide.

We do not think we have a monopoly on the skills needed to operate good older worker programs. However, the expertise needed can not be gained over night and most government manpower programs have a concentration of younger workers as enrollees. Manpower administrators seem to know about skill training, career planning and how to develop good working habits and seem to be at a loss when a 67 year old slightly arthritic person comes into their offices looking for assistance. It may be the person knows how to repair all sorts of mechanical gadgets or has raised eight kids during the Depression, but what the manpower people see is old age and a physical handicap and their first impulse is to ring

up our Senior Aides office-the older worker specialists of the town—if they are lucky enough to have a Senior AIDES program nearby.

If the Department of Labor wishes to administer older workers programs, and we feel that this is a proper role for the government, then I believe that they should start by setting up an older workers division with the office of the Secretary.

Back in 1913, when the Department of Labor was made a separate Department in the Executive Branch of the government its enabling legislation stated, "The purpose of the Department of Labor shall be to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions and to advance the opportunities for profitable employment.” (37 Stat. 736; 5 U.S.C. 611) No where do we see that the Department was ever mandated since to foster, promote and develop the welfare of only the young wage earners or to advance the opportunities for profitable employment to just those people under a certain age. It seems to us the purpose of the Department of Labor was not limited by any age limits. Yet in reality, our U.S. Department of Labor has limited its manpower services to the younger worker. We do not want to take away any assistance now given to younger workers who need services. We do think the Department should add to its present responsibilities and services those that will benefit older workers who suffer undue discrimination in the labor market and are in need of advancement into opportunities for profitable employment.

The CETA Prime Sponsors are not setting a new trend by not assuming responsibilities at the state and local level for older workers. Rather they are continuing the Federal Department of Labor's policy of practically disregarding older workers needs and desires. In 1973, older workers, those 55 years or over, represented only 1.8% of the enrollees in all major manpower programs. This included the 14,885 older workers then served by Operation Mainstream. The regulations governing CETA certainly offer no assistance to any Prime Sponsor that would like to administer to the needs of older workers and will most certainly offer no encouragement to a Prime Sponsor who has other needs he would rather attend to.

We have been working very hard to persuade CETA Prime Sponsors to fund the local Operation Mainstream Senior AIDES program since the U.S. Department of Labor is going to push these older workers off their jobs next June 30, 1975. Some of the comments we have received from the field describe the state of the battle. . . "What a problem! Everybody and their brother is requesting CETA funds! Seniors have always been the last and the least to be considered and they still are!!!" or "We've got $1.3 million in CETA funds and $4 million in requests, the oldies don't stand a chance."

These remarks are not surprising to us. We saw the same thing happen-the needs of the elderly pushed aside-with general revenue sharing. Revenue sharing, including manpower revenue sharing allows "that local determination . . . will be truly responsive to local needs." (U.S. Department of Labor) What happens is each group shares in accordance with the degree of power it exercises. The bureaucrats of varied fields with their positions in governments already established and a full army of technical knowledge behind them. maintain the control and power. Unfortunately, the aging bureaucracy is not fully established and with reference to manpower programs, older worker professionals are non-existent.

Therefore, the helpless older worker is overlooked when the pie is being divided.

The initial statistics-admittedly only covering approximately 50% of the CETA Prime Sponsor areas for the quarter July-September, 1974-show again that older workers, 55 years and over, are gaining very little manpower assistance in relation to their need. These CETA Title I statistics show that 121 000 people were either given counseling, training or employment under this Title. Three percent of those counted were persons 55 years or over. Title II provided 13.500 people with manpower assistance with emphasis on employment. Only five percent were 55 years or over-and when the results for the entire list of CETA prime sponsors are received, it may work out to be very much less. These rates of service don't even match the percentage of unemploved older people in relation to the total unemployed of our nation in 1973 and the statistics on the unemployed older worker are so unreliable that they are hardly useable.

Since older workers have such a hard time regaining employment, once they become unemployed, they become the hidden unemployed who are not