A non-profit, educational organization called the Grantsmanship Center in Los Angeles, Calif. is filling the need of nonprofit and public agencies for training and information concerning grants.

The Center conducts workshops, publishes a magazine, employs a research staff, and maintains a library. It has trained over 2,000 people in the areas of funding, proposal writing, resource development, and program planning in one-week workshops across the country. Participants in the workshops come from such organizations as universities,

hospitals, and community organizations.

Sessions teach how to evaluate foundations and their potential as funding sources, locate local foundations, and build foundation grants programs. They also demonstrate ways to identify appropriate Federal sources of support, understand the Federal grant application process, and obtain revenue sharing funds. The classes also discuss changes in Federal funding, the role of State agencies in allocating Federal funds, and the most appropriate means of raising funds.

Jan. 9-11. National Conference on County Resource Development for Aging Citizens. In Washington, D.C. Aging Program, National Association of Counties' Research Foundation, 1735 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.

Feb. 6-9. Conference on Creative Approaches to Aging and Mental Health. At New Orleans Airport Hotel, New Orleans, La. Norma Nelson, Conference Coordinator, Ebenezer Society, 2626 Park Ave., Minneapolis, Minn. 55407.

Feb. 16-18. 26th Annual Southern Conference on Gerontology on Improving the Quality of Health Care for the Elderly. At the Gainesville Hilton Hotel, Gainesville, Fla. Angela M. O'Rand, Coordinator, Graduate Program, Center for Gerontological Studies and Programs, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. 32611.

Feb. 23-25. Conference on Developments in Gerontology and Higher Education. At Ramada Inn, Tucson, Ariz. Mildred Seltzer, Ph.D., Scripps Foundation Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056.

Mar. 20-22. National Conference on Al

The Grantsmanship Center News publishes information on proposal writing and program planning, public and private funding, Federal grants, deadlines for grant applications, fund raising, and sources of funding. A list of new publications on these topics is included in the magazine. Conference coverage of such organizations as the Council on Foundations, National Council on Philanthropy, and National Association for Hospital Development is provided. The Center is located at 1015 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles 90015.

ternative Work Schedules of the Committee for Alternative Work Patterns. At the Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Ill. Conference Coordinator, American Association for Higher Education, 1 Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Mar. 23-26. Conference on Creative Approaches to Aging and Mental Health. At Denver Hilton Hotel, Denver, Colo. Norma Nelson, Conference Coordinator, Ebenezer Society, 2626 Park Ave., Minneapolis, Minn. 55407.

Apr. 12-14. National Intra-Decade Conference on Spiritual Well-Being of the Elderly. At Stouffer's Inn, Atlanta, Ga. National Interfaith Coalition on Aging, Inc., 298 South Hull St., Athens, Ga. 30601.

Apr. 17-20. Eighth Annual Conference of the Environmental Design Research Association. In Urbana-Champaign, Ill. EDRA 8, 106 Architecture Bldg., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Ill. 61801.

Apr. 24-26. National Conference on County Resource Development for Aging Citizens. In Kansas City, Mo. Aging Program, National Association of Counties' Research Foundation,

1735 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.

A new Merchant's Directory has been given to the 900 members of the VBS Senior Center in the Van Nuys, California area.

The directory lists over 200 local merchants who offer discounts of 10% or more to center members, and was printed courtesy of the local Valley Federal Savings Company. It is designed so that additional pages can be inserted.

The program is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles' Area Agency on Aging and is designed to help prevent institutionalization.

Other self-help programs supported by the area agency include friendship circles, teenagers adopting foster grandparents, phone families, a teen skills directory, a senior skills bank, share-a-holiday, the widow-towidow program, senior services, a senior thrift shop and crafts shop, a speakers' bureau on aging, and counseling services.

Leona Peterson, Executive Director of the Iowa Commission on Aging, announced the discontinuance of the Iowa statewide Information and Referral (I&R) watts line effective last June. "The statewide service was begun in order to make information and referral available to all older Iowans in all parts of the State," said Ms. Peterson. "Now all of the area agencies on aging have effective local I&R services."

Laura Loughry, I&R specialist, reports, "Since it began May 1, 1975, the State I&R has received over 3,500 calls pertaining to the special needs of older Iowans. We urge them to use their local I&R for these same services. The phone number of the local I&R service can be obtained

In addition, Mr. Yawn had a speech impediment compounded by his having no teeth or dentures. Unable to earn a decent living, and communicate with others, he was losing his self-esteem. Then the CETA ad caught his eye.

Mrs. Sharon LaFleur, Director of the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging's Senior Workers Employment Program, handled the call. "I received a call in the office," she said. "No one had been able to decipher what the caller was saying. I finally understood: 'I need a job,' and told him to come to my office."

After an interview session Mrs. LaFleur was able to place Mr. Yawn in a security guard training position. "He was thrilled," said Mrs. LaFleur, "and tears welled in his eyes. It was work and a chance to move forward.”

Still, communication was a problem. A visit to the Vocational Rehabilitation center led to a speech evaluation and then therapy sessions at the local Speech and Hearing Foundation. In addition to paying for the sessions, Vocational Rehabilitation provided dentures for Mr. Yawn. "He was amazed again to find

a door open," Mrs. LaFleur said. "Age has no barriers to a person so eager to gain the ability to do better when afforded the opportunity."

After completing training as a CETA Title I employee, Mr. Yawn was sent by the Aging Manpower Director for a job interview. Soon after, he began full-time work as a security guard.

This is one example of the success of the Senior Workers Employment Program, funded through the East Baton Rouge Office of Manpower Programs, and operated by the parish Council on Aging.

Last June, the Montgomery County Division on Aging in Maryland began operating a Senior Citizen Consultation Service at its offices in Rockville.

According to program coordinator Maurice Spitzberg, the service helps older persons derive the maximum benefit from government programs. Volunteers are utilized to aid older persons in filling out government forms and in dealing directly with agencies.

The program constitutes a major service to the elderly but costs the taxpayer very little. About $11,000 in Federal funds under Title III of the Older Americans Act has been allocated to pay for two part-time staff members and expenses.

The project is an outgrowth of DOA's Tax-Aide Service for the Aged. Last year over 500 seniors were assisted by DOA volunteers in filling out their tax returns. Questions frequently arose about various benefits available to senior citizens. The Consultation Service now includes the tax service.

National estimates indicate that about 50% of the elderly, because of confusion about forms or ignorance about programs, do not obtain their full benefits from such programs as social security, Supplemental Security Income, medical plans, and food assistance.

Recently, an elderly convalescing woman, whose sight had been affected, put aside her medical insurance checks. When she came to DOA for help, a counselor discovered the outdated checks which were fortunately still negotiable.

The Consultation Service is being staffed with 14 trained volunteers on duty during the week. Telephone consultations and home visits are made for those unable to come into the office. Upon request, each client may be given an overall public benefit check-up to determine whether or not he or she is receiving all available benefits. Counselors follow

through with each client in dealing with agencies operating benefit pro

grams.

Plans call for the Consultation Service to be extended to senior centers, housing developments, and several DOA senior citizen Lunchand-Fun projects.

The Pittsfield Council on Aging

in Massachusetts has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a senior arts and crafts project. The project includes a senior citizens outlet for arts and crafts exhibits, sales, and live demonstrations.

Other objectives are to keep alive arts and crafts which may otherwise disappear and to promote second careers for seniors, as well as assisting a senior arts and crafts association. Efforts have been made in setting up a cooperative of artisans to give continuity to the program after the end of the grant period.

Steps also have been taken to acquire an unused school house in Pittsfield which would be renovated for the use of the cooperative. Much of the labor and rehabilitation of the building would be contributed by a local Seabees outfit and learning center students, as well as city departments.

Many of the program's objectives are an extension of those supported

by the Senior Art and Crafts Association, which has been sponsored by the Pittsfield Council on Aging for the past five years. The concept of exhibiting art works of senior citizens was developed in 1971 when disabled and retired persons were invited to hang their paintings in local banks and offices. This invitation was developed into a five weekend exhibit held at the Bousquet Ski Lodge in the summer of 1972. Approximately 1,500 people viewed the works, and the Association has carried on this exhibit and others since that time. Exhibitors are in

vited to offer their works for sale, if they wish. The exhibits are open to older people who have had an art or craft as a previous interest or who have undertaken art as a second career. Other Association members include professionals who have offered their services to stimulate second careers for seniors; profeshibit, demonstrate, or lecture; and sionals who have been invited to exvolunteers interested in helping to volunteers interested in helping to promote exhibits and sales by senior citizen artisans.

Exhibitors and demonstrators include both younger and older professionals in the fields of silver coin jewelry, pottery, apple dolls, and glass-blowing. Since Pittsfield is in the heart of a summer tourist area

which includes the attractions of Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and summer theatres, there has been much interest in the Association's senior exhibits by visiting summer tourists.

New Hampshire's deaf people can now communicate with each other and the outside world by telephone. A teletypewriter with a telephone hook-up not only permits the deaf the convenience the rest of the population enjoys in using the telephone, but can save lives when emergency help must be summoned. In New Hampshire, the teletypewriter equipment is being installed in the homes of many deaf people, and in receiving stations such as police headquarters. Recently InfoLine, the statewide information and referral system, installed the equipment and trained its staff to answer calls from the deaf. This service can be used whenever emergency help is needed, in relaying messages to employers, and in making appointments. The Lions Clubs of New Hampshire, the N.H. Council of Telephone Pioneers of America, the Division of Vocational-Rehabilitation, and the State Department of Education have contributed to the service.

Funded by the State Council on Aging and the New Hampshire Di

vision of Welfare as an I&R service, Info-Line is serving the 5,400 deaf people in the State.

Operating since the summer of 1975, Info-Line has helped thousands of residents of all ages and backgrounds to obtain information or a referral to another organization to meet a need or solve a problem. Info-Line's toll-free phone number -1-800-562-1122-is available to anyone calling within New Hampshire, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Info-Line's calls relate to health care, employment and job training, legal aid, counseling and family relations, consumer problems, housing, education, transportation. and other areas of concern.

Jersey and adjacent States, trains and subways, and out-of-State residents.

Senior citizens must be 62 to be eligible.

The off-peak hours provision of the law, which established the halffare program in 1973, remains in effect-9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

The requirements that half-fare riders obtain identification cards and tickets in advance also remain in effect.

The amendments also assure that carriers participating in the programı must meet requirements for Federal operating assistance under the amended Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964. However, all carriers are to be included in the State

program, whether they receive Federal operating assistance or not.

The cost of the expanded program to the State for the first full year of operation is estimated at more than $8 million, but it will bring into the State approximately three times that amount in Federal dollars.

Enactment of the law establishing the Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged program was another gain for the elderly to emerge from the 1974-1975 session of the Legisla

are insufficient to meet a growing need and are often uncoordinated with other patient needs. "This study affords all Rhode Island communities the rationale to develop the strategy for supportive services which can benefit the well-being of their older citizens," he observed.

The report includes the number of days Rhode Islanders 65 years and older are restricted to bed because older are restricted to bed because of illness or injury during any twoweek or 12-month period, and the length and number of times older people are hospitalized over any 12month period.

Sources of information for the report were data collected from the Division's Statewide Information & Referral Service and a special computer run of the 1973 Health Utilization Survey conducted by R. I. Health Services Research, Inc. (SEARCH).

"For a variety of reasons homemaker, home-health aide, and personal care services for homebound elderly make up one of the greatest service gaps currently facing our older residents," Mr. Centazzo said.

"These services are generally not covered under Medicare (except when preceeded by hospitalization and when several other requirements are met) or Medicaid. Most older people cannot otherwise afford the usual hourly rates of $4-$7.50 for homemaker services. Thus, a number of our older citizens either go without the service or are eased into nursing facilities for which Medicaid may assume payment when, in fact, they could remain in their homes with appropriate social services. Not only is home

In a 12-month period, approximately 38,500 elderly individuals living in their homes are confined to bed for an average of two weeks. • In addition to those confined to

bed, approximately 14,700 older Rhode Islanders, although not confined to bed, report restricted mobility in performing daily routine activities for an average of one week.

Copies of "Rhode Island's Elderly Population: A Measure of Need for

Home-Health Services" are available from the Division on Aging's Information Unit at 150 Washington St., Providence 02903.

Dr. Harry N. Waggoner has been elected chairman of the Tennessee Commission on Aging. He succeeds Dr. William E. Cole. Dr. Cole, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a former department head has been on the Commission since 1963 and chairman for four years. Dr. Cole remains vice-chairman of the Commission for eastern Tennessee.

Dr. Waggoner was appointed to serve on the State Advisory Committee on Aging in 1962 and has served as a Commission member since 1971. He has long been interested in older persons and has had wide experience with their medical problems during his tenure with the Veterans Administration.