Long-term effects of two interventions with the aged: An ecological analysis

Abstract

The short- and long-term results of two intervention programs (Longer & Rodin, 1976; Schulz, 1976), conducted independently with the institutionalized aged, were reviewed. Short-term results were highly similar and positive in direction, but the long-term results diverged markedly. Critical differences between the programs are identified in an attempt to account for this divergence. These differences are then viewed from an ecological perspective. It is shown that enduring intervention effects are associated with systematic alterations in the social ecology of aged residents, whereas short-lived effects result from manipulations by which the social ecology is affected only minimally. An application of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development suggests some directions in which progress can be made by both researchers and policymakers concerned with development among high-risk populations.