Poor health, not the lack of job opportunities, is the principal cause of unemployment among a group of persons over 65 years of age in New Orleans.
That was one of the findings in a survey conducted here by the Social Welfare Planning Council of Greater New Orleans among 782 persons, most of %whom were 65 and older.
Joseph Marchese Jr., assistant director of the council* reported the findings at the annual convention of Golden Age and Senior Citizens' Club which met Friday in the Sheraton-Charles hotel.
This survey showed, he said,
that 89 per cent of the persons 65 and over were unemployed. Of this total, only three per cent were unemployed because they couldn't get satisfactory jobs, he said.
Sixty-four per cent were unemployed because of poor health, Marchese added, and 33 percent were not interested in working.
This concern over health was shown in several other findings of the survey, he told the group.
"When asked what would make life more pleasant for them/' Marchese said, "most of them answered, 'Good health'."
Paying for medical care was another of the big problems facing the senior citizens, he said. ; "Thrity-nine per cent did have health insurance of some kind," he said, "Forty-six per cent wanted health insurance but were unable to afford it or were uninsur-able,"
Marchese said that about half of the persons questioned said that they would have to depend on charity if they became ill.
"Another finding showed that -most older persons are busy," he said. He added that 72 per cent of the persons interviewed said
that they seldom had "lots of timi on their hands."
VOLUNTARY WORK
"I personally feel that vokm tary work by senior citizens would be good for them and for the community," he said. More' than 26 per cent of the persons in the survey expressed interest in such work, Marchese said.
"The'byproducts of this study showed me," he said, "the foolishness and the danger of stereotyping a group of people, such as the oldsters."
Marchese said that the survey would be submitted to the council's board of-directors for final approval next week.
In another session Friday, current trends in housing, health, recreation and social security for senior citizens were discussed.
Mrs. Miriam Zimmermann, assistant, Housing Authority of New Orleans, said that "housing specifically designed for the aging is mushrooming all around the country."
Housing for the aging, she said, should be centrally located and should be near, but not in immediate proximity, to facilities housing large numbers of children,
SAFETY CITED
"Safety, convenience and comfort should be the guideposts in
designing housing for the aging," she said.
"In addition, I think that there should be a community agency that would specialize in placement, planning leisure time programs and counseling the aging."
Bob Shipp, of Dallas, Tex., Southwest district representative for the National Recreation Administration, said that ''more and more older persons are beginning to learn how to play."
"You have worked hard," he told the group, "so let's play, let's enjoy life now. Play will help reduce the tensions of trying to get to the moon."
Senior citizens should do their part in bringing up younger people so that they know how to recreate when they reach the golden years, he said.
Recreation programs for the aging shouldn't be "just domino or bingo parties," Shipp said. He suggested comprehensive recreational programs featuring arts and crafts and camping.
'ANTIBODY LOSS' Dr. Harry E. Dascomb, professor of medicine at Louisiana State university medical school, said that one problem in medicine s caused by the fact that "oldsters tend to outlive antibodies against certain infectious diseases."
"Thus, we get grandpas coming n with chicken pox and mumps,"
the doctor said. "But the future ooks bright in this area." One of the plans being dis-ussed in medical circles now, he aid^ is to provide an annex to a lospital where older persons can onvalesce under the supervision f1 doctors and nurses.
William E. Rooney, field representative of the social security administration, urged the group o keep up with. amendments to he social security law. This way they will get all the benefits to which they are entitled,
"If you read where the law wa changed," he said," come into the office and find out if this af :ects you. Don't ask the man down the street, or next door or hat guy who knows everything, | your brother-in-law. Ask us." ■ SALAMONE MODERATOR
Anthony Salamone, director of adult education at St. Louis university, St. Louis, Mo., moderated the discussion.
The senior citizens attended a party and open house Friday afternoon at the Jewish community center, and a sea food supper and dance that night at Caruso's Continental Room.
The convention, which closes Saturday, is sponsored by the New Orleans recreation department, the American Women's Vol-luntary Services, the Jewish Federation and Kingsley House. PHOTO: Speakers, Member Talk at Golden Age Session - THREE OF THE SPEAKERS at the convention of the Golden Age and Senior Citizens* Club at the Sheraton-Charles hotel chat with one of the club members. From left are Bob Ship, Dallas, Tex., Southwest representative of the«National Recreation Administration; Mrs. Miriam Zimmerman, assistant, Housing Authority of New Orleans; R. W. Harris, Kansas City, Mo., club member, and Anthony Salamone, director of adult education at St. Louis University, Mo.
