The living conditions of elderly black people in a typical rural area in the Free State.

The proposed policy in respect of the care of older persons places much emphasis on the involvement and responsibility of the community. Majwemasweu is a typical rural black community in the Free State where an active Committee for the care of older persons is already in place and has already largely taken the responsibility for caring for its older persons on itself. This research scrutinizes the living conditions of this community's older persons and, wherever possible, compares it with those of black urban and rural research groups in the Multidimensional Survey of Elderly South Africans, 1990-1991. Bearing in mind the time lapse between die two surveys, the situation of the Majwemasweu group is in many aspects much better than those of the two groups with which it is compared. Their socio-economic position is, in many respects, more favourable as a result of political change, when compared with the two other groups, while the unremitting zeal of the local Committee for the care of older persons has undoubtedly contributed to their more favourable position. It would appear that the community is ready for the implementation of the new policy for the care of older persons. Internal political disputes which have already been responsible for the retraction of sponsorship for upgrading the community health clinic, will, however, have to be settled immediately. Sustained intervention through dialogue on the side of the researchers continues to attempt to stimulate the development potential of the community with a view to successfully implementing the new policy.