Nowadays, the social participation of seniors represents a central challenge for both individuals and collectivities. The participative perspective is indeed present in most of the contemporary discourses on ageing, and is viewed both as a way to manage the current demographic juncture and as a promising direction for enhancing seniors’ wellbeing and achievements. This article examines 32 programmes aimed at fostering the social participation of seniors that were both implemented and evaluated, and whose results were published between January 1970 and August 2011. Based on each programme's approach, a typology of social programmes is proposed. The programmes are grouped in five categories, ranging from programmes offering an individualised approach to socio-political programmes. Classification is based on the various ways the concept of social participation is defined and acted upon by the reviewed programmes. Far from being neutral, each category suggests a specific representation of the social roles of seniors. In addition, the paper discusses how the proposed typology can guide both policy and practice, linking identity and agency issues to organisational and structural considerations. Three uses for the typology are suggested: as a policy-making support, as an evaluative framework, and as an experimental space for community practice.

This article presents the results of a qualitative study on the contributions made by volunteers from a volunteer community organization to the home care of older adults living in a rural setting. In this study, the volunteer was considered as part of a social care system made up of a number of groups (the elderly themselves, those close to them, professional health providers, and volunteers). Results show that the lines delimiting the responsibilities of these various groups are neither clear nor precise. The place of the volunteer must take into account the nature of the participation of the other groups. How far the services offered by volunteers are used depends upon the characteristics that define their contributions and on the type of relationship they develop with a given older adult.

This study investigates the participation of family caregivers when an elderly relative is going to a nursing home. Twenty-two primary caregivers, whose relative, aged 60 years or older, had recently been admitted to a public nursing home, were interviewed. The content analysis reveals that caregivers worry about and do what is needed to ensure the physical, psychological, and social well-being of their elderly relative and take care of her/his belongings. Doing things for her/him gradually gives way to managing things. Caregivers carry out the duty of protecting their family members, stimulating them, and keeping a close watch on the work of the staff of the institution.

This study investigates the participation of family caregivers when an elderly relative is going to a nursing home. Twenty-two primary caregivers, whose relative, aged 60 years or older, had recently been admitted to a public nursing home, were interviewed. The content analysis reveals that caregivers worry about and do what is needed to ensure the physical, psychological, and social well-being of their elderly relative and take care of her/his belongings. Doing things for her/him gradually gives way to managing things. Caregivers carry out the duty of protecting their family members, stimulating them, and keeping a close watch on the work of the staff of the institution.

This study examines the norms and values associated with care to disabled and frail aging parents, in particular those with regard to the sharing of responsibilities for care between families and formal services, and this within three age cohorts in Quebec, Canada. It is based on a telephone interview of 1,315 people. Factor analysis yielded four factors: (1) family responsibility; (2) uncompromising family obligations; (3) acceptance of services; (4) distrust of services. Analyses of the data indicate that all three age cohorts consider that families have responsibilities for their aging family members, at the same time that they score very high on the acceptance of service scale. This article discusses these seemingly paradoxical results and their implications for aging policy.