Traditional senior citizens programs,

Traditional senior citizens programs, aimed at alleviating the common problem of isolation among the elderly, are not set up with HIV-positive people in mind. The people running the programs may subscribe to the myths surrounding sexuality and drug use over 50. The AIDS stigma may be as strong or stronger among the elderly. Even practical matters may be of concern: People with HIV are particularly vulnerable to food-borne illnesses, and the scrupulous sanitation standards observed by meals programs for PWAs are seldom met by programs feeding the elderly or other populations.

The related problem of social isolation, common among older populations, is also prevalent among both Spectrum's and SAGE's clients. According to Masten, older gay men don't fare all that much better within the HIV community. In his experience, when an older man joins a support group composed mostly of younger men, he either inherits the role of group parent or becomes invisible. Either way, his issues are not dealt with by the group.

Krales's experience at Momentum is somewhat different. He estimates that about 10 percent of his agency's 1,500 clients are over 50, and finds the level of age integration very high. He attributes this to the fact that Momentum's program is offered at neighborhood sites throughout the city, and that the people who attend have more in common than just their HIV status.

There are other positives as well, raised by older PWAs themselves at an over-50 focus group sponsored recently by Momentum. Most of them have to do with experience: People who have been around longer are better able to deal with rejection and loss than younger people; they've been through it before. They are not as afraid that they are going to die tomorrow; tomorrow has come and gone, and they're still around. They were here at the beginning of the epidemic and can attest to the medical and social progress that has been made.

They also have a lot to offer, both to younger PWAs and to their peers. Although the focus group members stressed that they came to Momentum sites as consumers and not as service givers, they expressed a strong willingness to help and support the young people in the program. Some say they might even be willing to go into the senior centers and tackle denial head on.