Community support services represent an important resource for older persons. Their significance will grow as the older population increases in size in the North American Region. It is essential for the well-being of society that an adequate array of services for older persons be developed. Community support services must be provided in sensitive and personalized ways—and must respect the dignity and integrity of older persons. Community support services promote the independence of older persons; they prevent or defer recourse to more expensive and less personally desirable forms of caring services, such as nursing homes and geriatric services. Therefore, community support services may be said to have supportive, preventive and rehabilitative functions and to play an integrative role in terms of family and community life.