Customer focus as a condition of daily social work with the elderly

The questions connected with the organization of social work with elderly people are actual in the conditions of steady aging of the population of Russia. The research work focuses on the client-oriented social work, one of the important features of which is ‘immersion’ in the life world of elderly clients, understanding their goals, problems, interests, aspirations, views on society, their place and role in it. The daily life of elderly recipients of social services is presented in the article in the assessments of experts - managers, specialists and social workers of state social service organizations. The obtained empirical data are interpreted in the context of theories of social interaction and phenomenological sociology. It is revealed that an important role in the daily life of modern elderly people is played by relatives, whose moral and material support is of great importance in solving life problems. However, many recipients of social services are deprived of such support, so they need help of social service organizations, especially in household, social and medical support. The desire to maintain health, general mood, and the desire to communicate greatly motivate older people to feasible activity. Access to quality information on social change and the rights of older persons in the implementation of social protection measures is also important for older citizens. The concentration of specialists' attention on these and other aspects of the life of elderly recipients of social services allows to increase the customer focus of everyday social work, which is especially important in the context of the development of the social services market.