Reports longitudinal research which examined isolation among the unmarried aged and assessed personal characteristics associated with isolation from family and friends. Men and women were more isolated from neighbors and friends than from family, although the never-married maintained more ties with friends. (Author/BL)

Data was collected from ombudsmen (N=607) in nursing facilities about the factors that make their jobs difficult. Hypotheses about support, relationships with peers, and efficacy were tested. Support from facility administrators and residents contributed to efficacy, whereas help from other volunteers had a negative effect. Results point to the…