Noting that creative drama activities can have a therapeutic value when used with the elderly in nursing homes, this paper outlines a creative drama program that was used in such a setting. Various sections of the paper describe (1) the nursing home setting, the nature of the participants, and the effects the program had upon them; (2) dramatic…

Presents Project Adapt, a psychogeriatric rehabilitation service developed to integrate assessment, behavior and medication management, and outcome evaluation to meet needs of mentally ill in nursing homes. Notes that mental health staff perceived significantly more improvement among participating nursing home residents than among those not…

Examining the social context within which illness, hospitalization, and convalescence or adaptation occur permits recognition of the alternatives for creative intervention, and provides a framework for understanding the intrinsically disruptive nature of discharge from an acute care setting as well as the dangers and possibilities for change.…

Describes an age-integrated program serving residents in long-term care facilities in New York State. Describes the program's inception, the nature of recruitment efforts, and the content of the training program. A number of illustrations of volunteer ombudsmen interventions are presented for the purpose of providing an overview of services.…

Board games called Games of Rapport are being developed at the University of Alberta. The first, "Angels and Devils," is designed for play by nursing home residents. Results of a study involving "Angels and Devils" show that board games are useful in communicating rehabilitative objectives and sources of conflict. (Author/BEF)

Implemented multi-disciplinary program to assist nursing home staff in understanding the behavior of the mentally impaired and to develop effective intervention skills. Found curriculum to be effective in building knowledge and improving skills on the job. (Author/ABL)

Describes a project utilizing reaction reading, the choral reading of poetry in small groups. Mentally alert long-term care residents are provided with an opportunity to react to the poetry, and the activity can be led by a nonprofessional. Residents are encouraged to share their memories and fantasies as inspired by poetic images. (JPS)

Describes series of therapeutic and educational workshops conducted with women nursing home residents with twin goals of improving self-esteem and self-reliance and facilitating community building and networking. Also notes that nursing home staff trainings were conducted whereby staff were encouraged to articulate their needs and those of…

Reports on an art therapy intervention which was implemented with 20 elderly nursing home residents so as to improve their psychological well-being. Program evaluation included self-evaluations, case progress notes, journal notes, and photography. Results indicate that participants showed significantly improved measures of self-esteem, and reduced…

The development of specific educational objectives for and the experiences resulting from an externship in which a student studied with an independent consultant in nursing home pharmacy practice are described. (MSE)

Presents an activity program in which nursing home residents utilized their life experiences to teach an oral history class to third-grade students. The program resulted in improved self-esteem among the nursing home residents and heightened community understanding and involvement. (Author/JAC)

Studied the use of computer games with a group of 50 frail elderly nursing home residents. Four computer games were especially modified for this population. Moderate mental and physical impairments did not hamper the residents, who indicated the games were fun, challenging, and improved self-esteem. (JAC)

Describes a peer counseling program in a 300-bed long-term care facility which uses training materials specifically developed for older people. Shows how the peer counseling program functions and provides anecdotal comments from both participants and a staff member, along with an outline of the training components. (Author/ABL)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the processes of care, organizational attributes, cost of care, staffing level, and staff mix in a sample of Missouri homes with good, average, and poor resident outcomes. Design and Methods: A three-group exploratory study design was used, with 92 nursing homes randomly selected from all nursing…

This paper describes a new model for teaching nursing homes, which places a strong emphasis on teamwork by combining the resources of a comprehensive retirement community and three universities to train faculty, students, and staff, and to generate research basic to geriatric care. The four organizations involved in the project (Southwestern Ohio…