Since nursing home placement is frequently the last choice for families of elderly people who need long-term care, little literature exists which delineates a model for consumer decision making in the selection of a specific long-term care facility. Critical issues include the following: (1) who actually makes the selection; (2) what other…

A widespread bias exists among legal, medical, and social service professionals that the appropriate placement for elderly individuals with cognitive impairment (dementia) is a nursing home. Two major reasons for institutionalization are to remove the patient from a potentially harmful situation and to relieve the family of the burden of care.…

The State of Virginia has had a statewide nursing home preadmission screening program since 1977 and has made efforts to ensure appropriate placement of individuals in long term care settings. In a major effort to divert certain individuals from institutionalization, a personal care option has been provided. Using data from the Preadmission…

Over the past two decades, the chronic mentally ill elderly have begun to receive care in residential health care facilities (RHCF) such as domiciliary care, intermediate care, and skilled nursing facilities. While there is justification for this increase, as the mentally ill elderly also present with significant physical illnesses, there are…

Stress and burnout are common in the caregiving professions. Stress negatively affects both the caregivers and patients. In order to help caregivers deal with stress effectively and to improve the care in residential care facilities, it is essential to learn more about the particular stressors that managers of such facilities experience. In this…

Results of an illustrative study emphasize the importance of the images that the elderly and the general public have of a rural community's services for senior citizens. These images help to identify ways in which programs and services can be tailored to the requirements of the elderly. Public support for political action that bears directly upon…

Interviews with a random sample of 1,598 persons aged 65 years and older in 1975 with followups in 1984 provide information about the distribution between community and institutional care of urban elderly in Cleveland (Ohio). Support factors that enable persons to remain in the community are identified. (SLD)

Despite the importance of activity programs in geriatric long-term care settings, there has been little investigation of the recreational needs, wants, and interests of male residents. A descriptive interview survey, which assessed self-reported leisure interests, time preference, and morale was given to 102 staff members and 55 male residents of…

Expressive therapists (in art, music, and dance) possess the techniques necessary for working with older adults who need assistance in making productive use of their leisure time. Therapeutic expressive activities for long-term care residents promote creativity, self-expression, communication, and understanding of oneself. The purpose of the…

Severe problems in turnover and absenteeism among workers in geriatric and long-term care organizations have sparked great interest in the impact of job satisfaction on the quality of care provided to the elderly. The Job Description Index (JDI) is a job satisfaction index which measures satisfaction with several dimensions of the job: co-workers,…

It has been theorized that the need for interpersonal contact is continuous throughout life and is necessary for one's well-being. The concept of self-disclosure, the process of making the self known to other persons, has been associated with varying levels of well-being. The content and comprehensiveness of self-disclosure by the elderly to an…

The development of alternatives to institutionally based long-term care requires the creation of greater interdependence among community based agencies and the provision of appropriate interdependence as the foundation for coordinated service delivery. Theoretical models of interorganizational interdependence are examined and assessed for their…

With increasing emphasis on treating the whole person, on the maintenance of an individual's former life style, and on patients' rights, long-term care personnel need to become aware that many nursing home residents experience needs related to their sexuality. A model two-day workshop is presented wlth a focus on the following topics: (1) a broad…

This research questions the frequent observation that elderly persons in long-term care institutions are isolated from their families, and that institutionalization is the final step in the breakdown of family relations. Data consisted of open-ended interviews with institutionalized elderly parents and with the child most involved with the parent…

The purpose of this investigation was to gain an understanding of the role that television plays in the daily lives of a number of elderly male individuals who are partially confined and socially restricted in a long care facility. An inductive, qualitative study was conducted over a three-month period in western Canada in order to obtain an…