The need for evidence-based non-pharmacological community programs to improve care of older adults with dementia is self-evident, considering the sheer numbers of affected individuals; the emotional, physical, and financial toll on affected individuals and their caregivers; the impact on our health care system; and the growing availability of…

Partnership project for collaboration between families and professionals was demonstrated in eight Massachusetts communities. Project proved successful in its strategies to heighten public awareness, strengthen interagency networking, and improve community resources. (Author)

Outlines rationale for the Alzheimer's Disease Support Center (ADSC), a telecomputing-based project designed to provide information and support to caregivers of persons with dementia. Describes ADSC's context, structure, content, and operation. Notes that inherent features of telecomputing make computer-mediated information and support systems…

This article, based on a Lawton Award Lecture, addresses the subject of the need to enhance the evidence base in our field in order to influence processes of policy development. Four issues are identified as critical to this: theory-driven targets of public health significance, use of appropriate and sophisticated approaches to research design and…

Describes Time Off Promotes Strength (TOPS), program for caregivers of Alzheimer's victims which provides in-home and day program services. Explains that, through application of service/training model adapted from Global Deterioration Scale, TOPS maintains high quality of services with limited but highly trained professional staff. (Author/NB)

Describes a transition in a mature Special Care Unit for Alzheimer's patients, where patient mix had become too diverse for intended programming. Since the patients were unable to become involved in premove planning and preparation activities, preparation of staff substituted for the involvement of residents. Improved discharge policies maintain…

In order to assess vision in Alzheimer's disease, gerontologists must use tests that make minimal cognitive demands on the subject. Using such tests revealed a pattern of deficits in color discrimination, stereoacuity, contrast sensitivity, and backward masking. Impaired vision predicts deficient performance on numerous tests of cognition. (JPS)

Describes and evaluates an elder rehab program, which offers credit to students who serve as rehab partners and fitness supervisors to noninstitutionalized persons with dementia. In addition to aerobics and weight training workouts, participants engage in supervised volunteer work and memory- and language-stimulation activities with their student…

Describes a unified, statewide effort to increase outreach activities targeted to ethnic minority families with a demented relative. Provides data demonstrating the effectiveness of these programs. (SNR)