Multiple pathology, a common phenomenon among elderly, fosters the practice of multiple drug therapy, which is particularly hazardous for this age grouping. The total drug exposure of two typical elderly persons, one institutionalized and one living at home, were analyzed. Potentially harmful drug interactions were discerned in both cases. (Author)

A field study of residents' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with open-ward accomodations in a skilled-nursing facility revealed that 88 percent of the respondents preferred the open ward to any other type of room accomodation. Findings suggest that for residents with multiple functional disabilities, the open ward is a supportive environment.…

Compared the informal and formal caregiving of 269 functionally impaired elderly people residing on 53 Israeli kibbutzim. Results agreed with those from earlier studies which suggested that the availability of formal resources was not accompanied by withdrawal of informal supports. (Author/BHK)

Purpose: This paper reports on Canadian research that examined the cost effectiveness of home care for seniors as a substitute for long-term institutional services. Design and Methods: Two Canadian cities were included in the research: Victoria, British Columbia, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The research computes the costs of formal care and informal…

Purpose: Longitudinal research in dementia has acknowledged the importance of transitions during the course of family caregiving. However, long-term adaptation to institutionalization has received little attention. This study attempts to describe caregivers' adaptation (changes in stress, well-being, and psychosocial resources) to placement up to…

The Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES) measures the social environment of sheltered care settings, as perceived by residents and staff. This instrument was developed and tested in a sample of 40 facilities representing the breadth and variety of currently existing congregate housing for the elderly. (Author)

Compared the progress of elderly patients at a short-term residential facility. Patients with diagnosed dementia (N=15) showed improvements comparable to patients (N=15) with psychiatric problems but no diagnosed dementia on several skills, while showing little or no progress in other areas. Discusses implications for remediation of skill deficits…

Relocation of older patients had a positive effect on hypochondria, stamina, hygiene, and daily functioning but no effect on health status. Self-health assessments, stamina, hypochondria, and hygiene had no effect on the mortality rate of relocated patients, but daily functioning did effect the mortality rate. (Author)

Describes an educational program that contributed to a 90% reduction in the use of physical restraints in nursing homes over a two-year period. Program consists of a workshop, telephone and on-site consultations, regional meetings, and other support materials. Surveys suggest that the project can be easily adapted by care providers. (RJM)

Purpose: We developed and tested theoretically derived procedures to observe physical environments experienced by nursing home residents at three nested levels: their rooms, the nursing unit, and the overall facility. Illustrating with selected descriptive results, in this article we discuss the development of the approach. Design and Methods: On…

A national survey of Residential Care Home programs revealed that most facilities were family owned and operated. A provider survey revealed that homes regulated by departments of health were more institutional than were homes regulated by integrated, social service departments. Elderly residents had high satisfaction. (Author/ABB)

Explored hypothesis that the quality of care received by the elderly in a residential facility is related to the ownership of the facility. Evaluated 300 facilities using the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP). Results indicated that nonprofit facilities (n=44) provided a more comfortable setting, higher resident control and…

Purpose: Getting dressed is an activity that is of particular difficulty for many persons with dementia, given the need for hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and overall planning skills. Despite several studies concerning interventions to improve dressing behavior, very little is known about the dressing process as it is currently…

This paper explores the relationship between alienation and perceived type of freedom in homes for the aged. Homes for the aged were found to have the highest scores on alienation and conditional freedom when compared to other types of residential organizations. (Author)

The underlying goal of design proposals for local (public) authority homes for old people--minimizing residents' dependence on staff--is outlines, as are physical features of institutional accommodation held to counter fulfillment of the goal. How these issues and the related goal of independence have influenced design proposals is described.…