Compared the health care used by employed and retired elderly persons in Canada. Findings indicated that ambulatory physician visitation of both groups is similar, and the greater prevalence of serious conditions among the retired is associated with their higher hospitalization rates rather than with their retirement status. (Author)

An investigation of official 1976 suicide statistics among minority elderly revealed that suicide rates are highest among the old for Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino Americans. Among Blacks and Native Americans, however, suicide rates are extremely low for the aged. Suggests explanations for these findings. (Author)

No significant decline in performance occurred before age 50. Decline in Memory-For-Designs Test performance after age 60 is sufficient to suggest caution in the use of the test for evaluation of brain damage in the older patient. (Author)

Investigated effects of environmental changes on functioning of 134 nursing home residents relocated to new facility, in comparison with 145 nonrelocated residents of a similar facility. Found that physical functioning and orientation were not affected by relocation. Stabilizing effect on mood, relative increase in withdrawn behavior, and decline…

This study compared the production of complex syntax by 16 older adults diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease and 25 age-matched control subjects. It found that although individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease did not produce frank lexical or grammatical errors, they did find it difficult to access the "best fit" between meaning and…

Argues that individual and group differences in priming performance scores are heavily influenced by overall speed and accuracy, and thus are a flawed reflection of internal activation of semantic priming. Suggests that meaningful comparison of groups on the activation underlying priming difference scores requires removing the effects of overall…

The objective of this study was to compare enhanced access to geriatric assessment and case management to usual home care service provision for the frail elderly. This was a demonstration project, with randomized allocation to control or intervention groups of frail elderly persons who had been referred to the Home Care service in Winnipeg. Of the…

A motor task that requires fine control of upper limb movements and a cognitive task that requires executive processing--first performing them separately and then concurrently--was performed by 18 young and 18 older adults. The motor task required participants to tap alternatively on two targets, the sizes of which varied systematically. The…

Two major themes have been especially important in behavioral research in gerontology in the last decade--life-span studies and studies of aging and social integration. The decade to come should see increasing emphasis on longitudinal and cohort studies and on the development of cross-national or comparative research. (Author)

In order to ascertain the extent to which older persons' levels of behavioral functioning parallel their levels of intellectual functioning, 42 female patients, aged 61-99, of an outpatient comprehensive care geriatric clinic, completed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), the…

Because of administrative difficulties, therapeutic services provided at a nursing home by Project Adapt, through the St. Louis (Missouri) Regional Community Placement Program, were discontinued. At 2-month intervals, from June through December, 1986, 10 residents from the home where services were discontinued were compared with 10 and 15…

Gerontological research appears to indicate that a relatively small percentage of the elderly population of the United States attends any of the nation's senior centers. In order to identify the correlates of senior center participation for a sample of elderly living in a small urban community, elderly male and female center users (N=97) and…

This paper addresses the following questions: (1) what changes in the level of income and of publicly provided goods and services have occurred since Kennedy took office, (2) what differences are apparent in the income of rich and poor, old and young, black and white, and North and South, (3) to what extent were these differences caused by the…

This newsletter, distributed by the National Clearinghouse on Aging, is designed to provide information about statistical programs and recent publications to the National Network on Aging as well as individuals and organizations working in the field of aging. The contents of this issue focus on: (1) a summary of estimates of the United States…

The relationship between age and residential factors in environmental preference was investigated by measuring the degree to which recently institutionalized elderly adapted to the new environment. Their needs and preferences for environmental qualities of stiumulation, order and privacy were assessed and compared with a matched sample of older…