It is well documented that engagement in arts and cultural activities contributes to improving and maintaining the health and well-being of older people. Despite this, many health and social care professionals do not recognize or accept arts and cultural activities as relevant to their care remit. To address this, a team of 17 individuals…

This study addresses the transfer of training to quality care practices among leisure services professionals who serve older adults by applying the Social Structure and Personality approach, a social psychology framework that accounts for layers of influence in that process. Multiple demographic and policy changes contribute to a need for a…

Service provision to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) older adults is a dynamic and sensitive area, requiring rigorous and extensive inquiry and action. Examining the readiness and assets of organizations serving GLBT older adults requires not only heart and sensitivity but also resources and a clear vision. The Community Readiness…

The societal view that regards geriatrics as a period of decline may not be congruent to the views of elderly people themselves. This gives rise to the need for further understanding of how elderly individuals evaluate their lives. A phenomenological design was employed for purposes of discovering and characterizing the essence behind the life…

The main purpose of this study was to examine the role of mental health services structure in community senior centers and how it interacts with Puerto Rican older adults' historical, social, and cultural experiences to relate to their perceptions, awareness, and utilization of mental health services. The study was carried out within a concurrent…

Describes program in which satellite clinics in three apartment buildings for seniors and disabled adults bring primary health care services to individuals. Explains how clinical nurse specialist, social worker, and physician work as team to help clients remain functional and independent, and how health education programs, counseling, and staff…

Surveyed recent enrollees (n=174) in Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Medicare coverage. Respondents were younger, healthier, and had more education than the general 65+ population; learned about HMOs from family and friends; and joined HMOs because of accessibility and coverage. Expectations about HMO care coverage were very high, raising…

An ongoing project is being conducted in San Francisco, California to study the social and psychological factors among the elderly which influence their utilization of outpatient health services. A preliminary study of the project explored associations between the informal support network and the formal social support system as they converged in…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore how medical care is delivered to older people in assisted living (AL) settings and to suggest ways for improving it. Design and Methods: We present a review of the limited research available on health care for older AL residents and on building testable models of better ways to organize primary…

Uses statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics to show that rural elders have greater health needs than urban elders but receive less care. Barriers to adequate health care include ignorance and denial, a tendency to use lay rather than professional treatment, and financial and transportation difficulties. (JAC)

Home care programs emerged as an essential component of health care for the elderly and are generally based on hospital or community models. These models coexisted in Manitoba as elsewhere, but services were uncoordinated, fragmented, restrictive, duplicative, and not universally available. In September 1974, a comprehensive home care program was…

Notes that health maintenance organizations (HMOs) provide large volume of health care services to older Americans. Contends that HMOs must reexamine general practice of equating utilization of services with health care need and collect better population-based information, including measures of health status. Discusses data elements widely…

Case management has become a core component in the delivery of long term care services. It is widely viewed as a mechanism for linking and coordinating segments of a service delivery system (within a single agency or involving several providers) to ensure the most comprehensive program for meeting an individual client's needs for care. Although…

Planning and research related to long-term care for American Indian elderly population lag behind state-of-the-art. Indian Health Service, major health care provider for this population, has resisted developing services specific to older tribal members. Innovative efforts have, however, emerged at local level. (Author/NB)

Surveyed 1,498 residents and waiting list members of two Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). Found that reasons for joining CCRCs included access to services and protection for spouse. Recent joiners expressed more concerns about lifestyle and locational issues related to moving to a CCRC. (Author/NB)