This study focuses upon some aspects of the social behavior of 2-year-old children being reared in long-stay residential nurseries. These children are compared with working class 2-year-old children being raised in two-parent homes in which the mother is not working full-time and there are no older siblings of preschool age. All children were…

Examines the influence of the live-in environment on the child care worker through a study of certain basic stress indicators (life space, conflict-triggering situations, support, need congruence, opportunity, environmental mutability, vigilance, regimentation and crisis). (BF)

Provides brief case study of a child care worker in a children's residence and describes the following: (1) the personal ingredients of care giving and care receiving; (2) how spatial arrangements influence daily experience; (3) group living as an everyday life experience; and (4) residential life as a prelude to and extension of a child's home…

A study of 16 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation and 16 direct-care staff from a residential facility investigated changes in interactive behaviors between clients and staff. Results found that, after staff training, there were slight positive increases in staff interactions with the residents. No consistent change was found…

There is no accepted definition of "needs" of the elderly. Perceptions vary with age, professional role, relationships, and time. The wide range of methodologies presents problems. Research instruments are being refined. The use of index of incapacity measures offers the best data base for planning needed services. (Author/NRB)

Alternative programs need to offer troubled and troubling students alternatives to punishment, expedient control, and rejection. This article demonstrates how the alternatives of building trusting relationships and effective, empathic communication can provide the re-education to improve a child's life.

Although child care workers are generally aware of the importance of establishing relationships with the youngsters in their care children in residential group care settings often seem unable to reciprocate emotionally or to develop interpersonal closeness. The resulting problems are discussed and ways to help are suggested. (Author)

This manual provides an on-the-job basic orientation and training program for beginning child care workers. Content areas covered were selected by child care worker supervisors as being the most troublesome for trainees adjusting to group care responsibilities. The training program is divided into two main parts. The first part consists of an…

The field study reported examined the attitudes and behavior of working mothers and their neighborhood caregivers (nonrelatives). Data were obtained from interviews with 104 mother-sitter pairs, 39 of whom were friends when the arrangement began, and 65 of whom were strangers. The dynamics of mother-sitter relations prove to be dramatically…

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…

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…

Subscales of the Sheltered Care Environmental Scale dealing with conflict, cohesion, and independence were administered to 47 adults with moderate mental retardation on 4 occasions using either a verbal format or picture-cued format. Results indicated that the use of pictures enhanced the test-retest reliability of the instrument. (Author/JDD)

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…

In an effort to reduce social isolation, procedures which included modeling, behavioral rehearsal, feedback, and reinforcement were used to train four elderly nursing home residents in four conversational areas: expressing common courtesies; making positive self-disclosures; asking questions; and making interjections and acknowledgments. Results…

The effects of functional grouping of 303 people with intellectual disabilities on care practices in English group homes were investigated. Residents who were non-ambulant were rated as receiving care with less interpersonal warmth and residents with severe challenging behavior were rated as receiving care with less interpersonal warmth and…