Emerging policy in South Africa has had a marked impact on delivery of service by speech-language pathologists, particularly in the field of aphasia. This article describes major policy influences in the areas of language use, health, education, disability, and the elderly, which have had an impact on service delivery. Aphasia assessment and…

As cities across the country and globe continue to generate new solutions to a wide variety of vexing problems, sharing information about what works and what doesn't has become more important than ever. Yet, outside of a few prominent policies, the vast majority of successful municipal experiments never reach a national audience or, for that…

The relationship between ageing and skills is becoming an important policy issue, not least in the context of population ageing. Data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) will potentially add considerably to the understanding of the relationship between ageing and foundation skills. In particular, the…

The 2009 Institute of Medicine report on prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders (National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2009b) presented evidence that major depression can be prevented. In this article, we highlight the implications of the report for public policy and research. Randomized controlled trials have shown…

Context: Challenged with a higher incidence of disease, reduced social support, and less access to physical activity facilities and services, rural older adults may find healthy active living a challenge. Despite these challenges, some rural older adults manage to achieve active lifestyles. Purpose: This study investigates the relative importance…

Purpose: To better understand the experiences and potential unmet need of persons who die in long-term care. Design and Methods: We conducted after-death interviews with staff who had cared for 422 decedents with dementia and 159 who were cognitively intact and received terminal care in U.S. nursing homes (NHs) or residential care-assisted living…

This paper examines the suicide rates of 23 cities and counties in Taiwan from 1983 to 2001. We found that a combination of economic and social variables can significantly account for the tremendous variations in suicide rates across Taiwan's cities and counties over the last two decades. The level of income per capita in a region appears as the…

Discusses social factors influencing nutrition among the elderly. Argues that to maximize dietary intervention, efficient functioning of federally sponsored nutrition programs, and subsequent research, greater attention to the conceptual foundation of nutrition-related variables is warranted. Offers suggestions for redirection. (Author/ABB)

There is some evidence that the timing of death may not be random. Taking into consideration some of the variables which possibly affect death, this paper reviews intervention techniques with the possible goal of saving lives. Knowing that the elderly respond to the environment, society should accept as its responsibility the provision of support…

The rationale for psychosocial micro and macro interventions for the prevention and treatment of depression in aging women is conceptually based upon empirical research. The investigator's person-environment incongruence model of depression, applied to a study of 50 depressed and 50 non-depressed white women for the purpose of exploring possible…

Reviews current knowledge about the misuse of prescription and nonprescription drugs by the elderly and discusses factors contributing to the problem, particularly the role of information and nonmedical individuals who may influence medication behavior. Also addresses the role of health professionals in the problem and its amelioration. (Author)