Review of literature concerning effectiveness and cost of geriatric day hospitals revealed many descriptive studies and four randomized control studies. Of four studies, one demonstrated credible improvement in physical and emotional function in day hospital versus conventional care control group. Three randomized studies in which costs were…

Evaluated hopelessness, depression, and self-esteem among depressed elderly people (N=78) and developed a Geriatric Hopelessness Scale (GHS). As predicted, elderly subjects who scored high on the GHS showed significantly higher depression and lower self-esteem scores. (JAC)

Interviewed 140 elderly medical patients and found that the measured 22 percent prevalence of mental impairment was not reflected in the patients' utilization of mental health services or in their presenting complaints to their physicians. Subsequent interviews with their physicians revealed inadequate recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of…

Visual functioning, treatment, and helpful low vision aids are discussed in relation to four major eye diseases of the elderly: cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. (KW)

An interview with an elderly person now living in Miami provides valuable insights on some of the problems of organizing for social and political changes and the pressing concerns of senior citizens. (Author/AM)

Responses from 159 of 837 health and mental health professionals in Alaska showed the following: (1) 54% said community services for the aging were inadequate; (2) 55% felt health professionals' knowledge of aging was insufficient; and (3) 91.8% needed further training in aging and geriatrics, especially regarding mental health and Alzheimer's…

Presents model for interdisciplinary discharge planning team, with emphasis on functional status and improved coordination and continuity among providers. Describes design and implementation of such a program at university hospital. Explains how model resulted in more patients being discussed and served, with more emphasis on the functional…

Gatekeepers, or nontraditional referral sources, have proven to be an effective means of case finding and outreach for mental health needs of isolated senior citizens. A two-year project administered by county public health department found the gatekeeper concept to be an effective means of case finding in the public health setting. (ABL)

This case study of an 83-year-old woman with Down syndrome suggests she is the longest surviving person with the condition. Also noted is the lack of decline in mental function and performance of activities of daily living despite the apparently universal presence of the neuropathologic changes of Alzheimer's disease in persons with Down syndrome…

Third-year medical students (n=67) conducted structured functional assessments of elderly patients and completed diagnostic/therapeutic plans. Students averaged seven problems and four recommendations per patient. Significant increases in their knowledge of and comfort with comprehensive geriatric assessment were found. (Contains 25 references.)…

A training curriculum on mental health and aging was developed and disseminated to 32 natural caregivers throughout a frontier state using a train-the-trainer model. Those certified as trainers included social workers, religious professionals, volunteers, long-term care employees, nurses, home health workers, and professional and informal…

Today more people are living beyond 65 years of age than ever before. The 1980s can be critical in determining the future of the aging, and the advocacy of the social worker can be the decisive factor. (Author)

The Social Sciences, as they relate to the aged and the aging, are discussed. Social gerontology seeks to discover the role of the social environment as a determinant of aging and of the behavior and position of older people in society. In the United States, some 20 million people are over 65 years of age, and the median age of the elderly has…

The goals of the work study project: Services to the Aging conducted at the University of Denver, were: (1) to sensitize the undergraduate students participating in it in their understanding of the role and functioning of older people in a changing social structure; and (2) through a field work and academic program, to acquaint students with the…

This article provides an identification and brief discussion of some issues in counseling older people. A thorough review of the literature on aging, with implications for counseling, is strongly recommended. Paper presented at 83rd Annual Meeting of American Psychological Association, Chicago, September 1975. (Author)