Alternatives to long-stay patient back-ups include building more beds of all types, changes in placement policies, and continuing hospital care for older adults. Manitoba's policies have resulted in redistributing the health dollar towards the geriatric patient. (JAC)

The challenge of geriatric medicine in an era of limited resources is addressed. Focus is on containing the costs of health care in several neglected areas of geriatrics: stroke, long-term care, patient and family counseling, and death. (JMD)

Articles in this special issue look at ethical issues in aging in geriatric care, improving care of the dying, the value of autonomy and respect, the role of religion in health-related decisions, protection of nursing facility residents, physician-assisted dying, conflict resolution in nursing homes, and dealing with patients' demands for…

Methodological issues in geropsychological assessment research are discussed and illustrated through recent investigations. Cross-sectional studies are needed to extend and diversify age norms, and short-term longitudinal studies should be planned to assess the predictive validity of test outcomes and diagnostic profiles of older adults. (SLD)

Describes a geriatric wellness program in which social work practitioners played a major role. Compared results of a telephone screening test to detect depression with the clinical judgment of social workers. The screening instrument proved effective in assessing a population with a high rate of major depression. (RJM)

Has two principle thrusts: a reflection on the graying of American society and a perspective on its implications for social work education. Calls for social work educators to reassess their role in contributing to society and individuals dealing with the issues of aging. Discusses the phenomenon of the "third age" of members of society.…

Uses Cronbach's alpha and correlational methods, including factor analysis, to evaluate the performance of four short scales measuring psychosocial aspects of well-being (depression, quality of life, sense of coherence, social support) in two samples of community-dwelling persons ages 75 and over. All scales exhibited good range, high internal…

Examines the importance of economic factors in physician and other health service utilization among older adults living in Bermuda. Using data from a national survey of 500 Bermudian elders, findings reveal economic factors to be unrelated to the use of physician services directly, but to be significant determinants of the use of other health…

At the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, we developed a voluntary senior-mentor program, the Senior Teacher Educator Partnership (STEP), for first- and second-year medical students. Using qualitative research methods, we examined the impact of STEP on medical students' attitudes and then assessed the congruence of what is learned…

This background paper, prepared by two members of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Strengthening the Geriatric Content of Medical Education, addresses the progress made in physicians' geriatric and gerontological education. The report appears in six chapters. After a brief introduction on health care reform and medical education, geriatric…

Although illness is often linked to low morale among the elderly, most persons cope with and adjust to illness. A hypothesized model of favorable family response to illness suggests the importance of resources as mediators to avoid crisis. To test this model, 53 older patients with lung disease and their spouses were interviewed about individual…

Increasingly, the health care needs of older people are dominating the field of medicine and the health care system. The supply of physician gerontologists and geriatricians, the attention they pay to the special needs of the elderly, and the adequacy of their training are addressed in these hearings, which consider a Senate bill to improve the…

This publication contains the reports of two major public advisory bodies which studied and conducted hearings on mental health needs of the elderly and developed recommendations for public policy to address these needs. The first report reviews current mental health needs and considers the projected needs for dealing with emotional stress during…

Demographic and utilization date are used to project the need for physicians to provide care for the elderly over the next 50 years. The quantitative estimates are coupled with qualitative analyses leading to recommendations for means to deliver the needed services. Estimates are that the United States will require about 8,000 geriatricians by…

The report deals with the design, development, and evaluation of a short-term training program directed toward modifying attitudes and acquiring new information and skills about sensory impairments frequently found among institutionalized elderly people. The training attempted to provide participants with a clearer understanding of the implication…