High quality care and teaching in a nursing home require organization of an active medical staff that enhances and does not distract from a physician's commitment to his practice in the office and hospital. The medical residency program at the Jewish Home for the Elderly of Fairfield, Connecticut, is described. (MLW)

Addressed a need for enlargement of music when retirement home residents were deprived of a self-fulfillment opportunity from choir activities due to failing eyesight. A photographic process yielded the needed feasible large reproductions. Innovative application of this technique affords wide-ranging potential for positive benefit beyond music…

A detailed analysis of geriatric education at the undergraduate, graduate, and fellowship levels is reported. Data on the type of training sites, educational activities, and clinical interaction at different levels of training are presented. The results suggest that there is a need for high-quality geriatric programs at all levels. (Author/MLW)

Describes the "Peer Support System," which involved older people in the provision of improved mental health services, including education and service identification. The program consisted of recruiting and training 48 peer counselors, and conducting monthly health education workshops. Funded by the Administration on Aging, the project…

Considers what benefits volunteerism offers to the aging and to their communities, how this role for the aging is valued, what has been learned from the greater utilization of senior citizen volunteers, and how this opportunity can be provided to those who want it. (Author/AM)

The Student Senior Partner Program (SSPP) forms the core of the required medical student geriatrics curriculum at the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine (UCISOM). The program utilizes a longitudinal modular format that extends over the first three years of medical school. Instruction is presented in didactic, patient interactive,…

This report examines Project Elderly, a project developed to provide job possibilities for the older adult in the labor market in metropolitan Miami (FL). A survey questionnaire was developed to (1) assess the opportunities of the elderly for re-entry into volunteer and paid employment positions; (2) determine the extent of the senior population…

To treat the elderly more competently and to provide clinical training to undergraduates simultaneously, a geriatric dental program was initiated in 1976 at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. The program's current status and operation are described. (Author/MLW)

Describes how a staff counselor, relating to elderly patients in a private medical practice, can serve the interests of patients, families, physicians, and community agencies. The role of the counselor is outlined and the benefits of a team approach are discussed. (JAC)

Describes several kinds of mutual help groups and two ways to initiate them: (1) through conferences, and (2) through short-term training programs. A substantial need continues for mutual help groups in an era of reduced professional and consumer resources. Research is needed to document their extensiveness, impact and longevity. (JAC)

The experience of the British and Irish coordination of social and health care suggests a categorical rather than comprehensive approach. Personnel training, resource development and planning should be undertaken on a slow, step-by-step schedule. (JAC)

"Sozialstationen" can fulfill an important function in social and health care by allowing older adults to live at home longer. About two-thirds of the clients would have to have more to residential care if the program was stopped. No conclusions on cost effectiveness can be drawn at this time. (JAC)

Frail elders living alone or in long-term care settings are particularly vulnerable to bioterrorism and other emergencies due to their complex physical, social and psychological needs. This paper provides an overview of the recent literature on bioterrorism and emergency preparedness in aging (BTEPA); discusses federal initiatives by the health…

Successful management of the elderly patient is related in part to how effectively he and members of the health care team can communicate with each other. If comprehension and/or expressive abilities are impaired, as they frequently are in the geriatric population, then efficient patient management becomes difficult. Unfortunately, this difficulty…

Techniques have been developed for research and teaching purposes on the sensory losses that accompany the aging process. By experiencing the sensory loss, those working with the aged understand how the environment and professional interaction can assist, support, and enhance coping and functioning by the older person. (Author)