Health care will continue to occupy a prominent place in state legislative deliberations, as indicated by the National Conference of State Legislatures' 1987 State Issues Survey. The survey addressed state actions in these health issue areas: (1) health care for the medically indigent; (2) medical malpractice; (3) certificate of need and health…

Discusses the disparity in research funding for Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the future of health-care policy and the need for reform. Provides an annotated bibliography of sources related to AD, long-term care, and health policy. The types of documents covered include journals, government documents, and grey literature (material not readily…

Offers six teaching activities suggested by teachers: addressing vocabulary development; punctuation awareness; building background knowledge for English literature; a system for notetaking; a month-long unit on African folktales; and an Alzheimer patient's response to children's literature. (SR)

Drawing on research on techniques for scaffolding in speech therapy for victims of Alzheimer's Disease, some considerations in determining appropriate scaffolding in speech therapist-client interactions at four levels of interaction (initial, those involving early language activities, discourse interactions, and turn-taking) are discussed.…

These two volumes contain research papers and personal reflections developed as culminating projects by adult students involved in workplace literacy classes in nursing homes, hospitals, and home care agencies. The first volume contains 18 papers: "What You Need to Know about Cancer" (Grace Bopst); "What Nursing Assistants Need to Know about Heart…

This booklet provides an overview of Alzheimer's disease along with a description of the disease, how to find out if someone has it, and how it affects adults with developmental disabilities. It also provides information on what to do and suggests where to seek help. Specific sections discuss: (1) the etiology of the disease; (2) symptoms of…

Purpose: The majority of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are cared for at home by a family member such as a spouse or daughter. Caregiving places enormous demands on these caregivers, and the negative consequences associated with caregiving are well documented. This paper reports results from the Miami site of the REACH (Resources for…

Caregiver education and support programs help decrease the stress and burden on family caregivers of the elderly. This directory profiles 72 programs for caregivers of elders. Programs are grouped into the categories of education, respite, and support. Education programs address skills and techniques for caregiving and include program…

An Ontario study of 68 caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease revealed that those respondents living in more remote areas of northwestern Ontario expressed greater needs for information, education, and social support; experienced significantly more difficulties with morale; and employed coping strategies that reflected an inadequate social…

Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses compared age-related changes in adaptive functioning in institutionalized adults with and without Down's syndrome. Cross-sectional analysis showed significant differences related to level of functioning but not to age or etiology. Longitudinal analysis showed a decline in self-help and communication skills…

The stages of life are now many, each having its own boundaries, logic, and a prescribed perspective of appropriate relations amongst and between members of the many stages. Just as there is a developing curriculum for the young, there is a developing curriculum in the area of elder care. Within the paradigm of staged human development, the end…

This feature issue of a bulletin on community integration points out the challenge of making service systems more familiar with and responsive to the needs of older adults with developmental disabilities and their families. It includes articles with the following titles and authors: "Living on the Edge" (Arthur Campbell, Jr.); "Aging and…

This manual is intended for caregivers of homebound patients with Alzheimer's disease and others who are mentally impaired. It deals with the nature of Alzheimer's, the decline in a patient's abilities, information about available services, and legal and financial issues. The manual provides guidance and suggestions to lessen the daily stress…

Explored the impact of dementia on family members' physical and mental health while caring for an ill parent/spouse. Severity of illness was significantly associated with health and well-being for spouses, offspring, and in-laws, regardless of the amount of caregiving. Demonstrates the potential cascading effect of severe illness. (RJM)

Several cross-sectional studies and one longitudinal study were conducted on the language abilities of various cohorts of persons with Down syndrome (ages 14-50). A gradual decrease in global cerebral metabolic rate (CMR) for both hemispheres and for each participant was documented, however, no language deterioration could be associated with CMR…