This article describes a graduate course in clinical geropsychology that combines classroom, practicum, and field-visit components. The course provides clinical and applied developmental students with an overview of the major research and clinical topics of the field, as well as firsthand exposure to the setting of the nursing home, its residents,…

Purpose: Several studies have previously documented the existence of a perception gap--the extent to which quality-of-life ratings provided by nursing home residents and caregivers diverge. In this study we use Helson's adaptation-level theory to investigate three types of antecedents: (a) focal factors, (b) background factors, and (c) residual…

Purpose: We address how the national prevalence of cognitive impairment can be estimated from two nationally representative surveys. Design and Methods: Data are from the 1999-2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 1999 National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS). The NHIS represents all community-dwelling people living in the United States,…

Context: Scope of practice is an important factor in both training and recruiting rural family physicians. Purpose: To assess rural Idaho family physicians' scope of practice and to examine variations in scope of practice across variables such as gender, age and employment status. Methods: A survey instrument was developed based on a literature…

Illustrates how the director and teachers of a child care program and the staff of a residential nursing home facility collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an onsite intergenerational program. Describes program goals; recruitment plan; elder, staff, and teacher orientation; options for intergenerational activities; and program…

Purpose: Weak empirical evidence exists showing that nursing home staffing levels influence quality of care. We propose that weak findings have resulted in many prior analyses because research models have underspecified the labor composition needed to influence care processes that, in turn, influence quality of care. In this analysis, we specified…

This article uses a retrospective approach to critique the research base underlying the nursing home culture-change movement--an effort to radically transform the nation's nursing homes by delivering resident-directed care and empowering staff. The article traces the development of the movement from its inception 10 years ago to 2005, when the…

When a parent leaves an inheritance over $2,000 to an individual with special needs, the inheritance is actually a gift to the government because it eliminates that child's qualification for government benefits. The use of a special needs trust eliminates this disqualification because the inheritance is not left to the individual with special…

The Problem: The problem in this study was to determine whether there is a difference between technology-based and instructor-led RCFE administrator training. Method: A quasi-experimental research design study was conducted, and 70 students enrolled in the Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) Administration Licensing renewal course…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe how assisted living (AL) fits with other long-term-care services. Design and Methods: We analyzed the evolution of AL, including the populations served, the services offered, and federal and state policies that create various incentives or disincentives for using AL to replace other forms of care…

Purpose: The study's goals were to understand what changes in management practices would most improve the jobs of frontline workers from the perspective of workers themselves and to analyze differences across settings. Design and Methods: The baseline survey of direct care workers (N = 3,468) conducted as part of the National Study of the Better…

Purpose: The study examined factors associated with state variations in the use of federal and state civil money penalties (CMPs) for nursing homes. Design and Methods: We collected federal and state CMP data from state survey and certification agencies for 2004. We also used federal CMP data from the federal enforcement action database for…

Using evidence gathered during 18 months of participant-observation in 2 nursing homes and 65 interviews with staff, this article examines how nursing-home staff use agency as a rhetorical resource to construct a dignified workplace. Staff attribute agency to dying residents, saying they choose the timing and conditions of their death. Staff…

The Delta Society defines animal-assisted therapy as "a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical healthcare treatment process." Unlike other animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted therapy, or AAT, is led by a professional such as a physical therapist, occupational therapist,…

Purpose: There is debate about the relative merits and costs of private versus shared bedrooms in nursing homes, particularly in light of the current efforts at creating both cost-efficient and person-centered care facilities. The purpose of this project was to explore the extent to which there is evidence-based information that supports the…