The purpose of this study was the development, testing, and analysis of a nursing home aide screening device. Items of the instrument (N=40) were found to significantly differentiate between the successful or unsuccessful groups of aides (N=93). (Author)

A good experiential training program in geriatrics provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the basic pharmaceutical disciplines; develop management and communication skills; formulate corrective and preventive strategies; and learn rational, safe, and effective drug use among the elderly. (MLW)

Indirect self-destructive behavior (ISDB) is associated with direct suicide potential, dissatisfaction with the treatment program and with life in general, confused reasoning and judgment, poor prognosis for discharge, the absence of religious commitment, and significant losses in the patient's life. ISDB is an alternative form of suicide. (Author)

Workshops in caring were designed to expose attitudes, biases, and concerns of a nursing home staff toward aging, illness, and death. Touches on techniques and materials for encouraging participants to focus on and share feelings. What inhibits or facilitates a caring relationship was the prime focus of both sessions. (Author)

This paper explores the relationship between alienation and perceived type of freedom in homes for the aged. Homes for the aged were found to have the highest scores on alienation and conditional freedom when compared to other types of residential organizations. (Author)

The underlying goal of design proposals for local (public) authority homes for old people--minimizing residents' dependence on staff--is outlines, as are physical features of institutional accommodation held to counter fulfillment of the goal. How these issues and the related goal of independence have influenced design proposals is described.…

The care provided and types of jobs available in the nation's nursing homes are reviewed including advantages and disadvantages of nursing home employment and discussion of past and future growth and development of the industry. (JT)

Effectiveness of the Teaching Nursing Home Program linking 11 nursing schools and 12 nursing homes was evaluated through a survey of 43 school and 29 home representatives. A structured school-nursing home affiliation was shown to be a cost-effective way to improve the quality of care and have a positive impact on faculty growth. (SK)

Examined records of Puerto Rican/Hispanic patients (N=25) residing in, or discharged from, one nursing home and compared records to those of control group (N=50) admitted during same time. Found Puerto Rican/Hispanic group was younger with more disabilities. Suggests that Hispanic patients' families may not have been able to care for disabled…

The new quality assurance system for nursing homes implemented by the New York State Department of Health in 1981 was compared to the previous system. The new system devoted more resources to on-site activities and identified more patient-care deficiencies and more repeat deficiencies. (SLD)

Examined relationships between agitated behavior and past personality in 408 nursing home residents. Agitated and nonaggressive behaviors were correlated with past stressful events, and physically aggressive behavior was correlated with the lack thereof; no relationships were found between agitated behavior and history of a mental disorder or past…

Describes a peer counseling program in a 300-bed long-term care facility which uses training materials specifically developed for older people. Shows how the peer counseling program functions and provides anecdotal comments from both participants and a staff member, along with an outline of the training components. (Author/ABL)

Infantilization was investigated in a sample of elderly adults, both community residents (n=18) and residents of institutions (n=17). Community residents were more negative in their ratings of infantilizing speech content and intonation, and appeared particularly resentful of infantilizing speech intonation of the dimension of respect. (JPS)

To control wanderers' exiting, the view and light through a window were manipulated using visual barriers: window blind, cloth barrier, and a combination of the two. The closed blind decreased exiting by 44% while the cloth barrier was 96% effective. Combining the blind and cloth barrier lessened exiting by 88%. (RJM)

According to data from 2,000 registered nurses, (1) those employed in nonprofit nursing homes earned more than private home nurses; (2) quality differences in care may account for wage differences; and (3) an explanation for quality differences may be that nonprofits exist because of market failure to provide high quality care, and therefore they…