Reviews the contributions of Ollie Randall, a pioneer in the field of aging, and discusses current issues and future directions in gerontology, in five papers presented at the Ollie A. Randall Symposium, at the Gerontological Society of America, 35th Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, 1982. (JAC)

Certain historical aspects of the biology of elderly people may be obscure to the medical observer and must be incorporated in medical case histories. History forms from 10 facilities and interview techniques were evaluated. Results from the Boston study show medical education is incomplete in this area. (Author/MSE)

The University of Maryland School of Medicine, in cooperation with the five other campus professional schools, has developed a comprehensive, interdisciplinary geriatrics training program for students entering the health care professions. A model is offered for medical educators interested in geriatric curriculum design. (Author/MLW)

The growth in the demand for long-term care services and accompanying cost implications have spurred interest in alternatives to nursing homes. The rationale for such alternatives is a mixture of prevention, displacement, and deinstitutionalization; none may result. The alternative may prove to be additive rather than substitutive. (Author)

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)

Three postgraduate continuing education programs utilized self-paced reference materials coupled with symposium presentations. Programs 1 and 2 were designed to provide more "active" learning elements (role plays, simulations, etc.) and Program 3 consisted primarily of lecture and discussion. "Active" format participants were…

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…