Loneliness was the main factor underlying failure to adjust. Furthermore, widowhood and being alone had a considerable influence. The degree of disability and the age of the individual proved to have a smaller impact than was assumed to be the case. (Author)

Cost effectiveness of the program cannot be accurately determined. Assessment is based on actual self-care rather than proving poverty. A flexible approach is taken toward disability level and family support. States should keep community care flexible and available at acceptable cost. (JAC)

Responses to questionnaires were compared between 106 students in nursing homes with those of 171 students in hospitals to evaluate interview and physical examination instruction for medical students. The nursing home was assessed as an appropriate alternative site for teaching the medical interview and physical diagnosis. (GLR)

In response to concerns about continuity of care, nurse practitioners and faculty members from medicine, pharmacy, and nursing developed an interdisciplinary curriculum for clinical experience in a nursing home, an educational and medical experience significantly different from those in hospital or ambulatory settings. (MSE)

Describes consortium formed by 10 long-term care providers and three universities to permit professional and paraprofessional training. Discusses these advantages to sharing educational resources: being able to repeat programs, extending subjects of in-service education, developing network of training consultants, and promoting effective…

Gathered essays from 53 elderly nursing home residents about the strongest meaning in their lives. Most reported family relationships as central, followed by pleasure, and then health. Analysis showed significant differences between residents' and younger adults' types of meaning. Residents did not reveal an absence of meaning in their lives. (RJM)

Interviewed 179 caregivers of hospitalized patients and studied discharge decisions to examine factors associated with willingness to continue in caregiving role after hospitalization of relative with dementia. Caregivers initially undecided about discharge plans were likely to seek placement for patients with more severe cognitive impairment,…

Examined cherished possessions and adaptation to nursing home of 100 nursing home residents. Findings showed those with possessions were better adapted; possessions served functions of historical continuity, comfort, and belongingness; and more women than men had cherished possessions. (Author/PVV)

Discussion of library outreach programs to senior citizens highlights the experiences of Driftwood Library (Lincoln City, Oregon) in using multimedia kits by Bi-Folkal that were designed for use in nursing homes, senior care centers, and retirement homes. Library staffing, funding, and planning needs are addressed. (LRW)

Describes a day care center adjacent to a nursing home where the children can interact with the elderly residents. A group of local businesses agreed to build and support the day care center when it became apparent that many of their employees needed day care services for their children. (KS)

Analysis of the 1977 and 1985 National Nursing Home Surveys with respect to residents with mental retardation found little change in the size of the population; resident characteristics (such as other disabling conditions and functional limitations and primary source of payment); and level of services received. Challenges in implementing Public…

Describes a poetry group which encouraged the expression of memories and imagination among frail elderly residents of a nursing home over a period of nine months. Shows how it facilitated peer friendship formation, increased expression of affect, resulted in improved staff treatment of residents, and ended with the publication of an anthology. (SR)

Presents an intervention, used in the Netherlands, that empowers clients in residential care homes. The intervention comprises a standardized survey-feedback procedure in which residents' opinions on life and care in their particular home are gauged, discussed, and reported. Explores instrument validity, reliability, and its use in the home. (RJM)

Describes a workshop in which family members and friends of persons with dementing disorders who live in nursing homes develop stories of these residents' lives. The workshop is product-oriented, is not meant as a support group, and works best in organizations emphasizing individualized care. Stories should help staff members better understand…

Examines the issues that language researchers may face when planning and executing research in facilities which are not traditionally or frequently involved in research with individuals who have language disorders. Addresses informed consent procedures, administrative approvals, staff education, and enlisting the help of staff speech-language…