Compared nursing home use of 3,316 residents of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) with that of general elderly population. CCRC residents had greater lifetime risk of nursing home entry and repeat entries, while their length of stay per admission was shorter. Findings illustrate nursing home use in insured and managed long-term care…

Describes Wanderer's Lounge, program developed by one nursing home to provide activities to benefit Alzheimer's victims and at the same time provide respite for more alert residents and staff on their units. The program and its benefits are discussed. (Author)

Evaluated special unit for care of patients with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. Results showed in the unit, in which reduced stimulation was emphasized, patient weight loss was curtailed, patient agitation was diminished, restraint use was reduced, and wandering was no longer a concern. Found family members to be satisfied with care.…

Analyzes women (n=6) whose husbands reside in nursing homes, determining the extent to which these women perceive themselves as married. Some women perceive no existing couplehood with their institutionalized husbands, while others perceive low to high couplehood. Offers implications of such a typology for researchers, clinicians, and…

Explored environmental factors related to suicide in 463 long-term care facilities. Staff turnover, size, auspices, and per diem cost related to suicidal behavior and deaths from suicide. More suicides occurred in larger facilities and facilities with higher staff turnover. Religious or "other" facilities experienced more suicidal deaths than…

Short-term longitudinal study assessed single and combined effects of two interventions designed to affect nursing assistants' (n=193) performance by increasing knowledge and motivation. Four sites included skills training only, job redesign only, both interventions, and control. Significant differences were found in knowledge in comparisons…

Examined effects of social support dimensions on risk institutionalization. Specific aspects of social support (having spouse or adult child caregiver) or having caregiving relationship of at least three years' duration moderated impact of one type of stress on risk of entering nursing home. Networks that included paid provider modestly offset…

A British Columbia survey of 45 intermediate care residents and 45 nurses found significant differences between residents' and staff perceptions of the importance of activities and residents' level of choice. Staff members' erroneous assumptions may result in procedures that restrict residents' choice of activities. (SK)

Used data from 441 new nursing home residents to examine physical restraint use in high and low restraint use homes. Predictors of restraint use during first month and first year were inability to transfer and combination of severe activities of daily living impairment and cognitive impairment. Other predictors: wandering, inability to dress,…

Conceptualizes separation-individuation conflicts in caregivers as behavior under dual control of nonverbal and verbal antecedents and consequences of others and dysfunctional self-rules of caregiver. Describes two types of treatment in context of case study: changing caregiver's problem behaviors by training nursing home staff and teaching…

Nursing homes in Illinois Quality Incentive Program receive separate bonus payment per Medicaid day for achieving each of six quality standards. Of 809 participating homes (1985-88), over 90 percent of eligible facilities chose to participate annually. Success in achieving bonus payments in multiple standards increased over time, with 27 percent…

Twelve women (mean age 90) in a nursing home listened to Golden Age radio programs and answered trivia questions. Reactions to musical programs showed they encouraged reminiscence; trivia stimulated recall of historical and life events. In contrast, comedy programs evoked little response. (SK)

This article recounts the author's counseling relationship with a client who was a nursing home resident. The article describes the client's spiritual experiences and their impact on the client and the counselor. (Author)

A survey of 754 older adults serving as ombudsmen in nursing facilities found that formal education and follow-up training enhanced efficacy. Negative initial training was the most important influence on diminished efficacy. Those with higher efficacy and more positive initial training expressed less worry. (SK)

Baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses (RNs) in hospitals appear to have more differentiated roles than nurses in nursing homes or ambulatory care. If employers believe that it is more cost-effective to shift responsibilities from physicians to RNs, demand for nurses with bachelor's degrees will increase. (SK)