Purpose: This article explores the experiences of family carers of older people in using support services in six European countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK. Design and Methods: Following a common protocol, data were collected from national samples of approximately 1,000 family carers per country and clustered into…

Used video-based observations to assess travels of 40 nursing home residents, 24 of whom were wanderers. Monitored travel continuously for 30 days, recording over 5,000 unassisted travel events. Observed four basic travel patterns: direct travel, lapping, random travel, and pacing. Travel efficiency was significantly related to cognitive status,…

Interviewed members of families of nine Alzheimer's disease victims which revealed, not as expected by the families, continuity of behavior patterns from before until after onset of dementia. Frequency and intensity of some past behaviors apparently increased while their expression became inappropriate. (Author/ABB)

Examined the use of public spaces in a nursing home by elderly residents by means of systematic observations. A cluster analysis disclosed several common behavior patterns related to residents' health status. The results support the thesis that, as an individual's health declines, behavior will become less diverse. (JAC)

Examines age-related changing levels of voting turnout across time at the individual level, using the University of Michigan Survey Research Center panel studies. Demonstrated that older people do not differ substantially from other age groups in the durability of their voting behavior across time. (JAC)

A study of urban frail elderly revealed an association between higher rates of social interaction and more reliance on informal aid but less reliance on formal agencies. It may well be that informal social ties block proper access to useful services rather than lead to more humane and cheaper alternatives. (Author)

Examined effects of Swedish partial pension system on workforce participation among older workers. Findings suggest that policy implementation altered pattern of work behavior among older men, but not among older women. Changes in pension compensation rates appear to have affected participation in partial pensions, including number of participants…

Nurses in long-term care facilities indicated that about 30 percent of residents presented noise-making behavior. From descriptions, typology of noise-making was identified: purposeless and perseverative noise-making, noise-making in response to environment, noise-making to elicit response from environment, "chatterbox" noise-making,…

Nurses in long-term care settings described behaviors of patients at risk for wandering and rated wanderers (N=59) and nonwanderers (N=41) on these behaviors. Revealed three independent factors of which two differentiated known wanderers from those who had not previously wandered: cognitive deficits and hyperactivity. Dimensions in turn were…

Examined the responses of a group of middle-aged and older adults (N=34) to colostomy surgery. Analyzed the relationship between the method and focus of coping and age, sickness-related dysfunction, and depression. Found that neither a lower level of active behavioral coping nor age itself was correlated with depression or dysfunction. (Author/ABB)

A descriptive analysis of official statistics of completed and attempted suicides of the Jewish elderly in Israel disclosed patterns somewhat different from those known in Western industrial societies. (Author)

Purpose: To identify the most common beliefs concerning the negative consequences of falling and determine whether these motivate avoidance of activity. Design and Methods: A questionnaire assessing feared consequences of falling was completed by 224 community-living people aged older than 75. Beliefs about the consequences of falling were related…

Questions whether role loss significantly influences volunteering, based on data from a sample of 4,339 older adults. Findings suggested that other social characteristics such as socioeconomic status and gender have a greater influence on volunteer patterns. (JAC)

Presents utilization profiles for 15 community services among 989 elderly residents of 18 small Kansas towns. Distance estimates to most services used were greater than estimates to nearest service, frequency of use was inversely correlated with distance to services, and most elderly walked or drove themselves to services. (Author/JAC)

Reports the reliability and validity of the Health Professional-Geriatric Patient Interaction Behavior Rating Code, an observational instrument that is used to quantify the interpersonal behaviors of health professionals in the care of the geriatric patient. Condensed 15 behavioral factors into 10 operationally defined behavioral categories.…