Purpose of the Study: This paper is a revision of the Kent Award Lecture given at the Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in November, 2010. Design and Methods: This paper looks at the evolution in geriatric social work assessment and outcomes research and concludes with observations of the…

Purpose of the Study: To examine the components of cost that drive increased total costs after a medical fall over time, stratified by injury severity. Design and Methods: We used 2004-2007 cost and utilization data for persons enrolled in an integrated care delivery system. We used a longitudinal cohort study design, where each individual…

Purpose: Although declines in memory and attention are hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD), noncognitive symptoms are prevalent. Over 80% of individuals will experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, which complicates symptom profiles. Research indicates a community-integrated response to dementia crisis can reduce negative consequences…

Purpose: This article provides a detailed description of a telephone-based care coordination intervention, Partners in Dementia Care (PDC), for veterans with dementia and their family caregivers. Essential features of PDC included (a) formal partnerships between Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and Alzheimer's Association Chapters; (b) a…

Surveyed 88 aging agencies serving approximately 11,000 clients to assess their capabilities for serving elderly with alcohol problems. Alcoholism was not viewed as a major problem by agency administrators, but few policies and procedures for dealing with this population were extant. Discussed implications for policy and program development.…

Michigan physicians (N=930) were asked whether they made nursing home visits and if not, why not. A typology was developed to differentiate among various physician types based on reasons given. Six physician types were found, each identified with a different policy lever that could be used to encourage them to treat nursing home patients. (Author)

Analyzed national survey data on nursing home ombudsman programs to document three alternative formulations of advocacy: (1) individualized/developmentally focused; (2) individualized/patients' rights-focused, and (3) facility/patients' rights-focused. Programmatic efforts will be required to address disparities in conceptions of appropriate…

Describes program in which satellite clinics in three apartment buildings for seniors and disabled adults bring primary health care services to individuals. Explains how clinical nurse specialist, social worker, and physician work as team to help clients remain functional and independent, and how health education programs, counseling, and staff…

Surveyed recent enrollees (n=174) in Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Medicare coverage. Respondents were younger, healthier, and had more education than the general 65+ population; learned about HMOs from family and friends; and joined HMOs because of accessibility and coverage. Expectations about HMO care coverage were very high, raising…

Purpose: This study examined the association among caregiver labor force participation, employees' caregiving activities, and the amount and quality of care received by care recipients. Design and Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 478 adults who were employed full time and 705 nonemployed adults who provided care to a family member…

Designed program using variety of engagement techniques and service components for homeless and marginally housed elderly. Clients (n=132) averaged three favorable outcomes. Service delivery was conceptualized as three-stage process based on differential effects of variables at each stage. Strongest predictors of outcome were number of service…

In 1972, Congress enacted the Nutrition Act under Title VII of the Older Americans Act in order to provide older Americans with nutritionally sound meals served in strategically located community centers. This paper identifies some of the significant personal, environmental, and programmatic barriers to effective outreach that exist today. (Author)

Compares 16 state elder abuse reporting statutes and analyzes their implementation. Generally, the statutes have failed to ensure consistent information about elder abuse within or across states. Neglect is more often reported than abuse and little prosecutory activity was noted. Suggestions for improving reporting policies are made. (JAC)

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore how medical care is delivered to older people in assisted living (AL) settings and to suggest ways for improving it. Design and Methods: We present a review of the limited research available on health care for older AL residents and on building testable models of better ways to organize primary…

Claims case managers face special challenges in working with elderly clients who need long-term care. Describes case managers' needs for population-specific training in understanding clients, analyzing the service environment, and mastering techniques of case management. (Author/ABL)