Purpose: To gain better understanding of how the built environment impacts neighborhood-based physical activity among midlife and older adults with mobility disabilities. Design and methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 35 adults over age 50, which used an assistive device and lived in King County, Washington, U.S. In addition,…

Purpose: This research combined cross-sectional and longitudinal data to characterize age-related trajectories in physical disability for adults with and without diabetes in the United States and to investigate if those patterns differ by age, gender, race or ethnicity, and education. Design and Methods: Data were examined on 20,433 adults aged 51…

Purpose: There is wide variability in how spouses providing care respond to their care situations. Few studies focus on the roles of both intra- and interpersonal factors in long-term spousal care, particularly in the context of Parkinson's disease (PD). The current study uses longitudinal data over a 10-year period to examine the roles of…

Purpose: The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) program debuted in January 2006. We ascertained the sociodemographic and health characteristics of Blacks and Whites who enrolled in the early stages of the program. Design and Methods: Data were collected between April 2006 and October 2007 from an ongoing population-based biracial study of…

Purpose: Patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) may present a unique set of symptoms and challenges to family caregivers compared with other types of dementia. Prominent difficulties include motor impairment, activities of daily living (ADLs) disability, recurrent behavioral and emotional problems (BEPs), and diagnostic difficulties. These…

Purpose: Most assisted living facility (ALF) residents are White widows in their mid- to late 80s who need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) because of frailty or cognitive decline. Yet, ALFs also serve younger individuals with physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury, or serious mental illness. We compare Florida ALFs with…

Purpose: Previous research on nursing home resident quality of life (QOL) has mainly been cross-sectional. This study examined the association between changes in QOL and changes in resident clinical factors. Design and Methods: A longitudinal study of resident QOL was conducted in two nursing homes. Self-report interviews using a multidimensional…

Older people (N=132) reported details of their day-to-day mental and physical health symptoms. Pain of various types, fatigue/weakness, mental health symptoms, and worries, bothered the largest percentages of people. Different symptoms had differing effects in curtailing activities and disturbing sleep. Results underline the interrelationships…

Examined social and spatial integration among residents of a life care facility who varied in mobility status. Able residents reported more personal discomfort with wheelchair users than with residents who used canes or walkers. These reports were reflected in their spatial separation from, and low levels of interaction with, the less mobile…

Purpose: States are increasingly using the Medicaid 1915c waiver program to provide community-based long-term care. A substantially greater share of long-term-care dollars supports community-based care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, relative to older and working-age persons with primarily physical disabilities.…

A national housing survey revealed that 2.5 percent of all older Americans lived with nonrelatives, another 7 percent were interested in sharing their current unit with others, and 8 percent of older homeowners were interested in converting part of their home into a separate rental unit. However, many reported housing-related problems including…

Elderly wives caring for disabled husbands have special needs and problems. Through interviews it was discovered that morale scores of disabled husbands and their wives were associated; although morale was generally low, it was possible to dichotomize the wives into high and low morale groups. (Author)

A counseling program for severely disabled elderly persons was developed consisting of cognitive group therapy by telephone. The intent of the program was to solve problems related to feeling dissatisfied, lonely, or being too inactive to remain healthy. A majority of the treated group members reported fewer feelings of loneliness after treatment.…

Tested use of visual imagery for overcoming memory loss in community-living older people with evidence of senile dementia. Patients and caregivers were randomly assigned into one of three training conditions: didactic, problem-solving, or wait list. Recall performance was somewhat improved for subjects in the didactic group. (Author)

The effects of a serious disability on the housing and living arrangements of people over 60 years of age and their families are analyzed. Roughly half of all respondents indicate that housing changes are considered as a result of disability. (Author)