Purpose: This study determined whether returning to the community from a recent hospitalization with unmet activities of daily living (ADL) need was associated with probability of readmission. Methods: A total of 584 respondents to the 1994, 1999, and/or 2004 National Long-Term Care Surveys (NLTCS) who were hospitalized within 90 days prior to the…

Purpose: As Baby Boomers enter late life, relationships with family members gain importance. This review article highlights two aspects of their intergenerational relationships: (a) caregiving for aging parents and (b) interactions with adult children in the context of changing marital dynamics. Design and Methods: The researchers describe three…

Purpose: The Family Support Agreement (FSA) is a voluntary but legal contract between older parents and adult children on parental support in China. As the first comprehensive empirical study on the FSA, this study aims to understand the prevalence and covariates of older parents' perceived need and actual use of this agreement. Design and…

Purpose: Making choices about everyday activities is a normal event for many adults. However, when an adult moves into an assisted living (AL) community, making choices becomes complicated by perceived needs and community practices. This study examines the relationship between choice and need in the context of practices, using medication…

Purpose: This qualitative study assessed the needs of patients and caregivers during the transition from hospital to home. We specifically identified unmet needs of ethnic minorities, recent immigrants, and seniors with limited English proficiency (LEP). Findings are translated into recommendations for improving services to these groups during…

Purpose: We examine the relationship between the perceived needs and assessed needs of community-dwelling seniors. Design and Methods: Trained research assistants administered the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Baseline Survey to 268 community-dwelling older adults in suburban Maryland. Perceived and assessed needs were measured in the…

Purpose: This article presents an overview of what is known about dementia services in assisted living settings and suggests areas for future research. Design and Methods: We undertook a search of Medline, the "Journals of Gerontology," and "The Gerontologist." We then organized publications dealing with the target subject into 10 topic areas and…

Examined the support needs, resources, and natural systems of a sample of island Puerto Rican elderly using the Personal Support System Survey. The findings are used to explore issues in the interfacing of trained helpers with the natural support systems of these and other elders. (Author/BL)

Revealed that 36 percent of 75 frail elderly individuals were on special diets, 60.7 percent had problems adhering to them, and 92 percent of diets were below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium. Findings suggest increasing dairy products, fruits, and vegetables; increasing nutrient dense foods while lowering caloric intake of…

Demonstrated that acquiescence response set can inflate estimates of agency awareness in needs assessment studies of elderly. Acquiescence did not appear to inflate estimates of service utilization or service need. Less educated respondents were no more likely to exhibit acquiescence than better educated respondents. Hypothesis that African…

A mobile home park serving senior citizens in a large urban area was studied in anthropological perspective. The community study method permits an analysis of this park as an intermediate type of senior citizen residence. The park avoids the worst features of senior citizen life but engenders other problems. (Author)

Life Care at Home (LCAH) provides benefits similar to continuing care retirement community (CCRC) at less cost to elderly who prefer to stay at home. Surveyed CCRC applicants and found that nearly one-half were interested in LCAH. Applicants interested in LCAH were concerned about community living, lifestyle changes in a CCRC, and cost. (Author/NB)

Discusses how Dallas, Texas, Area Agency on Aging met requirement of 1987 amendments to Older Americans Act of 1965 that State Offices on Aging identify agencies involved in identifying and treating abused, neglected, and exploited elders and determine their need for services. Describes impact of Elder Abuse Task Force on state law, adult…

Oversight staff in 23 of 30 states with legislation regulating continuing care retirement communities completed questionnaire surveying features of implementation experience such as problems with scope of regulation, appropriateness of oversight placement, adequacy of staff and financial resources, use of discretionary agency authority, and…

Examined the effects of unemployment on the discomfort level of providing financial support and housing for a group of Midwestern Chinese-American elderly. Married, employed females were more likely to give money to their parents and in-laws than single, unemployed respondents. One spouse's discomfort in meeting such needs affected the discomfort…