Journal of Applied Gerontology

The aim of this article is to present the findings of a review of studies that focused on technology supporting people with dementia and their caregivers. A literature search was carried out in eight scientific literature databases covering literature published between January 1992 and February 2007. A total of 46 studies providing original data and one review were included in this review. Analyses covered the aims of the studies, the technology used, study design, methods, outcome variables, and results. Most studies were carried out in residential care and focused on the needs of formal caregivers. Only a few studies involved people with dementia actively using the technology. The studies are difficult to compare because of the large variety of aims, technologies, design, and outcome measurements. There is a need for more research in this area, in particular, with people who have a mild stage dementia living in the community.

This study describes nursing homes' use of Minimum Data Set (MDS) software and identifies features that are available in the most commonly used software packages. Data came from the On-line Survey, Certification and Reporting system and a national survey of nursing home administrators (N = 2,899) conducted in 2005. Results show that 2,397 (82.7%) of nursing homes used third-party MDS software, and more than 85% of those facilities purchased the software from one of five vendors. Advanced features in the software were available to most (87% to 98%) of the facilities; however, most features were not being used all the time. Findings are instructive in showing the use of health information technology in nursing homes. Nursing homes are often viewed as technologically impaired. With respect to MDS software, many nursing homes are using quite advanced health information technology.

To present a reduced version of the Housing Enabler, useful as a screening tool in practice contexts and in research, this study identifies the core items of the environmental component of the instrument, that is, the items most important in terms of the instrument's overall validity to measure accessibility problems. Utilizing cross-national data and interdisciplinary knowledge through an iterative process, a set of core items was identified. The environmental component of the reduced version comprises 61 items, compared to 188 in the original instrument. The rank correlation between the accessibility scores generated by the original and reduced versions was r ≥ .97 (p < .001). Based on comprehensive empirical research in three countries, the reduced version of the Housing Enabler is a time-efficient and valid screening instrument. It is a powerful tool for research and interventions focusing on housing accessibility problem identification.

This article examines how race and class influence decisions to move to assisted living facilities. Qualitative methods were used to study moving decisions of residents in 10 assisted living facilities varying in size and location, as well as race and socioeconomic status of residents. Data were derived from in-depth interviews with 60 residents, 43 family members and friends, and 12 administrators. Grounded theory analysis identified three types of residents based on their decision-making control: proactive, compliant, and passive/resistant. Only proactive residents (less than a quarter of residents) had primary control. Findings show that control of decision making for elders who are moving to assisted living is influenced by class, though not directly by race. The impact of class primarily related to assisted-living placement options and strategies available to forestall moves. Factors influencing the decision-making process were similar for Black and White elders of comparable socioeconomic status.

Research on respite services for caregivers has been extensive over the past 25 years; however, findings regarding the effectiveness for improving their well-being have shown only moderate or mixed support. Missing from this research has been an examination of what caregivers do during their respite time. We studied 52 family caregivers who used adult day services and examined the consistency between their desired and actual respite activities and its relation to well-being outcomes. We concluded that (a) caregivers pursued a wide range of respite activities; (b) 46% were only somewhat or not very satisfied with how they spent their time; (c) those who were inconsistent in their desired versus actual respite activities and also dissatisfied with their use of time were more depressed, more negative in dimensions of burden, and less satisfied with caregiving; and (d) facilitators should be used to work individually with caregivers to identify activities and goals for respite time that are most likely to improve their well-being.