Two cogent arguments about end-of-life careand carefully reasoned responses from experts End-of-Life Care: Bridging Disability and Aging with Person Centered Care features two primary papers on the controversial issue of end-of-life care within the disabled and aging populations. Each paper explainsclearly and honestlythe multitude of issues involved in using person centered care. The first is from a father and nationally known advocate for the disabledRud Turnbullspeaking from a disability perspective about his disabled son. The second is from respected theologian M. J. Iozzio speaking from the aging perspective about her father's Alzheimer's disease. Responses from experts in the field follow, thoughtfully raising further points to consider about policies, ethics, quality of life, and consent. The two central papers from End-of-Life Care focus on person centered, interdependent care using the personal reflections of two close family members and their views about end-of-life care. The responses that follow each are direct, thoughtful, and concentrate on the issues in end-of-life planning using person centered care. This difficult and important issue is discussed in detail by lawyers, theologians, clinical practitioners, and professional service providers, and includes several revealing personal stories about end-of-life experiences. Helpful resources for both policy and practice are also presented to assist the reader to learn more. End-of-Life Care discusses: who, how, and on what grounds end-of-life decisions should be made for the developmentally/intellectually disabled best practices information from Volunteers of America's Last Passages project the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families when confronting issues of death and dying the protection of the rights of the disabled from discrimination person centered care for the aging with complicating health conditions like Alzheimer's Disease helping all people to clearly communicate their end-of-life wishes End-of-Life Care explores explores policy, theological, and personal dimensions of end of life care, and the ways that person centered care can bridge the fields of aging and disabilty.

This collection of essays is about dependent older people and their families, that is, older people who need help in their daily life: from the frail elderly who need mainly minor assistance in performing housework or for transportation, to severely disabled older people, bed-ridden or senile. The studies reported in this book offer a wide and informed overview of issues connected with caring for frail and disabled older people, whether carried out by family caregivers, paid helpers or formal caregivers. That the number of older people world-wide is increasing can certainly be considered a human achievement, but at the same time it generates a series of problems that must be faced.

This book provides an up-to-date and authoritative overview of the development of social work with older people in the UK. The coherent structure draws together the key themes involved in working with older people, and clearly demonstrates how to translate these into real-life practice. Key features of the book include: - Establishes an understanding of the policy context within which social work takes place, with particular attention to key topics such as inter-professional collaboration and ethics. - Goes beyond other textbooks to challenge the restricted nature of social work practice, and adopts a positive view of its potential to benefit older people. - An engaging and practice-led approach which includes student-friendly features and detailed practice scenarios. - Satisfies the curriculum benchmarks and National Occupational Standards that structure social work training and practice. Written by a leading academic, this is a key text for social work trainees. Its analytical depth will ensure that it will also be valuable for students undertaking post-qualifying courses, and for those in related disciplines such as health and community care, social policy and social gerontology. Its practice-based and inter-professional approach will mean it is also useful for health and social care practitioners seeking to improve the quality of practice with older people. `Drawing on both theory and research as well as the author's clear knowledge of current practice, this book is able to deal with practice realities in ways which many texts cannot. It offers social workers realistic options for how to approach their work' - Karen Postle, University of East Anglia

Long-term care issues have high prominence among state officials in Pennsylvania as a result of its large elderly population and concern about the impact of long-term care costs on the state's budget. Its population aged 65 and older is 15.6% of its total population, ranking second only to Florida. By 2025, 21% of its population will be 65 and older. Pennsylvania is federal and state Medicaid spending for long-term care in FY2001 was $5.1 billion -- almost half of all Medicaid spending. Spending for nursing homes was more than one-third of Medicaid spending. While spending for home and community-based services has increased dramatically in recent years, these services represented less than one of every five dollars spent on long-term care in FY2001. Over the last two decades, Pennsylvania has documented issues it has confronted in providing long-term services. Among these issues are: an imbalance in financing favoring institutional care, rather than home and community-based care (which most people prefer); fragmentation in the management and delivery of services; difficult access to services, especially for low and moderate income persons who do not qualify for Medicaid; and disparities in service availability across the state and populations in need of care. According to state officials, Pennsylvania's guiding principles in long-term care are to: control surplus growth of nursing home beds; support consumer choice; encourage expansion of home and community-based services; fund services rather than capital construction; and assure quality of care.

Demographic challenges posed by the growing elderly population and demands for greater public commitment to home and community-based care for persons with disabilities have drawn the attention of federal and state policymakers. Spending on long-term care by both the public and private sectors is significant. In 2001, spending for long-term care services for persons of all ages represented 12.2% of all personal health care spending (almost $152 billion of $1.24 trillion). Federal and state governments accounted for almost two-thirds of all spending. By far, the primary payer for long-term care is the federal-state Medicaid program, which paid for almost half of all long-term care spending in 2001. Maine is one of the smallest states in the country with 13 million people in 2000; it is also one of the oldest states, with 14.4% of its population aged 65 and older. By 2025, over one-fifth of its population will be 65 and older. Medicaid spending for long-term care in Maine in FY2001 was $411 million -- almost one-third of all Medicaid spending. In part due to the aging population and because of a 1993 budgetary crisis involving rapidly escalating Medicaid nursing home costs, Maine has pursued an aggressive policy to decrease dependence on nursing homes. Between 1995 and 2001, the percentage of public long-term care funding devoted to these facilities decreased from 84% to 61%. Moreover, the state has decreased reliance on large state-operated residential facilities for persons with mental retardation in favor of smaller community-based facilities. Maine's efforts to reduce reliance on institutional care has been in part due to expanded use of Medicaid's home and community-based waiver program as well as multiple state-funded programs. PARTIAL

Florida has the largest proportion of elderly in the nation- 2.8 million persons are over age 65, representing 17.6% of its total population. The dramatic rise in the number of persons age 65 and over in Florida over the next 20 years-estimated to total 26.3% of total population-will further stretch the already limited resources of the state. Aware of the pressing demand for long-term care services well into the 21 * century, policymakers in Florida have begun seriously to review options for improving financing and delivery of long-term care for the frail elderly and persons with disabilities. Federal and state Medicaid spending in Florida was $2.6 billion in FY2001, and 30.5% of Medicaid spending was for long-term care. In FY2001, 75.3% of total Medicaid spending was for institutional care. Slightly less than 25% of Medicaid spending was channeled towards home and community-based services. Although institutional care dominated Medicaid spending, there has been slow but steady expansion of home and community-based services funding, both through the use of Medicaid's waiver programs as well as significant support through state sources. Among the major issues facing long-term care in Florida are: the fragmentation of long-term care services among state and local agencies, an imbalance in financing that favors institutional care rather than home and community based care, shortage of health care workers and well-trained staff throughout the long-term care , and disparities in availability of services across the state.

This easy-to-use guide provides an accessible workbook for reminiscence skills training. It includes: information on the history and definition of reminiscence work; the value of the reminiscence experience to older people and their carers as well as practical ideas and suggestions on how to use reminiscence in a beneficial and therapeutic way; how to set up, run and maintain group and individual reminiscence activities; training points and training activities for each section to enhance understanding by making links with the personal experience of the reader; and, emphasis on the role of reminiscence work in the social and emotional care of ethnic minority elders, people with dementia and older people who have been bereaved. This handbook will not only help to promote reminiscence work but also enhance everyday communication between carers and older people.

Elderly Americans - Issues & Programs

This groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive treatment of the political economy of aging. From the founder and key thinker in the field comes a work that aims to contribute to the understanding of old age and aging in the context of problems and issues of the larger social order in America. Since Carroll Estes' first writing on the political economy of aging in 1979, there has been growing recognition and incorporation of her critical perspective as one of the major paradigms in the field of aging.

The only comprehensive book-length treatment of the subject, Social Policy and Aging addresses the globalization of capital and developments in health care restructuring. Combining social gerontological theory and major theoretical advances in work on the welfare state, this text keeps readers abreast of the new development within the discipline. Students and researchers alike will appreciate this critical perspective, widely acknowledged as one of the major paradigms in the field of aging.

What gives a frail and isolated or institutionalised older person their sense of wholeness and self? What makes later life meaningful? This clear and practical text presents much-needed guidance for health and social care practitioners, as well as for religious professionals, seeking to identify and meet the spiritual needs of older people in their caring role. Drawing on in-depth interviews with older people, Elizabeth MacKinlay, an experienced nurse and chaplain, develops an understanding of spirituality that enables the reader to explore the spiritual dimension of ageing and to learn how it contributes to well being and health in later life. This accessible and inspiring book will be a useful text for students, trainers and academics, policy makers and practitioners in health and social care, as well as religious professionals, in hospital, residential and other caring settings.

"Cultural Issues in End-of-Life Decision Making creates an engrossing tension as chapters on philosophical topics are interwoven with clinically-oriented ones including case examples that ground the reader in the reality of most human decisions. I highly recommend this book to researchers, health care providers, clergy, and other practitioners dealing with end-of-life issues." ---Catherine Hagan Hennessy, Health Care and Aging Studies Branch, Center for Disease Control and Prevention

End-of-life decision making is one of the most difficult but crucial challenges faced by patients and their families. In most cases, resources or counselors providing guidance in these decisions are not available. This book is intended to prepare nurses, physicians, and other health care workers to fill this role, insofar as they are most frequently in contact with the patient and his/her family and significant others at the time choices must be made. In this informative, practical book, Braun, Pietsch, and Blanchette first review the medical, legal, and ethical context of the dying experience, discussing ethnic perspectives and religious issues. For example, providing cultural and spiritually sensitive care requires that nurses, physicians, social work and others know and understand the implications of family members beliefs about life and death, supportive rituals and other activities. This book does a creditable job of presenting the issues and a broad overview of culture and common religions in America.

About the Editors:

Kathryn L. Braun, Dr.P.H., is Director of the University of Hawaii Center on Aging and an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii School of Public Health. She is a Fellow in the Gerontological Society of American and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. James H. Pietsch, J.D., is Director of the University of Hawaii Elder Law Program (UHELP), an Associate Professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law, and a Clinical Adjunct Professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. In 1990, he was the recipient of the Fifth Annual Paul Lichterman Memorial Award for contributions to the advancement of Law and Aging.

Patricia L. Blanchette, M.D., M.P.H., is a Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and School of Public Health at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Blanchette is the Director of the Medical School?s cross-departmental Geriatric Medicine Program, and Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program, the Pacific Islands Geriatric Education Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Blanchette has won numerous awards and honors, including an Excellence in Teaching Award, Distinguished Alumni, Best Doctors in America, and the Soroptimist?s Women of Distinction Award.

In this timely and authoritative overview on social gerontology and social theory, Chris Phillipson outlines the changing contexts and experiences associated with later life as we move into a new century. The book critically reviews the different theoretical explanations which attempt to explain these changes. Phillipson shows how in late modernity changes to pensions, employment and retirement, and intergenerational relations, are placing doubt on the meaning of growing old. He suggests that later life is being reconstructed as a period of potential choice on the one hand, but also of risk and danger on the other. This book will be essential reading for students and academics in social gerontology, as well as for students and academics in sociology, social policy and related disciplines interested in the future of an ageing population and the future of social gerontology.

This volume presents the experience of ageing as an opportunity for spiritual reflection and affirmation of life. The contributors are religious and spiritual leaders and ethical thinkers from a range of backgrounds. They define "spirituality" not just as a religious concept but as an answer to the natural human need for purpose, values and relationships - a sense of wholeness in life.

Ethnic minorities represent a growing percentage of the elderly population in the United States. Yet, the impact of aging on minority groups and subgroups has only been partially studied. Now, Minorities, Aging, and Health begins to fill the gap and open up the debate on how to provide for the specific needs of an increasingly diverse elderly population. In order to provide as complete and current overview as possible, the contributors examine a variety of populations, including Hispanics, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. Some specific issues covered in this volume include: mortality and life expectancy, the incidence of disease and disabilities, diet and nutrition, access to health services and long-term care, and public health care policy. This book is both timely and unique, thus making it a welcome addition to the literature on aging for scholars and health care professionals. It will be an invaluable resource in the fields of gerontology, public health, ethnic studies, and nursing.

A review of the First Edition... `Read it in medicine, nursing, social work and all health-care settings. It informs and illustrates by case examples, and the interface with the law, social work, nursing and general practice are usefully highlighted. It looks to the future' - The Lancet This completely revised and extended edition of The Mistreatment of Elderly People presents a comprehensive overview of research and theoretical explanations of elder abuse, as well as practical guidance for practitioners in the field. The new edition updates themes covered in the First Edition including: the clinical implications of abuse; sociological perspectives; issues for social workers, nurses, clinicians and general practitioners; legal implications; and prevention models. In addition, new research findings and further topics have been included. The new edition evaluates the implications of the NHS and Community Care Act, and the application of care management systems in cases of elder abuse. It also offers suggestions for good practice for interagency working and addresses questions of social policy, family and kinship networks, gender and the public response to the plight of vulnerable elderly people. The book looks at abuse in both domestic and residential settings and includes case examples of sexual, physical, psychological and material abuse and forms of neglect.

This completely revised, updated, and extended edition presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of research and theoretical explanations of elder abuse, as well as practical guidance for professionals concerned with the abuse and mistreatment of elderly people. The Mistreatment of Elderly People, Second Edition includes updated chapters on the themes covered in the first edition, including the clinical implications of abuse; sociological perspectives on elder abuse; issues for social workers, nurses, clinicians, and general practitioners; the legal implications of abuse and neglect; and models for the prevention of abuse. In addition, new research findings have been included and further topics have emerged as requiring attention. This new edition evaluates implications of the NHS and Community Care Act and the application of care management systems in cases of elder abuse, and offers suggestions for good practice for interagency working. It also addresses questions of social policy, family and kinship networks, gender, and the public response to the plight of vulnerable elderly people. The book looks at abuse in both domestic and residential settings and includes case examples of sexual, as well as physical and psychological abuse and the different forms of neglect. It outlines the use of existing assessment and screening tools and considers what can be learned from child protection procedures. The first edition of The Mistreatment of Elderly People, quickly established itself as a classic text on elder abuse, and has already been translated into Japanese. This second edition, both updated and enlarged, will be an invaluable resource for professionals working with elderly people.

The ways in which gender is central to the occurrence, detection and prevention of elder abuse are analyzed in this volume. Drawing on their own research, the authors identify the gendered nature of elder abuse in the following areas: most of the very elderly victims are women; in both domestic and institutional settings, women abuse women; a significant number of older women are abused by their sons; a significant number of older men are abused by their female partners and daughters; and abuse by nonrelatives and noncarers of both sexes occurs. Gender Issues in Elder Abuse considers why much of the research on elder abuse has failed to engage with these facts. The authors call for a reframing of the issue of elder abuse, specifically in professional guidelines for dealing with abuse, which they insist, should include gender awareness. They argue for elder abuse to be considered as a human rights issue rather than a private problem.

Along with increasing life expectancy comes the knowledge that many Americans will one day enter nursing homes. Who are the people who will care for us or for our relatives? Nancy Foner provides a major study of institutional care that focuses on nursing aides, who are the backbone of American nursing homes. She examines the strains and paradoxes facing nursing aides--asked, on the one hand, to provide compassionate care and, on the other, to cope with the pressures of the workplace and the institution. Aides are expected to look after patients, who are predominantly older women, with kindness and consideration, but nursing home regulations and bureaucratic forces often hinder even the best efforts to offer consistently supportive care. Positioned at the bottom of the nursing hierarchy, aides must cope with the needs of frail, dependent residents, pressures from patients' relatives and from their own families, and demands of supervisors and coworkers. Foner's detailed description and analysis of caregiving dilemmas, based on intensive field research in a New York facility, brings the perspective of the nursing aides to the fore. This is a timely contribution to the study of work, bureaucracy, and the future of an aging American population.

"This book is particularly relevant now as the baby-boomer generation is aging and a greater proportion of the world's population is growing older. Interpersonal communication is clearly the most critical process for promoting social integration and adaptation of older adults within society. Yet understanding of the complex dynamics of interpersonal communication with the elderly is severely limited and the aged are often stigmatized, stereotyped, and isolated. This book will help clarify the role of communication in effective social integration and adaptation of the aged by providing comprehensive and in-depth analyses of relevant research and theory. The book integrates information on the most important issues and contexts influencing interpersonal communication and aging and the individual chapters are written by an excellent group of authors who have demonstrated expertise on their topics. The book is well organized, clearly written, and comprehensive. The major topics are logically organized and compelling. I highly recommend this book!" --Gary L. Kreps, Northern Illinois University "Aging obviously occurs at many levels, with biological, psychological, and social systems showing multidirectional and interdependent changes. What is less obvious is how these factors affect communication in later life. This volume represents a strong contribution toward solving this problem by bringing together a group of prominent scholars with diverse perspectives on language, communication, and aging." --Elizabeth A. I. Stine, University of New Hampshire "The Hummert, Wiemann, and Nussbaum book brings together a strong theoretical base with the presentation of new data. The chapters go well beyond the typical literature reviews usually found in edited volumes. The contributors provide sophisticated presentations of a variety of socially significant and unique topics, including the communicative impact of physical and cognitive changes sometimes associated with aging, patronization, verbosity, frailty, conversational skills, proper names, and the presentation of self. Some of the chapters are strongly quantitative while others are more interpretive. After building a strong rationale for the volume, the editors go on to put together a series of well-written chapters that provide a much needed emphasis on the social construction of relationships through communication. The book should prompt much new research and advance our understanding of interpersonal communication and the aging process significantly." --Teresa Thompson, University of Dayton "The rich diversity of theoretical and methodological perspectives highlighted within the various chapters is an impressive feature of this edited collection. These essays add conceptual breadth and depth to our understanding of interpersonal communication and the process of aging." --Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Department of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin "This book is a valuable addition to the gerontological literature. Written from the perspective of the communication researcher, it brings together existing literature and offers new insights to gerontologists working in many social science disciplines. I recommend Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood as a resource to any scholars interested in older adults." --Victor G. Cicirelli, Professor of Developmental and Aging Psychology, Purdue University "This book is very timely. Communication is offering a new wave of aging research, and interpersonal processes in communication are where our experiences and our personal theories of aging are grounded. This book brings together many of the researchers who are breaking new ground in communication and aging. It offers a valuable overview of where we have gone in aging theory communicatively, and where we need to go. Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood demonstrates the rich diversity of methods and traditions of communication research that are beginning to illuminate gerontology." --Nikolas Coupland, University of Wales, Cardiff By highlighting the commonalities across a range of disciplines, Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood provides a unique and broad-based perspective on communication and aging. This integrative approach brings together the best of the current research and theory from communication, cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, and medical sociology. The underlying framework of the book centers around three topics--cognition, language, and relationships--exploring the individual areas as well as the ways they intersect. In addition, this volume brings to light the implications of the elderly population's individual differences as they affect communication, and illustrates the positive as well as the negative effects of the aging process on language production, relational satisfaction, and other communication-related variables. This major reference source, Interpersonal Communication in Older Adulthood, is essential reading for anyone concerned with the issues of aging and communication.

Why are the elderly so often perceived as burdensome and unproductive members of our society? Altruism in Later Life explores and refutes this view with cogent, empirical data. Authors Elizabeth Midlarsky and Eva Kahana introduce the results of a series of investigations on assistance offered by--rather than to--the elderly, in the context of historical, philosophical, and theoretical trends in gerontology and altruism research. Following a brief but inclusive historical survey of aging treatments, they present their own theoretical model of successful aging: Based on a carefully applied methodological review of research focusing on altruism and the elderly, the results reveal the relative frequency, nature, correlates, and ramifications of the contributions they make. Dispelling many of the misapprehensions held about the elderly, this work will prove to be a vital, timely resource for professionals and students in fields including gerontology, psychology, social work, sociology, counseling, and the health sciences.

How do you treat an illness that destroys life without taking it? What can be done to restore the control and dignity which are so quickly eroded by such an insidious condition? In her powerhouse book, Reshaping Dementia Care, Aronson elicits all the subtleties of treatment and response needed to counter this complex disease. Lending the volume a multidisciplinary perspective, the wide variety of contributors reveal a wealth of information regarding not only innovative approaches, but specific alternative programs as well. From the critical elements of needs assessment to the functional requirements of program evaluation, this work offers a comprehensive analysis of both the illness and its protocol options. Pragmatic concerns including legal and ethical considerations, reimbursement, staff training, and rising costs are also explored. Nurses, social workers, administrators, physicians, program directors, and therapists are among those who will find this book critical to increasing their understanding and implementing vital changes in their philosophy and treatment. "Unlike most books on dementia, this is pleasant, informative and refreshing reading, which should be high on your holiday book list." --Generations Review

Published in cooperation with the Center for Practice Innovations, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University Increased life expectancy, the deinstitutionalization of persons with mental illness, the rise of home health care, and advances in medical technology have resulted in greater numbers of dependent people requiring care by family members. The frail elderly, the chronically mentally ill, and the physically disabled are examples of such groups who now receive their daily care in the community. How do families accept the burden of this care? What are the physical and emotional demands of such caregiving? Are the families prepared to assume this role? Family Caregiving Across the Lifespan considers the broad spectrum of chronic illnesses that necessitate family caregiving throughout the lifespan and expands the caregiving paradigm by including in its focus both members of the caregiving dyad and significant non-family caregivers. It also explores the social context in which care is provided--an entire section of the volume is devoted to discussions of the interface between informal and formal caregivers and society at large. Among the other subjects this volume addresses are the negative consequences of family caregiving, the value of providing support to caregivers, and caregivers of persons living with AIDS. Family Caregiving Across the Lifespan is important reading for those in social work, nursing, family medicine, and clinical psychology. "Family Caregiving Across the Lifespan represents a significant milestone in the continuing maturation of this vital area of long-term care. The title is an understatement of the authors' accomplishments. . . .Rather than offering narrow boxes or labels, the book invites the reader to join in a broadened perspective on caregiving so that it can more fully reflect the richness of the lives of all involved. . . .For those who encounter Family Caregiving Across the Lifespan as part of their continuing study of caregiving, the book provides the integrating milestone of caregiving literature." --Journal of Case Management "This volume is a useful compendium of articles on family caregiving. The fourteen chapters in this volume address many important topics in family caregiving. One of the book's major contributions is its clarification that family caregiving to frail or chronically ill people has no age limitation, although there are unique issues at different points in the development of individuals and families. The book has exceptional merit. It expands our understanding of family caregiving, provides important ideas for future research, offers research findings that enhance our understanding of family care, and presents a very useful review of the literature. This book would be a beneficial addition to the library of all researchers in the area of caregiving. They will discover worthwhile conceptualizations and gain new insights that can inform their research. Practitioners should also benefit from this collection. The chapters addressing interaction between forma land informal caregivers should give practitioners a deeper understanding of how to be more effective in dealing with informal caregivers and care recipients." -Ageing & Society "One paper [in this volume] deserves particular notice because it attempts to do what many of the authors feel is most critical in caregiving research but also most difficult, namely, to analyze the effectiveness of caregiving, the effect of provision of care on elder health outcomes. This is an important and original conceptualization of the problem..." -Steven M. Albert, Contemporary Gerontology "This book is both unique and valuable because it embraces Brody's observation that family caregiving is not limited to a specific segment of the life span. Moreover, the book is not limited to filial caregiving, but entertains an impressive variety of contexts of family caregiving. . . . This book will be a valuable text in graduate-level courses." --Journal of Marriage and the Family

Drawing on the expertise of researchers and practitioners, this volume presents detailed information on a wide range of community-based services that are needed by and available to elders living in rural areas. The contributors explore how these services can be developed given the realities of rural settings, resources, and populations. They identify the barriers to development and operation, and offer possible solutions. Specific topics include senior centers, referral systems, housing and transportation, employment and retirement, health promotion, and health care. This volume features section overviews as well as an informative, thorough introduction and epilogue that highlight common themes and issues. Most chapters are co-authored by a researcher and a practitioner. Researchers, planners, practitioners, and policy makers interested in gerontology, social work, health services, and nursing will appreciate the research-based information Providing Community-Based Services to the Rural Elderly contains. "Dr. Krout has undertaken a formidable task to cover vast areas relating to services to the rural elderly. It is a subject not adequately covered by current literature and could be used for teaching future and current practitioners and policy planners. . . . Overall the [book] meets an important need. . . . Many of the chapters tie applied research to pragmatic community issues and identify needed policy development. This is a valuable asset for the student, practitioner, and policy planner." --Florence Gray Soltys, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "John A. Krout describes eleven key services from a rural perspective through the experience of the researcher and the practitioner. By bringing together some twenty-four authors from both sectors, Krout has provided a form for two different but related approaches to understanding rural service delivery. . . . Krout has identified a unique focus with this book by concentrating on community based services for the rural elderly. Because there is such a great need for more information on rural service deliver, Providing Community-Based Services to the Rural Elderly is a welcome addition to the literature." --Journal of Women and Aging

How does religion influence one's aging and health? Religion in Aging and Health brings together key scholars and scientists from several fields to advance epidemiologic and gerontological research into the role of religion in physical and mental health, psychological well-being, and other psychosocial and health outcomes. The first part of the volume contains four chapters that provide a theoretical context for this field, and addresses such issues as hope, forgiveness, the psychodynamics of faith and belief, and coping. The second part seeks to advance the methodological sophistication of research in this area and emphasizes measurement and design issues and the study of religion, aging, and health among African Americans. With contributions from such distinguished people as Harold G. Koenig, David B. Larson, Robert Joseph Taylor, and Dan G. Blazer, Religion in Aging and Health is essential reading for all those interested in gerontology, psychology, sociology, nursing and health, and social work. "There is an extensive literature documenting the salutary effect of religion on human health and well-being. Yet, this literature is largely ignored in mainstream medicine and social science. The essays in this book take stock of the empirical studies, reflect on the reasons why they have had such little impact, and provide direction for future reflection and research." --Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease "Levin's book lives up to its subtitle. It is a solid castigation of researchers who have long ignored the role of religion in late life mental health. . . . Anyone doing quantitative research on religion or health or aging can benefit from this book's suggestions. . . . Author and subject indexes finish off this well-edited book." --Clinical Gerontologist "This volume is supported by thorough sets of references and by perceptive suggestions for further study and research. The time is right for a creative partnership between practical theology and social gerontology to further this debate." --Church of England Newspaper "The book's stated purpose is to provide theoretical and methodological resources to support a growing body of research on the interactions among religion, aging, and health. Overall, the book makes a substantial contribution toward its goal. In addition, it makes a significant contribution by reviewing substantive knowledge in a number of areas related to the central topics. . . . The material is readable and jargon is kept to a minimum." --Robert C. Atchley, Director, Scripps Gerontology Center, Oxford, Ohio "These essays show that when it is conceptualized more carefully, and measured with greater precision, religiosity may be a surprisingly powerful predictor of health status and general life satisfaction, especially among the aging." --George W. Patterson in Religious Studies Review

"Aging in place" is among the newer terms to be included along with "senior citizen," "golden agers," and others in the lexicon of gerontology. Since aging is a lifelong process and each of us occupies three-dimensional space, we are, of course, always aging in place, but two factors have caused aging in place to emerge as a salient concern for gerontological policy makers. The first is the explosive growth of homeownership after World War II, the other is the perception that thousands of older people have been flowing into nursing homes unnecessarily when they can and should remain in their own home or apartment.