This paper compares the formal and informal care used by women living alone and women living with others using data from a household survey of women over 65. In contrast to those living with others, ...who use few formal services and receive most of their care from the children they live with, those living alone rely on a diverse group of informal caregivers and formal services, many of which are provided in their homes. Women living alone also report using mechanical devices more often, and are less confident that assistance will be available in the event of illness. Results are discussed from psychological and organizational perspectives.
The authors surveyed a community-based population of 628 persons who were 65 and over and who lived either in a rural Maryland county or in Baltimore. For each subject, the number of different ...medical problems, the subject's capacity to perform physical tasks, and the ability to function were assessed. The number and type of medical problems tended to be the best predictors of whether or not hospital or physician's office care were used, and of the volume of physician's office visits for subjects who sought outpatient care. The subject's ability to function was the best predictor of whether or not the subject used a paid home aide and the volume of family caregiving. Implications for research on association between need and use of long-term care are discussed.
This study compares the physical, mental, and functional health of aged women living alone to those living with a husband and to those living with others, and considers whether living arrangements ...lead to health problems or if health problems influence the choice of living arrangements. Data were collected in 1984 during the first wave of a prospective study of 807 women 65 years or older living in an area consisting of 20 contiguous census tracts in Baltimore, MD. Multivariate analyses demonstrate no particular disadvantage associated with living alone for this group of elderly women. After controlling for age and socioeconomic status, analyses indicate that it is those living with persons other than their husbands who are most impaired. In addition, poor health does not appear to result from living arrangement; rather, those who are sickest choose to live with others because of health problems.
Interviews of 155 general assistance recipients aged 50 through 64 were conducted in Maryland during 1983. Findings suggest that many have long-term disabling conditions and cannot reasonably be ...expected to return to paid work. Implications, if substantiated by other studies, are that case advocacy on their behalf may increase the likelihood of receipt of federal disability benefits and that consideration should be given to liberalizing Supplemental Security Income disability criteria.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NMLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective: To present the novel design of a trial testing the safety and efficacy of a yearly bisphosponate, zoledronic acid, in preventing new clinical fractures in patients with recent low trauma ...hip fracture repair.
Research design and methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind study. One hundred and fifteen clinical centers worldwide are recruiting approximately 1714 subjects aged 50 years and over (no upper age limit, median age of enrolled subjects to date 79 years) who have undergone surgical repair of a low trauma hip fracture in the preceding 90 days. Patients will be assigned at random to an intervention group (5 mg zoledronic acid intravenously yearly) or a control group (placebo infusion yearly). Both groups receive a loading dose of Vitamin D2 or D3 IM or orally, followed by 800-1200 IU Vitamin D and 1000-1500 mg elemental calcium orally on a daily basis. Concomitant therapy with calcitonin, hormone replacement therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators, tibolone, and external hip protectors are allowed.
Main outcome measures: The primary endpoint is subsequent skeletal fractures as adjudicated by a clinical endpoints committee blinded to intervention status. Secondary outcomes include delayed hip fracture healing, changes in bone mineral density, and health resource utilization. Subjects will be recruited over a 3-4 year period and will be followed until 211 primary endpoints are accrued and adjudicated.
Conclusions: This randomized clinical trial is novel among osteoporosis therapies as it (1) targets hip fracture patients, a previously understudied group, and (2) uses only clinically evident fractures as the primary outcome. Ethical and practical considerations in studying this frail population are discussed.
