[Behind each door you will find death: institutionalized dying].

Basic changes in our society and social system lead to a repression of old, frail and impaired people. They are increasingly institutionalized, and the issue of death and dying is delegated to experts. The present investigation describes the burden of routine care of dying people.

[Activities offered in nursing homes--a study of usage and satisfaction].

The following survey aims to ascertain the range of activities offered by different nursing homes, the extent to which residents use these activities as well as the satisfaction of residents and nursing staff concerning these activities. Focus is put on activating activities and activities of residents' own initiative. The analysis, which is based on 255 residents and 171 nursing staff from 11 nursing homes, shows a clear distinction between the various homes as to their ranges of activities.

["Geri-Aktiv"--the activation of nursing home residents].

Although being active is a central element of successful aging, we know little about activities which elderly people carry out in institutional environments. The first study's aim was to describe the importance of activation for the residents (n=255) and their nurses (n=171) using quantitative methods. To immerse into the subject we carried out qualitative interviews (n=61) to ascertain how an activation according to the needs of old people can be reached.