Predicting diagnosed depression and anti-depressant treatment in institutionalized older adults by symptom profiles: a closer look at anhedonia and dysphoria.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of diagnosis and treatment of depression with anhedonic and dysphoric symptom presentation, using the Minimum Data Set 2.0. Participants were from two sectors of longterm care: 70 nursing home residents and 92 residents in a Veterans' Care Service.

Pain reports by older adults in long-term care: a pilot study of changes over time.

Purpose: To document self-reported pain descriptions throughout residency in a long-term care facility for a convenience sample of older adults (Canadian war veterans).

Design And Methods: The present study was a longitudinal, fixed-cohort study with anticipated attrition. Participants (n = 33) were assessed every three months from admission until attrition or end of study (three years).

Orientation behaviors in residents relocated to a redesigned dementia care unit.

This descriptive study took advantage of a scheduled environmental renovation in a secured dementia care unit. A convenience sample of 19 residents who were relocated to the unit completed a performance-based orientation task involving locating their own room. The study included a brief structured interview and tests of psychological function (cognition, depression, and visual-spatial ability) two months after admission.

A new analogue scale for assessing children's pain: an initial validation study.

A new instrument was designed to provide a practical clinical measure for assessing children's pain intensity and pain affect. The pocket size measure includes a Coloured Analogue Scale (CAS) to assess intensity and a facial affective scale to assess the aversive component of pain. Both scales have numerical ratings on the back, so that the person administering it can quickly note the numbers that represent a child's pain.