Effects of the Medicare Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration on caregiver burden and depression.

Study Question: Does improved access to community-based care reduce perceived burden and reported levels of depression among primary caregivers of people with dementia?

Data Sources: Baseline and periodic caregiver interviews with participants in the Medicare Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration. Client and caregiver attributes and caregiver outcomes such as depression and burden scores were among the measures.

Study Design: Applicants to the demonstration (all voluntary) were randomly assigned into treatment and control groups.

Caregiver supports: outcomes from the Medicare Alzheimer's disease demonstration.

A randomized 3-year study assessed the effect of expanded community-based services and case management on 5,254 caregivers of dementia clients. A tested policy concern was whether the financing of formal care would result in a reduction of informal assistance. Unmet needs task assistance for the demonstration's treatment group caregivers decreased by 30 percent within 6 months and by about 20 percent over 36 months relative to controls.

Variations and trends in state nursing facility capacity: 1978-93.

The demand for nursing facility (NF) beds has been growing with the aging of the population and many other factors. As the need for nursing home care grows, the Nation's capacity to provide such care is the subject of increasing concern. This article examines licensed NFs and beds, presenting data on trends from 1978-93.

Demographics and cigarette smoking among women.

Background: A population-based sample of 893 white women ages 25 to 59 years from five San Francisco, California, Bay Area counties were queried about their demographic characteristics, height, reported weight at age 25, cigarette smoking history, and oral contraceptive and sunscreen use.

Methods: Multiple logistic regression techniques were used to analyze the data. Forty-three percent of the women in the sample had never smoked more than 100 cigarettes, while 27% were current and 30% were former smokers.