Long-term effect on mortality of a home intervention that reduces functional difficulties in older adults: results from a randomized trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term mortality effect of a home-based intervention previously shown to reduce functional difficulties and whether survivorship benefits differ according to initial mortality risk level.

Design: Two-group randomized trial with survivorship followed up to 4 years from study entry.

Setting: Homes of urban community-living elderly people.

A randomized trial of a multicomponent home intervention to reduce functional difficulties in older adults.

Objectives: To test the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention to reduce functional difficulties, fear of falling, and home hazards and enhance self-efficacy and adaptive coping in older adults with chronic conditions.

Design: A prospective, two-group, randomized trial. Participants were randomized to a treatment group or no-treatment group.

Effects of the home environmental skill-building program on the caregiver-care recipient dyad: 6-month outcomes from the Philadelphia REACH Initiative.

Purpose: We examine 6-month effects of the Environmental Skill-Building Program on caregiver well-being and care recipient functioning and whether effects vary by caregiver gender, race (White or non-White), and relationship (spouse or nonspouse).

Design And Methods: We enrolled 255 family caregivers of community-residing persons with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders, of whom 190 participated in a follow-up interview. Caregivers were randomized to a usual care control group or intervention group that received five home contacts and one telephone contact by occupational therapists, who provided education, problem-solving training, and adaptive equipment.

Strategies used by families to simplify tasks for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders: psychometric analysis of the Task Management Strategy Index (TMSI).

Purpose: Little is known about the specific behavioral strategies used by families to manage the physical dependency of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD). This study reports the psychometric properties of the Task Management Strategy Index (TMSI), a measure designed to identify actions taken by caregivers to simplify everyday self-care tasks for persons with ADRD. Relationships between use of these strategies and caregiver and care-recipient characteristics were also examined.