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Abstract

Rehabilitation programs for the institutionalized elderly have often proved unsuccessful. Recent behavioural research provides some tentative answers concerning the components needed for a successful program. A basic problem, however, is the generalization of these behaviourally based programs to the natural environment. This study focused on the development and evaluation of a program (CARE) which encouraged the maintenance and rehabilitation of various activities of daily living (ADL) while becoming a regular and permanent part of the institutional life of the patient. Two facilities served as the settings for the study. These facilities were architecturally identical as were the staffing patterns and patient characteristics. Facility A was randomly chosen as the experimental facility and contained 127 residents 60 years of age and older (39 male, 88 female) with a mean age of 82 years. Facility B, the control facility, housed 130 residents 60 years of age and older (47 male, 83 female) with a mean age of 79 years. No significant differences were found between the two facilities on sex, primary diagnosis, length of stay or degree of confusion. However, Facility A subjects were significantly older (p