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The authors describe a participative management approach was used to develop and implement a nursing care delivery model for geriatric rehabilitation. This approach led to a sense of shared decision making and established consensus among the majority of staff. An integrated primary and modular nursing model that incorporated a geriatric resource nurse role was developed to maximize accountability and continuity of care. Ongoing evaluation will further clarify the impact of this model on staff and patient outcomes.

A geriatric educational intervention consisting of four educational seminars was developed for all non-physician health care professionals in a rural county. A total of 164 health care professionals attended at least one of the four educational seminars. Selfreported practices with elderly patients were noted in assessment of medication use, physical assessment, mental status assessment, screening for elder abuse, and the use of community resources. This study suggests that a needs-based educational intervention can significantly improve practice with regards to assessment of the elderly and is feasible even in small communities. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678.