Although researchers stress the importance of encouraging independent behavior in persons with dementia, institutional practices often foster dependence. This study took place in a six-resident locked dementia care unit that followed the common institutional practice of serving meals on prepared plates. The purpose of this study was to examine if changing the mode of meal delivery to "family-style," where residents were presented with serving bowls and empty plates, would increase resident communication and participation in mealtime tasks. An ABAB' reversal design revealed very low rates of appropriate communication (5% of intervals) and mealtime participation (10% of tasks) during baseline, when residents received prepared plates (A). Communication and participation doubled when family-style meal delivery was introduced (B) and dropped back to baseline levels when it was withdrawn (A). Because the levels of communication and participation during family-style meals were still low, the nursing assistant was provided with instruction on prompting and praising appropriate mealtime behaviors (B'). After instruction was provided and family-style meals were reintroduced, resident participation rose to 65% of tasks and appropriate communication increased to 18% of observations. This study suggests family-style meals may result in modest increases in mealtime participation and communication of residents with dementia, but staff training in prompting and praising may be necessary to see large changes in these behaviors.

The majority of Kansans live near a mammography facility. Although there is a large variation in county-level mammography rates across Kansas, this disparity is not well explained by proximity to mammography facilities.

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To better understand colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices in primary care, medical students directly observed physician-patient encounters in 38 physician offices. CRC was discussed with 14% of patients 50 years of age; 87% of discussions were initiated by the physician. The rate of discussions varied among the practices from 0% to 41% of office visits. Discussions were more common for new patient visits, with younger patients, and in the 24% of offices that utilized flow sheets. The frequency of CRC discussions in physician offices varies widely. More widespread implementation of simple office systems, such as flow sheets, is needed to improve CRC screening rates.

Wandering away from home, or elopement, is a behavior that places persons with dementia at risk of serious injury and may lead family caregivers to place their loved ones in institutions or to severely restrict their independence. Funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) was used to evaluate the Mobile Locater, an electronic device designed to help caregivers quickly locate a person who has eloped. This 6-month pilot study included case studies of seven users and an opinion survey of family caregivers, professional caregivers and search and rescue workers. The survey results showed that respondents were positively impressed by the device, only identifying cost as a potential drawback. Case studies revealed that the equipment was easy to use, effective, and helpful to caregivers' peace of mind. These results suggest that the Mobile Locater is a valuable tool deserving of further study.

Background Community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches that involve community and academic partners in activities ranging from protocol design through dissemination of study findings can increase recruitment of medically underserved and underrepresented racial/ethnic minority populations into biomedical research. Settings/Methods Five cancer screening and prevention trials in three NCI-funded Community Networks Program Centers (CNPCs); in Florida, Kansas and South Carolina, were conducted across diverse populations. Data were collected on total time period of recruitment, ratios of participants enrolled over potential participants approached, selected CBPR strategies, capacity-building development, and systematic procedures for community stakeholder involvement. Findings Community-engaged approaches employed included establishing co-learning opportunities, participatory procedures for community-academic involvement, and community and clinical capacity building. A relatively large proportion of individuals identified for recruitment were actually approached (between 50% and 100%). The proportion of subjects who were eligible among all those approached ranged from 25% to over 70% (in the community setting). Recruitment rates were very high (78%–100% of eligible individuals approached) and the proportion who refused or who were not interested among those approached was very low (5%–11%). Conclusions Recruitment strategies used by the CNPCs were associated with low refusal and high enrollment ratios of potential subjects. Adherence to CBPR principles in the spectrum of research activities; from strategic planning to project implementation has significant potential to increase involvement in biomedical research and improve our ability to make appropriate recommendations for cancer prevention and control programming in underrepresented diverse populations. Impact CBPR strategies should be more widely implemented to enhance study recruitment.

This study analyzed the effects of nursing assistants' use of prompts and praise to increase the engagement of older adults with dementia in daily living activities. The multiple baseline design across morning and afternoon work shifts showed consistent increases in engagement by each of the 5 residents during the intervention. These results suggest that increasing prompts and praise by nursing assistants may, in turn, increase the rate of engagement of older adults with dementia.

Background: Completion of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening testing is lower among low-income and minority groups than the population as a whole. Given the multiple cancer screening health disparities known to exist within the U.S., this study investigated the relationship between perceived discrimination, trust in most doctors, and completion of Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) among a low-income, minority primary care population in an urban setting.