title: Activities of daily functioning and community adjustment of veterans in the VA residential care program.
abstract: This study was designed to identify the level of function in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) of veterans placed in the Personal Care Home Program (PCH) of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Puerto Rico. At the same time, we explored how community adjustment was related to the veterans ADL functioning. It was an exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional study of a random sample of 60 veterans placed in (32) Personal Care Homes. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used to evaluate the veteran and determined his level of independence in ADL. The Community Adjustment Scale was used to assess adjustment behavior patterns of veterans at the personal care homes. Findings indicate the majority of veterans in the PCH program were elderly with a mean age of 64 years. They were functioning in a modified dependence level in ADL. They had made good to excellent community adjustment. No relationship between ADL level of functioning and community adjustment was found.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy Section, VA Medical Center, San Juan, PR 00927-5800.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Acevedo-Navarro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvelo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008875:Middle Aged; D011647:Puerto Rico; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012648:Self Care; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology