This article explores the links between old age support and the characteristics of both parents and children drawing on survey data collected in Baoding, China, in 1994. Three specific forms of support are examined: monetary transfers, in-kind gifts, and help with daily activities. Hierarchical modeling is applied to the analysis from children’s perspective to control for the unobserved family heterogeneity. Results indicate that intergenerational support within families is currently the major source of old age security in Chinese society. Analyses from both parents’ and children’s perspectives support the corporate group/mutual aid model, which largely sees the provision of help as dependent on elderly parents’needs and children’s capacities. Although living away from children does not affect whether elderly parents receive economic help, it does constrain their receiving help on daily activities. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.

Objective:To examine the impact of introduction of an alcohol-based hand rub on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance and hand colonization of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a long-term-care facility (LTCF).Methods:Two floors of an LTCF participated. Ward A used the hand rub as an adjunct to soap and water; ward B was the control. HCWs' hands were cultured using the bag-broth technique forStaphylococcus aureus,gram-negative bacilli (GNB),Candida,and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). HCWs completed a questionnaire at baseline and after an educational intervention and introduction of rub.Results:Hand hygiene practices, knowledge, and opinions did not change after the educational or rub intervention. Ward A HCWs thought that the rub was faster (P= .002) and less drying (P= .04) than soap. Hand hygiene frequency did not differ at baseline between the two floors, but increased on ward A by the end of the study (P= .04). HCWs were colonized frequently with GNB (66%),Candida(41%), S.aureus(20%), and VRE (9%). Although colonization did not change from baseline on either ward, the rub was more effective in clearing GNB (P= .03) and S.aureus(P= .003). Nosocomial infection rates did not change.Conclusion:The alcohol-based hand rub was a faster, more convenient, less drying method of hand hygiene for HCWs in an LTCF, and it improved compliance. Although microbial colonization did not change, the rub was more efficacious in removing pathogens already present on the hands of HCWs.

Korean society has undergone a rapid demographic transition that has challenged traditional patterns of family exchanges. The structure and directions of support flows have become more complex as multiple generations coexist. This article examines the complexity of contemporary Korean intergenerational relationships. The study analyzed two different samples to address anticipated differences in perceptions of and attitudes toward relationships between adult children and elderly parents. The researchers used maximum likelihood latent structure analysis to discover the latent patterns of the association among three main subdimensions of intergenerational relationships: geographic proximity, exchange of support, and cultural norms of family support. Results show that the perspectives on intergenerational relationships differ significantly between middle-aged children and elderly parents. Intergenerational relationships among middle-aged adults comprise five distinct patterns: strong reciprocal, strong traditional, intermediate normative, intermediate circumstantial, and weak. The interpretation of intergenerational relationships from the elders' perspectives is more straightforward, with only three patterns: traditional, reciprocal, and weak. Along with significant socioeconomic differences in the prevalent patterns of intergenerational relationships, these results emphasize the complex interplay of contingency and path dependency in diversifying the value and support exchanges of intergenerational relationships.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the effect of preadmission functional status on severity of pneumonia, length of hospital stay (LOS), and all‐cause 30‐day and 1‐year mortality of adults aged 60 and older and to understand the effect of pneumonia on short‐term functional impairment. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twelve patients with radiograph‐proven pneumonia (mean age 74.6) were enrolled. MEASUREMENTS: Functional status and comorbidities were assessed using the Functional Autonomy Measurement System (SMAF) and Charlson Comorbidity Index. Clinical information was used to calculate the Pneumonia Prognostic Index (PPI). RESULTS: Eighty‐four (75%) patients were functionally independent (FI) before admission, with a SMAF score of 40 or lower. Dementia and aspiration history were higher in the group that was functionally dependent (FD) before admission (P<.001). The FI group had less‐severe pneumonia per the PPI and shorter mean LOS±standard deviation (5.62±0.51 days) than the FD group (11.42±2.58, P<.004). The FI group had lower 1‐year mortality (19/65, 23%) than the FD group (14/28, 50%), and the difference remained significant after adjusting for Charlson Index and severity of illness (P=.009). All patients lost function after admission, with loss being more pronounced in the FI group (mean change 19.24±12.9 vs 4.72±6.55, P<.001). CONCLUSION: Older adults who were FI before admission were more likely to present with less‐severe pneumonia and have a shorter LOS. In addition, further loss of function was common in these patients. Assessment of function before and during hospitalization should be an integral part of clinical evaluation in all older adults with pneumonia.