I've done something similar with one of my area studies, although the oldsters I've interviewed haven't been in nursing homes. Those who are accustomed to dealing with the elderly already know this, but for those who might be interested in trying this idea I'd like to offer my "Prime Directive": Concentrate on what they DO remember and allow them to ramble; treat anything they DON'T remember as unimportant and move on. I realize that the tidbit they don't remember may be the very one you're after, but pressing the matter will only get them agitated and they'll remember less, not more. Get them to talking, and they may well come full circle back to the question they originally couldn't answer. One of my more lucid 90-something friends said it was like his memory was a basement crammed full of files and sometimes he had to send 'the boy' down to look something up -- but if we'd just keep talking he'd probably come back with the answer. My own mother is 80. She survived cancer, but the chemotherapy did a real number on her short-term memory. Her long-term memories are phenomenal, though, if I can just access them. For example, I've learned through other sources that "Jane Doe" was about the age of my mother's grandmother and belonged to their church when Mother was a child. If I ask "what was Jane Doe's maiden name?" -- I'll get an "I can't remember" and agitated silence. But if I ask "do you remember Jane Doe?" -- she'll start telling me about the woman, her children, who they married, and any brothers and sisters she remembers. Often, I DO get that maiden name. Sharon McAllister 73372.1745@compuserve.com