Volume 5, Issue 4
June 30, 2009
In This Issue
- Hartford Trustees Award New Grants (June 2009)
- Family Caregivers Report Receives Award
- IOM/National Academies Symposium: Optimism for an Aging America
- 2009–2011 BAGNC Fellows & Scholars
- 2009 Practice Change Fellows
- Health AGEnda Highlights
- 2008 Annual Report
- Upcoming Hartford Program Deadlines
- Communications Tip: Strategic Frame Analysis Resource from the FrameWorks Institute
1. Hartford Trustees Award New Grants
In June 2009, the trustees of the John A. Hartford Foundation approved the following grants:
Professional Partners Supporting Family Caregiving—Phase II
The Foundation has funded a second phase of the Professional Partners Supporting Family Caregiving project, aimed at improving nursing and social work expertise in supporting families caring for older adults. The project, led by the AARP Foundation, will move the foundational work completed in Phase I into practice, guided by the priorities established in the first phase and by the recommendations of a national steering group representing leading social work, nursing, family caregiving, and policy experts. The four key activities of the project are to (1) prototype best practices and raise awareness within a 20-state, U.S. Administration on Aging-funded network in preparation for federal expansion; (2) embed competencies into professional practice standards; (3) inform the development of policies that support family caregiving; and (4) raise consumer expectations and drive demand for changes in practice and policy through AARP consumer outreach and communications.
AARP Foundation, Washington, DC
Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN
Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research Partnership
The Foundation has awarded a grant to the American Federation for Aging Research to continue the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards program in partnership with the National Institute on Aging. To date, 152 Scholars from across the nation and the Island of Ireland have received Beeson awards. The highly-competitive, national process results in scholars receiving $600,000 to $800,000 over three to five years for advanced research projects in aging. In addition to receiving important financial support, scholars attend annual scientific meetings and are assigned at least two mentors—one or more senior faculty members at their university and a national mentor from among the prominent scientists who serve on the Beeson Program Advisory Committee. For more information about the Beeson program, visit: www.beeson.org.
American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), Inc., New York, NY
Odette van der Willik
2. Family Caregivers Report Receives Award
In May, the American Society for Healthcare Publishing Editors presented its Gold Award for Special Supplement to the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) for the report written by AARP and other caregiving experts: Professional Partners Supporting Family Caregivers. The report, published in September 2008, was the product of grants from the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation to assess and advance the critical role of nurses and social workers in supporting the complex needs of family caregivers.
The grants provided support for a two-day interdisciplinary symposium in Washington, DC, in January 2008, which brought together experts from nursing, social work, and caregiving to discuss an agenda for critical research on family caregiving. A major outcome of the symposium was agreement on a set of recommendations and strategies for increasing the ability of nurses and social workers to support family caregivers. These recommendations are at the heart of the supplement.
For more information on the report, go to: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNfamilycaregivers
3. IOM/National Academies Symposium: Optimism for an Aging America
Following its engagement by a consortium of Foundations (including the Hartford Foundation) to examine the health care workforce implications of an aging America, the Institute of Medicine, in collaboration with the entire National Academies of Sciences, convened a special exploratory meeting May 28th and 29th in Washington, DC, “to look at the many overarching themes of aging in order to help inform the Academies about areas within aging research and policy that could benefit from Academies attention through studies, workshops, or other means.”
Presenters acknowledged that while some view the approaching demographic changes with fear, the tone of the meetings took a far more balanced view: some changes will require social and economic adaptation, but they are neither uniformly negative nor positive. Among the experts contributing were many long-time Foundation friends and grantees, such as David Reuben, MD, of UCLA; Linda Fried, MD, of Columbia School of Public Health; and Ken Langa, MD, of the University of Michigan.
One attendee of note, John (Jack) Rowe, MD, was chair of the IOM’s Retooling study committee and a long-time leader in aging and health. Dr. Rowe is currently leading with the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society, commissioned to examine the “Opportunities and Challenges of an Aging Society.” Like the IOM/NAS “Grand Challenge” the MacArthur effort will ”think about the future with an open mind and try to overcome preconceptions and easy stereotypes.”
While the focus of these efforts is not on the health care workforce or even on aging and health, it is reassuring that other leading organizations, in addition to the Hartford Foundation, are turning their attention toward these issues. For more information on MacArthur’s research network, visit: www.agingsocietynetwork.org/home.
4. 2009–2011 BAGNC Fellows & Scholars
The American Academy of Nursing has selected its latest cohort of fellows and scholars in academic geriatric nursing. Nine Claire M. Fagin postdoctoral Fellows will each receive $60,000 per year for two years to support advanced research training, mentorship, leadership, and career development. Twelve pre-doctoral Scholars will receive a scholarship covering tuition and fees of up to $50,000 per year for two years to support their doctoral training and launch careers in academic geriatric nursing.
The 2009–2011 Claire M. Fagin Fellows are:
Marie Boltz, PhD, RN, GNP, BC, New York University and University of Maryland, Baltimore
Nursing Care Practices and Other Factors Associated with Physical Function in Hospitalized Older Adults
Donna Bowren, PhD, APN, CNS*, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Elders’ Adherence to Neuro Stabilizer Therapy for Chronic Pain
Glenise McKenzie, PhD, RN, Oregon Health & Science University
Translating Dementia Interventions in Assisted Living: A Qualitative Study of Readiness
G. Adriana Perez, MS, ANP, PhD(c) (PhD to be completed in August), Arizona State University
Testing of a Wellness Motivation Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Older Hispanic Women
Lori Popejoy, ARPN, BC, GCNS, University of Missouri, Columbia
Exploring Older Adult Hip Fracture Patients’ Transitional Care Needs
Janet Purath, PhD, APRN, BC, Arizona State University
Evaluating the Use of Objective Measures to Improve Physical Activity and Fitness
Amy Silva-Smith, PhD, APRN, BC, ANP, Arizona State University and University of Colorado
The Effects of a Wellness Motivation Intervention on Stroke Risk in Older Adults
Sarah Szanton, PhD, CRNP, Johns Hopkins University
Testing a Program for Promoting Health in Low Income African American Older Adults
Amy Vogelsmeier, PhD RN GCNS-BC, University of Missouri, Columbia
Describing Barriers to Medication Reconciliation in the Nursing Home
*Mayday Fund recipient The 2009–2011 Predoctoral Scholars are:
Melissa Aselage, Medical University of South Carolina
Alleviating Mealtime Difficulties in Older Adults with Dementia
Deborah Burdsall, University of Iowa
Cost Effective, Evidence Based Interventions for Infection Prevention in Long Term Care Communities Using a Biopsychosocial Model of Elder Care
Bertha Flores, University of Texas at Austin
Health Literacy and Cervical Cancer Screening among Older Hispanic Women
Nikki Hill, Pennsylvania State University
CNA Implementation of Cognitive Rehabilitation in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia
Ashley Leak, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Uncertainty Management in Older Hospitalized Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Corey Nagel, Oregon Health & Science University
The Influence of Neighborhood Environment on the Physical Activity and Functional Status of Older Adults
Tatiana Sadak, University of Washington
Development of Dementia Education Needs Assessment (DENA) Instrument for Hospital-Based Registered Nurses
Mary Stolder, University of Iowa
Association of Memory Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life in Oldest-Old Community-Dwelling Elders with Baseline Age-Related Memory Changes
Christine Tocchi, Yale University
Describe Outcomes of Frail Older Adults after a Critical Event as They Transition Through Home Health Care Services
Kristianna Weymann, Oregon Health & Science University
Characterization of Fatigue Following Stroke
Cindy Wong, University of California, San Francisco
Understanding the Experiences of Family Caregivers of Older Adults with Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia
Andrea Yevchak, Pennsylvania State University
Discharge Teaching in Older Adults with Dementia and/or Delirium
For more information about the scholarship and fellowship program, visit: www.geriatricnursing.org.
5. 2009 Practice Change Fellows Selected
The Practice Change Fellows program, supported by the Atlantic Philanthropies and The John A. Hartford Foundation, has selected the 2009 Fellows. These ten Fellows will participate in the prestigious program aimed at building leadership capacity among nurses, physicians, and social workers who have operational responsibility for geriatric care. Through participation in this two-year program, Fellows will receive $90,000 and the support of local and national mentors to further develop their leadership skills and to complete a project aimed at implementing a new geriatric service line or aging program.
The Fellows, their organizational affiliations, and their project topics are as follows:
Randi Berkowitz, MD, Hebrew Senior Life
Rehospitalization Reduction Program on a Geriatric Skilled Nursing Unit
Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation
A Statewide Program to Improve Care Transitions and Reduce Avoidable Rehospitalizations from Skilled Nursing Facilities
Audrey Chun, MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Geriatrics Patient Centered Medical Home
Sandra Ferguson, RN, BBA, MS, Area Agency on Aging, 10B, Inc.
Community-Based High Risk Care Management
Sharon Foerster, LCSW, Elder Independence of Maine/SeniorsPlus
Enhancing Care Management Practice for HCBS Consumers: A Proactive Approach to Identifying Risk Factors and Connecting to the Physician
Eileen M. Koons, MSW, Huntington Memorial Hospital
Diabetes Care Program for Older Adults
Janis McGillick, MA(SW), LNHA, Alzheimer’s Association, St. Louis Chapter
Dementia Friendly Hospital Initiative
Kate T. Queen, MD, Haywood Regional Medical Center
Beyond Bone Mass Measurements – Integrating Fall and Fracture Prevention in Osteoporosis Management
Caroline Ryan, MA (SW), Southwest Suburban Center on Aging
Safe Discharge Home: A Community Response to Rapid Re-integration of Observation Patients
Gail Sarli, RN, NP, Visiting Nurse Service of New York
Develop a Patient Centric Geriatric Home Care Management Model
To learn more about the program, please visit: www.practicechangefellows.org.
6. Health AGEnda Highlights
We hope that you have had an opportunity to check out Health AGEnda, the Foundation’s blog on health care and aging. In case you’ve missed any posts, we’d like to highlight a few recent ones by Chris Langston and Corinne Rieder on improving quality of care as part of the current health care reform debate.
Please take a look, make comments if you’d like, and subscribe to the blog via RSS feed or email.
Is Remaining at Home Overrated for Older Adults? Cory’s thoughts on why assisted living or other out-of-home care arrangements are better for some older adults, including her parents. Cory writes, ”My view goes against not only the strong preferences of my parents, but the majority of people, young and old…” Read more.
Preventing the Preventable focuses on innovative ways to prevent clinical complications and improve hospital care to older adults. “It is all too easy to say that these patients are sick and old and not question how many of these adverse outcomes are preventable.” Read more.
Easing Care Transitions highlights one Hartford-funded program that is helping to improve the care of older adults as they transition from hospital to home. Care Transitions, along with other programs and Web sites dedicated to caregiving, shows that the answers to improving medical transitions and caregiving in general are out there. The question is, how can we get those answers to the people and institutions who need it? And can we do it quickly enough—before the coming wave of older adults completely overwhelms our health care system?
7. 2008 Annual Report: A Call for Leadership in Aging
The Foundation released its 2008 Annual Report in May. It is available in print, in electronic PDF format, and excerpted online. The report focuses on the need for leaders in aging who come from all facets of health care and identifies four essential elements of a leadership development program: formal training, mentoring, peer networking, and answering the call. These elements are then featured in four specific Hartford leadership projects: the annual Leadership Conference of the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Initiative, the Social Work Faculty Scholars Policy Leadership Institute, the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Geriatric Leadership Scholars program, and Sigma Theta Tau’s Geriatric Nursing Leadership Academy, as well as the personal stories of several program participants.
8. Upcoming Hartford Program Funding Deadlines
August 3, 2009
Hartford Doctoral Fellows in Geriatric Social Work
www.gswi.org/programs/hdf.html
9. Communications Tip: Strategic Frame Analysis Resource from the FrameWorks Institute
The FrameWorks Institute [www.frameworksinstitute.org/mission.html], a Washington, DC-based organization that helps nonprofits improve the way they communicate about their issues, has created a new, online workshop titled Changing the Conversation about Social Problems: A Beginner's Guide to Strategic Frame Analysis. This multimedia eWorkshop provides a general introduction to FrameWorks' evidence-based approach to communicating for social change. Take the lessons from this eWorkshop at your own pace and revisit it as often as you like. For more information on the FrameWorks Institute visit the web site at: www.frameworksinstitute.org.
Please Note
If you have received this message in error or would like to be taken off this newsletter mailing list, please contact jbeilenson@aboutscp.com.
Christopher A. Langston, PhD, coordinates the Report on behalf of the Foundation staff with John Beilenson of Strategic Communications & Planning. If you have items you would like us to mention, please contact Chris at christopher.langston@jhartfound.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Please look for our next issue on or around September 15, 2009.
Copyright 2009, The John A. Hartford Foundation. |
